London St John's Wood Restaurant Guide

“You know what you are getting” according to fans of this sub-brand, spin-off chain, whose ‘café’ branches are a cut below those trading as a ‘brasserie’. They laud its “acceptable” cooking and say, “it’s great to see how well the Ivy’s formula has been rolled out with very atmospheric décor”. Even fans of the “really nice buzz” inspired by these “costly surroundings” can find the food “pretty average” though. And harsher critics (of which there are many) say “what is the point of this expensive and dreadful group? They just demean memories of the original Ivy”. Top Tip – “really reasonable for breakfast with decent portions in a pleasant atmosphere” (and you can book in advance for it, too).

“Oh là là – looking 100 years old and dripping with charm” this “slick and relaxing” brasserie in St John’s Wood is proving “another instant Corbin & King classic”: “the décor is delightful and service is warm and graceful under pressure”. True to the form, the “food could be more ambitious”, but “for a family meal this lovely place is hard to beat”. (With the founders recently sacked, “will the new regime ruin everything?”).

“Let’s do the time warp again (…and again, and again, and again, and…)” – this happy relic at the foot of a Regent’s Park apartment block “hasn’t changed in 30 years, and why should it?” Stuck in perpetuity in the mid-1970s (complete with salmon-pink décor; long-serving waiters from that era; and a menu that’s not wittingly nostalgic, it just never changed) “it would take the hardest of hearts not to be moved to inexplicable joy by an occasional visit here”. The “amazing staff really look after you”, “you won’t leave hungry”, and the arrival of the dessert trolley provides a rapturous climax to the occasion. They are also terrific with kids, who often dine here as part of large family groups incorporating relatives at least 70 years their senior.

“Run by the owner for 41 years and I have been a customer for over 35 years and the quality has never varied!” – Catherine Parisot’s “brilliant longstanding favourite” in St John’s Wood “never fails to delight”: in particular its cute interior and pretty location make it a top choice for a date. Under the “able guidance” of la patronne, it provides classic ‘cuisine bourgeoise’: “you always know what you are going to get as the menu never changes, but the food is always good”.

“Classic up-market Lebanese food” and “a good choice of Lebanese wines” from the Maroush group can be enjoyed in the unlikely surroundings of this lavish late-Victorian gin palace – a ‘folly’ constructed in the mistaken expectation that a railway terminus would be built nearby (the site turned out to be Marylebone). “The front bar is a reconstruction of the original pub, and is great for a pre-dinner drink”. Top Tip – “avoid Lord’s cricket days, when it gets busy with rowdy fans”.

This tiny Japanese near Little Venice is “well worth seeking out”. “The food is served in a friendly manner and the sushi and sashimi is always very fresh”.