La Maison Remy Martin launches in Soho

If you only ever saw the top half of La Maison Remy Martin, you would be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled into an early preview of London Fashion Week. Sparse interiors, impeccably dressed staff clutching clipboards, and a few bare tables, it’s not exactly the most exciting or intimate of areas. We’re great fans of minimalism, but this isn’t that.

Slip down stairs, though, and you end up in a space that completely justifies the private members club vibe that they’re going for with such effortless ease that we can’t help but wonder if the decor upstairs is somewhat poking fun at itself a little. A beautiful bar, bottles of Remy sitting in a soft spotlight glow, a buzzing atmosphere and an ineffable sense of calm intimacy that we instinctively associate with luxury.

Canapes err towards the dainty side: all creme brulee macarons, seabass ceviches and shredded crab atop delicate slicks of puree. They’re beautiful, don’t get us wrong, but there’s something about the full faced, fatty robustness of the beef croquette that is just immensely satisfying. It’s unapologetically rich, shreds of meltingly soft meat falling apart in a sauce so thick it could easily find its way into a Trump administration. It’s a great match for the neat cognacs, especially the 1738 and its rich bouquet of plum and fig.

This is something that becomes increasingly relevant as we sample the cocktails, and realise that the undiluted cognacs are still the best thing on the menu. That’s no real slight to the mixology, but rather a reflection of just how impressive Remy Martin is as a drink in and of itself.

The Remy Grand Tonic has potential but needs a slightly heavier hand on the Angostura bitters, the current offering being just a little too sweet. In the balmy days of a July, on a roof terrace, it would probably be ideal but as this pop-up is running for but a few fleeting weeks and the February chill is still much in full flow, it feels out of place. It’s a common theme: everything could do with a bit more oomph and impact, instead of playing it so safe. The combinations work, the general ideas work, but a bit more conviction would be great; London is used to big flavours now, we can handle it.

The intimate bar is only one element of what’s going on here though, as this pseudo-members club will be hosting a variety of masterclasses and talks on industry issues between 16^th February and 4^th March. The topics are incredibly on trend, concluding with a Gizzi Erskine talk on the perils of the clean eating revolution, which, if nothing else, is sure to be amusingly ironic held in a space that looks like the archetypal chia seed peddling health bar. Not that you’ll care, because once you’re downstairs and the Remy starts flowing, all life’s little problems just melt away.

Daniel Masters

To book a table at La Maison Remy Martin, 147 Wardour Street London W1F 8WD, for further information or to book call 07763 279 125 or visit here.