RestaurantsLondonSt James'sSW1

survey result

Summary

£93
 ££££
2
Average
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Thirty years ago, this vast basement – a 1929 ballroom which later fell on hard times to be rescued and relaunched with a tsunami of hype by the late Sir Terence Conran – was emblematic of the sweeping improvements in the capital’s dining out scene. Nowadays run under the flag of D&D London, it’s largely forgotten by the locals and most frequented for special occasions by out-of-towners and tourists, for whom its attractions include a large bar and regular live music. Reports on the food used to be awful, but have improved in recent years and although feedback on its posh-brasserie cuisine is limited it’s much more upbeat than it once was. Top Menu Tip – good value prix-fixe options for brunch (£39 for two courses, with bottomless bubbles for £35); and dinner Mon-Thu till 7pm then after 8.30pm (£38 for three courses and a glass of fizz).

Summary

£93
 ££££
2
Average
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

As one of the late Sir Terence Conran’s landmark openings, this big D&D London basement bar/brasserie in St James’s was the talk of the town back in the 1990s, complete with racily dressed cigarette girl, and signature ‘Q’ ashtrays (a collectible selling for £70 online nowadays). Increasingly left to tourists and business-accounters, it still has fans for whom it’s “exceptional all-round”, but the proportion of disappointments over the years often hinders a more whole-hearted endorsement.

Summary

£88
 ££££
2
Average
2
Average
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Big, “stylish and atmospheric space” in St James’s – a 1920s ballroom rescued and revamped by the late Sir Terence Conran in 1993, and now run by D&D London – that’s one of the few places in London where you can make a splashy occasion of a meal with live music. Its modern British cuisine steers a middle ground nowadays – avoiding the brickbats of a number of years ago, but seldom igniting passionate praise.

Summary

£76
 ££££
2
Average
3
Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

D&D London’s “fabulous, shimmering dining room from the Jazz Age” – which, in fact, owes much of its glam looks to Sir Terence Conran’s 1993 revamp of this massive, subterranean, 1920s ballroom in St James’s – is unusual amongst high-end venues nowadays in making “fantastic entertainment” and live music a regular feature of its ritzy offering. After many years on the skids, its standards of service and posh-brasserie fare have been somewhat on the mend in recent times, and – though ratings are still in middling territory – all feedback in the last survey was upbeat. Top Tip “Sunday brunch is worth the trip”.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

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Restaurant details

Highchair,Menu
43, 16
No trainers
300

Prices

Availability 2 courses 3 courses coffee included service included
Lunch £39.00 £48.00
Dinner   £40.00

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£15.50 £36.50 £11.00 £10.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £41.00
Filter Coffee £4.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 15.00%
16 Bury St, London, SW1Y 6AJ
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Opening hours
Monday5 pm‑12 am
Tuesday5 pm‑12 am
Wednesday5 pm‑12 am
Thursday5 pm‑12 am
Friday12 pm‑2:45 pm, 5 pm‑1 am
Saturday12 pm‑2:45 pm, 5 pm‑1 am
Sunday12 pm‑7 pm

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