Last Updated on February 8, 2026
Old-School Glamour at an Affordable Price: The Ivy West Street Delivers
3.6 out of 5.0 starsIf there’s one restaurant in London that is intrinsically linked with the West End and Theatreland, it’s The Ivy on West Street. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. The original Ivy opened in 1917, an unlicensed Italian cafe founded by Abel Giandolini. It expanded into the current West Street location in 1929 and quickly became a favourite with the theatre crowd, with stars like Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Marlene Dietrich among the patrons. Even the restaurant’s name, ‘The Ivy’ came from a remark by actress Alice Delysia, who, as Giandolini was apologising to her for the disruption from building works, is reported to have commented that guests would ‘cling together like the ivy’ (a line from a popular song of the time). It’s fair to say that is just what they did.
The Ivy changed hands many times over the years. In 1950, Giandolini sold The Ivy to Bernard Walsh, and the restaurant became part of his Wheeler’s group of fish restaurants. It’s in that guise that I remember it, working for a restaurant group called Kennedy Brookes. It was always one of the special restaurants in the company and unforgettably traditional. My employers eventually sold out to Forte, and relatively soon after, The Ivy was taken over by restaurateurs Corbin and King, who refurbished the place rather splendidly, keeping the essence of the original restaurant but making it once again a place to be seen. At the turn of the century, The Ivy became part of Richard Caring’s empire, and the name used to launch The Ivy Collection – a growing series of restaurants across the UK.
Today, when you walk into the Ivy, there’s still a sense of history. Beautiful Art Deco lights, diamond-paned stained-glass windows, a stunning central bar surrounded by white chintz-draped tables with velvet banquettes and comfy chairs. It could have been like this from the outset, but the comfort belies the vintage appearance. The Ivy West Street attracts a slightly different set to most of The Ivy Collection restaurants – no kids there in the early evening when we visited, an unspoken elegant dress code and a sense of occasion mark it out. But like the other Ivy Collection restaurants, they have a classic set menu for January and February, designed to keep the bank manager from the door. At £33.95 for two courses or £38.95 for three, it’s reasonably priced for this part of town.
With four starters and five main courses to pick from, there was a reasonable amount of choice. There was a soup or a classic Roquefort salad as starter options, along with the robata grilled chicken skewers with bang bang peanut sauce, sesame seeds, coconut, lime, and coriander that I picked, and the cod brandade beignets with provençale herbs, aioli, garlic mayonnaise, pickled fennel, and mixed baby salad that my companion ordered.
The beignets were excellent, with a soft and well-balanced salt cod and potato filling encased in crisp panko breadcrumbs. The light aioli garlic mayo provided a subtle lift, as did the fragrant pickled fennel. Definitely the one I’ll be opting for if we return. My chicken skewers were rather dry and chewy, and the peanut sauce looked a little as if it had sat under a hot lamp for a few minutes too long. Still, the flavour was all there.
My main course, seared salmon fillet with cockles, salty finger, keta caviar and a white wine velouté sauce, was a menu classic. I would have preferred it served with the very generous pile of mash on the side rather than under the salmon, partly because much of the very delicious velouté was absorbed in seconds, making for a stunning mash, but leaving the salmon without a sauce. And partly because we’d ordered a side of moreish truffle and Parmesan chips to share, along with some almost-healthy peas, broad beans and pea shoots. The salmon was perfectly cooked, moist and flaky though.
By comparison, my companion’s sirloin steak arrived with just a few pan juices and a green leaf garnish. Simple, well-prepared, high-quality 21-day Himalayan salt dry-aged meat. This was exactly the kind of dish that fits my idea of the Ivy.
When we arrived at picking dessert, neither of us could have managed a whole plateful. Instead, we shared a delicious sticky toffee pudding.
More sauce, or a thin cream, rather than the generous dollop of clotted cream, would have made a perfect dish for me, but I’m being picky now.
We shared a bottle of Soave at the restaurant manager’s recommendation: a 2022 Pieropan La Rocca, an elegant, well-balanced wine with a long finish and light minerality. With notes of almond and honey, it was a perfect match for our starters and my salmon, and also substantial enough to pair well with the steak if, like my companion, you don’t drink red wine.
I’ve noticed that the Ivy Classic Set Menu has changed from the one we were offered a couple of weeks ago, with two new starters replacing the rather tired chicken skewers I tried, and an additional fish main course. And, with a complimentary glass of wine too! All look like improvements to a menu that’s very well priced for an iconic restaurant in an expensive part of London. Definitely one to consider for a pre-theatre or evening out with friends. After all, there’s something special about the ORIGINAL Ivy.
1-5 West Street,
London
WC2H 9NQ
020 7836 4751
Looking for more British restaurants? Check our guide to British food in London
Leave a Reply