From 19th February to 3rd March, Saison by Mauro Colagreco – the relaxed new Mediterranean restaurant from acclaimed chef Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO – will host its very own Citrus Festival, inspired by the Fête du Citron celebrated in Menton, the French home of Colagreco’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, Mirazur.
Alongside lemon-adorned decorations, the Citrus Festival menu will bring an exclusive taste of the French Riviera to central London, showcasing uses of different citrus varieties, including the famed Menton lemon. Lauded as the lemon capital of Europe in the 19th century and nicknamed the “Rocher du Citron” (“lemon rock”), Menton’s reputation for producing the exquisite, sweet, citrus fruit inspired the founding of the Fête du Citron carnival in 1875, which runs to this day.
As a tradition, Mauro Colagreco has always celebrated the festival at his restaurant Mirazur – which was ranked No.1 at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in 2019 – with a citrus-inspired menu each year.
This year, Colagreco will bring this tradition to Saison, with a menu of special dishes and drinks that will bring a little sunshine to the Raffles London at The OWO restaurant. Starters include Orkney Scallop with blood orange, Cedrat lemon, watercress, tardivo and dill, and London Burrata with citrus, kumquat vinaigrette, coriander seeds, basil and pistachios. These are followed by mains such as Cornish Chicken, that has been spit-roasted with lemon and served with taggiascha olive, winter leaves, caramelised lemons, and Wild Sea Bass, with artichoke mousseline, capers, olives and a citrus sauce vierge.
Desserts include a Tarte au Citron, made with the famed Menton lemon and sablé Breton, while a special drinks menu will include a Sgroppino, made with prosecco, citron sorbet and kumquat, and a Carnival Spritz, featuring gin, elderflower, soda and a Menton lemon sherbet. To finish the meal, diners can enjoy a Mentoncello, a limoncello made in-house at Raffles London at The OWO using lemons sourced from Menton.
Diners can also expect the already spectacular dining room of Saison by Mauro Colagreco – channelling a Mediterranean courtyard with its glass ceiling, trees and trellises – to be transformed with citrus decorations gracing its tables.
The Citrus Festival is the first event to come to Saison by Mauro Colagreco, which opened at Raffles London at The OWO in October 2023. Mauro Colagreco’s fresh take on Riviera cuisine showcases seasonal ingredients curated with Mediterranean simplicity, with menus available across breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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