45 Jermyn St is on the corner of Fortnum & Mason and it’s a glamorous restaurant to say the least. I regularly sink into a squidgy bar stool and sip a Martini or two – you may struggle to find a better one in London.

The dining room sees dark wood flooring, green walls and red leather seats. It’s busy and vibey without feeling raucous or noisy. Perfect for escaping the chaos of nearby Piccadilly.

As it’s in season on our visit, there’s a separate white truffle section on the menu, from which we order the toasted cheese sandwich (£26.50). I never said this place was cheap! It’s a sexy thing. The Raclette stands up against the strong whiff from the generous grating of white truffle. Who doesn’t love a toastie I ask you?

Raw Cornish mackerel tacos (£16) are far more delicate. The tacos are crispy, giving them more of a tostada texture, which works well with the vibrant, clean flavour of the mackerel. Caviar, in plentiful amounts, adds a luxury to match the surrounds.

For main, we share the lobster spaghetti (£50) which is prepared and flambéed at the table. This is a masterclass in table side service. Our server talks through the recipe without being intrusive, she prepares the dish with ease and the flame is huge which provides plenty of drama.

It’s an outstanding dish. The pasta has bite while the big chunks of lobster are bouncy and plentiful. The buttery tomato sauce contains artichokes and lemon verbena while lobster coral is in there for an added seafood hit.

Best of all is a side of sweet, sticky Marmite and honey glazed parsnips (£4.50). I’m not normally a fan of these rather dull vegetables but their coating here is out of this world.

For dessert, we stick with the trolley, this time a baked Alaska (£11.50), flambéed with yet another whopper of a flame. Hazelnut parfait, dark chocolate, Italian meringue, Griottine cherries and Kirsch – what’s not to like?

45 Jermyn St is just a classy restaurant. There’s all the pomp and glamour with fancy ingredients and table side service but it’s not over the top or showy. The staff are charming and genuinely seem to enjoy what they’re doing. And those Martinis are something else.

Would we go back? Yes

45jermynstreet.com
We dined as guests of the restaurant