When a Greek recommends a Greek restaurant in London, you know you’re onto something good. That’s certainly the case with Notting Hill favourites Mazi and Suzi Tros, the steadfast neighbourhood institutions founded by Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré and beloved by everyone from loyal locals to the Greek royal family. Next for the duo is a restaurant tethered to Mayfair yet rooted in the transportive spirit of a 1980s Athenian taverna.
Wallpaper* dines at Maza, London
The mood: Mediterranean summer reverie
Located on the charming mews of Bruton Place, opposite Grosvenor Square, Maza borrows the convivial spirit of its siblings – the din, the chatter – translating it into a slightly more theatrical, larger-scale setting suited to a West End clientele. London-based Archer Humphryes Architects – recently behind the redesign of the first-floor room at Ronnie Scott’s – avoided pretension, instead shaping a retro-chic 90-seat venue with the kind of attention to detail that vies with a table laden with colourful, freshly prepared meze.
‘Christina and Adrien’s family background in Athens has strongly shaped the restaurant’s expression. It reflects the energetic casual dining scene that has emerged across neighbourhoods such as Syntagma, Pagrati, Monastiraki and Exarchia,’ say studio founders David Archer and Julie Humphryes. They continue: ‘Their imprint runs through both menu and design, with the kitchen walls lined with framed recipes from Christina’s grandmother’s handwritten cookbook.’
Guests enter through a cocktail bar with a woven wicker ceiling by Somerset Willow, centred on a DJ station with turntables and a vintage sound system. A liquor display and banquette seating lead towards the open kitchen, anchored by a central chargrill and counter dining, framed by a pressed-glass gantry by Tony Sandles, with a wine display above. Lighting designer Tim Henderson introduced bespoke pendants throughout the dining and bar areas.
Rich colours, mirrored surfaces and polished brass run across two dining levels. The main room connects to an outdoor space lined with Mediterranean planting, while an upper tier offers group seating on a raised dais with banquettes overlooking the restaurant. Quarry tiles from Ketley in Yorkshire provide a durable floor, layered with bespoke rugs from Nordic Knots, whose showroom sits just around the corner.
The food: A slice of Athens in Mayfair
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