Trying out Silva, we make a return visit to this Mayfair restaurant with a hot new chef in charge

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Looking out towards Bruton Place from Silva's dining room

Hang on, hasn't this place been open for a while? Why are you talking about it now?

You're right, Silva first opened in Mayfair two years ago. But it came to our attention again this summer with the arrival of an interesting new head chef.

Kent-born Charlie Dilworth was Senior Sous Chef at Lita and, before that, was at Boys Hall in Ashford and was the Head Chef of the highly rated The Good Shed in Canterbury. And while he's kept certain signature dishes here - like the crispy fried eggs with girolles - he's brought in an almost entirely new menu. He's not the only newbie here either; Pastry Chef Phoebe Elsam is also a new arrival whose CV includes One Club Row, Harrods’ The Georgian Restaurant and Scott’s.

The new team has presided over a wholesale refresh of the food offering here, with more of a focus on seasonality and provenance. So we thought we'd come back to give it a go.

Chef Charlie is ex-Lita and The Goods Shed.

Remind us where it is?

You'll find Silva down Bruton Place, off the top of Berkeley Square. It's right beside The Guinea and is just one of a number of interesting restaurants and bars making this mews street one of the more compelling places to go in Mayfair right now.

Looking out towards Bruton Place from Silva's dining room

Where should we meet friends for a drink first?

There are two handy spots right on Bruton Place. If you're after a pint, then obviously you'll want The Guinea. But if you're more of a cocktail person, then new bar Brutes (which we recently reviewed here) is a great choice.

Let's start with the snacks...

Focaccia with Silva's own extra virgin olive oil (£6) - we don't normally pick out the bread for special mention, but this was exceptionally good.

Whipped feta with sobrassada, lemon thyme honey and flatbread (£12) - a good dish to order while you're trying to work out what to have from the rest of the menu.

There's a focus on seafood in the new menu, hence us ordering so many fishy dishes. But you could also share a Marengo sirloin or opt for a lamb cannon with charred baby gem.

Yellowtail crudo with kiwi, jalapeno and tiger's milk (£19) - a nice punchy take on a traditional crudo.

Orkney scallop with caramelised Tropea onion and 'nduja butter (£21) - we've seen a lot of these XXL scallops on London menus recently, but this was a stellar take.

Native lobster, with vadouvan-spiced carrot puree and pickled cucumber (£13) - apparently one of the most popular orders from the new menu.

Halibut with Orkney scallop toast, whipped potatoes and a grape and chicken butter sauce (£46) - one of our favourites on the night.

Red mullet with a tomato sofrito, olive, butterbeans and saffron butter (£35)

Room for dessert?

For dessert we wanted to try one of the restaurant's always-on puddings as well as one of pastry chef Phoebe's new additions.

Silva's Basque cheesecake with hung yoghurt and a rhubarb compote (£14) - this has been on the menu since the restaurant opened and is a very good iteration of the Spanish dessert.

Sicilian mango with kiwi and ricotta cannoli, yellow peach, sumac and basil (£14)

What's on the drinks list?

It's a classic affair as far as the wine offering goes, with a distinct emphasis on wines from the Med and more classic regions. The cocktail menu has also had a serious upgrade since our last visit.

Left to right: Olivo - a martini made with Olive oil-infused vodka, and a really well-balanced fig martini (both £18).

Overall thoughts:

Silva is a Mayfair gem which definitely ought to be on more people's radars. If you haven't been before, then the arrival of new chef Charlie is your reason to book a table. He's brought a modern sensibility to the menu here that we think will be to a lot of Londoners' tastes, making it an easy recommendation.