Wild Honey – St James’s is making its mark as central London’s newest jewel in London’s dining scene.

After a successful venture in nearby Mayfair lasting 12 years, Anthony Demetre has opted for a new location in St. James’s on Pall Mall, in an impressive historical building, with a stunningly beautiful dining room designed by Jim Hamilton, it so perfectly embodies what modern restaurants aim to achieve, the perfect balance between being upscale, yet unassuming and comfortable.

The food echoes that careful balance between gourmet and casual dining, managing to elevate the comforting food we all intrinsically love to a slightly higher level. The menu reflects Demetre’s roots in Mediterranean cuisine (his parents are Greek) and his love for all things related to the sea and ocean refleced in a heavily seafood-centric menu.

The plating is exquisite, totally devoid of the classless gimmicky elements that plague modern-day tasting menus. Avoiding meat? Never fear. The vegetarian appetizers and mains rival everything on the menu.

At both lunch and early-evening (5:00 pm – 6:30 pm) you can enjoy a three-course meal that rivals any restaurant in the city for 40 quid. That’s what a main-course dish along at most restaurants in the neighborhood would cost. Wild Honey doesn’t need to be a value, but it is. The three-course offering after 6:30 pm is also reasonable at 79 quid at the time of publication.

Service is friendly yet decidedly upscale in nature.

It’s beyond me to say which restaurant in this hauty part of London is the best. We’ll leave that to the somewhat out-of-touch crew at Michelin. But I can say confidently that I think this restaurant is the best value. Classy and first-class. A place to go back to time and time again. And to top it all off, an excellent, comfortable bar with a first-class Negroni.