RestaurantsLondonCovent GardenWC2H

Harden's says

This new Covent Garden venue from hot-shot chef Tom Sellers is an offshoot of his celebrated Restaurant Story, inspired by his love of Parisian brasseries. Dine at the ground-floor counter or in the cellar on specials including rotisserie chicken and large cuts of meat from the grill to share. There's also a good selection of wines by the glass. Opened 1 April 2023.

survey result

Summary

£89
 ££££
3
Good
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Star chef Tom Sellers is responsible for this “great little bistro near the theatres” – an upscale, Parisian-style space on two floors with marble counters and leather seating, tucked away in Covent Garden and overlooking Neal’s Yard (the “seating upstairs is great for watching the world go by”). “Simple, tasty food” is the watchword, with a good selection of seafood and fish and meat grills to counterpoint the headline event, which is rôtisserie chicken and fries (a whole bird costs £57).

Summary

£83
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

A back-to-basics offshoot of Tom Seller’s celebrated Restaurant Story, this new Covent Garden venue opened in April 2023, inspired by his love of Parisian brasseries. Dine on rotisserie chicken (the big deal here) or other brasserie fare including large cuts of meat from the grill to share. Most of the ground floor is counter seating, with more conventional tables in the cellar. It’s an atmospheric winner on most accounts, and – when it came to the food – The Standard’s Jimi Famurewa awarded it full marks, applauding “a careful Jenga tower of elements” that transforms “a deceptively basic concept” into “stylish, subtly affecting excellence”. Not all our early reporters are quite as wowed though – it can also seem “perfectly good if expensive; and unclear what the Michelin background really adds to this type of cooking”.

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 Story Cellar?

17 Neal's Yard, London, WC2H 9DP

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£11.50 £33.00 £6.50 £11.50
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £30.00
Filter Coffee £3.00
Extras  
Service 10.00%
17 Neal's Yard, London, WC2H 9DP
Opening hours
MondayCLOSED
Tuesday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm
Thursday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm
Friday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm
Saturday1 pm‑11 pm
SundayCLOSED

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