The Wolseley, located in the Piccadilly, next to the famous Ritz hotel, is one of the most well-known brasserie in London for many reasons. The charming bank-turned brasserie was an attraction in its own right with outstanding Venetian-styled pillars and arches, magnificent chandeliers and an outlook stretching proudly in the Piccadilly area.
Some say it offers the best breakfast (hint: Egg Benedict). Some say you have to try its fresh oysters and luxurious caviar. Well, how about Lunch and for when you really want something healthy and fulfilling? I mean, a proper lunch?
The answer is yes, totally. The Wolseley has a wonderfully wide range of food on offer, from good sized Hors d'oeuvres, meat or meatless salads, steak and even fish of the day. For today, for lunch with a friend, I really wanted to test the Healthy options: Superfood Salad and Fish of the Day. And if you know me, I cannot stand bad salad or bad fish. If a restaurant messes this up and even when I know it's hard to get the right taste, I won't like it! They must be delicate, balanced and fresh as fresh can be.
Now, you can see the Superfood Salad is meatless, full of root vegs (perfectly roasted at Goldie Locks optimal point), lightly dressed in sweet and citrusy dressing and not too much. The broccoli, oh dear, tastes like heaven! It has a handful of crunchy crouton balls and a few finely cut string beans, which, to me, do not add values at all. Substitutes needed!
Fish of the day today is Seared Skin-on Seabass. We HAVE TO TALK! The seabass is seriously fresh, the skin is crispy, the salt is just enough to make it taste right, but not overwhelmingly fishy. The white sauce is soooo amazing, added with sprinkles of raisins. Oh dear, what a treat to my palate! But the roasted veg (on top) is bitter, it kills the experience! I had to leave them out. The companion chips are ok-ish, and certainly healthier than most chips at restaurants but not adequately crispy to make it memorable.
My friend chose different combos. The half lobster was smaller than expected and I didn't appreciate the lack of bibs for customers. A memo for any restaurant that offers oysters.
How about the ambience? The Wolseley is hugely popular. I had to book a table and our table was only reserved for 2 hours so we didn't have time for desserts as planned. All tables were booked. The whole main restaurant was busy, and noisy but not unbearable. The waiters were polite but not extremely friendly. But oddly speaking, you can feel transported back to history once you walk downstairs to the restrooms and feel the eerie quiteness and classic architecture of the place.
The Wolseley even offers you a postcard of how it looked 100 years ago and to stamp and post it for you if you like. I'd rather keep my postcard.
Final verdict: Yes, I like The Wolseley for the experience of fine dinning. Though I am not too impressed, I think many people visiting London would love the experience in such a charming spot in central London
THE WOLSELEY
160 Piccadilly, Piccadilly, Central London, W1J 9EB