Ask any Londoner about Simpson’s in the Strand and you’ll likely get a starry-eyed story about chess, carving trolleys and some confused musings about a possible connection with the Savoy. But while the details may be a little fuzzy, the sense of occasion associated with dining here is not.

Once a gentlemen’s chess club—where large cuts of meat were quietly wheeled to the table on carving trolleys, so as not to interrupt the game—Simpson’s has been a favourite of Londoners for 190 years, and has seen many famous faces appear through its revolving doors. The Grand Divan dining room retains the original character of the restaurant, with dark wood panelling and an ornate ceiling providing the perfect backdrop to the theatre of Simpson’s particular service—which, unsurprisingly, is entirely without fault.

The Bill of Fare menu sees historic dishes revived in a modern setting, bringing yet more history to the table. Master Cook Adrian Martin has rummaged through the archives to find a selection of heritage dishes, from salted ox tongue and calf’s liver and bacon to roast Yorkshire estate grouse, all washed down with a superb selection of English wines. But the real draw here is still the carving trolleys. Choose from 28-day dry aged roast rib of Scottish beef, Daphne’s Welsh saddle lamb or roast Norfolk bronze turkey, served with all the traditional trimmings.