London, UK - This is the place to eat in London if you want a classic British meal. Don’t pay any attention to Ramsay’s stable of fancy restaurants or the other Michelin-rated celebrity chefs in this city, just book a table at The Guinea Grill and you will be smitten. The ambiance starts from the time Ricky greets you warmly at the door and takes your coats. Then Brian, the most gracious restaurant manager in the UK, seats you in the clubby dining room. Next up will be Farid, The Guinea’s sommelier for over 15 years, who will make you the best martini in town and give you good wine advice. You will then feel welcomed, comfortable and satisfied…and you haven’t even seen a menu yet.
The Guinea was established way back in 1675 on Bruton Place in Mayfair, just off Berkeley Square. The pub is cozy and inviting and has that nice British feel with both inside and outside places to set your pint while waiting for your table. I was first introduced to The Guinea in 2002 and it has been a regular stop on each trip to London ever since. So this review is based on a lot of excellent meals at The Guinea as I’ve probably eaten there 20 odd times now. My boss has graced their tables even more times than I and last we night we dined there together and had another great meal.
The Guinea Grill is known to have some of the best beef in London but their award-winning pies are outstanding. Three times they’ve been National Steak and Kidney Pie Champion for Great Britain. Since I am partial to a good bone-in rib eye steak as my main for dinner, it took me a few visits to pass on the red meat and order a pie. It was very tasty and I highly recommend it. But I digress…
Last night after Farid made sure that we had ice cold Grey Goose martinis set in front of us he asked if we would like the usual wine; the 2003 Museum Reserva Cigales from Spain. The Museum winery is located in Cigales, a D.O. in Northern Spain, in Castilla-Leon. The estate vineyards, rich in alluvial soil, are located 650-800 meters above sea level and the wine is made from 100% Tinta del Pais grapes from vines ranging from 50 to 60 years old. It is hearty and robust and goes well with any roasted meat.
Randy started with his usual native Rossmore oysters on the half-shell from Loch Ryan in South West Scotland and I opted for the Grilled Mackerel on warm Potato and Spinach Salad. Both were outstanding. The grilled mackerel was finished with a sprinkle of sea salt and laid on a bed of spinach and rocket with sliced potatoes. Good flavor combination and nice texture. For my main I ordered the English Lamb which was served as perfectly cooked (read rare) chops with a side of mint sauce and a jacket potato. Randy went for the Calves Liver with Onion Mash and Madeira Jus. Each was well presented and quite tasty. They went perfectly with the wine. Dessert, which we had agreed to avoid unless they had Sticky Toffee Pudding, was ordered as a pair when our server Alice announced that they did indeed have it on the menu. For those of you who have never tried this typically British dessert made with Medjool dates served with a toffee sauce and sometimes with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, you don’t know what you are missing. Suffice it to say, if you see it on a menu don’t hesitate.
A word on the beef at The Guinea. This is the only place I have found in the UK that truly prepares steak in the manner that I’m accustomed. You may sneer at us Americans with our fast food fetishes but you can’t deny that there is nowhere else in the world that does steak better than the good old US of A. Thick cut, marbled, tender and juicy; that is what I expect of a steak at a high end restaurant. The Brits and the French both cut the rib eye steak too thin to cook it correctly (again, read rare) and it eventually ends up overcooked and tough. The Aussies do a bit of a better job on beef but it’s still not Morton’s quality. When you walk into The Guinea you go right past the meat counter with the grill chef in full cooking mode and you can see what is in the offing for beef. So order up the 16oz rib eye on the bone and prepare for a lovely piece of grilled beef.
The Guinea Grill is one of the hidden treats of London. Bruton Place is really just an alleyway and if you are on the north end of Berkeley Square on an evening you can peer down the lane where the regulars are standing outside the pub, pint in hand, enjoying the same Guinea hospitality that has been at this location for over 300 years. See their website on the Blogroll and give Brian a call to book a table.
