On the inspector’s plate: Bistrot Wild Honey
Published 01 May 2024

Adjacent to the main restaurant, the little sister of Wild Honey operates as a casual all-day wine bar and bistrot. The dramatic, high-ceilinged space with its white-clothed tables, claret-coloured banquettes and a marble-topped bar with counter seating is, despite the grand style, intimate. Noise levels are kept in check and with service run in a friendly, relaxed manner. Anthony Demetre’s French-inspired menu is filled with the sort of food you really want to eat, especially as prices are reasonable for the Pall Mall location.

We kicked off with the ‘Cinq à Sept’ offer (a glass of wine and choice of ham or cheese croquette for £9, served between 5-7pm), before going on to English asparagus with crushed poached egg vinaigrette, and hand-cut macaroni with spring greens, tiny diced celery and Pecorino Romano. We thought there was quite a lot of finesse to the cooking and enjoyed the generous portions in the main courses of Cornish skate with brown butter and lemon, and flavourful, rustic slow-cooked Tamworth pork petit salé. We were glad we didn’t resist the lure of a classic Paris Brest for dessert. The wine list consists of 25 carefully chosen European options, all available by the glass, carafe or bottle, plus a selection by Coravin.