‘Catering for Mayfair suits rather than Soho trendies’, this smarter sibling to Arbutus remains, for most visitors, a terrifically assured experience: the ‘perfect combination’ of convivial
surroundings, attentive yet unstuffy service & superb cooking, from a menu full of interest. Dishes embellish the current vogue for seasonality & British simplicity with classic French
cheffy know-how. Distinctly flavoured wild rabbit & foie gras boudin blanc with garden-fresh peas & broad beans might precede roast organic chicken, the bird’s flavour coaxed out by garlic,
accompanied by textbook gratin dauphinois. To finish, there’s cheese from La Fromagerie, or appealingly presented desserts such as wild honey ice cream with crushed honeycomb: good to look at,
great to eat. Prices no longer seem quite the bargain of old, which makes Wild Honey’s tightly packed surroundings & table turning ‘offputting’ – even to those who like everything else. A
three-course lunch for £18.95, makes amends, as does an afternoon menu of fairly-priced sweet & savoury small plates.
Wine List: Wild Honey follows the now tried-&-tested formula of its sister restaurant Arbutus & offers pretty much every wine in a handy carafe serving. This adds greatly to the
dining experience, enabling customers to experiment & closely match wine to a variety of dishes. The succinct range is biased towards Europe, encompassing the classics & new wave. Best
Buy White 2006 Pic Saint Loup Classique, Bergerie de l’Hortus, Languedoc, France, £24.50. Best Buy Red 2007 Verdejo, José Pariente, Rueda, Spain, £27.
Chef: Anthony Demetre
When Anthony Demetre & business partner Will Smith launched Arbutus in 2006, they were aiming for an informal, value-for-money & technically assured restaurant focusing on inexpensive, seasonal ingredients. Their panache & skilful execution saw the plaudits flood in for their Soho restaurant, including a BMW Square Meal Award for Best New Restaurant & a Michelin star in January 2007. The pair followed this up with the equally successful Wild Honey in Mayfair, which garnered similar accolades the following year. To cap it all, Arbutus was recently named BMW Square Meal Restaurant of the Year 2010 in recognition of the owners' matchless approach to affordable fine dining.
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