On a quiet Mayfair Street in the middle of dry January, we made our way to the discrete entrance of the second oldest restaurant in St.James . Wilton’s has been an institution since 1742, and on this evening — we’ve got the chance to experience a pre-burns night like no other, in true Wilton’s style.
It’s easy to see why Wilton’s has maintained its impeccable reputation throughout the years. The restaurant is immaculate, and the staff are faultless. As we made our way to Wilton’s handsome private dining room for our pre-burns night dinner; we were greeted with a welcome glass of bubbles. A cheerful clink amongst friends before our gastronomic tour of Scotland in a (pre) celebration of Burns Night.
It makes sense that our Burns Night meal was hosted in the Jimmy Marks Room, which is named after arguably one of London’s best restaurant managers cum-oyster purveyors. Because we start our fabulous 6 course meal with some fresh loch Ryan oysters paired with a cheeky little whisky sour. As is expected at Wilton’s, these oysters were second-to-none and seasoned with samphire and Scottish sea vegetables. Nothing less than perfect from London’s most impressive oyster purveyors. This was followed by Smoked Loch Duart Salmon, and then a lovely little palette cleanser in the form of a clear Cock-a-leekie soup. Our next course was what I considered to be the highlight of the meal, the deep fried haggis with tatties. Believe me — you will not taste better haggis in your life than right here at Wilton’s. Here, it is beautifully cooked; and is the perfect balance of flavour and texture.
Afterwards, this is followed by the Scottish venison with turnips and kale. Venison is usually quite tricky to get right, but here, Chef Daniel Kent executes it perfectly. After a little bit of breath, we finish the meal with Scottish cheese and whiskey followed by a Balvenie 14-year old cask rum — the perfect ending.There is undeniably no more authentic a Burns night meal that can be found anywhere else in London.
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