Siberia is positively warm at The Wolseley
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 15 July 2010
“I didn’t book anything; I thought that way we’d have more options” are crushing words if you hear them – as we did – standing, hungry and so very thirsty, on a street corner in Mayfair at 12:30 on a busy Saturday afternoon. We’d met-up with the idiot responsible for uttering them at Omega on Bond Street to pick up his vintage Seamaster (freshly back from their watchmaker’s after an incredibly successful three month restoration job…but that’s a whole other post). The deal we’d struck with Spanky (let’s call him that – because it is in fact his name) weeks earlier was straightforward enough: we would pay for the work to his watch and, in return, he would buy us lunch: a fair if not completely equitable arrangement.
So, it was with huge anticipation that, upon emerging from the Omega store, we turned to our old friend and enquired where he’d reserved for lunch. We’d been thinking about it on the way into town that morning: Spanky is a bon vivant of the old-school, straight from the Prodigal mould, so we had high hopes. A table in the window at Cecconi’s perhaps? A tasting menu at The Square? Maybe a couple of seats at the oyster bar at Scott’s? But no, what we got was: “I didn’t book anything; I thought that way we’d have more options.” Well, Spanky, we’re here to tell you that, at lunchtime, on a Saturday, in Mayfair, if you don’t have a reservation then what you have is the opposite of options.
We were in trouble. We knew it. It was clear that we’d need to take control of the situation and fast. In a crisis, your adrenaline starts flowing and instinct just kicks in. It’s the training. You never forget. Without thinking, we headed for the nearest and most reliable gastronomic sanctuary we knew of. We headed straight to The Wolseley.
The Wolseley has been a firm favourite of ours since our first visit, shortly after Corbin and King opened it in November 2003. The only problem is, it’s been a firm favourite of, eh, everyone else too. As a result, we’ve never really thought to review it on The Guide (what’s the point, when AA Gill, the great man himself, has literally already written the book on it) nor did we expect to get a table without a reservation that desperate Saturday afternoon.
It turns out we were wrong on both counts. We did get a table. And the time we spent there convinced us that The Wolseley certainly is worth writing about in these pages, not least because we think we’ve finally put our finger on what makes it so special to us: the immaculate service.
Good service – we mean really good service – is a tough act to pull off. The George V is perhaps the benchmark in our book. When we blogged about our stay there we wrote:
The staff are always so perfectly judged. They appear to have a super-human ability to anticipate your mood, your needs, your wants. They’re never too formal, never pretentious or fussy, never less than completely welcoming and accommodating. And they manage to pull this off while always seeming completely genuine. There is nothing rehearsed or contrived about the way they deliver the very best service in the world. It all adds up to making you feel very special indeed
The Wolseley delivers that magic too.
As you walk through the front doors, the welcome desk is in front of you to the right. Behind you to your left, is a little table for two nestled between a wall and the main doors. It looks cramped. It’s out of sight. It’s where we remember the umbrella stand being in the past. No doubt about it, if The Wolseley has a Siberia, this is surely it. It was also the only table left and we gladly, gratefully took possession.
That’s when Miriam Leigh, our waitress, appeared. Miriam embodies the high-standards of service that The Wolseley is rightly famous for. She is an absolute delight. We’ve been lucky enough to be looked after by her in the past and so can vouch for her consistency. She’s cheerful, personable and flexible (she handled Spanky’s incessant cigarette breaks so deftly, it was a joy to behold.)
We had a great lunch and – though The Wolseley’s comfort food (the duck confit was a highlight) is always a pleasure and the room’s inimitable grandeur always a treat – it was Miriam’s skilful service that really made it so. She joked with us without being over-familiar, she always appeared pre-emptively before we even knew we wanted anything, and all the while she made us feel like we were her favourite customers. No doubt, the tables next to us felt exactly the same.
Emboldened by our superb treatment over lunch and our judgement sharpened by the two bottles of house wine we’d managed to put away, we reached the only logical conclusion: we had been elevated to the ranks of the aristocracy. How else to celebrate our new-found nobility than with a couple of Martinis at Duke’s? We thanked Miriam and prepared to head out into Piccadilly.
As we said our goodbyes, Miriam told us she’s enrolled on a hotel management course and aspires to manage her own restaurant some day. We look forward to it; the lady could warm up Siberia.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB, Tel: +44 20 7499 6996
Siberia is positively warm at The Wolseley
Having long thought that there was nothing left to say about The Wolseley, a last-minute lunch there reminds us of why we love it: the effortlessly slick service.
9 Responses to “Siberia is positively warm at The Wolseley”
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It’s a date. And then Martinis at Duke’s – research for Bond Week on The Prodigal Guide!?
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Patito
15 July 2010
If it’s the afternoon, one Martini limit surely?
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Limit, schlimit!
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[...] London: along Fulham Road for a trip to Cineworld, Hyde Park for a jog, Green Park for a visit to The Wolseley or Piccadilly Circus if you’re unlucky enough to have to go [...]
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Barbarian boozers at Bar Boulud « The Prodigal Guide
15 November 2010
[...] that Mr Macintosh knows a thing or two about good service: he was assistant General Manager at The Wolseley for many years – one of our all-time favourite brasseries. Copyright: London [...]
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Miriam Leigh
13 April 2011
Is it too ostentatious and far too big headed of me to write and comment on this? I am Miriam Leigh. And well, I am just so proud of this review – it’s been the highlight of my Wolseley career. I thought you’d also like to know that it’s been published in the company newsletter, added to our staff noticeboard as well as Langar Hall’s (Country House Hotel, Nottinghamshire) so it’s making the rounds!
Thank you for writing such kind words – it means a lot to me. Let me know next time you’re at The Wolseley and if I am not able to serve you, I will make damn sure, you’re well looked after!
Thank you again and with kind regards,
MiriamPS: The course is very nearly over! Hurrah, so it’s time to start conjuring up some restaurant plans…
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Miriam, I’m delighted you found us and the review!
The praise was well-deserved.
We’ll let you know when we’re next going to be at the Wolseley and please let us know when those restaurant plans blossom!
All the best
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Miriam Leigh
10 December 2011
Hello there – it’s Miriam again!
So you may have heard on the grapevine The Wolseley has opened its number 2 place – The Delaunay. We’re now officially open and although we’re still going through the motions for a new restaurant, we’ve amassed some great interest and support from customers.
They’ve appointed me their head trainer as well as a head waiter so things are on the up for my hospitality career.
My masters has finally finished and I passed with Distinction which has been a highlight for me.
I hope to see you at The Delaunay soon – I just had to write as an extension of thanks for your review last year.
Kind regards
Miriam
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Patito
15 July 2010
I love The Wolseley! Let’s go before I cross the Channel.