Mayfields

Mayfields is not your average neighbourhood restaurant. Located on the site of an old chip shop – though it gets its name from a grocer that was there in the 1950s – the building’s fenestrated front frames the white tile and wood dining room like an old-fashioned postcard. It really couldn’t look any more inviting in its cosy spot on Hackney’s Wilton Way. Perhaps it’s the unassuming community feel of the area – London Fields local radio broadcasts from a nearby café – or the amount of functional eateries that have sprung up across east London over the last few years – whatever it is, Mayfields’ inventive menu comes as a surprise, and a welcome one at that.

"The handful of sharing plates on offer each evening are intelligent in their composition and artful in their presentation"

Delicate, warm, delicious – the handful of sharing plates on offer each evening are intelligent in their composition and artful in their presentation, while head chef Matthew Young, from Wapping Food, brings complex, often challenging flavour combinations to the fore. Pig’s head, pumpkin, pomegranate, and chicory – this is one of the more modern British dishes that you’ll find at Mayfields, while unexpected, international combinations include grey mullet sashimi, clementine granita, and air-dried kalamata olive shavings. And for dessert, a straightforward yet rich chocolate mousse is given a boost with bergamot.

Since opening earlier this year, Young has taken some flack for his experimental efforts, and while not every dish may be to everyone’s taste, it’s hard not to think that guests would be better prepared for adventure if they were at a fine dining restaurant instead of a so-called local one. Still, while the lemon sole, citrus butter, daikon and liquorice may be a gambit (one that we greatly enjoyed), nobody can deny the sticky home-cooked sweetness of the onion gratin, beetroot and parmesan, or the nod to classic seasonal dishes such as the brussel sprouts, sheep’s cheese, and chilli. Taking their inspiration from neighbourhood restaurants in Paris that are small but ambitious, Mayfields’ singular menu is worth exploring for all of its variegated charm.

Claire Roberson, whose previous venture was the hugely popular roving dinner club Shacklewell Nights, is the force behind Mayfields, along with notable wine sellers, Borough Wines, who have a branch on Wilton Way. And thankfully so, for their well-sourced, good value drinks offering suits the exploratory nature of the food. There is only space for two to cook in the Mayfields kitchen, and room for about 30 to dine. With wait staff who are relaxed but attentive, an air of calm enjoyment permeates the dining room, filled as it is with locals who can’t believe their luck.

Mayfields is open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 6pm, and for lunch on a Friday and Saturday between 12pm – 3pm

Text by Ananda Pellerin