A view down into the horseshoe at Wolseley City
We're guessing this is related to The Wolseley on Piccadilly?
It is. The Wolseley City has been a long time in the planning, having originally been announced just weeks before the first Covid lockdown by Jeremy King and a year before he was ousted from Corbin & King. More than three years passed before the doors were ready to open on the much-anticipated follow-up to the hugely popular Wolseley, which last week celebrated its twentieth birthday.
Where is this one?
You'll find it on King William Street where the old House of Fraser store used to be. It's literally on top of Monument station, so couldn't be easier to get to.
How similar is it to the original?
In a word, very. Fans of the original Wolseley will definitely be struck by the resemblance of this new City sibling to the St James original. The layout is almost identical, although this is a larger restaurant. You'll find a salon or bar either side of the entrance, there's also a horseshoe 'inner circle' area with the best seats in the house and there are vaulted ceilings and large wrought iron chandeliers. If you've had a few and can't for a moment remember which one you're in - the City branch has Italianate stripey columns for reference.
Where's a good place to meet friends for a drink first?
In the original Wolseley you might have been particularly lucky to get a seat in the small bar at the front. Here in the City while there is also a bar area to the right as you go in, there's also a much larger bar upstairs.
The upstairs bar at The Wolseley City
What kind of food is it?
The European Grand Café tradition is how the food here is described. It's an all-day offering with power breakfasts having been quite the thing in the original and bound to do well here in the City too. The menus of both restaurants are almost identical, but there are a few dishes that are new to the City's offering.
Here's what we had to give you a flavour.
Trio of smoked salmons, Gin & Juniper Cured, Gravlax and London Cured smoked salmon served with buttered soda bread (£22) - a new dish to Wolseley City and also available on their breakfast menu.
Battered Scampi with Tartar Sauce (£16.50) -
Roast Fillet of Turbot ‘Grenobloise’ wilted spinach and a caper & lemon butter (£44.50) - an upgrade on the Piccadilly offering where the fish would be lemon sole.
Treacle-cured Bacon Chop with double fried egg and sauce diable (£34.50) - part of a chops section to the menu that's exclusive to the City. Other options were a grilled Barnsley chop and a grilled veal chop.
Room for dessert?
At both branches of The Wolseley there's a large ice-cream selection as well as plenty of cake and cheese options too.
Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding with a whisky crème anglaise (£11.50) - another new dish on the menu and a very fine iteration of a classic pudding.
The Wolseley bronzed truffles (£5.25) - if you've had the bacon chop (not to mention the Wolseley's excellent fries) this may be all you're able to manage.
Anything else we should know?
While you can see the private dining space overlooking the dining room in the original Wolseley, here the two private dining spaces are more discreet. The Lombarad and Clement rooms seat 12 and nine respectively.
Overall thoughts
Barely a week open and on a cold Tuesday night The Wolseley City was already doing storming business. With plenty of larger tables, it's a particularly good space to go if you're taking out your team or a group of clients. If we had a quibble it was that the lighting, while designed to make everyone look great, was way too dim for menu reading, and in some cases not entirely easy to see what you're eating. But it's fair to say that this version of The Wolseley, while it may lack the inherent glamour of the original, is going to do very well indeed.
More about The Wolseley City
Where is it? 68 King William Street, London EC4N 7HR
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @thewolseley
Hot Dinners dined as guests of The Wolseley City. Prices correct at time of publication.
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