SOMETHING CALLING ITSELF the Gentleman’s Journal recently explained to readers that Wiltons restaurant on Jermyn Street offers a bar option where customers can pop in for champagne and oysters rathr than commit to “a full sit-down meal”.
Wiltons has long been the Establishment’s establishment, where Nannies in wildly unflattering uniforms served comfortable club food to power with arch side-orders of nursery scolding. Founded as an oyster stall on Haymarket by William Wilton in 1742, it tootled to its present location in 1984 and has remained aloof to fads and fashions ever since. The velvet curtain at the door coddled an opulent, timeless space which benevolently insulated the haves from the world’s alarms.
The Nannies were introduced by Jimmy Marks, who managed the restaurant for many years, famously refusing to get…
You're reading a preview of
The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025