Akira Back to oversee restaurants and bars at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

Further details have been released of chef Akira Back’s plans for the bars and restaurants at the upcoming Mandarin Oriental Mayfair hotel.

The Korean-American chef was due to open his first UK site at the hotel but it has now been confirmed he will oversee two restaurants, a lounge, rooftop experience and in-room dining when the property opens this spring.

These will include the 148-room Akira Back restaurant, which will be the largest dining space in the hotel and feature three private dining rooms, a ‘sky roof’ and circular marble staircase.

It will serve dishes inspired by Back’s Korean heritage and his modern interpretation of Japanese cuisine.

The chef is set to move his Seoul restaurant Dosa, which won a Michelin star in 2018, to the hotel. Described as a “culinary theatre experience”, it will see contemporary Korean dishes served to 14 diners sat around a counter.

Back is also set to launch the ABar Lounge cocktail bar, which will serve small bites and host live DJs, and the ABar Rooftop offering views of the London skyline.

Back was born in Korea but raised in Aspen, Colorado, and started his career as a professional snowboarder before working in restaurants to supplement his income. He now runs a portfolio of over 20 restaurants and lounges worldwide in locations including Las Vegas, Paris and Dubai.

Back said Mandarin Oriental was the “perfect partner” for his first UK venture, adding: “My mission statement has always been to create unforgettable memories for guests by revolutionising the dining experience through one-of-a-kind dishes and gracious service.

“These values are deeply engrained in Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s philosophies, a group who delivers the highest quality guest experiences around the world.”

The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair will launch on Hanover Square and feature 50 bedrooms, 79 private residences and an urban spa.

The hotel will be a sister property to the five-red-AA-star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, which launched in 2000.