Willett’s opens at The Cadogan, a Belmond Hotel in Sloane Street.
Sloane Street has long been where old money, new money and royalty rub shoulders. It was once home to the novelist Jane Austen, and today much of the surrounding real estate is owned by the royal family of Dubai. It gave its name to the Sloane Ranger, a term personified by none other than Princess Diana. If you’re after a little scandal, it was at The Cadogan, a Belmond Hotel, that Oscar Wilde was arrested. Today, the hotel is home to the newly opened restaurant, Willett’s.
Willett’s draws its name from William Willett, the man behind daylight saving and the reason we change our clocks. The bistro and bar showcases British cuisine and seasonal dishes – the herbs are grown on site, after all. Shades of green fill the space, which includes a terrace, a countertop, and both casual and formal dining rooms. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and even the aptly named happy hour, Willett’s Hour, which offers cut-price cocktails between 6pm and 7pm.
When we arrived at Willett’s on a Friday evening, the staff were smiley and sophisticated. What the tiny terrace lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm. We overheard the team discussing the new plants, while around us came a mix of conversations: Irish tourists staying at the hotel, Americans closing a business deal, and locals praising the restaurant after hearing rave reviews. We began with drinks on the terrace before heading inside, past the aromas and activity of the open kitchen, and into the dining room, where crisp white tablecloths set the tone.
Created by Chef Michael Turner, Willett’s menu is divided into starters, mains, sides and desserts. The staff are brimming with recommendations and can barely wait to introduce each dish. That same passion and precision shone through the experience. An amuse-bouche arrived: a mushroom soup that was ceremoniously poured from a teacup, accompanied by a treat that looked remarkably like Bourbon biscuits but turned out to be savoury rather than sweet. The crunch gave way to caramelised sweet onion and thyme. To embrace the British spirit, order the soft, small Sourdough Crumpets served with Marmite butter – a combination that turned out to be comforting and classy.
Starters included the Clarence Court Duck Egg. Despite the quality of the produce and the pretty presentation, the combination of a fried egg, parsley and artichoke did little to excite our palates. We were back on track with the Hand Dived Scallops, served with a tartare sauce. The dish arrived in a scallop-shaped plate, and the result was a beautifully balanced dish that was clean, fresh and velvety.
The mains included meats and fish, but it was the Grilled Monkfish Shank that came highly recommended. The dish tasted like it had been swept up from a local river. It was fresh, herb-tastic, and accompanied by an irresistibly moreish peppercorn sauce that we couldn’t stop ourselves from scooping up.
Desserts – or, as Willett’s calls it, the pudding menu – give the kind of school dinner favourites many of us grew up with the Sloane Street treatment. Think custard tarts, sticky toffee pudding and jam roly-poly – a name I hadn’t uttered since childhood. With trifles enjoying a resurgence on London’s restaurant menus, we couldn’t resist ordering Granny Campbell’s Sherry Trifle. There were even hundreds and thousands sprinkled on the top. It captured all the nostalgia, but with the finesse and flavour you’d expect from a restaurant of this calibre.
The tables turned, as we heard the French sommelier extol the virtues of British wines with the same fervour Britons reserve for French labels. He championed bottles from Essex, Kent and Sussex, and we settled on a clean, crisp Bacchus from Cornwall. The drinks list also celebrates locally brewed beers, and the cocktails come with playful names, from Granny Smith and Meliot to Strawberries and Cream.
By the time we left, the crowds were still coming to Willett’s. Sloane Street, it’s been a pleasure.
Where: Willett’s, The Cadogan, 75 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9SG
When: Daily from 7am to 12am
Contact: www.belmond.com