Bentley’s

11-, 15 Swallow St, Mayfair

Serving up quality fish, every which way, Corrigan’s flagship restaurant is a century-old local institution.

This year sees Bentley’s enter its centenary. For a restaurant scene around Regent Street that has seen more change of facades than David Bowie, such success is unrivalled. Richard Corrigan might only have had his name above the door for a decade, but what he’s done in modernising the restaurant can’t be underestimated.

Like all decent meals, the tone is set long before the first course lands. Found on Swallow Street, a quaint pedestrianised alcove just yards from Regent Street, Bentley’s, with its 40-cover terrace, feels like a genuine slice of Old London: cobbles, original signage and streets narrow enough for a Dickensian pickpocket to feel at home.

Through the doors, first impressions get better still, starting with the butter. Now, butter means a lot to me. Those half-frozen, beautifully salted sachets punctuated my youth. They’re a reminder of simpler times, when the fat smeared on bread at the beginning of a meal didn’t have to be whipped, smoked or churned into a frenzy. It was just there, in a little dish, ready to go, no messing.

Bentley’s butter comes in two guises: salted and seaweed-laced. Knowing the Irish love for butter, there’s no surprise Corrigan holds it in such high regard, but the seaweed incarnation is a beautiful light taste of days by the sea, which acts as a perfect nod to the restaurant’s key trope and the dishes to come – quality fish, served every which way.

Oysters, both wild native and cultivated, are best ordered in the downstairs bar, which hums with life from Mayfair locals and diehard regulars. Chef claims they shuck over 1,000 a day, more than any other restaurant in London. Served simply with shallot vinegar or lemon juice, their freshness is unimpeachable.

Regulars rave about the deluxe fish pie. Fit to bursting with scallops, haddock and prawns, and topped with buttery mash and a crisp layer of cheese that adds a salty depth to the béchamel sauce, it’s comfort food done right. The sides are just as good. Crispy skinny chips and buttered new potatoes make the perfect sponge to soak up a quality meunière sauce served with the turbot, sea bass or Dover sole. It’s the kind of place where eating just once simply isn’t an option. MS. 020 7734 4756.