D&D London’s Avenue restaurant in St James’s now open
D&D’s Avenue restaurant in St James’s has re-launched with a new look and a menu inspired by New American cuisine created by head chef Michael Blizzard (previously at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental London, The Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne, Kent, and three Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel from 2004-2006, New York City). Located on St James’s Street, the interiors have been designed by Russell Sage and the menu draws inspiration from elements of regional American food, refining them with contemporary cooking techniques and quality ingredients that celebrate provenance and seasonality in the US. Open for lunch and dinner, Avenue stocks an extensive range of iconic and lesser-known American wines and its bar features cocktails and both British and US craft beers.
Michael Blizzard has been working closely with D&D behind the scenes to design the menu featuring “New American” dishes such as corn crab (fried soft shell crab with avocado, arugula and chipotle mayo); clam chowder (served in sour dough with littleneck clams and paper bag ‘crumbled’ bay crackers); lobster mac (macaroni with chopped lobster and sauce); and USDA grain fed beef steaks from Creekstone Ranch. A selection of burgers on offer include The Avenue Black Angus Hamburger (served on a brioche bun with hot relish, green pickle and fries). The Boston butt: Blythburgh pork with pecan cabbage and BBQ sauce is available for two to share. Desserts include donut holes with cinnamon sugar, Hershey melt and bourbon custard; key lime sundae and New York cheesecake with rhubarb and ginger.
Wine is a focal point of Avenue, with sommelier Andres Ituarte, previously at Lutyens restaurant, offering an excellent range of USA and French classics. The list of over 200 wines includes Sine Qua Non, a quirky Californian make that never produces the same wine twice; Cayuse Bionic Frog, a cult Washington State Syrah; and Diamond Creek, an ‘old-school’ Californian Cabernet. Additionally, Avenue is utilising the new-to-the-UK Coravin wine system, allowing diners the opportunity to taste a variety of prestige wines by the glass or ‘pail’ at their table, at Avenue’s sleek Long Bar or at the restaurant’s spectacular decanting station.
In addition, the bar serves a regularly changing list of classic cocktails, inspired by the US prohibition era, with a modern house spin. Using on-trend, in-house barrel-aged bourbons and whisky blends, the bar also displays several rare prohibition-era bourbons in spirit decanters, used in a list of ‘Tribute’ drinks dedicated to innovative early 20th century bartenders who fled the USA during prohibition and took up posts in many of Europe’s grand hotel bars. The ‘an American in London’ list features classics such as the White Lady (gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and egg white served straight up) from Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Hard favourites such as the Manhattan and Rob Roy will be off-the-menu options, leaving the rest of the list to focus on relived creations including the New York Sour (Pykesville Rye, lemon juice, sugar syrup and red wine float) and Manhattan No2 (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Italian sweet Vermouth and aromatic bitters) as well as a handpicked selection of craft beers from British and American small boutique breweries.
With a nod to American architect Rick Mather’s original design based on New York art galleries of the 1990s, the design is intended to evoke the feel of a glamorous Manhattan loft space. Floors are tiled with contemporary screen printed timber-look tiles throughout, while floor-to-ceiling white and ash grey walls allow the eye to enjoy an eclectic mix of furniture and sculptural art installations, including wall sculptures by artisan sculptors Solomon and Wu. Floor lighting gives an intimate glow in the 112-cover restaurant, with a unique chandelier made from wine glasses taking centre stage above a stunning decanting station in the middle of the dining room. Eclectic functional pieces of furniture, including a unique waiter’s station and a polished white marble group dining table, are pieces of art in their own right using innovative materials and finishes, while young British artist, Gary Hume, has designed the chairs. At the entrance of Avenue, the bar offers several levels of seating, with high at-bar-dining stools and a variety of lower leather banquettes.
Sure to be a distinctive addition to the growing restaurant scene in St James’s, Avenue is an eclectic new project combining an art-focused interior with contemporary American-inspired cuisine and an exciting new bar in the heart of Mayfair.
Address: 7-9 St James’s Street, London, SW1A 1EE
Web: avenue-restaurant.co.uk
