If Mayfair had a personality, she’d be the kind of woman who never repeats an outfit, never pours her own wine, and has a scandalous past she refuses to discuss before dessert. Lilibet’s, the new seafood restaurant on Bruton Street, fits right in. It’s taken over the very house where a certain princess was born, and instead of turning it into a shrine, it’s reinvented the address as something far more intriguing – a place that’s part restaurant, part fantasy, and entirely irresistible.
Walking in, you half expect someone to take your coat and your secrets. The interiors are sumptuous in that quietly expensive way only Mayfair can pull off: green silk walls, botanical prints, and just enough gold detailing to feel decadent without tipping into Dubai. There are rooms that look like a duchess’s drawing room, others that feel like her scandalous summer house. Every inch has been designed to suggest you’ve stumbled into someone’s very glamorous home – only this one happens to serve turbot pil pil and lobster spaghetti.
The mastermind behind it all is Ross Shonhan, the man who helped make Nobu and Zuma household names. He’s swapped slick minimalism for something softer and much more British in temperament. Lilibet’s isn’t shouting for attention; it’s purring from the corner, confident you’ll come over eventually. And you will.
I started at the marble bar, perched on a blush-pink stool that could make anyone feel like they have better posture than they do. The bartender, with the kind of calm charm that comes from shaking cocktails for people who probably own islands, handed me something pale and citrussy that matched the wallpaper. Within two sips I was entirely seduced.
Then came the food, which is where things really get clever. Shonhan calls it a “Grand Tour of the Mediterranean,” but it’s also a love letter to British seafood – not the predictable, posh kind, but the unsung heroes. Fish that normally get ignored in favour of flashier species finally have their spotlight moment.
The anchovy éclair was my first bite, and it was outrageous in the best possible way. Salty, rich, and unapologetically bold, it could have been served as dessert at a Versailles banquet and no one would question it. Then came the Fish Triptych – one fish, three expressions: raw, grilled, and soup. It sounds excessive, but it was like watching a brilliant actor nail three roles in a row. The crudo was delicate and flirtatious, the grilled version smoky and self-assured, and the soup a quiet showstopper that lingered longer than it should have.
At the table next to me, someone was dissecting a lobster bisque with the intensity of a love letter. My own lobster spaghetti arrived shortly after, and it was the kind of dish that makes you wish you could marry carbohydrates. Perfectly al dente, deeply savoury, and unapologetically rich, it was comfort food dressed in couture.
The real revelation, though, was the turbot pil pil. I’m not sure what kind of magic they’re working at that fireside grill, but it’s the sort of dish that stops conversation. The garlic hits first, then the butter, then a whisper of smoke that reminds you someone here really knows how to handle a flame.
And because Lilibet’s likes to keep you guessing, dessert is not always sweet. Sure, there’s a Princess cake – a cheeky nod to the building’s past – but there’s also a Prego steak sandwich, served warm and oozing, for those who prefer their finales with a wink. It’s exactly the kind of curveball that makes you grin.
By the time coffee arrived, the room had that golden, conspiratorial glow that makes you want to cancel the rest of your evening. People were lingering over Negronis, laughter was getting louder, and I swear I saw someone’s oysters arrive with a small spark of envy from every other table.
Lilibet’s isn’t just another Mayfair opening. It’s a reminder of why we go out to dinner in the first place – not just to eat, but to play pretend. To slip into a world where the lighting is always flattering, the seafood tastes like the sea itself, and everyone looks as though they’ve been edited by a very kind algorithm.
There are plenty of restaurants that serve good food. Lilibet’s serves fantasy, with impeccable manners and a killer bar menu. Go for the lobster, stay for the lighting, and leave feeling a little bit royal yourself.
17 Bruton St, London W1J 6QB
