Raffles London launches espionage-inspired tasting menu at former Old War Office

The Espionage Menu, created by chef Mauro Colagreco and his London team, will be served at Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO, and draws on the building’s historic links to the Secret and Military Intelligence Services. The Michelin-starred restaurant, located within the former Old War Office building on Whitehall, has just launched a summer five-course tasting menu inspired by the history of British espionage.

The OWO, formerly the Old War Office at 57 Whitehall, was once a centre of secret and military intelligence during the development of what became MI6, MI5 and GCHQ. During the Second World War, candidates for the Special Operations Executive were interviewed and briefed in the basement, while MI9 – the network that helped prisoners of war and stranded soldiers return to Britain – had a presence in the building. In the First World War, MI1(b), based in the building, specialised in breaking enemy codes and ciphers. Alongside the Admiralty’s Room 40, it was one of two founding organisations of what is today GCHQ.

The building also has connections to fiction. Ian Fleming, who worked for Britain’s Naval Intelligence during the Second World War, drew on his time in Whitehall for his James Bond novels. The building has appeared as the MI6 base in the films Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), Licence to Kill (1989), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).

The menu begins with a glass of NV Collection 246 Brut Louis Roederer Champagne. The five courses are titled Camouflage, a mushroom and cereal risotto with cep cream and smoked butter foam; Global Missions, a barbecued scallop with potato and caper salad and saffron bisque emulsion; Disguise and Intrigue, a grilled lobster tail with carrot veil, yuzu gel and ginger béarnaise; Aromas of History, a hay-smoked rib eye with black hazelnut purée and whiskey sauce; and The Ultimate Spy, a dessert reworking the Vesper Martini using orange mascarpone cream, gin sorbet and grapefruit liqueur foam.

The first guests to sample the menu included Sir Alexander Younger, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020; Dr Marsha Quallo-Wright, Director for Technology Futures at GCHQ; historian Claire Hubbard-Hall; authors Charlotte Philby and Charles Cumming; journalist Gordon Corera; and Fiona Harris of Raffles London.

Dr Quallo-Wright said: “Before GCHQ existed, we had an ancestor in the Old War Office, MI1(b), breaking enemy codes and ciphers. Back then it wasn’t about computers – everything was done by hand. There’s a huge difference in how the work is carried out today, from paper codebooks to analysis driven by artificial intelligence, but the ethos at the heart of what we do – protecting the UK – remains the same. There are similarities one can draw between intelligence work and the sort of culinary skill on display: both are about gathering raw ingredients, working to a clear plan and delivering under pressure.”

Colagreco said: “Designing this menu and having it assessed by such an extraordinary table of guests connected to the world of intelligence and espionage, was both an exciting creative challenge and a great deal of fun for our team. With The Espionage Menu, we wanted to explore the hidden history of The OWO through flavour, texture, surprise and emotion. Every dish plays with the idea of concealment and revelation, inspired by the secret stories, coded worlds and remarkable figures that once passed through these corridors. At the same time, it was essential for us to remain deeply rooted in what defines our cuisine: a profound respect for British terroir and seasonal produce. For me, gastronomy must always be at the service of something larger: a place, a memory, an emotion, a story. Here, our cuisine becomes a narrative language, capable of transporting guests into the fascinating atmosphere and rich history of The OWO. I hope guests will experience the same sense of curiosity, discovery and pleasure that we felt while creating this menu.”

The menu is priced at £175 per person, including the complimentary glass of Champagne. Three wine pairing options are available: the Curiosity Pairing at £135, the Grand Tour Pairing at £425 and the Temperance Pairing at £80.

Food Desk

For further information and reservations visit The OWO’s website here.