The Ivy

9 West St, London

It’s been described as ‘unquestionably the city’s favourite restaurant’ and while there may be statistics that disprove the statement, it’s easy to understand the sentiment. Ask anyone beyond London to name a restaurant in the capital and ‘The Ivy’ will be a popular response. A much-vaunted haunt of the celebrity diner, it’s certainly enjoyed more column inches than any other restaurant in town. But what goes on beyond those famed stained glass windows in the V-shaped building at the epicentre of Theatreland? And how did it become such an institution? It’s not quite known when the doors of The Ivy (the ‘The’ is always capped up – don’t forget this is The Ivy, the original) first opened, but in 1917 or thereabouts Abel Giandellini bought what was a café and began wooing the locals. When Mario Gallati (who was later to open Le Caprice in 1945) came on board, The Ivy was redeveloped into roughly the form we see it today.

A list of the great and the good who have enjoyed The Ivy’s cuisine would go on for far longer than I have space for, but suffice to say anyone who’s anyone has eaten here. And while we don’t always believe the hype, in The Ivy’s case it’s justified. The food is immense, seasonal, full of flavour and, more importantly, served in proper portions.

It takes its lead from all manner of sources; on any day you might find bang bang chicken sharing the hors d’oeuvres menu with shellfish bisque and steak tartare. If you’re lucky you’ll visit when they serve chunky scallops served with a slab of sweet, sticky pork belly coated with hoi sin sauce with shiso leaves and sesame. It’s the kind of food that fills the mouth with flavour. The same applies to the mains: if you visit on a Sunday, have the roast beef – it’s what Sundays were invented for. Any other day, and you pick from a menu that covers every palate – griddled tiger prawns with piri piri, Thai-baked seabass, The Ivy hamburger with dill pickle and club sauce, crusted rack of Somerset lamb, roast poulet stuffed with foie gras…

The Ivy wears its influences on its sleeve and they’re very long sleeves. To finish, Scandinavian iced berries with a wonderful, juicy tartness tempered by white chocolate sauce. A reputation thoroughly deserved.