LDNReview
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The year was 1976. The paparazzi were buzzing about Mayfair’s Stratton Street, cameras locked on the front door of Langan’s—the ultimate celebrity hangout masquerading as a brasserie. It was the place to be in London. On a given night anyone from the Sex Pistols to Elizabeth Taylor were seated on classical red chairs beneath an original David Hockney and a cloud of cigarette smoke. Glossed-up debauchery was served with a side of snails and the champagne was endless.
Then Langan’s grew up. One day it’s all casual sex at 2am and seeing Mick Jagger doing coke under a table, and the next it’s listening to slow jazz and offering everyone £5 ginger shots to go with their eggs royale. Langan’s is under different ownership and a lot has changed. It has calmed down to a near-horizontal level and the evening party crowd has moved on. The moody red upholstery has been replaced with plush ivy green velvets and late night starlet-spotting traded for early morning sips of chamomile tea. Once the ultimate place to procure a biblical hangover, Langan’s is now the perfect spot to soothe one with their sophisticated breakfast offerings. But come dinnertime, there’s a strict dress code and the feeling that you’re going to need to keep any laughter to a 40 decibel maximum, even if the laughter is brought on by the fact that they’re charging you £19 for a roasted cauliflower.
The Nostalgiaville menu is still littered with old-school classics. Think vegetable crudités, a delightful marie rose-smothered shellfish cocktail, and a mammoth scallop-loaded fish pie that will set you back a casual £66. That’s right, 66 Great British pounds. The sky-high prices are matched with a “HOW MUCH?!” wine list. Sometimes the dishes don’t live up to their price tag. Case in point, the signature spinach soufflé that lands somewhere between royal baby food and Prue Leith’s worst nightmare. Rest assured that there are some winners on the all-day menu, like the truffle glo-up bangers and mash and pretty much anything you can picture being on Oscar Wilde’s shopping list. Oysters, caviar, gloriously salty french fries are all no-brainer options given the fact that you’re in a room where if the walls could talk they’d probably say “it’s pronounced mo-wett darling”. But the best food here isn’t happening at dinner.
These days, the perfect time to come to Langan’s is first thing. Up and at ‘em everyone, there is streaky Tamworth bacon and caramelised banana french toast waiting. Between the béchamel Arnold Bennett omelette and the crisp white table cloths, this is a breakfast experience that has Impress Your Clients At 9am written all over it. Ditto for a birthday brunch that isn’t going to result in anyone getting unexpectedly barred from Superdrug. You can enjoy the silver-spoon service and hypothesise whether David Bowie sat on that table under the huge windows or opted for a dark corner at the back of the long dining room, but unlike dinnertime, you’re not going to have to invest £200 for the pleasure. The maple-syrup loaded pancakes are some of the best in London, and they’ll only set you back £13.
At a restaurant like Langan’s, everything comes with a history tax. Whether you’re here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you’re also getting a side of ’glitzy’ London restaurant history. Is it worth it? That entirely depends on the current state of your bank account and whether you’re in the market for a somewhat stuffy, expensive dinner that is primarily soundtracked by the tinkle of polite conversation. If you’re expecting a legendary party restaurant, 21st-century Langan’s isn’t it. But what do you do when the party’s over? Eat a big satisfying breakfast of course.
Food Rundown
Poached Eggs & Avocado Toast
Langan's Pancakes
Caramelised Banana French Toast
Shellfish Cocktail
Oysters
½ Dozen Snails
Langan's Spinach Soufflé
Langan's Bangers & Mash