Lots of spots in Fitzrovia are posh, but Berners Tavern is something special; you sit in booths across its huge, dimly-lit dining room, surrounded by chandeliers. Spectacular art hangings cover every inch of the walls. Couples sit clutching hands in cubby holes, swanky business dinners gather in groups of six, and a few lone eaters settle in for three courses and a bottle of wine. Groups of trendy 30-somethings drink cocktails at the bar. It’s posh but not stuffy; the staff are a laugh and the playlist was banging.
Let’s get one thing out of the way here first. Berners Tavern is expensive. Eye-wateringly so. Starters are around £17 and you won’t get much for less than £30 when it comes to mains. But there’s a man who brings Champagne around on a trolley, and the fancy little toasts you get with your starters are like thin and crispy spiderwebs. And you can dress fancy. It’s a proper experience. They also serve mac and cheese as a starter and a main. A win in my book.
It’s posh but not stuffy; the staff are a laugh and the playlist was banging.
We started with a glass of Nyetimber cuvée, the sparkling English wine. It was great; light and a little sweet, but that’s the least you’d expect from a £23 glass, which isn’t too far off what a whole bottle of the stuff costs in Waitrose.
First was scallop crudo, accompanied by a load of equally posh ingredients (citrus granita, poached rhubarb, apple and a jalapeno emulsion), served in an open shell. It was very pretty, and as part of a six-course tasting menu would have been divine. As a starter, it’s very small and very light, and the scallop gets a little lost.
This was outshined by our other starter of Colchester crab, dressed beautifully with paper-thin slices of crisp white Japanese radish. Unlike the crudo, each bite was an explosion of citrusy flavour, extremely fresh but intensely umami from XO sauce, and refreshed with little pops of compressed cucumber. Both starters were served with the aforementioned crispy cracker toast. The waiter brought extra because I liked it so much.
Lamb rump was cooked beautifully, served a rich pink and buttery soft with broad beans, charred onion, asparagus and potatoes. It was expertly executed but definitely could’ve done with a hit of something pickled. The star of the show was a huge great plate of roasted lemon sole and crushed potatoes. A thing of beauty, the soft, buttery fish was dotted with little royal blue prawns and salty, crispy capers. A rich, decadent plate, it didn’t skimp on portion size (or butter).
While the banana and milk chocolate choux bun was just too stale, the banana a bit cheap tasting, dare I say it, and the salted caramel overly sweet, the lemon bergamot meringue pie was something very special; tart and with a sweet biscuit base, crunchy top and a pop of lemon curd, served with a lip-smackingly sour limoncello granita.
Occasionally a mixed bag, Berners Tavern staff are delightful, keen to make the whole experience very, very special. You can put your heels on for it – in fact, we genuinely suggest avoiding the jeans for this – and they won’t rush you in the slightest; they’d rather you stayed all night. My only regret? Not getting the mac and cheese.
The vibe Business types and dressed-up couples in a dimly-lit, genuinely atmospheric hotel restaurant.
The food Classic British fare – meat, seafood and lots of potatoes – with very pretty presentation.
The drink A pricey but extensive wine list, and lots of innovative cocktails at the bar.
Time out tip Dress up and go along for the ride (just close your eyes when the bill comes).
