Apricity - Mayfair, London

Chantelle Nicholson has been on our radar for some time. We've watched her come out of the early 'oughties Gordon Ramsay empire, working for him at The Savoy and Petrus before joining Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, launching The Gilbert Scott and Tredwells, then becoming the sole owner of the latter in 2018. Having earned a Michelin Green Star at Tredwells in 2021, just before its closing, she's taken an eco-luxe approach to zero-waste restaurants Apricity, which similarly earned the accolade.  With a dining room on Mayfair's Duke Street, Apricity is nothing short of sensational. During a Thursday lunch at the restaurant, the room was buzzing. Notably low carbon, the refit sees the restaurant taking over a fashion outlet and scraping the plaster to a beautiful cream-pin; chairs are fashioned from Coca-Cola bottles and the beautiful bulbous pendant lights are crafted from oyster shells. Above it all, a rebar gantry supports pothos and ivy plants, imbuing the room with a sense of greenery. A 'Sproutini' - made with 58&Co gin, London Dry Vermouth and pickled sprout juice - was a revelation, and put us in the best possible mood for the food to follow.  A round, buttery Chenin Blanc from Wasted Wine club was the perfect partner with oat and fennel seed cracker and a 'wasted' dip of carrot, cardamom and cumin. Starters of barbecued asparagus with XO sauce and ajo-blanco as well as scallops with new season garlic, egg yolk and leek pesto set the stage for Nicholson's innovative approach. Butter-poached Cornish hake with cuttlefish, sambal butter and boy choi had an interesting Indonesian inflection. Cornish pollock with fresh flour orzo and Looe crab was tremendously rich and indulgent. We waited the additional 15 minutes required to prepare the Esmeralda milk chocolate mousse with miso and brown sugar custard and were glad we did - it was an absolute joy.  Apricity is a welcome and interesting addition to Mayfair's dining scene and sees Chantelle Nicholson hitting her stride as a confident chef who knows how to manifest her vision.