Dining Out: Latine Mayfair Is the French-Latin Love Affair London Didn't Know It Needed

From Boeuf Bourguignon tacos to beurre blanc sharpened with Peruvian chilli, Mayfair's newest restaurant tears up the French rulebook without ever forgetting why it became one.

For all the talk of fusion, very little of it feels genuinely new. More often than not it's shorthand for throwing two cuisines into the same room and hoping they become friends. Latine, the striking new opening tucked away on Lancashire Court in Mayfair, takes a more intelligent approach. Rather than blending cultures for novelty's sake, Executive Chef Francisco Lafee starts with the discipline of classical French cooking before allowing Latin America to rewrite the margins.

It is an ambitious proposition, but then Lafee's CV suggests ambition has rarely been in short supply. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu before spending time at El Celler de Can Roca and Barrafina, he understands exactly where the rules come from. More importantly, he knows which ones are worth breaking.

That confidence defines every corner of Latine. Spread across a ground-floor dining room, an elegant Champagne terrace, a first-floor lounge and a beautifully hand-painted private dining room, the restaurant arrives with the polish expected of Mayfair but without its occasional stuffiness. There's movement, warmth and just enough theatre to remind you this is somewhere designed for evenings that drift comfortably into the small hours. Later this year, the arrival of late-night bar LACAV will only strengthen that proposition.

The menu reads almost like a conversation between Paris and Lima.

Naturally, dinner begins where Latine wants your attention focused: the Crudo Bar. Seafood sits at the heart of the restaurant's identity, each ceviche and tiradito built around a leche de tigre that demonstrates just how seriously Lafee takes sauce work. The Sea Bream Tiradito arrives almost glowing beneath coconut leche de tigre, roasted avocado and fresh mint. The coconut softens the citrus without muting it, allowing the sweetness of the fish to remain centre stage while the avocado lends richness rather than weight. It is precise, clean and quietly confident.

Alongside it, the Cauliflower Ceviche proves the vegetarian options are far more than an afterthought. Parmesan aged for 24 months gives the leche de tigre unexpected depth, while a crisp tapioca biscuit introduces texture that keeps every bite interesting. It's inventive without feeling like it's trying too hard.

The standout, however, is the Red Prawn Ceviche. Sweet, almost buttery prawns meet mango and yuzu in a leche de tigre that balances tropical fruit with piercing acidity. Crisp plantain chips complete the dish with just enough crunch. It feels unmistakably Latin American while displaying the restraint of someone classically trained.

If the crudo showcases technical precision, the small plates reveal Latine's playful side.

Boeuf Bourguignon Tacos are exactly the sort of dish that sounds gimmicky on paper but makes perfect sense once it arrives. Slow-cooked beef carries all the richness of the French classic, while pickled pineapple cuts through the depth with sharp brightness and sweet potato purée adds a gentle sweetness. The taco isn't replacing Bourguignon. It's giving it a passport.

Duck Croquettes perform a similar trick. Crisp shells give way to deeply flavoured duck before guava and chipotle chutney introduces sweetness and warmth in equal measure. Familiar enough to reassure, different enough to remember. The mains continue the conversation between continents without repeating themselves.

The Bouillabaisse remains unmistakably French in structure, but replacing the traditional rouille with one made using ají panca immediately changes the character of the dish. Halibut, prawns and cockles sit in a deeply flavoured broth that feels both comforting and brighter than expected. It is recognisably Bouillabaisse, simply viewed through another lens. The Wild Sea Bass demonstrates perhaps the restaurant's defining philosophy most clearly. Classical beurre blanc is one of French cuisine's great technical achievements; here, ají amarillo lifts it with gentle warmth and vibrant fruitiness rather than overwhelming spice. The result feels less like reinvention than evolution.

For those leaning towards meat, the marinated lamb cutlets arrive beautifully cooked alongside plantain ravioli and a deeply savoury Andean jus. The sweetness of the plantain offsets the richness of the lamb with remarkable elegance, creating one of the evening's most satisfying combinations.

Dessert refuses to retreat into convention. Plantain replaces apple in the Tarte Tatin, transforming one of France's greatest puddings into something entirely new without losing its soul. Coffee caramel lends gentle bitterness while mascarpone ice cream keeps everything balanced. It is perhaps the clearest expression of Latine's philosophy: respectful, playful and technically assured.

The drinks programme follows the same geographical dialogue. Curated by former Savoy, Tramp and Chiltern Firehouse sommelier Romain Audrerie, the wine list comfortably moves between French classics and standout Latin American producers, while cocktails mirror the kitchen with tropical fruit, citrus and spice woven thoughtfully through familiar formats.

What ultimately makes Latine stand out isn't simply that it mixes French and Latin American cooking. Plenty of restaurants have borrowed flavours before. Lafee's achievement lies in understanding that technique and flavour are not mutually exclusive. French cuisine provides the architecture; Latin America fills it with colour, acidity and warmth.

For Mayfair, where openings often lean heavily on familiarity or spectacle, Latine feels refreshingly original. It is polished enough for the neighbourhood, ambitious enough to justify the hype and, perhaps most importantly, enjoyable enough that the cleverness never overshadows the pleasure of simply eating well.

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