Welcome to London’s foxiest diner
Anyone who’s anyone – and some people who are no-one at all! – knows sketch, the humdinger of a sexy food and drink… what shall we call it, ‘destination’ over in Mayfair. It’s so good it doesn’t need a capital s. They’ll also know Momo, just down the road on Heddon Street. Ditto Derrière, a hop, skip and a Eurostar away in Paris, which does naughty very nicely - with a courtyard - in Le Marais.
Mourad Mazouz is the chap responsible for all the above, clever sod. And he’s only gone and done it again. It’s called Mo Diner, it’s also on Heddon Street, it’s just opened (well, reopened. Covid did its nasty first time round) and it might just be the most eye-popping diner you ever did see.
Mourad Mazouz also designed the interiors, clever sod, and its his take on the classic ‘30s American diner, which is our favourite of the diners. Tapping his designer mates, there’s furniture on the terrace from Gasens Lada Utemobler, 50 works on the walls from photographer Hugo Scott, while Yue Wu got jiggy transforming the staircase into a 360˚ art piece. The ceiling’s covered in palm tree-lined lightboxes, the floor in acid yellow Moroccan tiles, and there’s a conservatory out back fit-to-bursting with hanging plants. Menus, plates, mugs, placemats… all that jazz is courtesy of LA-based creatives WP&A, and boy, they pretty.
For the all-day food we’re talking Mediterranean meets LA diner-style, and you’ll be thanking Michelin-starred Éric Chavot for that. Ditto for the pretty decent vegan offering, which is music to our plant-based ears. Your booze is a hench wine menu, alcoholic hard shakes and Mo’s own organic beer.
And there are a couple of very cute twists, like the ‘Mo Mart’ next door where you can buy merch, and we’re not talking some ropey old t’ from a Kajagoogoo gig. This stuff is good. Palm tree-shaped jewellery by Tatty Devine, Breton shirts by Sonia Tahouid, tea towels by Perron and Roettinger. There are illustrative matchboxes, golden ashtrays and 18 different djellabas. And you’re totally looking up ‘djellaba’ right now. Smart for town, right?
And the glace cherry on top? The ‘Mo Lotto’ scratchcard with your bill, meaning one lucky winner gets to walk out without paying. Doing a runner never looked so good.
Mo Diner, 23 Heddon Street, W1B 4BH
modiner.london
See more Briefings