What is it?
The Ivy Soho Brasserie is the latest jewel in The Ivy Collection’s glittering crown and follows in the successful footsteps of firm favourites The Ivy Chelsea Garden and The Ivy Market Grill, Covent Garden.
Sitting in central Soho, on Broadwick Street, this latest Ivy outpost boasts 200 covers, spread across the central, multi-level onyx bar, main restaurant and al fresco, Parisian-style terrace. Banish thoughts of touching tables and noisy neighbours though because there is ample room – perhaps more so than the brasseries sister restaurants – to really relax, and for those all-important shopping bags. Your closest companions will be the William Blake-inspired paintings, installed to commemorate the artist who, once upon a time, lived on the same street.
When to go?
Surrounded by media offices, creative businesses and small shops, The Ivy Soho Brassiere has been deliberately designed for spontaneous visits: a proportion of tables are always left unbooked to allow walk-ins.
We dropped in on a Sunday morning, just in time for the weekend brunch menu. Couples should take a seat at the wide bar, order a winter pear Bellini and watch with wide-eyed thirst as it is whipped up there and then. Groups should take advantage of the leather banquettes, while for special occasions there’s a private room.
What should I order?
The contemporary British menu includes a few of the Collection’s much-loved favourites and a welcome selection of new offerings, inspired by the restaurants location. We feasted on zucchini fritti-thin slivers of vegetable coated in the crispiest of batter-brioche crumbed chicken Milanese and, ordered in a moment of immature desire, cherry ice-cream sundae.
To drink – because it’s always 5 o'clock somewhere – there is the aforementioned Bellini or a Dick’s Drink, a modern day espresso Martini, created to celebrate it’s infamous creator-the late Soho bartender, Dick Bradsell.
If I can’t get a table?
Head to Hix Soho, for contemporary cool, Bocca Di Lupo, for authentic Italian, or recently renovated (though the stained-glass windows still remain) Quo Vadis.
Rosie Paterson
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