From a modest café that opened over a hundred years ago, to a Michelin-starred celebrity hang-out, the history of the Ivy has been both varied and colourful. The brand remains an enduring one in the culinary world despite having opened Ivy spin-offs across the country, in towns such as Guildford. Its most recent venture has been to create an Asian sub-brand. Trading partly on its name, the ethos at Ivy Asia is full-on decadence with decent enough food to match.
My dining comrade and I visited the Mayfair outpost on a recent weekday lunchtime. Located on the site of the former Princess Garden Chinese restaurant, the venue has had a makeover, and then some. The green agate floor that flows from the entrance across the venue is an inevitable talking point. Your reviewer had certainly never seen anything quite like it elsewhere before. However, beyond the bling aesthetic, it also serves a nifty function in letting light flow upward into the room. Beyond that, artificial flowers garland the walkway from the bar to the dining area – beware if you’re tall, for you will have to duck – and a range of Oriental-influenced statues adorn much of the room.
Sure, this is Mayfair and you have Roka almost opposite, but a brief perusal of the Internet would suggest a consistent design approach across other Ivy outlets too. The message the Ivy seems to be sending to the world is a simple one: more is more. If you want to go big and feel glamorous – even in Guildford – then here is the opportunity to do so.
Normally the term ‘pan-Asian’ evokes fear in the mind of this reviewer. Not only is it faintly patronising – I’ve never seen a restaurant selling itself as ‘pan-European’ – but it also assumes that the kitchen can execute everything from curry to dim sum. At least, a group such as the Ivy has always marketed itself as competent rather than ground-breaking, but Mayfair certainly does not tolerate bad execution. More cynically, diners are coming here as much to be seen as for the food.
Scepticism aside, your reviewer and his dining comrade were impressed with the broad quality of the food. This was evident across a spectrum of dishes traversing beef skewers, gyoza dumplings, a grilled teriyaki-style salmon fillet and a char-su pork belly offering. There was no wow at any stage, but at the same time, each tasted as authentic as one can expect in London, flavoured judiciously with the meat prepared to a high standard. They all photographed beautifully too, perhaps only reinforcing the point about the experience of dining. We witnessed extravagant sushi presentations and steam-filled jars being flourished at neighbouring tables. There were some lapses, of course. Service was, at times, somewhat over-bearing and a simple drinks order got confused. Put these to one side, however, and come here with appropriately calibrated expectations, and you won’t be too disappointed.