St James's, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“Like a holiday in heaven!” – this “simply wonderful” Louis XVI-style chamber is known for its “OTT but magnificent” decor, and creates an “unbeatable location” for a special celebration, particularly an important date. John Williams commands a brigade of 60 chefs in the kitchen to provide “absolutely wonderfully executed, classic dishes, some using gueridon service – so rare now – and always adding a sense of occasion”. It’s “some of the best cooking in London”, and though “horrendously expensive” is justified by the “utterly sensational” all-round level of performance, which also includes “professional and kind” service and a wow of a wine list. “The Ritz is unusual in still having a jacket-and-tie dress code (about the only time I wear a tie these days!)”. “A band provides music, for dancing, at dinner on weekends (although there is a significant supplement for this)”.

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”.

“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”.

“Even better than The Ritz…”, “on a par with Fortnum’s…” – for many aficionados of London’s top afternoon tea experiences, this wood-panelled drawing room within creaky old Brown’s Hotel is the top dog. Built in 1837 (and with famous patrons including Queen Victoria and Agatha Christie) – it helps that it’s “a lovely, traditional space”: “delightful and just more intimate” than its main rivals. “Nothing is too much trouble (even to please a picky sub-teenager!)” and “the sandwiches and tea are just as good as elsewhere”.

The “focus on home-made British pies” makes this trad Mayfair pub a crowd-pleaser, “tucked away” off Regent Street close to Oxford Circus. From the same stable as the Guinea Grill, it now has a smarter restaurant upstairs, along with a rooftop terrace. Top Menu Tips – “the pastry pies are best for hungry young adult males, while the shepherd’s pie is excellent if you want something lighter”.

“A glorious spot for a boozy seafood bite, watching Soho stroll past” – this “always busy” and “buzzy” venue was converted over 25 years ago from an atmospheric old butcher’s shop (est 1911) and oozes quirky Edwardian charm. Perch on a stool, and “exuberant staff” will serve you fizz and “expert fish dishes” (“simple, but cooked beautifully – fruits de mers, oysters, pints of prawns”). “It’s not the most comfortable time, but worth it for the quality of the food and general ambience”. “Long live R&A”.

“Yes, it is expensive (if not by Mayfair standards) but it is a meat-lover’s nirvana in a great setting” – that’s long been the accepted view on this quirky, grill room (est. 1952) behind a Young’s pub, tucked away in a scenic central mews. “Old fashioned pies, mixed grills and excellent steaks” are washed down with an “impressive, if over-priced, wine list” and served in a quaint, period setting, whose “overcrowded tables are part of the experience”. In the last couple of years, though (even prior to the departure last year of well-known manager Oisín Rogers), ratings have been on the slide. Some “shockingly bad” cooking has been reported, alongside service that’s “so indifferent”; and the current impression is that they are relying ever more heavily on their “captive market” of local business-lunchers.

“If your date is going badly here, it’s not destined to be” at this “gorgeous”, candle-lit Soho townhouse – one of the capital’s prime destinations “for a tête-a-tête lunch or smoochy dinner”. “All bare wood, nooks, and snugs”, it is “very tightly packed” and down-to-earth and for its legions of fans captures “just what I want from a restaurant. OK, the setting could be more comfy, but it has a superb vibe”, “amenable” and “charming” service, and “British seasonal food with a twist” that’s not aiming for fireworks but which is “always reliable”. Crucially, all this is backed up by “a short wine selection that’s second to none and at absolutely outstanding prices”. Andrew Edmunds himself unexpectedly passed away in September 2022, but the business (now run by his family) “continues to honour his legacy”: “I’ve been coming here since the 90’s and I’m so glad the team have carried on without Andrew – the place goes from strength to strength”.

With the “lovely decor” replicated from the Theatreland icon for which they are branded, Richard Caring’s “always buzzy” spin-offs have found a gigantic audience nationally. But “these places live off the name for sure” and “it’s the ambience that keeps them going” – while fans say the food is “reliable”, more sceptical types dismiss it as “conveyor-belt cooking”; and say service is merely so-so. Some branches are better than others: best in London is ‘Chelsea Garden’, which has the same “distinctly average” standards as the others, but reliably offers an “uplifting” atmosphere and “great people watching” (and “on a sunny afternoon there is literally NO WHERE ELSE TO BE but its large garden. HEAVEN!!”). Also worth mentioning is the outlet by The Thames in SE1: “excellent views of Tower Bridge”, “even better if outside in summer and convenient for The Bridge Theatre”.

“A secret, below-ground escape from the mayhem of Leicester Square” for more than half a century – this “well-hidden”, “old-school” wine bar has “only got better” over the years, first under founder Don Hewitson and latterly under Will Clayton. Top Menu Tip – “share the ham and cheese pie (it is absolutely enormous)”, and has sold around a million portions since 1971.