First opened in 1917, The Ivy has enjoyed legendary status on a quiet Covent Garden street for decades thanks to impeccable service, quality food and a thick layer of celebrity stardust. In recent years, the stars have been distracted by other dining destinations in the capital and The Ivy has now undergone an extensive refurbishment. The new look has been crafted by Martin Brudnizki, responsible for the design of restaurant group Caprice Holding’s other heavyweights, Scott’s and Le Caprice. Ever-curious, we booked a freshly-stuffed green seat in The Ivy this opening week – read on for our verdict.
Few London restaurants can boast a reputation with the clout The Ivy enjoys, which looks set to continue following a glittering refurbishment. We use glittering literally: gone is a wall which formerly cut up the room, allowing the action to revolve around a beautiful new marble-topped bar, crowned with mirrored tiles like a glowing jewellery box. Martin Brudnizki is behind the atmospheric update, which also features olive green booth seating, a scattering of soft pink lamps and bright paintings by the likes of Damien Hirst. The opaque, diamond-latticed windows so crucial to the restaurant’s exclusive feel remain, as do the culinary calling cards: you’ll still find the legendary shepherd’s pie and crispy duck salad on the menu. We elected for fresh inclusions such as a perfunctory burrata with fried zucchini flower and lip-smackingly sticky and sweet tea-smoked short ribs with daikon slaw. The reasonably priced menu now includes a trend-chasing ‘Asian Graze’ section with the likes of miso umami broth and yellowtail tuna sashimi, followed by steaks, chargrills, fish, seafood and international ‘classics’; we opted for a delicate plate of flower-strewn scallops, paired with soy-braised pork and carefully enlivened with piquant caramel garlic. Lamb rump is unusually but successfully paired with pomegranate-speckled quinoa, but the seriously good, golden fries are the winning accompaniment. The dessert menu has been injected with new life too; the most memorable flavours on our visit came from Elderflower-infused jelly filled with raspberries, while Amalfi lemon panna cotta nestled in a perfectly tangy raspberry sorbet. A sophisticated cocktail list is organised by eras which include ‘Roaring Twenties’ while the wine selection offers plenty of choice to match the diverse dishes. The Ivy still does everything right – service glides effortlessly while the world outside quietly drifts away beyond jeweled windows – and with its thoughtful redesign The Ivy has certainly blossomed anew. Is this enough to attract a new generation of loyal fans? We certainly hope so.
This article was published 3 June 2015