Novikov Cooking Masterclass Review: A Different Side of Mayfair

Looking for a cooking class in Mayfair? Here’s what it’s like to join a seafood masterclass at one of London’s best-known restaurants, including what we cooked, what the experience was really like and whether I think it’s worth booking for yourself.

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I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from a cooking class at Novikov.

The Berkeley Street restaurant is one of Mayfair’s best-known names, with separate Italian and Asian dining rooms, plus a downstairs lounge with live music and DJs made for late nights…not exactly aprons and chopping boards.

But is it where you can find a more personal side to Mayfair?

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Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.

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P.S. – Looking for a hotel in Mayfair?

I personally stayed at and recommend The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences.

Sitting directly opposite Green Park (around a 10-minute walk from Novikov) this independent five-star hotel has rooms and suites overlooking the park, plus 18 serviced residences with separate living areas and kitchenettes—a particularly useful option for families or longer London stays.

check prices & availability for the athenaeum hotel & residences

The setting

The class began with breakfast, including pastries, fruit, yoghurt, coffee and juice, before the Prosecco and mocktails appeared.

Novikov during the day (and night) is polished, glamorous and unmistakably Mayfair. Until of course, we put on our aprons.

The class

Our menu focused on seafood, starting with grilled calamari served with rocket straight from their gardens, topped with a divine Amalfi lemon chilli.

We then moved on to the main event: a whole sea bream baked inside a salt crust.

Admittely I’m more than happy to be a passenger princess when it comes to dining. In other words, I like to keep my job simple—eat and enjoy!

But this class was hands-on in every measure. We cleaned and prepared the seafood, chopped ingredients, worked at the grill and learned how to open the fish before covering it in salt, ready for the oven.

I also learned that I had apparently been chopping garlic incorrectly for years (that alone gave me something useful to take home).

The chef

One of things I enjoyed most about the class was Chef Baldo Amodio’s approach, which really made the experience.

He was clearly incredibly knowledgeable (as you would be after 16 years at one of the world’s hottest restaurants), but never made the session feel intimidating or overly technical.

The experience

As most things do, the best part came at the end, when the sea bream was brought back out and the hardened salt crust was cracked open.

After spending the afternoon preparing it, sitting down to eat the finished fish made the class feel much more satisfying than simply watching a demonstration.

The sea bream was delicate and beautifully cooked, and lunch finished with Novikov’s signature Chocolate Cigar and coffee.

There was, of course, fresh bread, wine, Prosecco and mocktails throughout, so the experience sat somewhere between a cooking lesson and a long and lovely Mayfair lunch.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, especially for a birthday, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or any other occasion when you’d like to do something more memorable than booking a table.

The class I attended cost £95 for one person or £150 for two, including breakfast, drinks, the masterclass, lunch and a gift to take home.

For two people, I think it offered good value for a three-and-a-half-hour experience at one of Mayfair’s best-known restaurants.

On the cons, this particular class was very seafood-focused, so it would not have suited vegetarians. I would check the menu before booking, as future masterclasses may vary.

But more than anything what stayed with me most was not the glamour of Novikov, but how personal the afternoon felt.

I arrived expecting Mayfair polish. I left with a new way to chop garlic, a very good lunch and plans with people I had only met a few hours earlier.

There’s nothing pretentious about that.

Practical details: Novikov Restaurant & Bar, 50A Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8HA. Green Park is the closest Tube station.

Novikov Cooking Masterclass Review: A Different Side of Mayfair

About the Author