Established by two of Burger & Lobster’s founders, Wild Tavern is an Italian-inspired neighbourhood restaurant in Chelsea that majors in sharing plates of wild seafood and grilled meats. Residing in the spot formerly occupied by Japanese restaurant Kiru on Elystan Street, Wild Tavern features an open kitchen and a light, airy dining room that’s simple, elegant and in-keeping with its upmarket neighbours. The kitchen is overseen by head chef Marco Peri (ex- Colbert) and Sardinian chef Achille Panna, who is lending a hand while the restaurant finds its feet.
Locally supplied fish dominates the rather pricey menu, from the ‘raw bar’ through to starters, mains and pasta dishes. Start with the likes of Gillardeau oysters, Scottish langoustines or perhaps tartare of Sicilian red prawns before moving on to josper-grilled whole squid with Jerusalem artichoke purée, or Puglian burrata with tomato and basil.
Pasta ranges from simple homemade tortello with lemon and ricotta to a decadent sharing plate of linguine with whole Canadian lobster, while mains take the form of catches and cuts of the day, all of which are priced by weight. Examples of what you might encounter include USDA Prime rib eye on the bone, wild line caught whole seabass, and rack of free range British lamb, with sides ordered separately. The dessert menu is short and sweet, featuring tempting finishers such as Sardinian cannoli, millefeuille and homemade sorbet.
Wine is the obvious choice here thanks to a sizeable list curated by Crispin Sugden (former general manager of Pitt Cue), though there are also seasonal and classic cocktails on offer. Wild Tavern is currently only open for lunch at weekends, but dinner service is available six nights a week. Reservations can be made online, but given the 3,600 square feet of space, it’s likely you can turn up without one.