Located in Mayfair on the former premises of the legendary Le Gavroche (which closed in January 2024), the new fine dining restaurant Bonheur, led by Matt Abé, has some big shoes to fill. Though this is his first solo restaurant, Abé was previously chef patron at the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – and we suspect that it won’t be long before Bonheur achieves one of those coveted stars.
The subterranean restaurant is a calm, cocooning space. The addition of butter yellow leather tabletops, swirling patterned carpets and sculptural crockery from Japan add a tactility to, and enhance the artistry of the dining experience. The atmosphere is smart, yet never stuffy – something cemented by the pop music playlist emanating gently from the speakers in the restaurant.
While à la carte is also available, we tried the 5-course Journey menu with wine pairing, and at £195 per person (plus an extra £105 for the wine pairing), this is undoubtedly fine dining territory, best suited to special occasions. The care, craft and attention to detail on display here is second to none however, and more than justifies the price tag. There is a clarity to the flavours in each beautifully presented dish, showing just what is possible when ingredients of exceptional quality are prepared with diligence. Even the more humble-seeming dishes are exceptional, such as the amuse bouche of autumn root vegetable broth with aged beef fat, the bread course of Japanese milk bread and salted butter, or the first course of quiche Lorraine: with gruyere, black garlic, leeks, and smoked pork belly, it’s an elevated version of the classic dish.
Following this is a fish course of delicate Cornish turbot, after which, autumn in a dish – pink, tender saddle of Aynhoe Park fallow deer, served with beetroot and pine, pickled wild blackberries and pontack sauce. The dessert of toasted grain parfait with smoked chestnut ice cream and whisky caramel is a pudding I was still thinking about days later, and particularly was particularly delicious paired with the sweet, dark white Commandaria dessert wine. Finally, we were served some delightful petit fours, which included a posh version of an After Eight (Abé’s favourite chocolate), to a zesty, jewel-like citrus jelly. Balancing the classic with the contemporary, Bonheur by Matt Abé is a standout addition to London’s fine dining scene, and a worthy successor to Le Gavroche.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Cuisine: modern British fine dining
Address: 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR
What to order: Journey tasting menu with wine pairing
bonheurbymattabe.com
Dining and Cooking