The first in Anthony Demetre and Will Smith’s acclaimed group of restaurants (the others include Wild Honey and Les Deux Salons), Arbutus initially opened in 2006 and soon attracted a great deal of acclaim for its mixture of simplicity and sophistication. Offering dishes that nodded to the neo-British techniques of Fergus Henderson’s nose to tail eating without potentially alienating the Soho audience it acquired, it won its first Michelin star in 2007 and has been steadily full and popular ever since.
However, Demetre and Smith (no, not that one. Nor the other one) are not two men who would rest on their laurels, and so this year has seen a small but effective refurbishment. The furniture is new, as is some of the contemporary art, creating a hip, creative atmosphere that one imagines would have attracted Soho types of yore, just as much as it lures the well-dressed and well fed today. The bar, always a focal point, is an excellent option for solo diners in search of a quick meal, and offers a welcome source of seating when the restaurant is invariably full.
The food has retained its extremely high standards. A famous starter is the squid and mackerel ‘burger’, though I opted for the apparently even more extreme slow cooked crispy pig’s head. This was a delight, oozing meaty and rich flavours, and helped immensely by a salad liberally doused in a tangy mustard mayonnaise. Some of the main courses might seem offputting – lamb’s tripe parcels and trotters – but they all by all accounts some of the most delectable stuff on the menu. I decided to go with the rather more conservative option of roast rabbit, which came with its own cottage pie, made up of shoulder. Portions, perhaps unusually for a Michelin-starred establishment, are hearty and substantial. Desserts stick with the English theme; a treacle tart was a thing of beauty and joy.
Special mention must go to the wine list, which not only offers a fine selection of bottles at reasonable prices (the vast majority fits snugly under the £50 mark), but also has the entire cellar available to be served by the 250ml carafe. In terms of particular recommendations, the 2010 Picpoul de Penet is both inexpensive and excellent, and a meaty red dish thrives on a hearty glass of the 2005 Rioja Reserva from Lealtanza. But someone will know what to recommend, and this certainly isn’t a place to be shy about asking for advice from the oh-so-helpful staff.
Arbutus, then, is only newsworthy in that it’s managed to emerge from a makeover with its credentials and kudos firmly intact, without trying to do anything clever-clever or pretentious. And frankly, that’s a blessing when the operation is this effective.
63-64 Frith Street, W1. www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk
