MAINS & MARTINIS

Three London destinations with numbers at their core, from a title and calorie counts to a sky-high setting

45 Jermyn St

45 JERMYN STREET, LONDON SW1Y 6DN 45jermynst.com (£££)

The vibe: Grown-up, sophisticated, elegant – we could go on. Instead, we’ll put it in context: 45 is the freestanding restaurant attached to British stalwart Fortnum & Mason, established 1707 and, in keeping with its history and location – bang in the middle of the historic gentlemen’s corner of St James’s –everything from the soothing eau de nil walls and burnt orange leather seating, to the marble-fronted bar, says class.

The food: It’s one of those menus that will have you salivating as you read through it. Old-school British classics like Gatelands Farm calves’ liver with onions and sugar pit bacon vie for attention along with more modern dishes such as teriyaki chicken salad, wasabi mayonnaise and toasted sesame seeds. Then there are the dishes served from the trolley and prepared tableside, like caviar with blinis, baked new potatoes and scrambled eggs; or beef wellington, dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and peppercorn sauce for two, and the rather luscious lobster spaghetti with artichokes and lemon verbena. We went for the Cumbrian beef steak tartare as a main and tandoori Cornish monkfish with cucumber and pickled lime. Both scoring the highest possible marks in presentation and taste.

The drinks: More than a cursory area for an aperitif before dinner, the bar is a destination in its own right. As is our wont, we started with the Martini 45 for two (Hepple Gin, Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth and Palo Cortado Sherry), icy cold from the freezer and presented in a wee bottle to top up at your leisure. There are more gems like that to choose from, including The Beaus, Champagne Cocktails, Signatures, Marys, Finishers and Rickies. Save room for a boozy Float, taking in must-trys such as Corn Flake ice cream, brown butter syrup and a nice hit of Four Roses Bourbon.

The Aubrey

The vibe: There’s an undeniable air of the Japonisme movement in the dining room (although there’s a touch of the posh British pub in the bar upfront). The entire place is inspired by 19th-century English author and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley and as such is richly decorated. Here it’s all womb-like, chic and super cosy, with deepest pink velvet and leather upholstery and what we’re told are Ukiyo-e prints gracing the salmonpink walls.

The food: Try as you might, it’s hard to ignore the calorie count listed beside each