Restaurants

Anthony Demetre and Will Smith, owners of Arbutus – which won Best New Restaurant in the 2006 Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards – certainly have the magic touch. Though Wild Honey is very different from that Soho original in feel and decor (this is an oak-panelled but subtly modern space that’s deeply convivial and made for lingering), the alluring combination of exceptionally good food at fair prices and a user-friendly wine list are the same. We wish more restaurants would start to copy their genius policy of making wines available in 250ml carafes as well as by the bottle, and keeping mark-ups low. The menu changes daily; we hope belly of pork with carrot and cumin purée and borlotti beans becomes a staple dish – deeply savoury, with melt-in-the-mouth meat and glorious crackling, it was a triumph, and cost just £14.95. Fillet of halibut with Cornish razor clams, langoustines, ratte potatoes and parsley, though good, couldn’t compete. Starters also garnered plaudits: a flavoursome Mediterranean fish soup with all the trimmings made a nice contrast with a delicate, summery fresh sheep’s ricotta served with watermelon, peas and pancetta. Pick of the puddings was vanilla waffles with crushed warm strawberries and chantilly cream, though the La Fromagerie cheese board (which takes centre stage in the dining room) is hard to resist. Service is unstuffy but mostly on the ball; tables are nicely spaced; and, as at Arbutus, you can eat at the bar. Pay them a visit as soon as you can; the set lunch, in particular, is astounding value for money. Be warned though that the secret is now well and truly out, as the Michelin Guide inspectors bestowed a star on Wild Honey in January 2008.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008