The new Southern French restaurant, Riviera, located on St James’s Street, where Angela Hartnett’s Cafe Murano is located, means that the new Mediterranean hotspot is in esteemed company, transporting discerning Mayfairers to summers on their glamorous yachts all year round – and frankly Londoners could do with some virtual Saint-Tropez sunshine even in July.
Located in the former site of the Hakkasan Group’s Sake No Hana, Riviera is the latest London restaurant venture by brothers Arian and Alberto Zandi of Emerald Hospitality Group, and following on from their acclaimed El Norte, Zuaya and Como Garden, it’s impossible not to have high expectations as you ascend the escalator or elevator to arrive at the second floor dining room where the calming cream and beige interior with azure and accents, chic cocktail bar, open kitchen, clubby armchairs and panoramic floor to ceiling windows had me at hello.
This sophisticated space – inspired by the first half of the 20th century and artists like Pablo Picasso and Le Corbusier – would befit the sunglasses-wearing movie star fraternity attending the Cannes Film Festival no matter what the era, and is a world away from the stuffy members clubs ordinarily/formerly associated with St James, conjuring up in every well thought out detail the sparkling blue waters and sandy beaches of the glamorous French coast.
The menu is sheer Cote d’Azur heaven and can be taken in traditional starter and main format or shared if you’re feeling generous with your other half, friends, family or work colleague – the crowd that made up my fellow diners. There is much to tempt from the first courses, including a classic Coquilles St Jacques, lobster brioche, hedonistic smoked salmon and caviar sandwich or garlic butter and parsley snails, but I can never resist the all too short lived courgette flower season, and Riviera’s goats cheese and truffle stuffed, tempura-fried, honey-drizzled example is definitely not one I’d share. In fact I could have easily polished off a trio by myself.
When it comes to mains, if you’re feeling hungry and are struggling to make a choice, why not add in a pasta course Italian-style? My lobster spaghetti, served in a copper pan and generously adorned with lobster pieces including an entire claw, is a signature not to be missed and one my husband started with, followed by the Turbot à la Meunière. With just three dessert choices that sounded equally indulgent, crème brulee with lavender shortbread, apple tart tatin and chocolate cake, the final deliberation of the evening was no less difficult, yet again proved that food envy is never a ‘thing’ here – where every dish is executed with aplomb. The vegan chocolate cake was a case in point, a moist sponge topped with indulgent chocolate ganache and finished with a fragrant coconut cream.
For non-drinkers like myself, the alcohol free cocktail Virgin Sexy Popcorn ensured I was feeling the party vibe that ramps up here as the sun sets and night descends, even on a Tuesday. Riviera are also now hosting Cabaret evenings with live singers, dancers and thrilling acrobats to entertain diners and when the show’s over the evening can be continued in the downstairs lounge and bar ‘Amelia’, named after Le Corbusier’s muse, where the resident DJ sets the tempo until 2am throughout the week. A microcosm on St James, Riviera is somewhere you’ll want to arrive early, leave late and make your next reservation when you collect your jacket.
Riviera, 23 St James’s St, St. James’s, SW1A 1HA. To celebrate the opening of the new lounge bar, Riviera are offering guests a 50% discount on their bar tab, before or after dinner when quoting “50% Bar”. For more information and reservations, please visit the website.
Images by Jack Hardy
