M Restaurant

M…mmmm Restaurant

Set in the heart of London's financial capital, M is a new restaurant concept with two, 100-cover dining areas (M Grill and M Raw), a wine tasting bar, cocktail bar, private dining rooms, event spaces and a secret den. M is the brainchild of Martin Williams, previous Managing Director of Gaucho Restaurants, who enlisted the talents of the René Dekker Design team to create a stunning luxury interior. So, it comes as no surprise that upon entering, this vast venue creates a fabulous first impression.

Grill area

The M Grill, the main dining area which specialises in steak, boasts a sophisticated combination in its furnishings–cobalt blue in the banquettes that hug the walls and deep rich shades of chocolate and grey for the upholstered dining chairs and wall coverings. Cosy, individual booths for more intimate dining abound, while the whole scheme is punctuated by clever geometry and attention to shapes. Square, rectangular and round table seating options maintain a visual balance, while the space as a whole is divided by bespoke partition screens of hollow circles to prevent the scale of the venue from feeling too overwhelmingly cavernous.

Dividing M Grill from the kitchen are walk-in floor-to-ceiling clear glass display units and ageing rooms containing the meat from six selected countries. Here, guests can order their preferred cut and size of steak, which includes Wagyu from Japan and Australia, Kobe beef or even more exotic items such as crocodile and kangaroo. In fact, M Restaurant will be the first in Europe to serve grade 10++ Kobe beef.  To continue the international theme, there are specially imported Japanese toilets, which allegedly, “make the bathrooms a talking point in their own right.”

Meanwhile M Raw–the more casual dining area specialising in quick bites, breakfasts Tartare, and Tiradito–is dressed in greys and rich reds and has a sweeping fireplace.

Up above is the mezzanine bar swathed in hues of charcoal, copper and gold, with a distressed ceiling and oak floors. The informal, high-energy ambience is complemented by polished concrete tiling and brightly coloured seating, including sharing tables and high stools.

M exudes a feeling of luxury and sophistication–a modern day gentleman's club but on a bigger, more relaxed scale. It's somewhere the discerning diner can be treated to original, contemporary artwork and cutting-edge lighting designs, where walls are finished in faux eel skin and gilded, textured, polished plaster, all of which combine to ensure a truly breathtaking interior.

m-restaurant-private-dining

Martin Williams says of his concept, “I needed a team to design a multi-faceted venue that appeals to our guests for drinking, wine tasting, dining and events. We are creating a private members’ club without membership; a hotel without rooms. The entire project requires a different way of thinking in a number of ways, including hospitality and, very importantly, design, and I am confident that the René Dekker team was the right choice to capture this vision. I am very excited that the designs both complement each concept identity and that of M as a whole.”

From the moment guests enter the venue, they will be struck by its scale, but, more importantly, its unique and vibrant luxury interior design. Playful yet luxurious, M is a harmonious blend of energy and fun, beautifully gift wrapped in classic René Dekker signature sophistication.

M Restaurant by:René Dekker Design