Marylebone, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“You know what you are getting” according to fans of this sub-brand, spin-off chain, whose ‘café’ branches are a cut below those trading as a ‘brasserie’. They laud its “acceptable” cooking and say, “it’s great to see how well the Ivy’s formula has been rolled out with very atmospheric décor”. Even fans of the “really nice buzz” inspired by these “costly surroundings” can find the food “pretty average” though. And harsher critics (of which there are many) say “what is the point of this expensive and dreadful group? They just demean memories of the original Ivy”. Top Tip – “really reasonable for breakfast with decent portions in a pleasant atmosphere” (and you can book in advance for it, too).

2022 Review: Winston Churchill was, it is said, once partial to the odd jar at this Marylebone hostelry, reopened in October 2019 by well-known sommelier Xavier Rousset (in charge of the vino) and Anglo-chef Mark Jarvis, who oversees the basement steakhouse. Early social media feedback says results are high quality but can seem pricey.

An “impressive wine list” is the undoubted highlight of this small group, with branches in the West End and Chelsea – the newest branch is a 120-cover site near Oxford Circus. No-one has terrible things to say about its food selection, though, which is judged “passable…”, “OK…”, “…tasty if a little pricey”.

2022 Review: “Wonderfully fresh, tasty and simple flavours” stand out at this health-conscious Marylebone two-year-old, which has a decidedly pretty interior in the upstairs restaurant (there’s a bakery below). Dietary requirements are celebrated rather than being grudgingly catered for, so there are no refined sugars in the cooking, along with limited dairy and gluten. The owner, Kelly Landesberg, is the daughter of Gary, chairman of the Arts Club in Mayfair.

2022 Review: ‘Exciting concept changes’ are promised at this elegant Roux-branded dining room, within the luxurious five-star opposite Broadcasting House. Democratised in style in 2018, then closed for much of the pandemic and beyond, the presumption is that it will take another move to a less formal (perhaps brasserie?) style when it reopens in 2022. Just the other side of the wall is The Wigmore – a pub created from spare space at the hotel and launched with its own entrance and Roux input in 2017. A hint at what’s to come?

“Incredible cooking at very fair prices” matched with excellent wines has built a major following for Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s “homely and calm” Fitzrovia destination, with open kitchen on view. “Knowledgeable and classy service” adds considerably to the experience: “it feels like a treat, and yet also has a real neighbourhood feel to it too, which for food of this standard and this central can be rare”.

2021 Review: “Nice views of Borough Market, if you get a window seat” (“watch out for the trains on the adjoining viaduct that appear to be coming towards you”) add to the considerable appeal of this “light and airy dining space” (which atmospherically incorporates a converted glazed portico, originally part of the Royal Opera House). Specialising in British cuisine – particularly roast meats – most reports say the food is “brilliant”, but there remains a sceptical view that it’s “less-than-good home cooking”. Top Menu Tip – breakfast and brunch have long been a very reliable experience here.

“Delicious shakshuka with maxing smoky flavours” is typical of the “colourful and flavoursome” brunch-friendly dishes at this “very buzzy if not loud” chain, known for its “top coffee” (which they roast themselves), and whose best-known sites are the Exmouth Market original and large Granary Square branch. Recently, they also added an opening in Canary Wharf and a brew bar at their Caledonian Road roastery (not listed), with further ‘measured expansion’ planned. For the most part, they are still mostly seen as a “reliable” choice for an “interesting and healthy” breakfast: “not everything is a hit but for a casual lunch I am pretty happy”. Top Tip – “when the sun is shining, it’s worth waiting for an outside table” in N1.

“Rocking something reminiscent of an upscale NYC-style neighbourhood vibe (a real triumph in the context of central London)” – Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s “unpretentious, relaxed and happy” corner site in Fitzrovia “keeps up very high standards”: “the menu is always original”, service is “charming”, there’s an “interesting wine list” and a “noisy buzzy atmosphere”. It can be slightly “erratic” though, and arguably “in being rather cramped, it needs to get off the fence and either up the party mood, or space the tables and quieten down a little”.

“Fabulous décor” is the main talking point at Richard Caring’s brasserie for shoppers on the first floor of Selfridges, which is dominated by Damien Hirst’s 24ft tall crystal-encrusted Pegasus (Caring has become the artist’s leading British collector in recent years). The place is also “great for people-watching & a buzzy atmosphere – I love it”. And the food? “OK, but nothing to shout about”.

“Wow. Who would believe it? A vegan restaurant that’s amazing” – Rishim Sachdeva (ex-Fat Duck and Chiltern Firehouse) was a ‘hard-core carnivore’ until he challenged himself to see if he could create plant-based dishes that would satisfy himself as both a meat-eater and a chef. The answer was ‘yes’, the experiment changed his life, and he has spent three years doing pop-ups and residencies – most recently at a handy site just off Regent Street – while crowdfunding to raise capital for a permanent site. He has also gained a body of fans who have “visited several times for the unusual combinations and elevated vegan plates”, which represent “superb value for money”. Note – technically, Tendril is “mostly vegan”, with cheese making an occasional guest appearance.

Promising ‘layers of country pub’ on its website, this popular pub/restaurant (also with rooms) is tucked away in a Marylebone townhouse. Part of the posh Cubitt House group, it offers “decent upmarket pub fare with reliable cooking and service” in a buzzing setting.

“An oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the West End” (and relatively “tourist-free”), with a “lovely quiet covered courtyard”, this glitzy operation is pitched at those in the know – founding investors included Yegeny Lebedev, son of a Soviet spy, and our own 007, the late Roger Moore. “Easy to get to from Bond Street/Oxford Street/Regent Street”, it’s “perfect for business breakfast or lunch”. But “this all comes at a price and it’s one the food, whilst definitely pleasant, can struggle to fully justify”.

This faux-rustic pub in deepest Fitzrovia from Guy Ritchie and David Beckham is “a class act”, and serves some of the “best pub grub ever”, including venison from Ritchie’s Wiltshire estate. The pub has been around for almost 200 years and has previously been known as the Adams Arms and the Lukin. Two fires in the space of six months last year invited newspaper headlines about ‘two smoking barrels’.

“A restaurant I love to return to more than any other!” – Jason Atherton’s “glamorous” and “lively” Mayfair HQ inspires dedication and adoration from its enthusiastic, large fan base: “exemplary cooking with imaginative touches” is the expected highlight and “it’s great seeing Jason so calm and professional at the pass, which comes through in the staff”. That said, ratings this year slipped due to a few more middling experiences: “I so wanted to like Pollen Street Social but it never quite reached the expected heights given the hype and prices!!” Top Tip – “a top spot for a business lunch or dinner”.

“Opposite Jason Atherton’s flagship in Pollen Street”, its “high-class and intimate” younger sibling is in a more straightforward bistro style, and offers “simple food done exceptionally well”. “Surroundings and service are warm” too, and “in summer you can eat outside on this pedestrianised street”.

The upstairs dining room of this 18th-century pub close to Oxford Circus has reopened under a dream team of owners JKS (the group behind Gymkhana, Bao, Arcade Food Hall etc), chef James Knappett of Kitchen Table and publican Dominic Jacobs of the Running Horse. The same formula has been an uneven success at The Cadogan Arms, but early feedback here is more encouraging.

Former Tredwells chef, Chantelle Nicholson, has opened this Mayfair newcomer in April 2022, with a hyper-seasonal, low-waste ethos and prettily distressed, minimal décor. Initial reports in our diners’ survey are mixed. All feedback suggests the (vegetable-heavy) menu “sounds so interesting”, but what are “exceptional plant-based dishes” to some tastes arrive with “not a lot of flair or flavour” to others. (And press reviewers are also split: what is to The Guardian’s Grace Dent “too good and truly delicious” to The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa “occasionally feels like it loses sight of fun and basic diner enjoyment”).

“The burlesque show can come as a bit of a shock, but adds to the fun if somewhat tacky vibe” of this big, brash, American brasserie – all 350 covers of it, set over three floors of a grand Georgian townhouse in Mayfair. Fans feel “it’s set to be a staple” aided by its enjoyable New England-style cuisine and glam, highly Instagrammable interior, but some reports do suggest that “while good, the food’s nothing special and not cheap”. Top Tip – recently they added a 100-cover foliage-filled terrace for lunch, dinner and drinks.