Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Located in Mayfair in the former premises of the legendary Le Gavroche (which closed in January 2024), Bonheur is the new fine dining delight from chef Matt Abe. Considering the restaurant’s previous occupant, Matt has some big shoes to fill. Although his experience as head chef at the three-star Michelin restaurant Gordon Ramsay helped Bonheur earn two stars just a few months after opening, a remarkable and rare achievement.
The underground restaurant is a peaceful, cocooned space. The addition of buttery yellow leather countertops, rugs with soothing, swirling patterns, and sculptural vessels from Japan add tangibility and enhance the artistry of the dining experience. The atmosphere is smart but far from stuffy – something cemented by the playlist of pop music wafting gently from the restaurant’s speakers.
Although a la carte is also available, we sampled Journey’s 5-course wine pairing menu and at £195 per person (plus an additional £105 for wine pairing) this is undoubtedly fine dining territory best suited for special occasions. However, the care, craftsmanship and attention to detail exhibited here is unmatched and more than justifies the price. There is a clarity of flavor in each beautifully presented dish that shows exactly what is possible when ingredients of exceptional quality are prepared with care. Even the more humble at first glance dishes are exceptional, such as the amuse bouche of autumn root vegetable broth with aged beef fat, the Japanese milk bread and salted butter dish or the first course of Quiche Lorraine: with gruyere, black garlic, leeks and smoked pork belly, it elevates the classic dish to dizzying new heights.
A fish course of delicate Cornish turbot follows, then autumn in a dish – pink, tender saddle of Aynhoe Park fallow deer served with beetroot and pine, pickled wild blackberries and pontac sauce. The dessert of toasted grain parfait with smoked chestnut ice cream and whiskey caramel is a pudding I was still thinking about days later, and was especially delicious paired with the sweet, dark white dessert wine Commandaria. Finally, we were served some delightful petit fours, which included a luxurious version of After Eight (Abé’s favorite chocolate) and a zesty citrus jelly as a jewel. Balancing the classic with the contemporary, Bonheur by Matt Abé is a notable addition to London’s fine dining scene and a worthy successor to Le Gavroche. – Tillie Wheeler
Neighborhood: Mayfair
Kitchen: modern British fine dining
address: 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR
What to order: Travel tasting menu with wine pairing
