Located in Mayfair in the former premises of the legendary Le Gavroche (which closed in January 2024), new fine dining restaurant Bonheur led by Matt Abé has some big shoes to fill. Although this is his first solo restaurant, Abe was previously chef protégé at three-Michelin-starred restaurant Gordon Ramsay – and we suspect it won’t be long before Bonheur receives one of those coveted stars.
The underground restaurant is a quiet, cocooning space. The addition of butter yellow leather tabletops, swirling patterned carpets and Japanese sculptural crockery add flair and enhance the artistry of the dining experience. The atmosphere is smart, yet never stuffy – something cemented by a pop music playlist emanating softly from the restaurant’s speakers.
While à la carte is also available, we tried the 5-course Journey menu with wine pairing and at £195 per person (plus an additional £105 for wine pairing), this is undoubtedly fine dining, best suited for special occasions. However, the care, craftsmanship and attention to detail on display here is second to none, and justifies the price tag. Each beautifully presented dish has a clarity of flavor, demonstrating what is possible when ingredients of exceptional quality are painstakingly prepared. More humble-looking dishes are also exceptional, such as an amuse bouche of autumn root vegetable soup with aged beef fat, a bread course of Japanese milk bread and salted butter, or a first course of quiche Lorraine: gruyere, black garlic, leek and smoked pork, and smoked pork of the classic version.
This is followed by a fish course of delicate Cornish turbot, which, in a dish, is served with autumn-pink, tender saddle of fallow deer from Aynhoe Park, beetroot and pine, pickled wild blackberries and pontac sauce. A dessert of toasted grain parfait with smoked chestnut ice cream and whiskey caramel is a pudding I’m still thinking about days later, and was especially delicious paired with a sweet, dark white Commanderia dessert wine. Finally, we were served some delightful petit fours, a posh version of After Eight (Abe’s favorite chocolate), consisting of a fine, jewel-like citrus jelly. Balancing the classic with the contemporary, Bonheur by Matt Abbey is a fantastic addition to London’s fine dining scene, and a worthy successor to Le Gavroche. – Tillie Wheeler
Address: 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR
What to order: Journey tasting menu with wine pairing
