db Eats: Mere

db’s resident foodie, Lucy Shaw, heads to Monica Galetti’s debut solo venture, Mere in Fitzrovia, for Marmite tortellini and an unexpectedly brilliant plate of peas.

The concept: 2017 is proving a strong year for new London openings from female chefs at the top of their game. Earlier this year French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who has six Michelin stars to her name, opened her first London venture – La Dame de Pic – at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill offering classic French fine dining with a twist.

This year will also see the hotly anticipated opening of Clare Smyth’s debut venture Core in Notting Hill, with Smyth deciding to branch out form her role as chef patron at the 3 Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea late last year.

Another high profile female chef striking out on her own this year is Monica Galetti, who has worked alongside Michel Roux Jr. at Le Gavroche in Mayfair since 1999, most recently as senior sous-chef at the two star restaurant.

Named after her Samoan mother, Mere is a joint venture between Galetti, who many will recognise from her stints as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, and her French sommelier husband David, who she met while working at Le Gavroche.

The décor: Keen to branch out from her fine dining roots, the Charlotte Street site serves twists on classic French dishes in a relaxed setting. There isn’t a starched tablecloth in sight and when I visited for lunch midweek, the basement dining room was buzzing with animated chatter.

The entire far wall is made of glass, which lets large amounts of light in and brightens the space. Outside on its small terrace is a wall made from stacked up wooden wine cases that David brought over from his personal cellar in France, with all the top names from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italy present and correct.

Throughout the dining room are subtle hints to Monica’s upbringing, from her childhood in Samoa to her teenage years in New Zealand. Mere’s subtle grey and cornflower blue colour scheme is offset by bold tribal prints that add colour and character to the space.

The food: Having been classically trained in fine French cuisine, Galetti confidently throws out the rulebook, using her knowledge to create fun and sometimes unexpected flavour combinations that show off their ingredients in an exciting new light.

Galetti’s sense of humour shines through in a lot of the plates, from a scoop of lager and lime sorbet in a comforting and intricately textured malt brulée dessert to her twist on a pork boil up (a classic Kiwi stew) with ham hock and watercress dumplings.

Signature dishes: No trip to Mere would be complete without trying the mushroom and Marmite tortellini, which sounds odd but really works. Used sparingly, the Marmite adds a lovely lick of salt and umami tang to the perfectly al dente pasta and earthy mushrooms in an inspired union.

Another triumph was a sprightly starter of fresh peas with lemon ricotta and hazelnut, which many may overlook, wondering if it’s worth paying £12 for peas, but, in this instance at least, they should give peas a chance.

Reminding me of something Ruth Rogers might whip up at The River Café, the dish takes a simple, humble ingredient and elevates it, the creamy, zesty ricotta adding richness and the hazelnuts additional crunch in a vibrant taste of early summer.

As is so often the case when I dine out, I found the starters more interesting than the mains – the scallops in a smoked bacon crumb were sensational, while my main of rhubarb glazed pigeon was perfectly pink and intensely flavoured, but it lacked the wow factor of the starters. The highlight of the dish was a flaky pastilla parcel redolent with ras-el hanout.

 The drinks: The wine list boasts a strong selection from New Zealand via the likes of a zippy, lime-laced Wild Earth Riesling 2016 from North Otago, which paired perfectly with the peas, and a bright, juicy Little Beauty 2015 Pinot from Marlborough, whose pretty cherry perfume harmonised with the pigeon.

Who to know: Like Michel Roux at Le Gavroche, Galetti does the rounds after service, chatting with guests and patiently posing for selfies.

Unlike many top chefs who put their names to restaurants then leave shortly after the launch to work on their next project, Mere is very much Galetti’s baby and she’s truly dedicated to it. So much so in fact, she’s only taken one evening off since it opened in March.

Don’t leave without: Having dessert. Rather than an afterthought, real care and attention has been paid to the puds. If you’re after something impossibly pretty then order the pastel pink rhubarb dessert for instant Instagram likes. Those seeking something heartier should brave the colossal banana and coconut cream pie with rum caramel for a giddy sugar high and button-popping pleasure.

Last word: It’s great to see Galetti’s personality and sense of humour shining through so many of the dishes. Mere succeeds best when she has fun with the flavours and delivers the unexpected. I think she can go even further with this theme rather than playing it safe, with the classic French dishes proving the least exciting entries on the menu.

Perhaps keen to keep Gavroche regulars happy, at the moment the menu is something of a hybrid between classic and modern – it will be interesting to see how it evolves over time and how far Galetti dares to challenge culinary conventions.

Mere, 74 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QH; Tel: +44 (0)20 7268 6565. A three-course lunch menu from Monday to Friday costs £35.