City, International Restaurant Guide

“The original location is by far the best” – “almost Continental in feel, and opposite the back entrance of the Royal Academy in Burlington Arcade”: “a regular haunt” for Mayfair types where “a seat at the bar is the best possible place in the world”. “Always buzzy and with exceptional Bellinis, it’s best for breakfast or brunch”. On the downside, “the high prices of the food reflect the area and locale”. Its simpler spin-offs (most notably pizza joints in Soho and Shoreditch) capture a fragment of this “fun and upmarket” style.

The vaults of The Royal Exchange are to become a posh Citified food court at the hands of the Incipio group, whose other operations include Pergola on the Wharf in Docklands and White City’s Dear Grace. Open in October 2022, this is the business’s seventh venue.