England’s Grace St John’s Wood High St. Billed as an Australian eatery. I didn’t find it to be Aussie but I’ve only visited once so cannot really call myself an expert on Australian cuisine. I thought the menu would have a lot more variety and there would be more veggie options. I found Australians put great emphasis on fresh seasonal produce and the food is generally considered much healthier than American.
I was excited to try England’s Grace which I cannot believe has actually been open over two years. It’s been a while since I last went to Regents Park.
England's Grace in St. John's Wood opened on August 8, 2023. The restaurant, which serves a mix of Australian and European cuisine, is located at 64 St. John's Wood High Street where the famous Fego Cafe used to be. A very tough act to follow for locals and visitors alike. I spent a few years in North London as a student and when I moved back to the Midlands and no longer lived in London this particular Fego caffe held a special place in my heart, I absolutely loved it and was very sad when it closed in 2021 citing the Covid pandemic and rising rents as the reason in combination.
The new England’s Grace offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options and always seemed busy whenever I've been in the neighbourhood so has definitely been on the radar to try. It has taken so long as I spend more time in the country than in London these days.
I may have just had a freak experience but when I recently took a table outside and checked out the menu, it says it’s a fusion of Australian and European cuisine the menu felt Middle Eastern to me, quite a few lamb dishes and definitely more meat than veggie options.
The crowd felt Arabian, Middle Eastern, women wearing scarves in the most part and men sipping strong coffee, tucking in
to abundant breakfasts. The air was scented by piping hot aromatic teas or creamy hot chocolate so when I scoured the menu for something lighter a salad, or granola and fruit it didn’t jump out and I felt under pressure to pick something. I ordered a mixed fruit juice to start with, after being told the pressed veg juice on the menu wasn’t available with a roll of the eye from the server which made me feel like I just wasn’t their customer I started to stare at the menu.
Even outside I could smell the grilled meats and kebabs clearly were their speciality.
The main courses were £20 plus and every one centred around a meat star. The juice I ordered cost £7.50. It's more of a high end restaurant than a casual dining experience. The waiters were dressed smartly in suits. The breakfasts being served were all about the meat and limited vegetarian options, OK if you like eggs or grilled halloumi.
There was a sweetcorn fritter which I think was plant based but just didn’t sound appealing.
When I said I was struggling with the menu it was snatched from me with no attempt made to modify something into a greener perhaps a bit healthier version.
They were very busy and everyone else seemed to be tucking in and enjoying the food so like I said it’s more of a meat eaters paradise.
They do have avocado on sourdough with feta which I could have taken off at £14.50 and an açai coconut bowl with banana and kiwi which sounded nice at £12 but most of the other breakfast items were all about the eggs or the labneh, a type of strained yogurt that’s a staple in the Middle East.
But it was the brusk service from a surly waiter and a 13.5% non discretionary service charge when as an American I am used to tipping that actually put me off ordering completely.
And I paid for my juice and left, I ended up eating elsewhere.
I will give England’s Grace another go, maybe the next time I am around the neighbourhood. The reviews online are good. And like I say it could have just been one of those days but maybe a name change for this restaurant is in order? Even though I didn’t have the best experience their customers on the day I visited, one of whom tutted when I mentioned the words “plant based” to the waiter definitely were enjoying the food.