Farm Shop Mayfair

Farm Shop’s smart, stripy, seafoam green awnings have been a welcome addition to Mayfair’s South Audley Street, bringing all sorts of organic desirables like meat, cheese, charcuterie and more, to London’s most well-to-do neighbourhood. What you might have missed though, is a set of stairs at the back of the shop - follow them down and you’ll find yourself in a quaint basement wine bar.

Mayfair is a neighbourhood synonymous with boozy lunches, and Farm Shop’s wine bar certainly caters to that crowd with a hefty wine list of European wines, alongside a short, seasonal menu of nibbles and sandwiches. The food changes day-to-day but on our visit, there were a handful of sandwiches on offer, as well as a rotisserie chicken for two.

A big gold star goes to the excellent cheese toastie, made with four Somerset cheeses and caramelised leeks. A good cheese toastie sounds like a simple enterprise but it is far from it - this one ticks all the boxes for big flavour, an excellent crunch, just greasy enough to feel satisfying, not so greasy that you have to wipe your hands on your trousers. If you’re more in the market for nibbles, charcuterie and cheese boards are on offer, and you can build your own from a good selection of homemade charcuterie (sliced to order in the wine bar) and Somerset cheeses.

Wine bars in Mayfair tend to default towards glamour, but Farm Shop’s is remarkably rustic for the area, a vibe that we rather like. Yes, the tiles and tabletops are solid marble, but bistro-style chairs and blackboards definitely make the wine bar feel very accessible. A glass of house white starting from just £5.50 (and £4.50 for a 2021 Tempranillo) solidifies Farm Shop as a great option for anyone, not just suited and booted Mayfair workers.

Farm Shop began at Durslade Farm in Bruton, Somerset, selling everything from fresh and seasonal produce and high welfare meat to a variety of cheeses, condiments, and wine. The good news? You can now find all of this in London's Mayfair, on the corner of South Audley Street and Aldford Street. The building was once home to Constance Spry, the co-inventor of Coronation chicken.

Ethical and sustainable produce is at the heart of Farm Shop. Upstairs you will find artisanal products from the South West, a butchery room selling Durslade Farm's very own beef and lamb, and cider made from the farm's orchard. As well as this, you can get your hands on takeaway cheese toasties and hot beef sandwiches. 

Downstairs, you'll find a wine bar that has everything from cheese and charcuterie and wines from around the world, to daily specials. The wine bar itself is rustic. There is salami hanging from the ceiling, round wooden tables, low hanging lights, and open shelves which are filled to the brim with bottles of wine. 

To start, you may like to go for some bread with salty Somerset butter, or olive and crudites served with dip, followed by a selection of salami or bresaola. Then, you could move on to cheese. There is a huge selection of South West cheeses to choose from, whether you fancy Westcombe cheddar, Bruton Brie, or Bath Blue, as well as Swiss cheeses including Emmental and Tomme Fleurette. If you want to try a bit of everything, there are a number of sharing boards to choose from, which are served with grapes, Westcombe crackers, and a selection of chutneys and pickles. 

There are also more substantial dishes on offer, including half a rotisserie chicken with roasted baby potatoes and mixed leaf salad, steak tartare, and minestrone.