St James's, Mediterranean - Restaurant Guide

You choose “the freshest fish” from iced display counters, to have cooked as you wish and served alongside “amazing seafood” at this “busy and exciting” Greek venue in St James’s, from a luxury international chain founded by Costas Spiladi in Montreal nearly 50 years ago that now stretches from Las Vegas via Athens to Singapore. Prices can be off-putting – critics say they’re “for gangstas and business expenses only” – but there are “some good deals at lunch” (or early evening); and advocates say you’re paying for “an absolute classic experience with the best quality”.

Food writer Yotam Ottolenghi’s “excellent” Soho flagship is a full-service restaurant, unlike the nine café-delis that bear his name – allowing him to parade his Middle East-with-global- influences cuisine on a more formal stage. He comes up trumps on most counts, although sometimes staff “could be more attentive”.

2022 Review: This 300-room landmark hotel – from the Edwardian Group – just off Leicester Square had been set to open in 2020 as the pandemic hit, and finally launched in September 2021. As well as incorporating two Odeon luxe cinemas and a rooftop bar with fire pits, it offers six concept eateries, bars and a tavern. The main event is Whitcomb’s, an all-day bar/brasserie. Other possibilities include The Stage (for breakfast, tea and caviar, with Champagne a-go-go); and 8 at The Londoner (on the rooftop, serving Japanese dishes and cocktails).

“Like a stately ship, Murano glides on” and Angela Hartnett’s “sophisticated but relaxed” Mayfair HQ remains incredibly popular for its un-forced style, particularly for a special “romantic” occasion. Some dishes “put a nice twist on Italian staples” in line with Angela’s heritage, but the cuisine is in fact better characterised as modern European. Chef George Ormond maintains Angela’s “hallmark culinary style” – “deceptively simple preparation puts the emphasis on bringing out the flavour, while avoiding unnecessary faff”; while the “clever menu is designed so you can have any number of courses”. (“The depth of tastes in supposedly simple dishes such as mushroom tagliatelle, as well as the quality of the amuse bouches and breads will just put a smile on your face… less pretentious than some, the focus on excellent ingredients expertly cooked is impressive”). There’s “a lovely ambience” too, which owes more to the “attentive but not overly formal” service than to the “luxurious” furnishings. Despite all these positives, however, this was not a strong year for its ratings in the survey, with marks dragged down by a few uncharacteristic accusations of it being “overrated” and “not worth the cost”.

“Hidden away in a basement at the side of Leicester Square”, “a marvellous little subterranean wine bar with a decent selection of mid-range wines that are not too overpriced for central London”. A “wide-ranging” food menu (including the famous ham-and-cheese pie that has been on the menu since 1971, of which about 1,000,000 portions have been sold) makes it a “great pitstop in tourist central – happily off the radar for most of them”. “You can’t drink in this place without feeling part of the iconic venue’s history”: its “tried and tested reputation” was established by founder Don Hewitson and is maintained by his successor Will Clayton.