Mayfair is on a voyage of discovery. With The Dover leading the charge, this once shamelessly flashy neighbourhood is currently seeing a barrage of actually really quite good restaurant openings. Cringe outposts for oligarchs and confused tourists be damned!
The Greek salad is a primo example of the form
Maza is proudly one of the new guard. That’s not to say that this Greek ‘neo-taverna’ isn’t plush. Situated directly opposite old school steakhouse Guinea Grill on bougie Bruton Place, it’s a convivial, low-ceilinged space with conspiratorial, 1970s conversation pit energy, and a mirrored walkway to the bathrooms that you may find overwhelming after two cocktails. The trouble is, you’ll want to have at least three, because their tzatziki martini, which is laced with the pine forest hum of mastiha, is enthralling.
When it comes to food, the menu is big and – pleasingly – the portions even more so. A complimentary puck of ‘maza’ bread comes first, but it’s the leek loaf, brushed with olive oil and flaunting its char marks, that really impresses, especially when dipped into a tzatziki that’s as thick and rich as the fellas loitering by the Lamborghini shop around the corner. The Greek salad is a primo example of the form; succulent cherry tomatoes, crumbly feta, crisp cucumbers and snappable chunks of rusk to soak up all the juice. The tuna crudo, dressed with sundried Mediterranean ponzu, is beautifully thick and fleshy, and round courgette cakes come on like falafel after a trip to an Ionian wellness retreat, served with a pool of sweet cucumber, mint and honey dip. So far, so heavenly.
Heartier dishes include the chatsapouri, an elite, bread-heavy pasty oozing hot, wet anthotiro cheese, while ‘Grandmama’s meatballs’ are so tender as to fall apart. We’re not sure if this is by accident or design, but it works. What works less well is a silver platter of ‘disco fries’ layered onto a smear of shredded veal kokkinisto stew. The fries themselves are pale and uninteresting, and the meat claggy. Like the restaurant’s performative collection of vinyl that sits by a switched off record player while a pre-programmed online playlist is rattled off instead, it’s got the right idea, but not quite the right execution. Better is the juicy chicken souvlaki skewer, with rich pots of paprika dip and mustard sauce with which to paint the burnished thigh.
Maza is pretty close to being a truly great London restaurant, with a few tweaks it could be.
The vibe An approachable and welcoming Mayfair restaurant with sublime service.
The food Hearty Greek classics done with finesse.
The drink There’s a standalone martini menu, as well as a selection of classic 1980s cocktails and plenty of great Greek wines by the glass and bottle.
Time Out tip The Greek salad and tzatziki martini are non-negotiable orders.