Mayfair, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“Wonderful old school charm” oozes from this offbeat Young’s pub, in a quiet Mayfair mews. The public bar at the front is characterful, but it’s the charming and comfortable adjoining grill room (opened in 1952, and significantly extended over the years) that makes this place such a magnet for steak-lovers and business wheeler-dealers. As well as dishes like Chateaubriand, Côte de Boeuf and Sirloin – and sides like Haggis or Ox Heart – there’s a wide variety of traditional dishes and some of “the best pies in town”. After personnel changes last year, ratings took a dive, but it returned to a good all-round performance in this year’s annual diners’ poll and is “now on top form”. Top Menu Tip – “best devilled kidneys ever”.

“It does rather ooze money and privilege, but the food is very good indeed” at Richard Caring’s “chic” Mayfair A-lister: “a classic with crowd-pleasing glitz” where (in Ian Fleming’s novels) commander Bond is a regular. “One of the grand seafood palaces of central London with a vast seafood bar”, its cuisine is “not in the grand gourmet mould” – “high-quality” fish and seafood “prepared with flair” from an “evolving menu, such that old favourites are regularly joined by creative new dishes”. “Service is always polished and efficient, and the room retains its glamour and buzz year in, year out”: “a go-to for any significant celebration… or just for a treat”. Top Tip – “perfect for business, with the best grilled Dover Sole”.

For an “exquisite afternoon tea” in the archetypal English mould, the “relaxing” wood-panelled lounge of this elegant but unflashy Mayfair hotel is “just lovely” and perennially ranks alongside more famous names like the Ritz down the road in the eyes of its fanclub. The hotel dates from 1837 and counts Queen Victoria and Agatha Christie as former patrons.

“If you like pies, beer and wine”, this Young’s pub is – say fans – “a good choice”, especially when you need relatively affordable sustenance in Mayfair. But despite serious investment in recent times – with the addition of an upstairs restaurant and roof terrace – ratings slipped this year (with a couple of reports such as: “not sure what’s happened, but it’s really gone downhill”; or “far too noisy and cramped, and the pies we had read so much about were not as good as M&S!”).

“The interior is so magnificent, it feels like eating in Versailles!” at this “beautiful” chamber, which many cognoscenti consider to be “the most attractive dining room in London”. If you are a natural traditionalist and have money to burn, “this is the restaurant in London for that special meal” because “every time you go it feels like a perfect, memorable occasion” (and “thankfully a dress code is still in force!”). Under John Williams and his team, “absolutely stellar ingredients are superbly cooked with sensible updating of classic dishes; all combined with immaculate, polished silver service”. It’s “undeniably expensive, yes”, although fans feel it’s “worth every penny”. In fact, some of the fooderati feel that “surely two Michelin stars are warranted”: “I just can’t see why the Guide only gives it one star, as it’s so much better than some of the Gallic three stars not that far away!!”. Top Menu Tips – “The langoustines à la nage are perfectly cooked with magic flavours. The foie gras is perfection. The pigeon de Bresse utterly amazing – so hard to cook immaculately as it is. Don’t start me on the truffle jus!”. And “there is usually some theatre when someone has ordered the Crêpes Suzette, cooked at the table, apparently with a healthy slug of booze, and with flames shooting up every so often around the room!”