The Colony Grill Room at The Beaumont

The Colony Grill Room first opened its doors in 2014, when it was opened by Jeremy King and Chris Corbin (of Wolseley and Delaunay fame) as the dining room of their Beaumont hotel. The pair have since moved on from their short career as hoteliers but their vision of an ultra-civilised refuge not only from nearby Oxford Street but much of the modern world remains gloriously intact.

Plush red leather booths and fringed lampshades set the tone of retro luxe, while maximalist artworks and pretty murals are a nod to the Grill’s old-time New York identity. On the food front, comfort food with a distinctly American accent is what's on offer.

Our experience began with starters of smoked eel carbonara and white onion soup finished with its own miniature grilled cheese sandwich. The carbonara is a delicate dish with hand-cut strozzapreti coated in a silky-smooth smoked sauce. While the white onion soup is a comforting choice with just enough crunch from the grilled cheese.

Transatlantic dishes with a chic edge are the heroes of the main menu, with oysters and steaks from the grill also featuring. Monkfish Wellington is the dish we didn’t realise was missing from our lives until we ordered it. Meaty firm monkfish is a perfect substitute for traditional beef, giving a lighter but still just as comforting dining experience. Those looking for an authentic taste of the grill might enjoy our choice of tranche of calf’s liver with caramelised onions, cured bacon and capers, this dish packs a serious punch with bursts of salty capers amongst the charred flavour from the liver.

As you would expect, dessert at this American-style setting is filled with sweet treats. We settled on the vanilla cheesecake served with poached rhubarb and stem ginger, a picture-perfect dessert that those with a sweet tooth will enjoy. A cheese course is also available if sickly sweet puddings aren’t for you.

High prices are par for the course at a Mayfair hotel, but The Colony Grill Room’s vintage feel and ultra-charming staff make dining here the most pleasant of experiences. Post-prandial drinks in the hotel’s Le Magritte cocktail bar are a must too, not least for the excellent people watching.

If elegance and charm is what you’re after, look no further. The Colony Grill Room is the signature restaurant of the five-starred Beaumont Hotel, showcasing a timeless yet contemporary transatlantic menu. With the kitchen under the command of executive chef Michael Turner, The Colony Grill Room menu is a sophisticated affair where one can find shellfish, grills, steaks, and salads treated with confidence and executed with precision.

The kitchen draws heavily on the seasons' offerings, preparing the best produce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all year round. Starters include a prawn cocktail, Caesar salad with 26-month parmesan and white anchovies, and the signature ‘The Colony Cobb Salad’. With local sourcing in mind, mains include roast Cornish cod with shredded squid and bouillabaisse sauce, Dover sole meuniere, and glazed spring chicken. But this is a kitchen known for its steaks, so don’t overlook a Hereford Hanger steak or the Suffolk wagyu strip.

Taking inspiration from the 1920s, the interiors blend roaring old-world glamour and a comforting atmosphere, to create a nostalgic but modern dining experience styled out with red-leather New York-style booths, soft lighting, and the occasional tableside flambe. The 80-seater dining room has acquired an impressive array of colourful murals along with several smaller maximalist paintings all highlighting the artistic reputation of The Colony Grill Room. If ever there was a spot to indulge in osciertra caviar and a glass of Billecart-Salmon, this is it.

The Colony’s wine list presents 500 bottles from the best producers and varieties throughout the old world and the new, carefully selected to maximise pairings with grilled meats. A wine flight - the ‘Wine Discovery Journey’ - is also available, including four wines, chosen to match your preferences and served blind before all is revealed at the close of the meal.