The main bar at Brutes
So what's this Brutes bar we've been hearing so much about?
This is Mayfair's hottest new bar, without question. The duo behind it, James Stevenson and Guy Mazuch, met while working for JKS Restaurants, so they know their stuff. They also know how to create the kind of bar you immediately feel at home in, judging by how Brutes is looking just weeks into service.
Where is it?
You'll find it down Bruton Place, next door to The Guinea. Its arrival has pretty much cemented this old Mayfair mews as one of the most interesting food and drink streets in the area. Your nearest tube would be Green Park, but judging by the clientele and the general money in this area, most people are either wandering down here from their London pied-à-terres or arriving by taxi.
This is where you're going.
Where should we sit?
There are 12 seats up at the bar, and a back section with around four tables. But the seats to elbow your way through to are the seats up at the window. On sunny (but not ragingly hot) days, the whole front opens out, giving you not only the perfect perch to people watch, but also a particular pour for your martini. So that you don't miss out on the theatrical pour of the martini, staff stand out on the street and pour your drink in through the open window.
And this is why you'll want the window seats.
So martinis are the big thing here?
That's right. Everyone gets their own martini card, allowing you to devise the perfect martini of your choice, choosing between vodka and gin, whether you want a twist and what garnish you'd like. There are four styles of martini on offer. Dry and wet (both £16) are self-explanatory. But there's also Brutal (£17), which is an extra-dry take, and a dirty, which sees them whizzing up gordal olives and extracting the clarified juice in a centrifuge, so your martini has essence of olive rather than being too briney.
That's a perfect start to any evening in London right there.
What are the bar snacks?
We had a pretty good go at a lot of the snacks on offer, which range in price from £3 for basic olives to £9 for the caviar bump. From what we tried, we'd say the blue cheese olives are unmissable and the loaded crisps (olive oil crisps topped with Iberico ham) come a close second. And then they also do Monster Munch, which is a nice retro snack touch.
The snackage at Brutes.
And what if you don't like martinis?
The good news is that they have a very edited selection of wines (Bolly by the glass is £25) as well as a mix of booze-fuelled and no-alcohol cocktails.
The GOAT (£18) is their take on an espresso martini. It's made with 58 & Co Citizens of Soil olive oil vodka and espresso and served with a whey penny lick. That's the second penny lick we've seen on a London menu since Teal by Sally Abe. Are they making a comeback?
Houndstooth (£18) - a perfect summer drink of Compass Box Artist Blend whisky, Punt e Mes, tonka and a morello cherry. So good.
Overall thoughts:
We're loath to tell you that Brutes has immediately become one of our favourite new bars in town, because how will we ever get a seat there again? But it's true. The bar mixes a formality of looks and service with a rap playlist and young crowd and, crucially, the cocktails are very well made. It's an easy recommendation.
More about Brutes of Mayfair
Where is it? 34A Bruton Place, London W1J 6NR
How to book? Book online.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @brutesofmayfair
Hot Dinners were guests of Brutes. Prices correct at time of publication.
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