Executive chef Theo Clench and his team at the pass
Hold on, didn't this used to be Humo?
It did. And while the restaurant itself hasn't changed and is still centred around fire, it has a new name, new chef and new menu. Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Theo Clench, who you might remember from Michelin-starred Cycene in Shoreditch. It's fair to say that he's gunning for a star here, too.
Where is it?
If you haven't been before, you'll find Igni on George Street in Mayfair, just south of Hanover Square. So that makes Oxford Circus the nearest tube station to get here.
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
If you fancy a drink with a view, there's the Hanover rooftop bar at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair just up the street. Or The Windmill is a decent pub nearby for a pint. But given how good our cocktail was at IGNI you might want to hold off until your meal here.
Where should we sit?
If there are two of you and you love the theatre of the kitchen, then 100% try and get a counter seat. It's a particularly deep counter, making it a comfortable place to be. But you are going to be up close to all that fire, so dress lightly.
An idea of how the dining room is arranged at Igni
And what's on the menu?
Theo's taken the live fire menu here in a direction that places more emphasis on excellent seafood. There are two tasting menus at dinner - five courses at £135 and eight at £185. If you're here at lunch, you can also enjoy a three-course option for £49.
We don't want to give everything away, so here's just a taster of some of the courses from our eight-course dinner.
A plate of the prettiest canapes, starting with smoked eel with black tea and yuzu ponzu, a charcoal croustade with Devon crab and then skewers of yellowtail with burnt nashi pear and a dip of roasted soy bean seasoning topped with Szechwan pepper.
Oyster roasted over the fire with pickled cucumber and nasturtiums
Bluefin tuna three ways. Maybe the best course of the night. First, the tuna is made into a parfait, then served as a tartare in a potato tartlet with shiso flowers. Finally, the one that blew us away, chutoro is aged for two weeks and then dressed with foie fat that's been rendered down over the fire.
A bao style bread made with Yukon gold potatoes and served with a barbecued vegetable broth. Insanely good.
Turbot served with charred romaine and teriyaki engawa, finished with a smoked bone sauce.
Desserts are equally inventive. This very pretty tofu and chocolate dessert by chef William Scanlan, who's followed Clench here from Cycene, was followed by a parade of petit fours, including a delightful chardonnay vinegar meringue which was torched in front of us.
What about the drinks?
We didn't really focus on the wine here, but what we can say is that the cocktails, based on the martini we had, are very much worth trying.
Caviar martini made with Umai caviar and served with some soy caviar pearls on the side (£26).
Overall thoughts:
We've been Clench fans since having a standout meal back when he was heading up Cycene, so the minute Igni opened we knew we were going to want to come and see what he and his team were doing here. The answer is he's serving up wonderfully inventive food that never forgets that it's not just about the look of a dish, it's the taste. We'd be very surprised if Michelin didn't pay him a visit very soon, so if you want to get in at the early stages we'd suggest you book a table quickly.
More about Igni
Where is it? 12 St. George Street, London W1S 2FB
How to book? Book online.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @ignilondon_
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Igni. Prices correct at time of publication.
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