Indulge in martinis and mischief at London’s The Maine
The Maine is a Georgian townhouse featuring five different dining experiences across three-floors, offering all the glamour of a members’ club without the fees
![The reception at The Maine restaurant London](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KXiU2aJRdPYwcTrXvfFVfV-415-80.jpg)
What can one expect from an evening spent at The Maine? ‘Revelry, martinis and mischief,’ says the founder of the new London destination, restaurateur Joey Ghazal.
The Drawing Room
It’s true that within only a few weeks of being open, The Maine has generated enough gossip and gathered enough of a distinguishable crowd that it is worthy of being called a ‘hotspot’. Located in a Georgian townhouse bordering Mayfair and Soho, The Maine features 350 covers across five distinctly different dining rooms and three floors, with a year-round hidden terrace nestled in the former stables of the townhouse.
For Ghazal, the project was an homage to his childhood summers spent in New England, where family-style feasts of fresh seafood are served up in environs that blend preppy-elegance with Shaker-style practicality. Yet, the restaurant has filtered that distinctly American spirit through a London lens in order to bring something novel but still accessible to the city.
The Brasserie
‘The American approach towards dining is more provocative and something we felt London was ready for,’ says Ghazal. ‘If there is one thing we have seen, it is that a sense of generosity and indulgence is exactly what the doctor ordered in post lockdown London.
‘Drama comes from contrast,’ he continues. ‘By juxtaposing the refined against the rough, you create something simultaneously absurd and perfect. The aristocratic 18th century Drawing Room and terrace, the Copacabana-style brasserie in a bunker, the brick-vaulted Tavern bar set in the former servants’ quarters, the “air raid shelter” toilets leading on to a 1970s style’ private bar – all these different spaces and secret corners evoke a sense of falling down the rabbit hole.’
The Tavern
Indeed, wandering through the restaurant can feel like a journey into an elegant funhouse with each room offering its own unique entertainment. In the words of the BradyWilliams group, which designed the interiors, The Maine offers ‘a sense of intimacy and theatre fused into a space with distinctive offerings. It is the epitome of a members’ club with no fees.
‘The design allows one to elegantly recline in the Drawing Room, let loose in the Tavern or be transported by the energetic atmosphere of the live music and theatrical experience in the Brasserie.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Like Soho House and Dean Street Townhouse before it, The Maine promises to be a London destination that is equally suitable for a breakfast meeting with clients or a debaucherous evening out with friends. Yet, its novelty and expansiveness gives it something those other locations don’t have, and which will almost certainly secure its place among London’s best-known watering holes.
INFORMATION
Mary Cleary is a writer based in London and New York. Previously beauty & grooming editor at Wallpaper*, she is now a contributing editor, alongside writing for various publications on all aspects of culture.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
The London tequila bars well worth a shot
On National Tequila Day, 24 July, our resident spirits writer Neil Ridley explores London’s best places to enjoy the finest agave-based spirits
By Neil Ridley Published
-
New Glenmorangie whisky nods to nature, with botanical artist Azuma Makoto
Glenmorangie unveils ‘Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old’, an extraordinarily rare limited-edition whisky that embodies the wonder of the natural world
By Melina Keays Published
-
Eight of the best Chinese restaurants in London right now
Our food critic's picks of the best Chinese restaurants in London, serving up a wealth of regional wonders in the chicest of contemporary surroundings
By Ben McCormack Published
-
Lavazza’s Wimbledon afternoon tea is a game, set and match
Ahead of Wimbledon, starting 1 July, Lavazza’s London flagship delivers Centre Court atmosphere, offering sweet and savoury treats with a tennis-inspired menu
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Tuck into Ruinart and Silo’s new zero-waste supper series in London
The Ruinart x Silo: Savoir (Re)Faire Supper Series sees the champagne house partner with the zero-waste restaurant, and centres on the new Ruinart Blanc Singulier cuvée
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Enjoy rosé on the terrace at Villa Minuty, the Rosewood's new summer restaurant
This summer, rosé wine estate Minuty brings the French Riviera lifestyle to the heart of London at the Rosewood Hotel, whose terrace has been transformed into Villa Minuty restaurant
By Melina Keays Published
-
30 years of Nobu: chef Nobu Matsuhisa on the trials and tribulations of a culinary empire
Nobu celebrates 30 years of its revolutionary Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. We speak with co-founder and chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa on setbacks, special guests and his love for painting
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Cantinetta Antinori is a Florentine wine-making family’s new gem of a London restaurant
Cantinetta Antinori opens in Knightsbridge, offering excellent Tuscan cuisine paired with the family’s storied wine
By Melina Keays Published