London’s most exclusive restaurants may have faced the toughest of years but tonight – dubbed ‘lockdown eve’ – could end up being chalked up as one of the busiest nights of 2020.
Eateries favoured by celebrities and high society are preparing for one last full service on the night before the Government makes the city’s top chefs down pots and pans until December 2nd, when the latest lockdown in England is set to end.
While plenty of A-list London haunts – including Sketch, The Ritz, Scott’s, Duck and Waffle and Noble Rot – are already all booked up, there’s still hope if you fancy a last-gasp night on the tiles, or at least some fantastic food at a famous eatery.
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The Government’s latest lockdown, which means chefs must down tools at midnight on November 4th until December 5th, has seen London’s top restaurants getting booked up as diners enjoy a last hurrah in the city’s finest culinary establishments. Sexy Fish, on Berkeley Square, has no tables left for this evening
FEMAIL has done the culinary leg work, searching for reservations at VIP dining spots across the capital, and here’s what’s still available if you’re hellbent on a last supper in a swish restaurant. Be warned though, the tables that are still left are much earlier, with most at around 5pm.
KERRIDGE’S BAR AND GRILL
Call to book – but there’s a good chance you can dine at Tom Kerridge’s London Bar and Grill this evening for a lockdown last hurrah with telly chef credentials
Tv chef Tom Kerridge, of Hand and Flowers, Marlow fame – opened Kerridge’s Bar and Grill two years ago in the Corinthia Hotel just off London’s Trafalgar Square. The restaurant boasts a swanky interior with an expensive menu including fish and chips for £32.50, inspired by Kerridge’s childhood in Gloucester.
Book tonight? There are plenty of early evening tables available – with the latest at 6:15pm – at the Westminster eatery but you must call to book. (020 7321 3244, kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk)
THE IVY
While the chain version of The Ivy still has plenty of availability for tonight, the original restaurant on West Street in London’s theatre district – with its decadent decor and stain-glass windows – only has a couple of tables left for early eats
Classic celebrity haunt The Ivy may now be a nationwide chain but the original eatery on West Street has been a West End staple for decades, with famous faces enjoying intimate tete-a-tetes behind its colourful stained-glass windows.
Book tonight? Find a fine plate of food – perhaps the famous shepherd’s pie? – at 4:45pm (020 7836 4751, the-ivy.co.uk)
CHUCS MAYFAIR
Popular with the Mayfair set, swish Italian Chucs has tables still available
Fancy a tagliolini with a grating of summer truffle? Upmarket Italian Chucs, which has branches all over London, is open for business tonight, with early evening tables still available at its flagship Mayfair branch.
Book tonight? Yes, there’s still tables at 5pm according to booking website Open Table. (020 3763 2013, chucsrestaurants.com)
GORDON RAMSAY’S LUCKY CAT
Get lucky? Gordon Ramsay’s Asian restaurant Lucky Cat has tables available for Wednesday
It’s takeaway only for the next four weeks, but Gordon Ramsay’s Asian eatery, Lucky Cat, can offer a Far Eastern banquet before the clock strikes midnight.
Book tonight? Tables still bookable at around 4:45pm (0207 107 0000, gordonramsayrestaurants.com/lucky-cat)
J SHEEKEY
Covent Garden’s old favourite J Sheekey might be the best place for a lockdown eve fish supper
Often the spot where you’d ordinarily find the West End’s biggest theatrical names devouring a just-caught piece of fish, J Sheekey’s has long been a Covent Garden favourite.
Book tonight? Six oysters and a glass of champagne? There are tables at 5:15pm (020 7240 2565, capricebookings.com)
CLARIDGE’S DAVIES AND BROOK
Chef Daniel Humm is at the helm at Davies and Brook at Claridge’s on Brook Street in Mayfair
Since Gordon Ramsay parted company with five-star Claridge’s, Davies and Brook has enjoyed culinary success in the same spot with its minimalist look and modern menu.
Book tonight? Tables for two still available at 5:30pm (020 7107 8886, claridges.co.uk)