Let’s be clear on one thing: the West End is an excellent dining destination any month of the year. With everything from vibrant contemporary Mexican dining at Fonda to the timeless grandeur of Brasserie Zedel and Bentley’s, Regent Street and its neighbouring St James’s will always deliver. However, there’s one time of year when the area takes things to the next level: the Future of Food festival, running throughout May.
If you’re already a fan of this month-long festival, you’ll be pleased to hear that this year, it’s bigger than ever. And it’s also earlier in the year – this time held in May, which means the neighbourhood’s restaurants will pull out all the stops to showcase spring dining at its best. We’re talking foraged mixology masterclasses, producer-led tasting menus and meals hosted by top chefs, with the chance to hear their thoughts on sustainability in hospitality.
The festival programme is made up of ticketed events, special offers across restaurants and shops, and, excitingly, a day-long open-air market on Saturday May 16, bringing the best of the neighbourhood’s food offerings to one buzzing place. Below, you’ll find Broadsheet’s highlights – but make sure you visit the Future of Food website for the full guide.
Event highlights
This year’s Future of Food events centre around themes of seasonality and innovation. We’re excited about one-night-only producer-led tasting menus, including a four-course collaborative menu at cuisine-spanning fine diner Scully between chef Ramael Scully and professional forager Flavour Fred. Equally adventurous is sure to be a curated four-course menu celebrating sustainability and seasonal British seafood at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill with Fallow, a restaurant known for careful sourcing of ingredients.
Prefer not to stay in one place? Head out on a Saturday Sustainable Safari across St James’s, starting with a sustainable coffee tasting at Compane, moving onto an exclusive scent workshop at the centuries-old Floris, and finishing with lunch at Quaglino’s. Heddon Street – one of the Regent Street neighbourhood’s loveliest secluded arteries – will host an al fresco banquet on the terrace of Piccolino, featuring dishes from the area’s excellent restaurants, including Gordon Ramsay’s Heddon Street Kitchen, Ziggy Green, and the recently opened Georgian restaurant Daka Daka.
The festival offers ample opportunity to learn about everything from foraging to functional drinks. Not only that, but you can get active, with a guided run (in new On running trainers) with Pure Sport, a Barry’s Lift class and refuel Hermosa Protein and more.
Keen to tick off more restaurants on your hit list? Regent Street and St James’s sparkle with more Michelin stars than ever. The festival is your chance to dine at the likes of [Wild Honey TBC], Hotel Café Royal (in a collaboration between two chefs whose restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars, Alex Dilling and Merlin Labron-Johnson) and The Ambassadors Clubhouse, which recently became the UK’s first Punjabi restaurant to receive the honour.
Tickets are already on sale to the Future of Food events, so make sure you act fast if you want to get involved.
St James’s Food Fair
On Saturday May 16, historic St James’s Market will transform into a buzzing open-air market with stalls from the neighbourhood’s best restaurants. Take your pick from exclusive seasonal dishes as you explore to the sounds of live music. Will you go for freshly grilled poultry dishes from Fowl? Or perhaps fiery Indonesian flavours from Toba? There’s also a moreish blend of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines at Scully St James’s, freshly grilled British produce from Sael and cheese plates from Paxton & Whitfield. Stay tuned as we’ll be bringing you our top picks for the fair closer to the time.
Tempting offers
During the festival, many of the area’s restaurants and shops will be doing discounts and offers. On the dining side, you can take advantage of everything from set menus, complimentary bubbles, cocktail specials and more. And when it comes to retail, expect discounts on the likes of Smeg, Floris, Paxton and Whitfield, Bija and more.
To keep up with the latest updates on The Future of Food Festival, follow @regentstreetw1 and @stjameslondon
Produced in partnership with Regent Street and St James’s.