Join Harden's Platinum Club for Member's Benefits - save 60% with our soft launch offer!
RestaurantsLondonSt James'sSW1
HARDENS CLUB PARTNER
55 Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6LX

survey result

Summary

£118
£££££
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Nowhere else like it!” – for “sheer class, history and pedigree” it is hard to match London’s oldest restaurant in St James’s (est. 1742, on this site since the 1980s). If you are a traditionalist, it is “perfect, perfect, perfect” – “a quintessentially British restaurant specialising in premium-quality fish and seafood – plus also game and meats” – whose discreet and comfortable old-world surroundings are typical of nearby clubland, complete with booths and well-spaced tables; and all orchestrated by “impeccable staff”. It’s best enjoyed if your Wealth Manager is treating you, obviously, although complaints about its notoriously terrifying prices were quite muted this year. Top Menu Tip – “Start with a dozen wonderful, plump oysters and a sharp red onion and red wine vinegar sauce. Then call over the carving trolley for several slices of perfectly rare meat from the large roast sirloin of beef”. Or take your pick of the caviar, lobster or twice baked Stilton souflé and “it’s a case of lunchtime heaven”.

Summary

£117
£££££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A last redoubt of traditional gastronomy” – London’s oldest restaurant in St James’s (est. 1742, but on this site since the 1980s) maintains its “quiet” and “calm” style, with “understated but excellent service” and “booths that make a superb place to do business”. Classic fish dishes – for example “very good Dover sole off the bone” – are the speciality and “ever-reliable”. A less welcome constant are its “eye-watering prices”: “everything was as I hoped it would be… apart from the bill!”

Summary

£108
£££££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Like a London club but with infinitely better food” – this “very civilised” St James’s veteran (London’s oldest restaurant, established in 1742, but not on this site) is “a real throwback to another era” (“it’s probably not the place to attract ‘influencers’, whoever or whatever they are!”). The menu (which majors in fish and seafood) is “as traditional as one can expect (as is the clientele)” – you are served “classic food, classically executed and classically served” and at its best results are “simply exceptional”. “Service is old-school professional” although, perhaps due to the strains of Covid, did not enjoy its customary 5/5 rating this year. Even so, Wiltons remains “a great place for meeting on business” and its pricing is such that it’s best to let the corporate credit card take the strain whenever possible. Top Menu Tips – “the Dover sole is still the best in the capital” and “their lobster thermidor is rich and everything you want in an indulgent food item”. Game is excellent in season and they do a “magnificent bone-in rib served from the trolley”.

Summary

£101
£££££
3
Good
5
Exceptional
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“With a menu well-suited to any Edwardian gourmet” (“wonderful Dover sole” and other “excellent fish dishes”, plus game in season), this “very civilised” and “wonderfully traditional” St James’s bastion (London’s oldest restaurant, established in 1742, albeit not on this site) “just has a certain class about it” and is “ideal for taking someone on business who you want to impress” – “whether it’s for schmoozing or to seal a deal”. A particular highlight is the “old-style service” – “staff are wonderfully discreet” and there’s an “unwavering dedication to customer service”. Just one thing… “you need a very healthy expense account” before setting out, as the final reckoning can be terrifying. (“It is an icon, but if it was half the price, I’d double the score!”)

For 34 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).

Have you eaten at Wiltons?

Owner's description

For those of you that are new to Wiltons welcome, to those who are familiar with the restaurant, “welcome home”.
Since 1742 Wiltons has been synonymous for the finest oysters, wild fish and game and traditional, courteous, hospitality.
The British menu aims to offer the freshest fish, game and meats from the very best fleets and farms the United Kingdom has to offer.
Wiltons still very much recognises and respects its origins, serving the finest Oysters from the British Isles since gaining our first Royal Warrant for supplying Oysters to the Royal household in 1836.

We politely ask that gentlemen wear long sleeved shirts and long trousers.

We do not permit short sleeves, graphic t-shirts, hooded tops or sportswear while dining.

What the Newspaper Critics are saying

Evening Standard

David Ellis might be the only person ever to have paid his bill with a Tesco credit card at this bastion of moneyed Englishness (est. 1742) – but he was a sucker for its elegance and formality, and made some pretty extravagant claims for its cooking.

“Now that Gavroche is gone, Wiltons claims the crown for London’s finest soufflé; here it is made with Stilton and baked twice, richer even than those eating it… I dote on it; it might be my favourite dish in town.”

And that’s not all. The lobster bisque is “perhaps a global gold standard for the dish”, while “Dover sole here outdoes anything at Scott’s.”

David Ellis - 2024-12-22

Prices

Availability 2 courses 3 courses coffee included service included
Lunch £47.95 £57.95
Dinner £47.95 £47.95

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£18.00 £48.00 £7.00 £16.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £59.00
Filter Coffee £4.50
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 15.00%

Restaurant details

Yes
Highchair,Portions
20
No trainers
100

The chef

Head Chef, Daniel Kent

Daniel joined Wiltons in 2011 having formerly worked at some of London's finest restaurants such as Le Café Anglais, Skylon and The Wolseley. He initially went to university with the idea that he would become a Restaurant Manager. However upon graduating, he fell in love with cooking, having been previously inspired by the many Sunday lunches at his aunt’s house where she would put on a feast of local Yorkshire produce and sherry laced trifle! He has a firm belief that use of great ingredients and an exceptional team behind him is the perfect recipe for a world class establishment.  He has enjoyed re-introducing many of Wiltons classic dishes as well as showcasing many of his own creations.

Private dining

Our comfortable and elegant private dining room, The Jimmy Marks Room can accommodate up to 20 guests for a seated meal and is the perfect private dining room ideal for all occasions including lunch, dinner or cocktail and canapé parties, whether your booking is for business or pleasure.

We have prepared a variety of menus to suit all tastes, however we are also happy to design a bespoke menu.

The room also has two data points allowing for fast internet and IP conference calls. Should you need any further IT equipment for your conference or meeting we would be delighted to arrange this.

Wiltons is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday and for dinner on Saturday.

However exclusive hire of the restaurant may be possible subject to agreement.

55 Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6LX
Make A Booking
Opening hours
Monday12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
Tuesday12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
Thursday12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
Friday12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
Saturday5:30 pm‑10:30 pm
SundayCLOSED

Restaurant news

View more ›

NEWS
Santa Maria pizza takes over former Glasshouse at Kew

NEWS
Review of the Reviews

NEWS
Guinness and caviar at new Belgravia boozer

The 2025 Harden's Guide

2025 Hardens London Restaurant Guide

"User friendly in price, size and outlook"

Financial Times