Wild Honey St James

Verdict: Worth the Effort to Book, But Know What You're Getting

Wild Honey St James is a Michelin-starred Modern European brasserie inside the Sofitel on Waterloo Place, and it earns its star without theatre or ceremony. If you've dined here before and are wondering whether to return, the answer is yes — the cooking under Anthony Demetre is consistent in a way that few restaurants at this level manage. Booking is genuinely difficult: Tuesday through Saturday evenings fill quickly, Wednesday is the only lunch service, and the room is closed Sunday and Monday entirely. Plan at least two to three weeks ahead, especially for weekend evenings.

The Room

The physical space is worth understanding before you arrive, because it shapes the experience considerably. Wild Honey occupies a Grade II-listed former banking hall, which means high ceilings, substantial proportions, and a grandeur that could easily tip into stiff formality. It doesn't. The room carries its architecture lightly — the scale gives you breathing space rather than pressure, and the atmosphere lands closer to a well-run Parisian brasserie than a hushed London fine-dining room. For a second visit, consider requesting a table towards the centre of the room rather than the perimeter; the spatial drama of the banking hall reads better from there, and the room is one of the more genuinely interesting dining environments in this part of London. If you're coming from HIDE or Corrigan's Mayfair, both of which carry a similar £££ positioning in the neighbourhood, Wild Honey's room is more architecturally arresting than either.

The Cooking and How It Progresses

Demetre's approach at Wild Honey is structured around a brasserie format rather than a strict tasting menu, but the kitchen builds plates with the kind of deliberate progression you'd expect from a more formal setting. The Michelin inspectors single out dishes like the duck, pork and guinea fowl terrine en croûte and Loire Valley rabbit , both are indicative of the house register: classical foundations, generous portioning, and flavour that doesn't need explaining. This is not a kitchen that performs; it cooks. For returning diners, the custard tart has become something of a signature that the OAD write-up describes with enough conviction to suggest it belongs on the short list of dishes in London worth specifically revisiting. If you skipped it on your first visit, don't on your second.

The OAD rating places Wild Honey at #472 in the Casual Europe list for 2025, up from #420 in 2024 , a meaningful upward movement that reflects sustained rather than declining quality. The Michelin star, held since at least 2024, confirms the kitchen is operating at a level above most of the surrounding St James's competition. Google reviewers score it 4.4 across 978 reviews, which at that volume is a reliable signal of consistent execution rather than occasion-based goodwill.

When to Go

Wednesday lunch is the practical insider option. The room is quieter, the pace is different, and if you're weighing a business lunch against something like St. Barts, Wild Honey's address and room carry more weight for a client-facing meal. Evening service runs Tuesday through Saturday from 5 PM, and the last sitting is 9:30 PM , arrive at or after 8:30 PM if you want the room at its most animated. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday, which is worth noting if you're building a wider London itinerary using our full London restaurants guide.

Know Before You Go

• Price range: £££ , expect a spend in line with a serious London brasserie, below the £££ flagship tier of CORE or The Ledbury
• Booking difficulty: Hard , two to three weeks minimum for evenings; Wednesday lunch is the easiest booking in the week
• Hours: Tuesday 5–9:30 PM; Wednesday 12–3 PM and 5–9:30 PM; Thursday–Saturday 5–9:30 PM; closed Sunday and Monday
• Location: 6 Waterloo Place, SW1Y 4AN , inside the Sofitel St James; St James's Park and Piccadilly Circus tubes are both within comfortable walking distance
• Awards: Michelin 1 Star (2024); OAD Casual Europe #472 (2025); OAD Casual Europe #420 (2024)
• Google rating: 4.4 from 978 reviews
• Chef: Anthony Demetre
• Dress code: Smart casual is the appropriate call; the room's architecture suggests effort, but the atmosphere doesn't demand it

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I wear to Wild Honey St James? Smart casual is the right level. The Grade II-listed banking hall setting and the Michelin star suggest you should dress up slightly, but this is not a jacket-required room. If you've eaten at CORE by Clare Smyth or Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, those rooms expect more formality. Wild Honey at £££ sits a tier below and the atmosphere reflects that.
• Can I eat at the bar at Wild Honey St James? The venue data does not confirm a bar dining option. Given its hotel brasserie format, counter or bar seating may exist, but contact the restaurant directly before planning around it. For a confirmed bar dining experience in Modern European cooking in this part of London, HIDE is a reliable alternative.
• What are alternatives to Wild Honey St James in London? At the same £££ price point with a Modern British or Modern European register, Corrigan's Mayfair and St. Barts are the closest peers. If you're willing to move up to ££££, The Ledbury and CORE by Clare Smyth represent the next level in the same genre. For a broader view of where Wild Honey sits in the city, see our full London restaurants guide.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Wild Honey St James? Wild Honey operates a brasserie format rather than a set tasting menu, which is part of what makes it worth the price. At £££, you get Michelin-star cooking without the commitment of a fixed sequence or the price escalation of a full tasting menu format. If you specifically want a multi-course tasting experience, CORE by Clare Smyth or Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at ££££ are the right options. Wild Honey's value case is precisely that it doesn't force that format on you.
• Is Wild Honey St James good for solo dining? The banking hall scale and brasserie format make it more comfortable for solo diners than many rooms at this level. The atmosphere is not hushed or couple-focused. Wednesday lunch is the most practical slot , the room is quieter and the pace is more relaxed. If solo dining with counter interaction is a priority, HIDE offers that more explicitly.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Wild Honey St James? Wednesday lunch is the smarter booking. It's the easiest slot to secure, the room is less pressured, and the cooking is the same kitchen at the same standard. Evening service has more atmosphere, but the trade-off is a harder booking and a fuller room. If you're returning and have already done an evening, Wednesday lunch is the natural next visit format.
• Does Wild Honey St James handle dietary restrictions? Contact the restaurant directly , no specific dietary information is available in the venue record. The brasserie menu format, with its classical European foundation, typically accommodates standard dietary requests more readily than a fixed tasting menu would. Reach out ahead of booking rather than flagging restrictions on arrival.