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Harden's says

A New York-style Italian in a prime Mayfair address from ex-Soho House head honcho Martin Kuczmarski, serving classic comfort food in vibey surroundings. Expect a real buzz – it was a darling of the critics within weeks of opening.

survey result

Summary

£93
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Brava! The candle-lit tables are so classy” at this New York-style Italian newcomer in a prime Mayfair address, which is one of the most romantic arrivals of recent times, and a perfect antidote to the vogue towards tedious minimalism with its panelling, tablecloths, velvet curtains and acres of space. It’s the creation of well-connected ex-Soho House head honcho Martin Kuczmarski, and to say the press critics have raved breathlessly would be an understatement. But our reports say it deserves the acclaim. No culinary fireworks are attempted – the aim is classic Italian-American comfort food (Spaghetti Meatballs, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Filet Mignon & Fries…) – and it does what it does well.

For 33 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 The Dover?

33 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NF

What the Newspaper Critics are saying

The Guardian

Grace Dent headed to “the Dover, a New York-style Italian restaurant on Mayfair’s Dover Street”, largely on the promise that it “was a place one could hear and be heard. Having now been, I can attest this is true: velvet curtains, wood panelling and not one but two tablecloths on each cover make every table feel like its own private island, where diners can hear their friends and, crucially, be unheard by other tables. This is gold dust. Privacy is romantic.

“The food is far better than I’d envisaged. This is basic comfort food served with aplomb: starters of prime beef steak tartare, nicely seasoned and pretty to look at, with a truffle and hazelnut salad, or prawns in marie rose sauce ornately arranged to resemble Mount Vesuvius.”

“This is a restaurant to keep up your sleeve for people who are sick and tired of restaurants – sick of the noise, sick of concrete walls, sick of sharing plates and of dishes arriving ‘as they’re cooked’ – and for those who are tired of opaque menus and feel with general dismay that the golden age of dining is behind us. This is a place to dress up nice, open a door to 1970s upscale but naughty New York and eat a slice of baked cheesecake brulee.”

Grace Dent - 2024-02-23

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£17.50 £43.50 £0.00 £0.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £40.00
Filter Coffee £0.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 15.00%
33 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NF
Opening hours
Monday5:30 pm‑12 am
Tuesday5:30 pm‑12 am
Wednesday5:30 pm‑12 am
Thursday5:30 pm‑1 am
Friday5:30 pm‑1 am
Saturday5:30 pm‑1 am
Sunday12 pm‑6 pm

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