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Please note, Rextail is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink Team, January 2017.
‘Who are all these people?’ it’s tempting to ask as you look around this room full of the international super-rich. For them, dining in a fabulous Mayfair restaurant such as Rextail is an commonplace occurrence. But for the rest of us, this is for special occasions; a well-tuned dining destination that disguises its professionalism behind quirky good looks and bouncy Baltic beats.
Rextail is the latest London restaurant from Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov (of Novikov restaurant, also in Mayfair), but this time he’s cracked it.The service is enthusiastic, and there’s lots of it. The menu concentrates on grilled meats, with some steaks – but not all – at prices best reserved for oligarchs. Choose carefully though, and you might be rewarded with a moist, rich-flavoured burger (wagyu on our visit: £14.50), with molten cheddar encased in a brioche bun, and perfectly crisp fries; or slow-braised beef short ribs, meltingly tender and served with bone marrow and plenty of roasted side vegetables (£24). The Josper grill is to the fore, but the skills of the kitchen extend to excellent desserts: a Russian-style Napoleon, a mille-feuille of puff pastry and cream; and a perfectly risen chocolate soufflé with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
With slick service, a good bar and cocktail list, an intriguing soundtrack and dishes that are simple but perfectly executed, Rextail’s too good to leave to the rich.