Maya

Maya is the eagerly-awaited fine dining restaurant from Gabe Lea, a local chef with an impressive CV including stints at The French and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Set over three floors, the fancy food is served in the basement, an opulent and moody refuge of golds and deep blues with an ornate gilded bar as the centrepiece, whilst the street level ground floor hosts a bar and brasserie.

There’s a romantic ambiance in the basement restaurant but this is undershot a little by the music which is more garage than gourmet and turned up a few decibels too high. Nevertheless, the food and service are very good and it’s just right for a special occasion.

Despite its soundtrack and its location in the heart of the Village, Maya seems almost old-school with classic French saucing and excellent fish cookery. That’s no bad thing. Typical dishes include lobster with sauce americaine and caviar; stuffed and herb-crusted halibut with sauce veronique and courgette; and salt chamber pork with piccalilli and boudin noir.

The brasserie is a lighter, brighter and more relaxed affair serving things like a beef and bone marrow burger and a rib-eye steak with duck fat chips. Drinks are a big deal with some excellent cocktails but the wine list could be extended to match the gastronomic ambition.