A quick scroll through the reels of Bagatelle London’s Insta account and it becomes apparent right away that this is NOT the place for a cosy quiet dinner. It is, in fact, THE ultimate restaurant club experience.
Situated in the heart of London’s glamorous Mayfair, Bagatelle London has been offering up sophisticated dining in a stunning restaurant setting for the past six years, but dessert always comes with big DJ beats when guests are encouraged to get out of their seats and party the night away after dinner has been served.
We arrive early and are surprised that the vibe is very relaxed with the music and lights set to low as cocktails are expertly mixed and poured by the gorgeous bar staff. Tables are all set beautifully and it looks like it might be a busy Friday night, some with guests waiting for the rest of their birthday crews to arrive. Bagatelle it seems, is the perfect choice when it comes to celebrations.
We’ve a great table, tucked away towards the back, but with a nice view of the whole restaurant. Our waiter – the handsome Bobo, is just the right side of cheeky and definitely charming – every drink and platter of food is served with a smile and wink.
The food at Bagatelle will please the palette of a diner who likes the finer things in life. Caviar, truffle, lobster…. This is the sort of restaurant where you don’t look at the bill, you just wave your smart phone at the card machine from a distance and don’t bother to take the receipt. The crowd here too, is designer, and dressing up is definitely encouraged. With an uber glam clientele, light rings are common place and champagne bottles popping is the soundtrack of the night, while the music gets louder as the night goes on.
The Bagatelle concept is that of two French entrepreneurs who first set up in NYC and who now have outposts in Tulum, Mexico, Dubai, Miami… you get the picture! It’s a hedonistic, opulent concept that diners in every city worldwide are lapping up, with its French and Mediterranean influence throwing out that ‘joie de vivre’ vibe with every glass of fizz that’s poured.
We go with Bobo’s recommendations when it comes to the food, enjoying a selection of starters like Eggplant parmigiana which comes in rich tomato sauce with a good amount of buffalo mozzarella and aubergine. Scallop carpaccio is served Mediterannean style – fresh and light with black lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.
Wood grilled duck breast arrives next – a little pink, juicy and tender and served with a citrus honey sauce. The whole fish is excellent – there’s no disputing the quality or the freshness and it’s a lovely light main that ensures we’re not too full when the real party starts.
As we finish dessert and order French Martinis from the bar, the waiters start dancing, the beats get louder and every table in the house is full as the crowd start to let loose! There’s balthazars and sparklers, dimmer lighting, and a general sense that anything can happen in this place.
While Bagatelle’s opening hours are ‘til late, we leave around midnight, full of food, endorphins flying and high on life. With ‘If you didn’t post it, it didn’t happen’ written on the menu, we check out Instagram the next day to re-live the night – there’s a LOT of posts and stories showing the night getting livelier until closing.
If glitz and glam is your go-to, then Bagatelle provides the perfect excuse to wear your best outfit and enjoy a big night out in Mayfair without having to go from bar, to restaurant to club. Yes this place is spend, but, hey, you can’t put a price on FUN.
