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The Shepherd Mayfair reveals menu for Fayre restaurant ahead of September opening

The Shepherd Mayfair reveals menu for Fayre restaurant ahead of September opening
The Shepherd Mayfair reveals menu for Fayre restaurant ahead of September opening

The Shepherd Mayfair, an 82-room hotel in London’s Shepherd Market, will open on 1st September 2026, and has published the first menu from its ground-floor restaurant, Fayre, ahead of its debut. The hotel occupies the site of Mayfair’s oldest house, and its owners have positioned it as a neighbourhood-led alternative to the district’s larger, more established hotels.

The site carries a documented history. The plot was home to a dwelling known as The Cottage, dating back to 1618, where a shepherd tended his flock. The surrounding fields later hosted the annual May Fair, from which the district takes its name. In the eighteenth century, the architect and developer Edward Shepherd redeveloped the area into the urban quarter that still carries his name. That history informs both the hotel’s design and its food and drink offering.

Fayre is a 62-cover restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The interior features banquette seating, dark timber panelling and a colour palette drawn from mulberry and blueberry tones. Wall coverings by the urban artist Adam Ellis depict scenes referencing the historic fair, reinterpreting the original May Fair gatherings, including livestock markets, theatres, jugglers and games of chance.

The menu is based on seasonal British produce alongside European classics. Snacks include a Lobster and Prawn Brioche Roll and a Braised Beef Short Rib Croquette. Starters range from Crispy Duck Confit Salad and Citrus-cured Trout to scallops, while main courses include a Gloucester Old Spot Pork Chop, a Beef Wellington Pithivier, dry-aged steaks and seasonal vegetarian dishes.

Desserts are served under the heading Puddings by the Glass, in which classic puddings are presented in a tall glass, a reference to the theatricality of the original fair. The opening dish in the series is a Strawberry and Champagne Trifle, with a new version to be introduced each week based on recipes and flavours from the period of the historic fair. Other desserts on the opening menu include a Paris-Brest with pistachio mousseline cream and chocolate chips, Baked Alaska with caramelised pear, hazelnut and honey, and a Blackberry Bakewell Tart.

Fayre is one of three food and drink spaces at the hotel. It sits alongside The Lounge, a café-style room with 46 covers and an outdoor terrace, and Teddy’s, a late-night cocktail bar on the lower ground floor. All three are intended to serve local residents as well as hotel guests.

The hotel was designed by Timothy Shepherd of the studio Shepherd&, which has offices in Soho, London, and the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Its 82 rooms and suites are spread across six floors, in a contemporary interpretation of Mayfair’s historic mansions.

Food Desk
Photo: Harry Brereton

For further information and reservations, visit The Shepherd Mayfair’s website here.

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