Novikov

Novikov, London: Should You Book?

If you've been to Novikov before, you already know the drill: big room, bigger energy, Italian-Asian menu that swings confidently across two kitchens, a crowd that dresses up. What keeps people coming back isn't necessarily a revelation on the plate; it's the consistency of the spectacle and the fact that Berkeley Street remains one of the more reliably animated dining rooms in Mayfair. For a first-timer, that's the key framing: book Novikov when you want a full evening, not just a meal.

The Space

The room is large by London standards and deliberately theatrical. Two distinct dining areas; Italian and Asian, mean the space has genuine architectural separation rather than a single undifferentiated floor. Seating options range from banquette booths suited to groups to more intimate table arrangements closer to the bar. The bar itself is a destination in its own right: it draws a post-work and late-night crowd well beyond the restaurant's dinner peak, the room stays busy until the 1:30 am close every night of the week. For a first visit, arriving at the bar before your table is the right move, it gives you a read on the energy level and lets the evening build properly.

Food and Drinks

The Italian-Asian format under chef Marco Torri is the defining characteristic here. This isn't fusion for its own sake, the two menus operate in parallel, which means you're effectively choosing a culinary direction for the evening rather than cherry-picking across styles. The drinks program holds its own independently. The bar at Novikov has the depth and pace you'd expect from a venue that runs to 1:30 am seven days a week: cocktails skew classic-adjacent with quality spirits, the wine list has the range to support both halves of the menu without leaning too heavily on any one region. If cocktails are your priority, the bar works as a standalone stop; you don't need to eat to make the visit worthwhile on that front.

Awards and Recognition

Novikov holds a 2025 Opinionated About Dining (OAD) Casual Europe ranking at #639, down from #475 in 2024. It was also OAD Classical Europe Recommended in 2023. The trajectory is worth noting: the ranking has slipped year-on-year, which suggests the kitchen is facing stronger competition in its tier rather than any sharp decline in quality.

Practical Details

Reservations: Booking difficulty is easy, you can typically secure a table without significant lead time, which makes Novikov a viable option for relatively short-notice plans in Mayfair. Hours: Open Monday through Sunday, 12 pm to 1:30 am, among the longer service windows in the area. Dress: Smart to smart-casual; the crowd skews polished, particularly in the evening, the room's atmosphere rewards dressing for it. Address: 50A Berkeley St, London W1J 8HA. Budget: Price range data is not available in our records, but Novikov operates in the upper-mid to premium Mayfair bracket, budget accordingly for a three-course dinner with drinks.

Who Should Book

Novikov works well for groups of two to four who want a long evening with flexibility, start at the bar, move to dinner, stay late. It's a stronger choice for a date night or a business dinner where atmosphere matters as much as the food than for a focused gastronomy occasion. Solo diners can make it work at the bar, but the room is oriented toward groups. If your priority is the food alone, the OAD data suggests there are sharper options at this price point in London. If you want Mayfair energy, a credible dual-concept menu, a room that stays alive past midnight, Novikov delivers consistently.

How It Compares

Compared to the formal fine dining options nearby, Novikov sits in a different category. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, CORE by Clare Smyth, and The Ledbury are harder to book, more expensive, built around the food as the central event. If the meal itself is the point of the evening, those are stronger choices, though you'll need to plan weeks ahead for all three. Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library offers a comparable sense of occasion with a more singular creative identity; it costs more and requires more advance planning, but it delivers at a higher level on the food side. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is the closest peer in terms of booking accessibility among the high-profile London options, though its focus is firmly Modern British rather than the Italian-Asian dual-concept that Novikov runs.

Where Novikov has a genuine edge is flexibility: easy to book, open late every day, functional as a bar, a dinner, or both in the same evening. For that profile, last-minute Mayfair, long evening, drinks-forward, it competes well. For a special-occasion meal where the food needs to carry the night, look at the alternatives above.

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