New Opening: Modern American Steak House aka MASH

MASH, one of the largest restaurants in London, is set to serve sizzling steaks from 3rd November in Soho.

We were there for the opening night, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Blitz Club legend Rusty Egan span discs and bottomless jeroboams of Louis Roederer champagne lubricated larynxes. The place looks fantastic, huge sweeping staircase, beautiful art deco bar and huge red leather lined booths. Steak and wine in glass-fronted cabinets and air of sophistication.

MASH will open its non-revolving doors in the cavernous Art Deco spaces where Marco Pierre White’s opening, Titanic, once sailed and sank in 2002. Brasserie Zedel has already settled in nicely next door in Oliver Peyton’s old Atlantic Bar & Grill space. It’s part of The Crown Estate’s £300 million redevelopment of the Quadrant 3 building, which once housed the huge Regent Palace Hotel. The venue has lain empty since December 2006.

Having revolutionised the dining scene in its native country, phenomenally successful Danish brand MASH – or Modern American Steak House to give it its full name – has chosen London as the location of its first overseas restaurant.

With five restaurants in Copenhagen and two outside the Danish capital, MASH is the brainchild of Copenhagen Concepts. Co-founded by Danish sommelier and restaurateur Jesper Boelskifte and his partners Erik Gemal, Francis Cardenau, Peter Trauboth and Mikkel Glahn, the company had already enjoyed much success with the renowned Le Sommelier and UMAMI. It was their shared ambition to bring the style and quality of the finest American steakhouses to Denmark, whilst simultaneously offering a real alternative to trends such as molecular gastronomy and Nordic cuisine that were then dominating the Danish restaurant scene. Their ultimate goal is ‘to ensure a total, all-encompassing experience from the minute customers enter our doors until they tell their friends about it the next day.’

Long-time collaborators creative design and architect firm Herbert and Duncalf were commissioned to create an environment that transported diners to a Stateside steak house for the evening. Greeted by two illuminated bronze menu cases and fret cut bronze letters on the street onto a dark herringbone wooden floor with a dramatic glass and red-carpeted staircase leading to the Art Deco ballroom 350 covers restaurant, private dining rooms, wine displays and huge standalone bar.

The MASH staircase by Herbert and Duncalf

This is not like the steak ‘cathedral’ of Smith & Wollensky or a speak- easy like Gallaghers of New York. Jesper Boelskifte explains, “We want to create restaurants that are just as valid in 10 years time as today.” With MASH, they followed a diner-like format using red leather booth seating and dark wood, adding thick rugs and chandeliers to make it more cozy and exclusive. “We also use crushed white towels to give it an authentic, butcher’s feel,“ adds Jesper.

THE MENU

It’s a winning menu of rib eye and porterhouse steaks from Omaha, Nebraska, which are corn-fed and USDA-certified free from hormones. A variety of dry-aged Danish beef and Wagyu Kobe-style from Jack’s Creek in Australia.There’s grilled lobster, sea bass, turbot and chicken and even all-American macaroni and cheese. Carcasses are displayed in glass-fronted white-tiled fridges.

THE WINE LIST

As you would expect from Jesper, who is also the Chairman of the Sommelier Society of Denmark, an excellent wine list has Vielles Vignes, Pinot Noir, Zapata Malbec, Castelnau de Suduiraut and Vine Hill Chardonnay, among many others to savour with your steaks. The bar and restaurant are licensed until 1am – not the 3am of the old Titanic days.

MASH London will be managed by Peter Trauboth, co-owner of Copenhagen Concepts and a multi award-winning sommelier in his own right.

Velkommen til London!

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 11:30 to 01:30

Address: 77 Brewer Street, London W1F 9ZN

Telephone: 020 7734 7001

http://www.facebook.com/mashrestaurant