There is a subtle kind of theatre at MA/NA. It begins the moment you step off the polished pavement of Mayfair and slip past the entrance, where the noise of the street folds away and something warmer takes over. A glow of amber light. The faintest scent of binchotan smoke. The murmur of a room already in conversation.
This is the latest opening from Thesleff Group, the team behind Los Mochis, JUNO, LUNA Omakase and Sale e Pepe, and arguably their most ambitious project yet. MA/NA takes its name from the Japanese philosophy of mana, the idea that every ingredient carries an invisible power shaped by nature and by those who handle it with care. It is a steadying concept, and it shapes every choice across the room, from the chef’s pantry to the cocktail shaker.
This philosophy drives the entire experience. We arrive for refined, ingredient-led dining, but as the night deepens, the energy shifts. By the time the last plates are cleared, the bar takes centre stage, and the room becomes something altogether different, yet seamlessly connected. It is this journey from dinner service into an intimate late-night cocktail bar that marks MA/NA as fundamentally different from the typical London restaurant.
A Sanctuary in Mayfair
Location matters here, and MA/NA wears its Mayfair address well. Surrounded by Bond Street boutiques, Berkeley Square and a cluster of distinguished hotels, it sits at the centre of a neighbourhood where dinner rarely marks the end of the night.
Interiors That Move Between Kyoto and Tokyo
Los Angeles-based studio OV&CO has built the space around two ideas in conversation: the serene warmth of a Kyoto autumn and the buzz of Tokyo after dark. Curved timber slats arc across the ceiling above a sweeping marble bar, while a dramatic dragon-shaped banquette flows through the main room. A hand-blown Magma lighting installation by EWE Studio anchors the dining room with a soft, almost geological glow, and textured walls carved with swirling patterns catch the light at every turn. For private gatherings, a discreet dining room hosts up to 20 guests.
It is the kind of space that rewards a slow second look. The first impression is glamour; the second is craft.
Chef Leo Tanyag and a Tasting Menu Rooted in Mana
Executive Chef Leo Tanyag leads the kitchen, drawing on culinary traditions from across Japan with a contemporary, ingredient-led sensibility. The menu reads as a confident balance between heritage and invention, where every plate seems to honour the philosophy that gives the restaurant its name.
The £145 tasting menu comprises ten generously proportioned dishes intended for sharing. Impressively, everything is gluten-free and prepared without nuts or celery, although this is never allowed to become the restaurant’s defining feature. The emphasis remains firmly on pleasure.
The evening begins with truffle edamame, coated in glossy teriyaki and finished with freshly shaved seasonal truffle. O-toro tartare follows, combining the voluptuous texture of fatty bluefin tuna with avocado, truffle soy, fresh wasabi and tobiko. Daikon and kaiware provide freshness, while crisped rice introduces a welcome crunch. Despite the number of components, the tuna remains the focus: pristine, buttery and cleanly flavoured.
Then comes one of MA/NA’s defining dishes: the avocado aburi. A whole avocado is grilled and presented in a flaming shell, bringing a burst of theatricality to the table. The presentation may attract the cameras, but the cooking ensures it is more than a visual moment. Warming the avocado deepens its flavour and transforms its texture, while teriyaki mushrooms bring savoury intensity and asparagus adds bite. Spicy aioli, sesame and spring onion pull everything together. Creamy, smoky, spicy and unexpectedly substantial, it demonstrates MA/NA’s ability to turn a familiar ingredient into something genuinely distinctive.
The gindara saikyo yaki is another highlight. North Atlantic cod is roasted until its pearlescent flesh separates at the lightest touch, its sweetness enhanced by a glossy yuzu-miso glaze. Pickled kimchi daikon provides the necessary sharpness, preventing the dish from becoming overly rich.
Gyu wasabi supplies the evening’s most robust flavours. Grilled ribeye is paired with ginger, garlic, fresh wasabi, karashi mustard and spicy leek. The beef is tender and deeply savoury, but it is the condiments that give the dish its energy, cutting through the fat with alternating flashes of heat and pungency.
There is also a fact that does not go unnoticed. MA/NA is one of only a handful of restaurants in London officially certified to serve Kobe beef, drawn from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle raised in Hyōgo Prefecture. For aficionados, it is a meaningful detail.
When Dinner Turns Into a Night Out
As plates are cleared and the lights soften further, MA/NA shifts shape. The room gradually transforms into a contemporary cocktail bar inspired by the great Japanese bartending tradition, with a distinct 1970s Tokyo soul running through it.
The drinks programme is led by Pietro Collina, Bar Director at Thesleff Group, whose CV includes the World’s 50 Best Bars-listed Viajante87, alongside earlier roles at Nomad, Side Hustle and Eleven Madison Park. Built around three guiding principles, precision, rhythm and heat, his signature serves reward exploration. The Noble Martini brings together Grey Goose Altius Vodka, dry vermouth, Château d’Yquem and a lemon twist. The Goya Sour layers Haku Vodka, Yuntaku Japanese amaro, pineapple, peach and passion fruit. The Bamboo Piña Colada riffs on a classic with Bacardi Ocho, pineapple, charred coconut cream and pandan.
Resident DJs guide the energy from dinner service into the late hours, and the room takes on a quieter, more cinematic mood.
Three Experiences, One Address
What sets MA/NA apart is its ability to be three venues in one without ever feeling fragmented. There is a refined Japanese restaurant for considered, ingredient-led dining. There is a cocktail bar for post-dinner drinks with serious depth. And there is the late-night room, where DJs, low light and rare spirits stretch the evening into something altogether more memorable.
Few new openings in London are designed with this kind of fluidity. MA/NA feels built for the way people actually want to spend an evening in Mayfair, drifting from dinner to drinks to something more atmospheric, without ever changing postcodes.
For more information, visit MA/NA Mayfair.
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All Images Courtesy of MA/NA Mayfair.