Mei Ume A Noteworthy Asian Dining Experience at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square

GirlWellTravelled
Jun 2, 2019
3 min read

Updated: Jun 1

This year, Father’s Day took us somewhere unexpected: Mei Ume. Located just opposite the Tower of London.

You don’t stumble into Mei Ume Trinity Square, as much as you ascend into it (see IG photo). Housed inside Ten Trinity Square, once the London Port Authority HQ and now part of the Four Seasons portfolio, the restaurant feels far more like an invitation than a grand opening.

Inside you're greeted by a tall glass panel enamelled with plum blossoms, a little like a cinematic cue for what's to come.

Elegant glass panel with red and pink cherry blossoms, set beside a black patterned frame. Mei Ume Trinity Square. — Plum blossom glass entrance - Mei Ume Trinity Square (Girl Well Travelled)

The elegant interior at Mei Ume Trinity Square with wooden tables, plush seating and decorative pillows. — Metallics and silk-threaded detail - Mei Ume Trinity Square

The space doesn’t cling to its past, but if you tilt your head just right, the ceiling hints at its storied bones. Beneath it all? A lacquered palette of reds, metallics and silk-threaded detail that gives Mei Ume Trinity Square its atmosphere. There's no theatrics, just texture, mood and some deeply considered plating.

The Menu at Mei Ume Trinity Square

Their menu is four pages of intent, split across fifteen well-edited sections. Here we picked and meandered, not ploughed through. The signatures arrive first, 'as they should'. Stir-Fried Native Lobster and Wagyu Beef Dumplings shouldn't wait politely at the back. Followed through with ‘Small Eats’, broths, sushi and the ever-faithful Moriawase.

Further in: fish, meat, veg, each with its own centre-stage moment.

Plated Chilean Sea Bass topped with colourful shredded vegetables and crispy garnish, set on a textured plate in Mei Ume, Trinity Square — Plated Chilean Sea Bass - Mei Ume, Trinity Square

This Chilean sea bass, steamed to submission, silk-soft and beautifully in flavour.

Hands using a fork and knife to cut glazed ribs on a speckled plate, set on a wooden table with a glass in the background. Mei Ume Trinity Square — Shanghai braised Pork Ribs plated to share - Mei Ume Trinity Square

The Shanghai braised pork ribs? A surprise knockout. Not only are you allowed (rather encouraged) to eat them with your hands, they’re ceremoniously portioned tableside. Somewhere between the waiter’s nod and your first sticky-fingered bite, you realise this isn’t your typical Four Seasons formality.

See another Four Seasons dining experience here. Izumi at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva Japanese precision on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Add crispy shredded veal with chilli and mango, jasmine rice, a flurry of gai lan and a tidy 6 Kind sushi selection. Suddenly, you’re deep in the kind of meal that doesn’t shout, just says you made the right decision.

Mango and coconut mochi on sticks in a bowl on a wooden board. Mei Ume Trinity Square — Selection of mochi desserts at Mei Ume Trinity Square - London

Mochis, mango and coconut arrived last, dressed as dessert but functioning more as edible punctuation. Satisfying and surprising, especially for someone who didn’t expect joy from gelatinous rice. And I smile as I note this.

Every dish is served to share, all at once, as tradition demands. The service? Efficient, warm and truly fluent in the menu. Conversations carry easily above the mellow hum of the playlist and no dish took more than twenty minutes to grace the table.

For Your Visit to Mei Ume Trinity Square

The dining room fits forty-eight without a squeeze, with a thirteen-seat private space for quieter occasions. There’s no theatrical kitchen or scenic window view, but you won’t miss either. Your gaze will likely land on the three-part mural across the wall: an oriental scape rendered with what would most certainly have been timely patience.

Dress as you please. This isn’t the sort of place that clutches pearls over capri pants. Mei Ume Trinity Square is that rare thing: refined without fuss, ambitious without ego. It respects its roots (Chinese and Japanese) but leaves room for flair.

Next time the craving strikes, skip the default takeaway and set your course for Ten Trinity Square. Mei Ume Trinity Square is the kind of place you plan a lunch around or possibly a weekend.

Where: 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ

When: Monday – Saturday 12:00 to 14:15; 18:00 to 22:15

Website: www.meiume.com