The Ivy

1-5 West Street
London
WC2H 9NQ

So sometimes you just get lucky and you have friends who have parents that want to take you out for theater and dinner - all you can do is say yes and enjoy the generosity of others.

This meant that last night I got to see an amazing production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse and also try The Ivy, one of London's restaurants famous for celebrity-spotting. Since the friends that invited me along are regulars, we were seated quickly and a procession of waitstaff came by to say hello and bring us glasses of champagne while we decided what to order. I had a wonderful tuna sashimi starter (with a tiny bit too much horseradish for my taste, but I just put it to the side) and a rib-eye steak that filled my entire plate. The steak was more medium than medium rare, but it was absolutely delicious and full of charred beefy flavor. Bearnaise sauce was creamy and perfect. Everyone helped me polish off the bowl of frites on the side - salty and crisp. The elderflower jelly with fruit suspended within was also decorated with gold leaf - possibly excessive but it went very well with the atmosphere of quiet luxury that they cultivate.

Of course, The Ivy being popular with celebrities, I was instructed to keep my eyes peeled for a Joan Collins sighting. No such luck, but we were rewarded instead with Jordan at the next table and a blinding pop of flashes through the windows when she exited the restaurant.