Published: 19 January, 2012
by LOTTIE MOGGACH

Last week, I recommended a restaurant for making one feel like one wasn’t in London.

Now, here’s one to make you forget there’s a recession on.  

Of course, there will always be a tier of Londoners unaffected by economic downturns, and the restaurants to cater for them.

But these are usually rather ghastly places in Mayfair: stunningly over-priced, either overly formal or horribly loud and populated by glossy, blasé people who don’t appear to be having a good time.

My few visits to such joints have been characterised by a frustratingly impeded conversation with my companion, thanks to endless enquiries and explanations from the waiter, which leads one to suspect that customers don’t mind such interruptions because they’ve got nothing to say to each other.

The Dean Street Townhouse isn’t like that. For a start, and as the name suggests, it’s situated in raffish Soho, not po-faced Mayfair.

And although it’s safe to say that its clientele are not down to their last tenners, there do seem to be people eating there who have decided to treat themselves.  

The restaurant itself is part of the Soho House Group.

Here, as with its sibling establishments, the interior is beautifully designed, with lots of dark wood, luxurious materials and fin-de-siècle touches.

The low lighting makes everyone look twice as attractive as they really are, while the staff are charming, Food is secondary to atmosphere: this isn’t the kind of place that changes the menu daily according to what’s in season. Dishes are reliably good, nonetheless.

The dinner menu ranges from abruptly titled, no-messing English classics, such as mince and potatoes and fish and chips and mushy peas, to fancier combinations such as smoked pigeon, Scotch quails eggs and puy lentils.

Something for everyone, in other words (except for you, vegetarians, but don’t get cross – you can ask for a separate non-meat menu).

And it’s not too expensive. I ate a twice-baked haddock soufflé, which came accompanied by a rich white sauce in a copper jug and was dense, savoury and delicious. Next up was fish and chips. These were a very superior version, wonderfully un-greasy.

I couldn’t manage a pudding but my friend went for a Yorkshire rhubarb cobbler, and was very happy with it.

The restaurant is open all day.

There are also bedrooms upstairs, should you wish to really make a night of it – the cheapest is a mere £95, which is a remarkably good deal for a central London.

Summary: Fun, buzzy and glamorous all-day brasserie in Soho. Dinner main courses, £13.50-£32.50

Dean Street Townhouse
69-71 Dean Street
London W1D 3SE
T: 020 7434 1775
www.deanstreettownhouse.com