The story of Onima Restaurant, Mayfair

Five dimensions of pleasure for this restaurant, lounge and bar, inspired by the vision of Alexandros Andrianopoulos, Onima brings the essence of Mykonos to London. The founder cultivated his expertise to the luxurious restaurant scene in Mykonos. Onima epitomises what luxury and hospitality really should mean. Alexandros perfectly balanced the art of great hospitality, along with ensuring no stone was left unturned, to provide food with sun baked tastes and aromas, which capitulated the mood and seduction of the med. Alexandros managed legends in Mykonos, such as Nammos and Interni, which firmly put him on the map that saw Mykonos become one of the ‘go to’ destinations in the world. Alexandros went on to achieve global success for the likes of NYC’s Bathtub Gin and Bagatelle Dubai.

The first goal of Onima is to go deep and satisfy all five senses. The most elegant and luxurious Onima is a Mediterranean-Asian restaurant, bar and private members club, which offers the piéce de resistance, a breath-taking roof terrace all designed to activate the five senses, by offering great food second to none, wonderful service, vibrant energy and a memorable experience.

Onima is now home to what was once the headquarters of Cartier’s watchmaking dynasty set over five floors, the perfect foundation for Onima to create a legacy. Onima is the perfect place to impress your business associate or activate the deep desire for ultimate fun for an evening out. The luxurious surroundings of Mayfair are the home to Onima, a vibrant stylish space. High tech surrounding, from the black marble entrance hall to the intimate lighting, soft and cosy seats, while an open fireplace is the main feature of the entrance, perfect for the cooler evenings.

Welcome to Onima

London is indeed the place to experience a vast variety of restaurants. Onima has managed to perfectly balance luxury with great food, featuring a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian influences.

Onima dishes burst with flavour and chic presentation. The founder’s personal journey and his background in Mykonos inspire the food at Onima. The restaurant is located on the ground floor; the first floor is the bar and on other floors a private lounge and a glass-enclosed rooftop terrace. The Greek designers, Archset, have perfectly created the most desirable space that will be talked about for years to come. The fusion of flavours is typical of the texture and flavour of the Med; total beauty is in the presentation of the dishes they are truly a visual celebration.

Hot picks from the Onima Menu

Mezze; Tzatziki with homemade pitta bread, a classic Mediterranean mezze bursting with flavour and Homemade Hummus, caramelised onions and homemade pitta bread, a perfect palette opener.

Starters; Half dozen Colchester oysters with shallots and vinegar, go on try it! Perfect for the oyster lovers.  Yellowtail carpaccio with sundried tomatoes, tapenade and pistachio – tasty with amazing infusions, Crispy tempura prawns, chilli Asian sauce, a staple Asian starter.

Salads; Onima salad with sesame paste, mixed seeds and crispy pancetta, a signature dish loaded with flavour.

Pasta; Scottish lobster tagliolini with cherry tomatoes, where do I start, so tasty.

Fish; Roasted Sea bass with aubergines purée and sautéed Italian chicory, a perfect Italian inspired dish.

Meat; Roasted corn-fed baby chicken marinated with miso sauce an Asian infusion, which was tender and light.

From the JOSPER all dishes are cooked over Japanese “Binchotan” charcoal; Onima selected Angus/Chianina beef rib eye steak 250g and Wagyu beef rib eye 180g steak both options are designed for the guests who want to enjoy the finest meat in Mayfair.

If there is any space after such indulgence try the Desserts; Traditional Baklava with pistachio cream and vanilla ice cream, a true traditional dessert indeed. This is a small sample of what’s on offer the menu is totally delicious.

My Onima experience

The invitation to dine at Onima was a pleasant surprise; I love both Mediterranean and Asian food and was excited to try what Onima had to offer. The perfect fusion of flavours both authentic and unique took me on a sensory journey, where I searched to see if I had experienced such amazing flavours like that before. Set in luxurious surroundings Onima, so easy to find, a short walk from Bond Street, the heart of the opulent Mayfair. Onima is the perfect eatery by day for a business lunch most would envy or indeed dinner, whether you are out with friends and family or you are taking a loved one, it’s sure to be a glamorous night.

The facade of Onima was really quite glamorous, with, a black heavy door that opened to a beautiful hidden gem. The restaurant is polished, modern and High-Tec, large and stunningly decorated transporting you to a sensory space, totally hypnotic. The décor is soothing, featuring a bar on the ground floor with bronze details, velvet-clad armchairs and sofas and with dimmed lighting creating the perfect ambience.

The host recommended cocktails, we decided on ‘Helios Darjeeling’ with infused gin, toasted orange, peach, citrus and a signature cocktail ‘Mayfair Express’, blends of gins, lemongrass cordial and lemonade, both were just perfect!

The host assisted me with the choices on the menu and explained them all in great detail. Our choices were; Mezze Tzatziki with homemade pitta bread, classic dish and very tasty, Starters; Marinated Sicilian red prawns with Sicilian olive oil and lemon that literally melted in the mouth, Grilled green asparagus with tofu mayonnaise and sesame dressing, so delicious. Our main course consisted of a Pasta and Meat dish Tonnarelli Caico e Pepe, Italian style and Roasted rack of lamb Caponta with vegetables and mint artichokes, tender and flavoursome. Side dishes; Triple cooked hand cut chips and garlic broccoli, both seasoned to perfection. All the dishes were delicious with the most delightful presentation. Our taste buds were taken on a sensory journey of pure unadulterated delight.

We made room for dessert! …Who could resist Chocolate Namelaka with fresh mango and mango sorbet and Chocolate cookies semifreddo with caramel sauce, they were both amazing- I am still thinking about them to this day…simply Heaven on a plate.

Conclusion

Onima is definitely on the list of the place to experience the best Mediterranean Asian cuisine in the heart of Mayfair. The place to be, to experience good food, fun and pleasure, Onima has it all. The menu is full of flavour and texture that will simply send your taste buds on a frenzy of delight! Dishes to suit vegetarians, meat and fish lovers alike. Every course I sampled was delicious! Onima is definitely going to be the place on everyone’s lips. A diamond waiting to be discovered.

W: Onima