Scott's Mayfair

Scott’s has the confidence of a room that knows what it is. One of London’s oldest oyster and seafood restaurants, it remains smart and professional without becoming museum-like, with a central bar giving the room its natural focus. The welcome is warm, though service can be slow and occasionally snobby when the restaurant is under pressure. Popcorn and rosemary cocktails set an unexpectedly playful tone, and the room’s polish makes the more indulgent parts of the meal feel entirely at home.

The menu ranges widely, but the strongest dishes have both richness and control. Scallops, oysters and salmon tartare establish the seafood credentials, while sautéed foie gras and the twice-baked Keen’s cheddar soufflé with black truffle move the meal towards unapologetic luxury. The soufflé was stunning and insane. Octopus and burrata were sound, John Dory came with exceptional chips and a Bannockburn rib steak gave the table a worthwhile alternative. The lobster Thermidor was truly amazing: extravagant, old-fashioned and exactly right for the room.

There is a decent, if small, cheese selection, followed by crème brûlée and the kind of finish that reminds you why Scott’s has lasted. The restaurant is expensive, and the occasional service drag is difficult to ignore at this level, but the cooking understands pleasure with unusual directness. Scott’s is not trying to make seafood virtuous or modern for its own sake. It offers oysters, soufflé, chips, steak and lobster with professional assurance, then lets the setting do the rest. At 40, it remains a Mayfair institution with a very persuasive appetite.