Dining Out: Automat

Hidden behind a heritage leather goods house on Mount Street, Automat is quietly redefining what modern American dining looks like in London. Come for the cheeseburger, stay for the cocktails, and don't make plans afterwards.

For a city obsessed with chasing the next opening, London has become surprisingly good at overlooking the places that deserve a little patience. Automat is one of them.

Hidden behind the polished frontage of Tanner Krolle on Mount Street, the 67-cover restaurant has never shouted for attention. Instead, it has relied on a knowing crowd who appreciate the pleasure of discovering somewhere that still feels slightly secret. Now, with a completely reimagined menu and the arrival of Autobar, Automat enters a confident new chapter, leaning further into its vision of sophisticated American dining while reviving a kind of after-dark New York spirit that London has quietly been missing.

It arrives at precisely the right moment. On a long Thursday evening, when the city is reluctant to surrender the daylight and Mayfair spills onto the pavement, Automat feels less like another restaurant launch and more like the sort of place you'll find yourself recommending with almost conspiratorial enthusiasm.

The approach is understated. Guests pass through Tanner Krolle's beautifully appointed leather goods store before descending into a dining room that feels deliberately insulated from the pace outside. Low lighting, polished timber, leather banquettes and a soundtrack curated by internationally renowned DJ Chloé Caillet create an atmosphere that's polished without feeling performative. It has the confidence to let conversation become the entertainment.

The accompanying launch of Autobar only reinforces that identity. Tucked behind the Mount Street entrance, the intimate cocktail bar serves a concise menu of classics rather than attempting to reinvent them. Martinis, Negronis, Manhattans and Margaritas all feature, alongside a handful of elevated bar snacks, making it exactly the sort of place where one drink comfortably becomes three.

Naturally, we began there.

The Negroni (£17) is everything it should be: bitter, balanced and unapologetically grown up, with walnut bitters lending a subtle depth that lingers long after the first sip. Alongside it, the Paloma (£16) arrives bright and refreshing, blending Casamigos Blanco tequila with Ilegal Reposado for a smoky complexity that cuts beautifully through the grapefruit. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the Peach Whisky Sour (£16), which swaps predictable sweetness for ripe stone fruit and citrus, allowing Dewar's White Peach whisky to remain firmly at the centre rather than disappearing beneath syrup.

They're cocktails that understand restraint. No theatrical smoke. No unnecessary garnishes. Just expertly made classics that justify ordering another.

The food follows the same philosophy.

American dining has often struggled to shake off lazy assumptions in London, frequently reduced to oversized portions or novelty. Automat instead looks towards the country's extraordinary diversity of culinary influences, borrowing from California, New York and the Mediterranean to produce something considerably more refined.

That becomes apparent almost immediately with the Red Prawn Tartare (£28). Delicate, sweet and dressed simply with Amalfi lemon and excellent olive oil, it's a dish built almost entirely around confidence in its ingredients. Nothing distracts from the quality of the prawn itself.

The Lamb Kebab (£19) is equally impressive, replacing heaviness with freshness. The buttermilk provides cooling richness while mint pistou keeps everything vibrant, resulting in something far lighter than its name initially suggests.

Perhaps the cleverest expression of Automat's new direction comes through its most playful snack. Chicken nuggets topped with Oscietra caviar (£16 for two) sound almost deliberately provocative on paper, yet the combination works remarkably well. Crisp coating, juicy chicken, cool chive ranch and the saline richness of the caviar transform nostalgic comfort food into something genuinely luxurious without ever feeling self-conscious. It's clever because it understands the joke, then quietly proves it deserves to be taken seriously.

For mains, resisting the Automat Cheeseburger (£32) would be an act of unnecessary discipline.

It is, quite simply, an excellent burger.

American cheese melts exactly as it should, pickles provide acidity, the house sauce binds everything together, and the beef itself remains the undisputed star. Nothing feels overworked. There are no towering constructions designed for Instagram, no excessive toppings competing for attention. It's simply a beautifully executed cheeseburger that reminds you why classics become classics in the first place.

The roasted half chicken (£28) offers a completely different expression of the kitchen's confidence. Beautifully cooked with crisp skin and succulent meat, it arrives with Frenchie's mustard mayonnaise that delivers just enough sharpness to keep every bite interesting. It's comfort food elevated through precision rather than complication.

It's perhaps this sense of confidence that makes Automat feel increasingly relevant. Across London, restaurant openings often compete through spectacle. Automat has instead invested in atmosphere, consistency and quality. It feels designed for people who genuinely enjoy eating and drinking rather than documenting themselves doing so.

As the evening progresses, that atmosphere becomes increasingly difficult to leave. The room fills naturally, conversations become louder, cocktails continue circulating and the transition from dinner into late evening feels almost inevitable. Autobar extends that rhythm perfectly, offering somewhere to continue the night without ever feeling the need to move elsewhere.

Time, unfortunately, had other ideas for us.

Desserts remained unexplored — a rare admission for this column — despite the temptation of apple pie, strawberries and cream, and affogato. If anything, it provides the ideal excuse to return, because Automat feels less like somewhere to tick off and more like somewhere to fold into your regular rotation.

London has no shortage of excellent restaurants. What it has fewer of are restaurants that genuinely understand mood. Automat recognises that dinner isn't simply about what's on the plate. It's about the cocktails before the meal, the music in the background, the conversation that stretches longer than expected and the decision to order one final drink because nobody is quite ready to leave.

On a warm Thursday evening, there may be few better places in London to do exactly that.

Book a table at Automat.