This area between Green Park, Piccadilly Circus and St James’s Park may be small, but it packs a mighty punch when it comes to London’s restaurant and bar scene. In the 17th century, St James’s was where the British aristocracy called home, but these days it’s populated with some of London’s grandest and most elegant dining rooms. If you’re looking for a bargain you’re in the wrong postcode, but with so many sublime lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and drinking options, we can certainly guide you to a valuable experience.
Words: Neil Simpson
Breakfast
45 Jermyn St (above)
45 Jermyn Street, SW1 6DN
Pistachio-green paintwork aside, you'd never know that this replacement for the 60-year-old Fountain restaurant was attached to Fortnum & Mason. Plenty of natural light makes this suave, comfortable space perfect for breakfast (from 7am during the week, 8am at the weekend), which includes Welsh rarebit, crumpets and a Full English.
Lunch
Anzu (above)
1 Norris Street, St James's Market, SW1Y 4SB
Just south of Piccadilly Circus, this smart Japanese comes courtesy of the pair behind the Tonkotsu ramen chain. While you could come to Anzu for ramen (pork or seafood in chicken broth, say), the house speciality is the concept of teishoku, a set meal with the main dish served alongside rice, miso and pickles – don’t miss the marble-fleshed treat of Wagyu tataki.
Café Murano
33 St James’s Street, SW1A 1HD
Angela Hartnett's dressed-down take on Murano seems like one more step on her path to national-treasure status, judging by a slew of positive feedback. Nibble on truffle arancini while perusing a menu that bears Hartnett's individual stamp and fondness for reinterpreted Italian flavours.
Chutney Mary
73 St James's Street, SW1A 1PH
Following its move from Chelsea to what was previously Wheeler's, Chutney Mary has reinvented itself as a smart, modern Indian destination. Cooking remains as high end as ever, while lunch means salads, small plates and lighter grill options. It’s a good bet for a business lunch too, because they guarantee to have you in and out in an hour if you ask.
Dinner
Aquavit (above)
St James’s Market, 1 Carlton Street, SW1Y 4QQ
When Manhattan’s Aquavit opened in 1987, it won two Michelin stars and arguably kicked off our obsession with all things Scandi. This London outpost showcases all the enviable northern European design tropes, most notably a superb way with lighting: from floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows, to the flattering glow that bathes evening diners.
Avenue
7-9 St James's Street, SW1A 1EE
For years, Avenue’s glamorously clinical, white-walled dining room was a regular haunt of Mayfair’s blue-bloods, but now it’s an all-American joint – although it still exudes an arty vibe via its sculptural installations. The menu offers contemporary, seasonal US dishes ranging from clam chowder to steaks, while the Luxe burger combines beef, duck liver and truffle relish.
Franco’s
61 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6LX
A venerable gentleman of Jermyn Street, this tasteful Italian has been smoothing out its diners’ careworn creases for more than 60 years. Breakfast is a popular business call, but the kitchen saves its best for refined lunch and dinner menus – just be wary of the high prices.
Rowley's (above)
113 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6HJ
This Modern European option is just the ticket for heritage-hungry tourists and a slice of good old tradition. House specialties such as char-grilled entrecôte steak (served at the table from a heated pan) are accompanied by unlimited French fries and Rowley’s special Roquefort butter sauce.
Sake No Hana
23 St James's Street, SW1A 1HA
A cathedral of what look like giant matchsticks, linked by escalators and lifts, this arresting relative of Hakkasan requires some acclimatisation. There's a lot of everything here: the Japanese menu is vast, taking in compelling small plates (medium fatty tuna with egg yolk soy, for example), vinegar-dressed salads, red miso soup with clams, and sukiyaki cooked tableside.
Seven Park Place
St James's Hotel & Club, 7-8 Park Place, SW1A 1LS
Embedded within the wedding-cake surrounds of the St James's Hotel, this freestanding restaurant drips sobriety and good manners. William Drabble delivers superb, Michelin-starred French fare using UK ingredients, such as saddle of Lune Valley lamb with onions, turnips and thyme. Meanwhile, professional and dedicated staff are the icing on the cake.
‘Cheap’ eat
Al Duca
4-5 Duke of York Street, SW1Y 6LA
Simplicity rules at this quality Italian, which is in possession of a dining room awash with warming shades of terracotta and simple decorative trimmings. Seasonal menus provide exactly what you'd hope for in a neighbourhood restaurant, especially the pre- and post-theatre menu. In particular, the excellent crab tagliolini with red chillis is worth ordering.
Blow-out special occasions
The Ritz Restaurant (above)
The Ritz London, 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR
Jaw-dropping to enter, difficult to leave, the Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant deserves all the superlatives that are routinely directed at it. Long-serving executive chef John Williams removes the agony of choice with the six-course Menu Surprise, while the wine is from a list that's famously fabulous, if not wildly accessible.
Estiatorio Milos
1 Regent Street St James's, SW1Y 4NR
Costas Spiliadis now has branches of Milos worldwide, including this swanky venue in what was British Columbia House. Fish is his passion and he procures daily supplies from the Med, so pick your favourite from more than 20 species displayed on ice. Perfectly executed raw plates are followed by deftly cooked mains, such as the sweetly smoky grilled octopus.
Wilton’s
55 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6LX
London's second-oldest restaurant is a decidedly love-it-or-hate it experience: critics point to incredibly high pricing and unimaginative cuisine, while fans enjoy this charmingly old-fashioned slice of St James's. The straightforward cooking is designed to showcase the best of British seafood, while set menus can shrink that bill (a bit).
Celebrity explosion
Le Caprice (above)
Arlington Street, SW1A 1RJ
While stablemates Sexy Fish and the revamped Ivy might hog the column inches, the restaurant which gave its name to Caprice Holdings remains the stealth wealth option, beloved of Mayfair hedge funders and famous faces who come without fear of being papped. Dine here once and legendary maître d' Jesus Adorno will remember your face forever.
Afternoon tea
Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason
181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER
Perched on the top floor, expect tinkling piano renditions of show tunes to soundtrack a sedate afternoon in this light-filled, spacious room. The classic afternoon tea is presented on fine china and beautiful silverware, while the staff are as dapper and charming as you would hope.
The Palm Court at The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR
At the heart of The Ritz’s unashamedly opulent Edwardiana, The Palm Court hits a crescendo of gilded gold and lemon among polished marble pillars, Grecian urns and elongated birdcage chandeliers. This is a three-tier event stacked in silver and the tea itself is served in suitably ornate pots.
Weekend brunch
The Wolseley (above)
160 Piccadilly, W1J 9EB
The reigning king of London’s weekend brunch scene books up weeks in advance, but this grandest of grand brasseries is well worth the wait. It’s busy, stylish and celebrity-filled, somewhere you can dress up or down as much as you wish, and most importantly, you’ll find all the classic English and European brunch standards present and correct.
Veneta
3 Norris Street, St James's Market, SW1Y 4SB
Aiming to bring the vibes of St Mark's Square to St James’s Market, the latest opening from the Salt Yard group features a double-height dining room lined with windows, making this a stylish wake-up call via dishes such as polenta porridge, smoked salmon with truffle butter or baked eggs with spinach, tomato ragu and speck.
Alfresco
Boulestin
5 St James's Street, SW1A 1EF
Providing acclaimed French food right through the day in the heart of St James's, Boulestin is practically a public service. Worth seeking out for discreet yet effective service, a relaxed vibe and reasonable value, the trump card in the summer is the cloistered patio, part of what is officially London’s smallest public space.
Drinks
St James Bar (above)
Sofitel London St James, 6 Waterloo Place, SW1Y 4AN
Said to be based on Coco Chanel's private salon at her Rue Cambon HQ, this bijou cocoon offers couture cocktails with a Gallic accent. Lounge on leather banquettes and sip on seasonally changing cocktails, or go for wines by the glass, including plenty of classic fizz options.
Dukes Bar
Dukes Hotel, St James's Place, SW1A 1NY
Revered by many as the home of London's best Martinis, this indomitable dowager continues to excel. Dukes devotee Ian Fleming established the Martini as the drink of choice for action men with James Bond, and these shots hit the target as surely as a bullet from a Walther PPK.
Quaglino’s
16 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AJ
Tables in Quaglino’s roomy mezzanine bar afford a grandstand view of the restaurant action below, so join the fun as this splashy 1929 brasserie revives its past as a cocktail lounge and club. With a 3am weekend licence and no cover charge, the recently refurbished Mayfair icon is a less frenetic, but equally sophisticated alternative to the West End’s brassier boîtes.
Take a look at our full list of restaurants and bars in St James’s here
This article was published 22 December 2016