You know you’re in for a good meal when the waiter provides a bib in the likelihood that your foie gras, truffle and oozing garlic butter-stuffed chicken Kiev could become a messy business. Of course, the bib in question was a chic, black leather apron that is perfectly in keeping with the restaurant’s new look – part of a wider concept overhaul that was overseen by chef James Durrant.
Now called The Game Bird, the restaurant – which is located inside London’s discreet Stafford Hotel – is a thoroughly British affair with a menu that nods to the chef’s Cheshire roots and uses produce from around the country. Expect homey classics from the belly-filling steak and ale steamed suite pudding to the signature roast pigeon dish and even a smoked fish trolley with offerings such as the Chalk Stream trout gravadlax or the Lincolnshire smoked eel, sliced table-side for added theatre.
This is all reinforced by the restaurant’s spruce-up, courtesy of local studio, Rosendale Design, who highlighted the original 17th century bones of the building with handsome wood panelling, leathers and rich velvets in muted, stately tones, pepped up by chairs upholstered with a floral motif and a display cabinet showcasing the day’s produce.
The other factor indicative of a good meal is a wait-staff that has stood the test of time. Make sure you ask for Riccardo or Sylvain, both decade-long veterans at the hotel who, if you ask nicely, will also show you around the restaurant’s 300-year-old wine cellar and museum that is peppered with war memorabilia from when the hotel served as a club for American and Canadian officers.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
16-18 St James's Place
-
Wild sauna, anyone? The ultimate guide to exploring deep heat in the UK outdoors‘Wild Sauna’, a new book exploring the finest outdoor establishments for the ultimate deep-heat experience in the UK, has hit the shelves; we find out more about the growing trend
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 showsThe Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to knowDesigning the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spotHeritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East SideLocated at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian diningAt Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leafTreehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centreFamily recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yetThe newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s ChelseaPachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
