Wiltons’ central location is the perfect place to stop for a pre-theatre dinner. It is situated within a five-minute walk of Piccadilly Circus Tube station and a 10-minute walk from the sights and sounds of Leicester Square. Jermyn Street itself is renowned for its haberdasheries, galleries and restaurants where you will find something for everyone, it is one of the highlights in the sparkling gem that is central London.
Wiltons is an historic establishment that has been serving oysters since 1742; it is so well loved that in 1836 they received a Royal Warrant to supply oysters to the Royal household and have maintained their quality and impeccable service ever since. The menu is centred around British cuisine, expect expertly roasted meats to be on the menu every day, sourced from the finest farms in the UK – even the oysters come from the British Isles.
When you step in the door at Wiltons you are greeted with a warm, sumptuous décor that creates an immediate feeling of comfort and understated elegance. As you can expect from a restaurant that counts royalty among its customers, there is a touch of luxury to everything, from the impeccably polished silver service to the spring water that is bottled at Blenheim Palace.
The menu at Wiltons changes with the seasons with oysters available from September to April. During summer the extensive menu includes fish, meat and vegetarian options where you can enjoy everything from caviar and lobster to omelettes, lamb and risotto. The dessert menu is like walking through an English summer with options such as Pimm’s jelly, English strawberries, apple crumble and clotted cream. Along with oysters, Wiltons is famous for its carving trolley. Every day the choice on offer rotates, lamb is on Monday, pork on Tuesday and beef on Wednesday all sourced from the best farms in the UK. If you order from the carving trolley, the chef trancheur will carve it at your table.
We booked a pre-theatre dinner for two and enjoyed a three-course meal with four side dishes and dessert. Highlights include the soufflé and the truffle pomme purée. Both our main dishes of lemon sole and halibut were cooked to perfection.
As many find when they eat at Wiltons, time passed by without us paying much attention. By the time dessert came around we were running late and requested to get them as take away. The chef was so kind as to package them beautifully and provided us with heating instructions.
An establishment such as Wiltons has an established list of regular customers who return time and again for the wonderful food and familiar service. It is highly recommended to book your table in advance, especially for lunchtime. There is a dress code which goes as follows “While gentlemen are welcome to wear a jacket and tie they are not required to. We would ask that no trainers, open-toed shoes, sportswear or short sleeve shirts are worn.”
Not only was the food faultless and prepared with the greatest care; the staff were incredibly attentive, and the service was infallible. There was no request that couldn’t be met and at no time did we feel rushed to finish our meal.
Wiltons is one of the best restaurants for a pre-theatre dinner within a district that boasts a large collection of restaurants aimed at the theatre crowd. It is the perfect place to sample British cuisine at its best.
The Details
Wiltons, 55 Jermyn Street St James’s, London, SW1Y 6LX, England.
Tel: +44 20 7629 9955
Website: http://wiltons.co.uk/
Email: reserve@wiltons.co.uk
The nearest Underground station, less than a 5-minute walk, is Piccadilly Circus on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines or Green Park on the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, where you should take the second right after the Ritz onto St James’s Street then first right onto Jermyn Street, and just under a 10-minute walk away. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday to Friday from midday to 2:30pm and for dinner Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.
Type of Restaurant: Seafood Restaurant
Price Band: High
Insider Tip: Vegan options now available on the menu. The restaurant also asks that customers do not wear open toed shoes, sportswear or short sleeved shirts but ties and jackets are not required.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10
Author Bio:
Liz Tecirli is a freelance travel writer specialising in adventure travel, extreme sports and luxury breaks.
Photographs courtesy of Wiltons
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