The older I get, the more pernickety, some might say snobbish, my demands for a bar or restaurant become - I require a comfortable seat with plenty of personal space; a volume where I can hear myself speak; a grown up atmosphere with good service, quality food and booze. Recently I found the answer to all of the above, and more, and miracle upon miracle in these days of no reservations, one can even book! (In fact, Old Tom & English on Wardour Street is reservations only – hurrah!)
Situated in a Soho basement, behind a discreet handsome townhouse door, once down the stairs, you enter what could be Dan Draper’s personal seduction suite. Owned by Costas and Maria Constantinou of the Arts Theatre Club fame, and designed by Lee Broom, it’s 60s home entertaining perfection. Oak, marble, a working fireplace, Old Tom has myriad cosy corners and areas that guarantee atmosphere and intimacy. I have expected to see Serge Gainsbourg drooling over Jane Birkin in a corner.
Old Tom & English Gallery
1 of 33 copy
Delish food
2 of 32
Chic interior
3 of 3South Side of Oxford Street
Yum Cocktail!
There’s a long bar to sit by, or attentive waiting staff offering table service. Old Tom was an 18th century gin recipe, so many of the house specials are gin cocktails – I particularly enjoyed a South Side of Oxford Street – gin, sugar, lemon juice and dry sherry. Bar staff were more than happy to rustle up our own off menu favourites too – what’s not to love? Food is of the sharing plate variety, nibbles such as popcorn cockles and charcuterie, through to a delicious egg and mushroom on melba toast; lamb sweetbread salad and smoked wood pigeon go down a storm, and I found a little space left for some lemon and thyme baby doughtnuts, and even managed to squeeze in a last powerful Crash Landing to help ease my way back onto the far less salubrious streets of Soho.
Old Tom & English
187b Wardour Street, London W1F 8ZB
Tel +44(0)20 7287 7347