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. One of this autumn’s most hotly anticipated openings, MASH London is located on Brewer Street, in one of the city’s most famous and iconic Art Deco buildings.
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 and, in just three years, MASH’s blend of sophisticated modern New York-style steakhouse, imbued with a twist of Danish informal eating and drinking, has seen it become one of the nation’s most successful restaurant groups.
MASH London will see the brand export its simple but exceptional premise: premium quality steaks from the world’s finest cattle, a superb wine list that matches the excellence of the food and passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated staff, all in a location that creates a unique atmosphere.
Alongside prime cuts of meat from the world’s finest cattle, Wagyu included, MASH’s menu features starters of the calibre of veal sweetbreads, fried squid with chilli & lime and foie gras terrine. Non steak eaters can find plenty to suit them, from breast of guinea fowl and rack of lamb through to fillet of turbot and whole grilled lobster.
On a site steeped in history
The restaurant was once an integral part of the Regent Palace Hotel, which was built between 1910 and 1913. In the 1930s, the space was revitalised by West End stage set designer Oliver Bernard whose legacy would be one of the city’s most famous and iconic Art Deco designs.
As part of a £300 million renovation programme by The Crown Estate, the building’s original timber veneer, gold leaf architraving, marble, brass, mirrors, ceilings and even original wallpaper were meticulously catalogued, removed and reinstated by expert artisan craftsmen, led by architects Donald Insall Associates, before being put back together again like a complex jigsaw.
Dramatic new features
Complementing these original features is MASH’s own ultra stylish and contemporary interior that has been carried out by renowned designers – and long-term MASH collaborators – Herbert & Duncalf who have also introduced a number of dramatic new features.
Easily the largest of these is the helical staircase, an elegant and sweeping sculptural form which occupies the two storey entrance atrium.
This awe-inspiring construction, with its vertical balustrades in polished stainless steel, is offset by the MASH ‘brand totem’ and a huge wine wall. The overall effect – the epitome of American style ‘30s glamour – is breathtaking.
On entering the main space downstairs, customers first encounter a spectacular chrome and marble clad island bar with overhead glass canopy. Flanking the bar, a pair of striking glass-fronted meat lockers defines this space and creates a division to the dining room beyond.
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