Jeru - Middle Eastern culinary excellence comes to Mayfair

I've always had a sense of excitement when going out for a special evening, this feeling is heightened when that evening involves visiting a trendy restaurant in uber-luxury Mayfair. The heart of London luxury, Mayfair, is home to the finest hotels and restaurants in not only the UK but perhaps in Europe. Our expectations were extremely high and the question was could the new Middle Eastern inspired restaurant Jeru deliver?

Jeru is located on Berkeley Street amongst legendary establishments such as Cartier and Claridge's, Ferrari and Fendi and Rolex and The Ritz to name but a few. This Middle Eastern inspired restaurant which opened at the beginning of December 2021 is renowned Australian Chef Roy Ner’s first UK venture.

The name Jeru means ‘old city’ in Byzantine time. It was a place of nomadic tribal people where many different cultures collided – a true melting pot. The food at Jeru has drawn inspiration from this and Chef Ner has placed discovery and exploration at the heart of the Jeru journey.

Chef Ner is working with the finest charcuterie experts in the UK to create unique menu items that haven’t been seen before in the UK; Angus rump basturma and lamb and fennel salami are served, as well as the first lamb bacon in collaboration with Hammond Charcuterie, amongst other artisan speciality meats.

“We want people to feel at home when they visit us”, says Ner, “guests will be able to see into the open charcoal kitchen, see where we dry age our seafood, beef and lamb, and see their dish come to life.”

We went to discover the hype for ourselves and boy were we impressed - something that is not an easy thing to do considering we visit numerous fabulous new restaurants on a monthly basis.

We entered through a traditional Middle Eastern arched doorway that leads into the main restaurant. A bespoke herb chandelier hangs over the stairs and banquette seating, with built-in wine coolers, surround tables that face the open kitchen. Here, the finest British produce shares the table with producers from around the world – menu highlights include: Charcoal octopus, cuttlefish ragu, black spinach, chilli; Langoustine Murtabak, labneh, chili, smoked eel salsa; Charcoal roast aubergine, macadamia milk, Levantine lobster & prawn dumplings, burnt harissa butter and Hasselback Jerusalem artichokes, goat’s whey & anchovies.

Jeru offered us a combination of tastes and flavours unlike any restaurant we have visited in many a year. Chef Ner's creative dishes take flavours, ingredients and tastes that combine his culinary talent and creates truly innovative dishes that will leave you yearning to discover and taste more. Every dish had a unique flavour and was a revelation for our palates. We began with the 'Tarbes Farm' Angus rump basturma which had been cured beautifully and had incredible flavour. The go-to dish - which we are sure will become a classic - are the fried halloumi doughnuts - definitely worth dunkin! Roasted aubergines were succulent and the macadamia salsa and mint tahni added another dimension of flavour. Our main course was a tender - falling off the bone - 'Creek Stone Farms' short rib which is to die for! All of this combined with the fabulous and attentive service from a passionate team and especially Ali proved to be an evening that will be hard to eclipse.

In addition to the dining experience, guests will be enticed into the venue by the ever-tempting smell of freshly baked bread from the onsite bakery that welcomes them upon entering. Signature Yemenite butter bread, whipped curd, heritage tomato pulp and Short rib burnt ends & Persian feta Börek are on offer. The bakery is open all day and serves a selection of pastries, coffees, salads, small plates and natural wines.

A ‘wine room’, that doubles as a private dining option, offers an extensive wine and champagne menu curated to complement the menu and ethos. Showcased in a custom made 1,000 bottle wine wall, it includes the finest wines from the first producers in Phoenicia and Georgia through to modern day New World wines.

For those who want to keep the experience and party going, descend the stairs to discover Layla bar on the lower level. Layla is a sophisticated cocktail bar with lush banquette seating serving fine wines and spirits and boasting a high-end specialty cocktail menu using flavour elements of the Middle East and is open until the late hours. We'll be there!

Jeru

11 Berkeley St, London W1

www.jeru.co.uk

Back