This summer, Yannick Alléno, the talented head chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in London’s Park Lane, has created an exciting summer pop-up restaurant in the space usually occupied by the hotel’s fun Bar Antoine.
Battuta occupies a dynamic indoor/ outdoor space on the right of the hotel as one faces Hyde Park. It is perfect for a summer evening of leisurely conversation and fantastic cuisine and is an oasis of calm in the heart of Mayfair.
The menu at Battuta offers a “fusion menu” inspired by the travels of the legendary Ibn Battuta throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Ibn Battuta will not, I suspect, be a familiar figure to most of us in Britain, but he is legendary in the Middle East. Born in Tangier in the early fourteenth century Ibn Battuta was the greatest Muslim travel writer in the medieval era, and travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, surpassing even Zheng He and Marco Polo.
He wrote a famous book about his remarkable travels, the Rihlah, which extended from North Africa to the entire Middle East to Asia Minor, China and India. His account is populated by colourful figures, such as princesses, sultans and viziers and even the occasional Mongol khan.
The menu at Battuta is simply divine, and each dish offers a surprise to the palate. The menu is so extensive that there is no chance of even making a dent in it. If I have one criticism, it’s that since Ibn Battuta translates as “son of a duckling”, duck should have appeared on the menu. But maybe that’s just me and they didn’t have medieval Arabic in mind when deciding upon the menu.
Anyway, duck to one side, it’s a pretty impressive menu. Starting at the beginning, the hummus is somehow infused with exquisite red pepper and coriander in a way that is redolent of the entire Middle East, rather than any particular part of it, and heading further east, the delicate chicken shwarma Bao comes with an exotic green sauce of clear Chinese inspiration.
The astonishing, outsized globe artichoke is, however, an absolute must and perfect for sharing. It is also one of those dishes that one almost assumes you see on menus regularly, but when you concentrate you find you rarely do. Which is a shame as, like here, when done perfectly it is a perfect dish.
Turning to the main courses, the fearsomely large tiger prawns bathe in a bright red Moroccan chermoula sauce which brings out all the flavour, and the decent portion of marinated chicken (spicy but not too spicy) is succulent and tender. I highly recommend the filling halloumi sides as a delicious and filling alternative to French fries. I could have come back for more.
In the middle of the table, a lazy Susan which encases an array of pressed flowers is stacked with delicious sauces and spices to add to each course. These are worth tyring and allow for further experimentation and indulgence.
To finish, the date pudding, complemented by black lemon cream and sorbert is sublime and conjures images of the East. For the virtuous, the fruit platter with sugar free meringue is divine.
Yannick Alléno did not run out of steam when it came to the mocktails and I could not resist the superbly named “Sands of Medina” which expertly combined rye and bourbon with a mélange of dates, syrup, spices, floral notes and a splash of the rarely encountered Italian herbal liqueur, Fernet Branca.
In short, Battuta offers an inventive and refreshing menu in a vibrant location in Mayfair with impeccable service from the highly knowledge staff. Clearly designed with summer visitors from the Gulf in mind, and with prices to match, it would be a shame for Londoners not to try this excellent food in a beautiful garden location.
Battuta, Pavyllon London, The Four Seasons Mayfair Hamilton Pl, London W1J 7DR – Battuta – 020 7319 5200
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