Last Updated on June 4, 2026
Contemporary Eastern Mediterranean flavours
4.5 out of 5.0 starsThe Mandrake Hotel has recently refreshed its in-house restaurant offering. Head Chef Viktor Yordanov, previously Head Chef at Mazi in Notting Hill, has joined to take the newly named Yopo Zaytoun in a new culinary direction. The inspiration for the menu comes from the Levant and the focus is on seasonality and simplicity. We went along to enjoy the drinks on the hotel’s summery Jurema Terrace and try out the new menu in the restaurant.
There’s been a complete redesign of the Mandrake’s restaurant plus new uniforms created in collaboration with fashion designer Leo Prothmann. What the design team have achieved is an ambience a million miles from the staid, old-fashioned hotel restaurant. We loved the relaxed and stylish brasserie vibe with a difference.
Before we made it into Yopo Zaytoun, we enjoyed pre-dinner drinks on the Jurema Terrace. Three floors up from the hotel’s reception, the terrace feels like a green oasis just minutes from Oxford Street. Expect to find yourself enveloped in plantlife among a hanging garden of jasmine and passionflower overlooking a courtyard filled with giant Tasmanian ferns.
While enjoying the green ambience of the Jurema Terrace, we both indulged in one of the Mandrake’s signature cocktails, the Orinoco. This was a marvellous and summery mix of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Orange Blossom, Moringa Honey, Briottet Mandarine and Three Cents Fig Leaf Soda. I have to confess that I liked it so much that I ordered another one over dinner. But be warned, it’s one of those dangerous drinks that lulls you into forgetting about the presence of alcohol.
Back downstairs, we settled in for dinner at Yopo Zaytoun. The spirit of the restaurant is summed up at the top of the menu: “Made to share. Made to connect.” Now I love sharing food and also enjoy a meandering conversation over a long meal, so this sounded ideal.
We started with the Mixed Platter of four classic Mediterranean dips: Silky hummus, sundried tomatoes, olive oil and sumac; Smoky baba ghanoush, sesame seeds and parsley; Cool tzatziki, mint oil and walnuts; and Creamy taramasalata, dill oil and salmon roe. They were all prettily presented with scatterings of fronds and flowers and their flavours boosted by well-thought-out additions. Yopo Zaytoun even managed to convert my reluctant companion to the joys of taramasalata.
All of Yopo Zaytoun’s dips are made fresh and are a cut above anything you can get from a supermarket or, indeed in many restaurants. The platter is served with breads wrapped in a white napkin to keep warm. You can order each of the dips individually if you don’t expect to have room for the full platter (portions are generous).
From the Raw menu, we were most enticed by the Hand-dived scallop carpaccio. The sweet, delicate scallop was uplifted by the sharp grapefruit, deeply flavoured olive oil and gentle sea fennel. We just wished there was more of it.
And then it was on to the Large plates section of the menu. My companion’s eye had been caught by the Native Cornish lobster tail served with orzo, tomatoes and chilli. This was a succulent, well-balanced dish, with well-cooked lobster and great flavours laced through the orzo.
I opted for the Flame-grilled poussin, hoping in vain for a “birdlike” portion. Again, though, Yopo Zaytoun came up with a generous plate (the scallop excepted). The poussin came coated in a rich, sticky sauce and perfectly matched with pickled cucumbers and red onions.
We managed to keep going and decided to share a dessert: the Chamomile chocolate fondant and Manahi olive oil ice cream. I am pleased to report that the fondant had a thick, warm, runny chocolate middle. We did not, however, ever work out how the chamomile fitted in with the rest of the plate. This was pleasant but not as memorable as the rest of the meal, perhaps because of the very loosest of connections with the Eastern Mediterranean.
The drama starts at the Mandrake’s front door. A long, gloomy corridor leads into the hotel’s airy reception. The design concept is all about light and dark and extreme changes of atmosphere at this venue. It certainly intrigues and we both had a strong sense of stepping off the streets of London and leaving the everyday behind.
Drinks on the Jurema Terrace followed by dinner at Yopo Zaytoun would make for an excellent date night. Service was spot on throughout our visit and we both enjoyed the food and the arty, intriguing decor.
20-21 Newman Street
London W1T 1PG
Telephone: 020 3146 7770
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