Please note, Wild Honey is closed until further notice. Time Out Food editors, March 2019.
Sure, Wild Honey is a clubby Mayfair stalwart, complete with wood-panelled walls, low-slung seating and the kind of vino prices that’d make your grandmother scold the sommelier. But it’s brighter and more civilised than all that, with genial service and an atmosphere that’s more urbane than boorish (just).
All of the food was good, even if it didn’t exactly scream ‘destination cooking’. Rather, it was very adept, comforting European fare at extremely Mayfair prices. A starter of mint-flecked veal bolognese with al dente tagliatelle was a knockout, and a bargain at £9. Equally lovely was a scattering of tempura-fried courgette flowers and seeping ricotta, offset with wood-roasted red peppers, a smoky romesco by any other name.
For mains, a deboned and prosciutto-wrapped saddle of rabbit was tender, yielding and possibly the best bunny I’ve ever had (though that was largely down to the absence of fiddly bones). Bitter chard and sweet fresh peas were a fine, fresh foil; but a quenelle of curried pumpkin was a bit weird. The side portion of rabbit cottage pie was a butter-heavy meal in itself. I was defeated.
Finally, there was a silken, just-frozen wild honey ice cream. A scattering of crushed honeycomb and a couple of shards of what tasted like dehydrated milk added an extra layer of complex sweetness.
The suity crowd and locale meant that Wild Honey was never going to be too vibey. But if you’re in the area with money to burn – or, better still, if someone else is paying – this is an evergreen classic.