Once London’s most exclusive restaurant, The Ivy seems to have taken an egalitarian turn with a bullish rollout of grills & brasseries and cafés throughout the city. The latest in the collection is The Ivy Soho Brasserie, a buzzy venue that fully absorbs the nightlife vibe of its West End location.
Continuing with the brand’s signature aesthetic, designer Martin Brudnizki’s mood board is quintessentially British, with the works of erstwhile Soho resident William Blake serving as inspiration for the large pieces of art. These sit amongst a stylish combination of luxe materials — an onyx bar, marble floor tiles and burnt orange leather banquettes — which in their totality present a contemporary interior that pays homage to the original Ivy restaurant.
Alongside the contemporary British dishes – which includes The Ivy’s well-loved avocado, tomato and sesame on toasted granary; or the brioche-crumbed chicken Milanese — is a new waffle menu and a selection of creative desserts. This can all be washed down with bar manager Kevin Knee’s bespoke cocktails; try Dick’s Drink, a heady mix of vanilla vodka, Expre Tossolini espresso liqueur and freshly pulled espresso, inspired in part by the late Soho bartender Dick Bradsell. And with tunes from the in-house DJ blasting in the background, the latest in The Ivy collection is an unmistakably Soho experience.
