What was the distinctly dreary Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley has been given a shot of Mediterranean sunshine with the arrival of La Môme. The dining room is the first international outpost of a Riviera-based operation with restaurants in Monte Carlo and Cannes, where it occupies a whole street just off the Croisette.
Wallpaper* dines at La Môme London
The mood: Côte d’Azur chic
La Môme was the nickname of Lucienne Suzanne Vreurick, a legendary 1920s hostess who threw lavish parties at her art deco home, the Villa Bagatelle, perched above the Bay of Cannes. The restaurant’s twin-brother owners Ugo and Antoine Lecorché hope to channel her spirit of classic hospitality, whether with cocktails and small bites at the ten-seater bar or full-blown meals in the 220-cover dining room and newly created heated terrace. Sleek interiors with walls hung with Slim Aarons photos come courtesy of Cannes-based interior architect Samy Chams, and evening entertainment from a pianist, singers and DJs.
The food: Festival de Cannes
Signature classics from La Môme Cannes have made the move to London. Dishes straddle the French-Italian border with a dash of Asia in the likes of seared tuna with XO sauce and Black Angus tagliata with truffle and rocket. Many dishes are finished at the table with a snip of thyme here or a deboned fish there, while the tables themselves are as important as what’s on them: whole tabletops are changed by waiters carrying freshly laid replacements above their heads.
La Môme London is located at The Berkeley, Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL, UK; lamomelondon.com
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