St James's, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“THE best place to impress…”; “always a very special occasion…”’ “has to be the most attractive dining room in London…”; “couldn’t be more romantic…” – this “splendidly OTT” chamber, decked out in the “spectacular” style of Louis XVI, is riding high, not least on its elevation to a “well-deserved [and overdue] second star” by Michelin in their 2025 awards. “Of course, it is the epitome of hotel fine dining which isn’t for everyone, but” it is “astonishingly good”. Executive Head Chef John Williams MBE joined in 2004 and his team “show no sign of ever resting on their laurels”: “the cuisine is superb and keeps many classics interesting with well-judged updates” (although “thankfully there are no sharing plates of foraged fermented yeast and the like”). “There is usually a bit of theatre too, when other tables order the crepes suzette – made at the table, so that every so often the room is dotted with bursts of flame!”. “Service manages to combine the right amount of formality – which absolutely belongs in a restaurant such as this – with warmth and an absence of hauteur (in most cases)”. “The wine list is good too and not as financially crippling as you might expect”. You are not held hostage to a tasting format (though five-course, and eight-course options are available) with an excellent à la option; and even though the vertigo-inducing bills “can take some of some shine off the experience”, harsh disappointments are rare and most diners judge this is “an extravagance, but one that’s definitely worth it”. Top Menu Tips – “Luxury ingredients including foie gras, langoustines, turbot, Anjou pigeon, are all cooked to perfection. And don’t miss out on the Ritz Chocolate Soufflé” – “a must (and always delicious)”.

2024 Review: Traditional, peaceful hotel brasserie, hidden away in a cute warren of St James’s streets, which has successfully upped its profile in recent years. It provides a “very good standard of food and wine that’s not expensive for the quality”. The only recurrent gripe is service that can be a tad “erratic”. Top Tip – “reasonably priced set menu”.

It’s back! The “opulently decorated” rococo grill at the Café Royal – complete with “wonderful gilding”, ornate murals and painted ceiling – is one of London’s most historic dining rooms (dating from 1865). So it’s been puzzling since the building’s conversion from an event venue to a hotel over a decade ago that it has left this true icon to trade as the ‘Oscar Wilde Bar’, open only for an albeit “exceptionally good afternoon tea” (“the extensive tea menu is treated like a wine list… sandwiches are well thought-through, but the real stars are the scones… with the best strawberry jam ever and their own Earl Grey jelly!”). But, in June 2025, the hotel announced the re-launch of the room under its original name (last seen about 15 years ago). The new menu is an all-star cast of luxurious comfort items… oysters, caviar, crudo, steak, lobster… and best of all priced with four-star not five-star pricing (with numerous mains under £30): there are many more expensive places in the West End, but few with this kind of pedigree. Top Tip – pre-theatre in particular looks a good deal at £40 for three courses. Reports please!

2024 Review: “Ignore The Ritz around the corner, for afternoon tea this is the place to go” according to fans of this St James’s bastion: “the scones are soft and freshly baked”, “the sandwiches and cakes are divine”, and the “famous Dukes ‘James Bond’ martini is an optional extra”.

The “refreshingly traditional” afternoon tea served in the Drawing Room of Rocco Forte’s Mayfair hotel is “as English afternoon tea should be”, with “none of the thematic faff often seen in other tea offerings these days”. “A long, long-time London favourite” (since Queen Victoria was on the throne), it has dispensed with “the trolley that used to trundle around serving massive slices of traditional cakes as an unofficial fourth course, but still provides just what one wants from the meal”. In the evening, the room serves a dinner menu created by Adam Byatt (of Trinity in Clapham), which provokes vanishingly little feedback. Top Tip – “they serve afternoon tea at lunchtime as well… Wonderful idea!”

“Definitely worth a visit if you like a pie” – the speciality at this “nicely buzzing pub” in Mayfair, which has “good prices too, compared with other options in the area”. A dip in ratings over the last couple of years sounds a warning note, but fans still say its selection of pie-inspired options is “in a different class: a great variety and absolutely packed with flavour”.

“So welcoming it feels like home…”; “always look forward to eating here with a glass of house fizz…” – this “noisy, crowded but very fun” Champagne & Seafood bar in Soho is cossetting yet “down to earth” all at the same time and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Set in a converted Edwardian butchers’ shop which once supplied The Ritz and The Savoy, a perch on its high stools is “good for people-watching too” while tucking into some “excellent seafood” provided by its “snappy service”. Unusually for a venue that generates a high volume of feedback, not a word of it is negative – the worst being a gentle “not cheap, but good value”.

“A carnivore’s paradise” where “you can’t go wrong if you crave quality meat cooked over coals” is the reputation that precedes this “classic gem” of a pub, in a quiet Mayfair mews, which boasts a large (much extended) “traditional” grill room next to its quaint, old bar: and which wins praise for “top-notch steaks” and “the best pint of Young’s too”. Long famous – some fans feel that “it’s stepped up another gear since they extended into the building next door” (in 2024), but far too many diners also feel this has coincided with “prices going OTT, even allowing for the fact that it’s located in an expensive part of London”.

“Restaurants like this are such a rarity nowadays” – and this “raffish and romantic”, “cosy, dimly-lit and lively” ancient townhouse retains its quirky “very special” and “sensual” appeal (“still love it after all these years: 35 and counting!”). “Even without the characterful Mr E [who died in 2022] the feeling of old Soho is maintained (he would be proud)” and its very tightly packed interior is a major magnet for lovers, old mates and ‘meeja’ types. The simple and “honest” “seasonal” British cooking is “always changing, interesting and doesn’t break the bank”, and – in particular – the “astonishing wine and sherry selection” is “a joy” (being particularly strong in “very fairly priced, older red vintages”). “Knowledgeable and friendly staff further add to the experience” of “a delightful place with great charm” and “real hospitality”. Top Tips – “Stay on the ground floor for the full Dickensian experience” – “the level of romance depends very much on where your candle-lit table is located in this quirky place”. And plush it ain’t (“I defy anyone to feel romantic or raffish after sitting on a pew seat through dinner…”; “we do know people who are simply too big for it to be comfortable”).

With its trollies, oil paintings and plush banquettes, this Mayfair dining room is worth considering for an old-fashioned traditional meal, and one fan declares it “just the right place for a special occasion” thanks to attractions like “great Dover sole” (filetted at the table). Other retro offerings in the hotel include an ‘Original Sweet Shop Afternoon Tea’.

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

“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.