There is certainly no shortage of excellent steakhouses in London. From iconic spots like Goodman and Hawksmoor, to luxe locations such as CUT at 45 Park Lane, and affordable favourites like Flat Iron, we Londoners sure are spoilt when it comes to beautifully marbled meats cooked to perfection. But there's a new carnivorous kid on the block: namely Cordelia's in Mayfair, which opened just last month.
The kitchen is led by Head Chef Jordi Sebastianelli, previously of the acclaimed Le Petit Beefbar Chelsea, who is defining the restaurant's menu with his love for live-fire cooking, quality produce and warm hospitality. Complementing the food is Head of Bar Ivan Eduardo Martinez Mora, bringing a unique selection of signature cocktails - not to mention a carefully curated global wine list. Yes, as you can imagine, I couldn't wait to give this place a whirl.
Interiors of Cordelia's (credit: Cordelia's).
DesignMyNight’s Review Of Cordelia's Mayfair
Need To Know:
- Address: 6 Clarges St, W1J 8AE
- Area: Mayfair
- Cuisine/Theme: steaks & grilled meats
Ambience & We Think Perfect For
- Atmosphere: the spacious restaurant screams contemporary steakhouse with its rich maroon colour scheme, leather banquette seats and dramatic light fixtures, with elegant white cloth-covered tables spanning the dining space. On the front left, you'll find the eye-catching bar boasting an impressive spirit and wine selection, while at the back, there's a large open kitchen bringing plenty of theatre, where the expert chefs cook up premium produce over the restaurant's bespoke grills.
- Perfect For: date nights, family meals, business lunches, special occasions, group dining
Service & Price
- Service (Out Of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Value For Money (Out Of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cost: £278 for a three-course meal plus drinks for two
The interiors of Cordelia's (left) and the Cornish crab tacos and seabream ceviche (right).
Menu Highlights
Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cornish crab tacos, oscietra caviar (£28) - succulently sweet, creamy crab meat came cradled in two perfectly crisp shells, offering a sharp, salty bite thanks to a mound of caviar across each
- Seabream ceviche, leche de tigre (£22) - both my dinner date and I remarked how generously sized the chunks of raw fish were, brought to life by the delightful tang of the tiger's milk - and the unique pairing of raspberries, which added a delicate sweetness
- British fillet (300g - £46) - both of us chose the fillet steak (mine rare, her's medium-rare), and both were cooked exactly how we liked it. Something that amazed me was how absolutely charred to perfection the outside was (everyone knows the flavour is in the char), but how beautifully pink and soft the inside remained - a testament to the kitchen's live-fire prowess
- Lemon tart, Italian meringue (£10) - recommended by the waiter, and for good reason, this was everything you want in a lemon tart; sweet, and of course tart, and creamy in texture, with a picturesque, blow-torched meringue on top
Drink: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Rosita (£18) - we both fancied starting with a glass of bubbles, but didn't want to pass up trying one of the restaurant's cocktails, so the Rosita, which blended Jaffelin Blanc de Blanc Cremant Brut with rose, was an ideal, refreshingly floral fix
- Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand '25 (£15 a glass) - recommended to pair with our lighter, fish-led starters, this elegant white brought delicious citrus notes, perfect with the crab tacos and seabream ceviche
- Malbec, Achaval-Ferrer, Mendoza, Argentina '22 (£18 a glass) - with a great steak, you of course have to have a great glass of red - and this Malbec was an ideal choice. Bold, complex and rich, it complemented the tender cuts like a match made in heaven
Fillet steak with punched potatoes and charred courgettes (left), and lemon tart with meringue, and chocolate and pistachio semifreddo magniums (right).
My Overall Experience At Cordelia's Mayfair
DesignMyNight Review Out Of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The restaurant was strangely mostly empty on our visit, but I have no doubt this will change soon; it has everything it needs to join the steakhouse greats, from the thoughtfully designed, premium steakhouse-inspired interiors to the warm, excellent service (shout out to Carlos) and excellent drinks programme. And that's before we've even got to the food - everything felt purposefully chosen, and of course those steaks were top-tier. I also have to say, even though it's in one of London's most premium postcodes, which often comes with a hefty price tag bump, I felt the menu prices reflected the quality of the experience you're given.
