The Game Bird review: a celebration of great British seasonal produce

Tucked away in the pristine St James’s Place, the historic Stafford London is the kind of hotel I imagine is meant for those who want to visit the capital while feeling they are actually staying at a quiet, English country manor.

Its restaurant, The Game Bird, is all about showcasing the best in British produce and supporting artisan makers. It opened in 2017, but chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen – of Michelin-starred sister property Northcote in Lancashire – joined the Stafford team in 2021 to work alongside executive chef Jozef Rogulski on a new menu, and the results of that work are in.

This “hidden gem” in the heart of London is “well worth discovering”, said restaurant guide Harden’s. And its “top-of-the-range” classic British cuisine is “going from strength to strength”. As well as The Game Bird, The Stafford also boasts The American Bar, private dining rooms and dramatic 380-year-old working wine cellars.

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The interiors

The goal with the décor at The Game Bird, as with the rest of The Stafford, seems to be to combine the classic and contemporary and meet somewhere at a satisfyingly elegant midpoint. In most ways, the design manages to hit that spot very well.

Painted a rich duck egg blue and covered in many, many mouldings, the room has an opulent feel while dodging the ostentatious. It also manages to feel quite welcoming and unintimidating for the white tableclothed restaurant of a five-star Mayfair hotel.

The walls display art that can at best be described as eclectic and at worst incongruous, but the dimly-lit dining room retains a cosy atmosphere. While it is actually quite a large space, we enjoyed how the restaurant’s shape meant that a lot of the tables are tucked away in nooks and feel quiet. If I were visiting London and spending my days wandering around the busiest parts of the city, I can imagine looking forward to an evening cocooned at The Game Bird before heading up to bed.

This isn’t one of those “fancy-schmancy” places where you “have to worry about whether you’re talking too loud or using the wrong fork”, said Sam Barker on Secret London. It’s certainly a “classy establishment”, but in the true sense of the word: “like an old-world gentleman.”

The menu

The heart of The Game Bird’s menu is the produce on offer. From hand-dived scallops and house-cured chalk stream trout gravlax, to chargrilled grass-fed steak and jersey royal dumplings, you won’t find a menu item with simple ingredients like “potatoes” listed. What you will find, however, is fresh British produce that has been meticulously curated. In case you’re still not sure what tone they’re trying to strike, the fact that the meat and veg section of the à la carte menu is labelled “Hoof, Feather and Field” should tell you everything you need to know.

The evening kicked off with the butteriest brioche, homemade with black onion seeds and thyme. For starters, we went with the crispy North Sea cod in breadcrumbs, which was deliciously fresh and flaky and served with a tartare sauce with generous chunks of gherkin and caper. The scallops with cauliflower, buttermilk and sea herbs were also light and flavourful, presented in a shell precariously balanced atop warm pebbles.

The restaurant’s signature dish – the Game Bird duck pie – is outstanding. The pie is tightly packed and rich as can be, yet eminently conquerable. The duck breast is lined with Prosciutto di Parma, mushrooms, a kind of stuffing, and topped with a drizzle of gravy.

We also tried the Dover sole meunière, which had a £58 price tag to live up to. It was, however, a beautifully prepared and quite enormous piece of feather-light fish, drenched in lemon and caper butter.

In terms of sides, we found the triple cooked chips a little oily, but the mix of green and white asparagus – not easy to find in the UK – was a lovely surprise.

For dessert, the crêpes suzette made for a festive end to the evening. The waiter wheeled out a portable hob, adding the citrussy toppings in front of our table before setting the concoction aflame. The apple pie soufflé was also excellent and paired for us with a subtly sweet dessert wine served in frosty chilled glasses – a lovely touch.

The wine

The wine list is nothing short of gargantuan – unsurprising when you realise The Stafford’s cellars hold more than 8,000 bottles. Built in the 17th century by Lord Francis Godolphin and used as an air raid shelter during the Second World War, the cellars are now where the sommeliers host wine tasting and pairings. However, our meal was paired for us expertly, so we were left with no doubts that the team would be able to provide reliable advice for anyone overwhelmed.

The verdict

The Game Bird is a gem for those looking for British tradition and produce served at its most elevated, yet accessible. The service is second to none and the staff are welcoming, knowledgeable, and attentive, while giving you space to actually eat your meal. If you’re staying at The Stafford or simply looking for fine dining in a quiet, velvety spot in Mayfair, it’s an excellent choice.

Asya Likhtman was a guest of The Game Bird. The Stafford London 16-18 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NJ; thestaffordlondon.com