Automat was a fixture of Mayfair’s late-night dining scene in the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s. For many Londoners of a certain age, the name alone conjures a warm, fuzzy nostalgia. Now, it’s back in the zeitgeist, with no official connection to its predecessor – this time it takes the form of speakeasy-style restaurant hidden out the back of Mount Street’s luxury luggage shop Tanner Krolle.
It’s a dark, brooding American-style brasserie with a deep burgundy lacquered ceiling and a polished, foliage-strewn finish. Since opening late last year, the intimate dining room has already built a loyal following via word of mouth. “Around 60 per cent of all people who come are regular, return customers – people who work at magazines and in fashion nearby, and locals who live in Mayfair,” says partner and head of operations Alina Kosichkina.
So far, Automat has let the food do the talking. Serving modern, zhooshed-up takes on early and mid-century American classics, the restaurant bucks the trend with a menu that doesn’t change with the seasons. “We want to create consistency,” Kosichkina says. Dishes include lobster rolls dressed in brown butter and New England clam chowder, as well as a towering caesar salad and a juicy, decadent house cheeseburger that’s already a signature.
The chef’s credentials go a long way to explain why the food has been so popular. José Carlos Conde, whose identity was previously under wraps, has a background in serious fine dining. “He used to work at Noma restaurant for, like, for 15 years,” Kosichkina says. “He’s created all of our menu. We’re very proud of him.”
Soon, the restaurant will offer a lunch menu centring around dishes that have already become favourites with evening guests, says Kosichkina. “We’re going to do a club sandwich, the caesar salad, a cooked salad and our favourite burger, because everybody loves it.”
Kosichkina, who joined Automat as a partner after moving to London from Ukraine four years ago, is particularly excited about serving breakfast from March onwards. “In Ukraine, my husband and I had a big restaurant company,” she says. “We had two steakhouses, one Italian restaurant, two burger places – but the biggest and most well-known chain was all-day brunch, bakery and coffee place, so I’m looking forward to creating the breakfast menu.”
Billecart-Salmon, the house champagne, will be available for £16 per glass all day. Meanwhile, a bartender formerly at Old Street’s award-winning Tayer & Elementary is reworking the cocktail list, eschewing trends in favour of time-honed classics. “We’re focusing on simplicity and quality,” Kosichkina says. “We’re using champagne as a base rather than prosecco, and we’re not using syrups made from chemicals. Everything is natural.”
Eventually, the team plans to create a mysterious downstairs “sporting club” and an invitation-only supper club – but for now, at least, the focus remains on serving three meals a day. “We just want to create a cosy, simple restaurant for locals to enjoy simple food made with great ingredients,” says Kosichkina. Now, to find that door…
Automat
127 Mount Street, W1K 3NT
Hours:
Tue to Sat 6.30pm–11pm
