Consistently rated as the most popular restaurant in London, The Ivy has survived a change of ownership without ever losing its direction or its loyal following, possibly because they have managed the retain the original ethos of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King. Whilst it is the haunt of the rich and famous, it is also an accessible place, and though they could have raised the prices, they have preferred the option of keeping them at a sensible level.

Part of the appeal of The Ivy restaurant is that among some rather grander and more modern offerings, they serve a lot of very normal, down to earth dishes, from roast Gressingham duck to salmon fishcakes, and eggs Benedict or crab bisque, but always perfectly executed and extremely tasty.

Quite often you can walk in there and get a table in the pre or post-theatre period, to yours and possibly even their surprise, but lunch or mid-evening is another matter, so be prepared for a long wait - however, the general consensus is that it's worth it.