Why The Ivy is a bastion of hope and quality during a bleak month
The start of the year is an especially tough time for hospitality as people watch the pounds when it comes to both their wallets and weight. This kind of abstinence is even more of a travesty in London, a city packed with the most incredible restaurants, with a rich history of social eating and drinking. The chilly, gloomy new year months are when we need nights out most.
This act of gastro-companionship reminds me of one of our most celebrated dining institutions. Back in 1917, Italian restaurateur Abel Giandellini opened a little café in the heart of London’s theatre district. While apologising to actress Alice Delysia for the noise from his building works, she reassured him with the words “we will cling together like the ivy”.
From this, The Ivy was christened – and over one hundred years later actors, celebrities, theatregoers and food lovers continue to cling to it. The colourful stained-glass windows glow like a beacon of hope in the dark days of January.
While hosting a lunch party there last week, I recognised the absolute joy of a classic restaurant where things are done properly. Oh, the relief at the lack of gimmicks. No cocktails arrived in a haze of dry ice, no courses were served on slates or chopping boards, no sea of ‘small plates’ that cost £18 a pop. At The Ivy you can expect excellent food, proper portions and the kind of effortless service that comes with the confidence of knowing how good it is.
There are certain dishes that must be tried at least once by any Londoner. The shepherd’s pie, which Tatler named one of the city’s best recipes, is one of them. A mix of duck, lamb and beef mince in a rich red wine sauce under fluffy mashed potatoes, it is upscale comfort food at its finest.
The iced berries dessert with yoghurt sorbet and white chocolate sauce is another stone cold classic. These are long standing staples served with “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it” consistency.
The wine list, however, has stayed light on its feet. Yes, the grand Champagnes are present, from Dom Perignon to Krug to Louis Roederer Cristal, but I am heartened to see English wine getting an increasingly large share of the list.
Nyetimber is clearly the star: like The Ivy it is an established and enduring brand, appearing as “Nitimbreha” in the Domesday Book, with vines dating back to 1988. The international pioneer for English wine, Nyetimber’s winemaker Cherie Spriggs was the first non-champagne winemaker to win the coveted International Wine Challenge award for ‘Best Sparkling Winemaker’ in 2018 and last year their Blanc de Blancs became the first non-champagne to win the Champion Sparkling Wine Trophy.
Nyetimber magnums and jeroboams decorate The Ivy’s bar, making it clear this is a place where English wine is celebrated, although other, lesser-known treats can be found, too. Greece’s rich red Xinomavro, Langhe Nebbiolo masquerading as a bargain Barolo, silky Australian Chardonnay from Margaret River. The (wine) list goes on.
The Ivy has served celebrities and royalty since the 1920s. Under hospitality giants Corbin and King’s leadership in the 1990s it became the place to be seen when London was living its ‘Cool Britannia’ era. Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Princess Margaret ensured a near-constant pack of paparazzi outside. But inside it was sacred, private, shut off from the prying eyes of the world – and it still is. It is a living piece of London’s social history.
Do not be tricked by “dry January” into forgoing some much-needed joy at this time of year – and please do not penalise our hospitality industry even more.