A sedate and old-fashioned pub and steak restaurant tucked away in an exclusive Mayfair mews, the Guinea Grill draws in the suited drinkers and tourist diners, but is also worth a call for its pies and well kept Young’s ales.

The Venue
The Guinea’s claim to date back as far as the 15th century is highly dubious, as it would then have been marooned in the middle of farmland, though a hostelry on this site may well have catered to the May Fair cattle market that gave the area its name in the late 17th century. The present pub dates from when the area was developed for upmarket residential use in the 1750s, when it first took on its current name. Like many pubs in the West End’s posh residential areas, it’s undergone a social transition over time, from a “mews pub” aimed at servants and craftspeople to a place that attracts a more upmarket clientele.

Young’s have held the pub since 1888, and in 1952 took the fateful step of adding a steak restaurant, the Guinea Grill, originally with no menu, so customers picked from displays of steaks and chops. This innovation, in the informal surrounds of an attractive pub, caused much celebrity buzz, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Margaret among the regulars.

The Guinea’s star may have waned since but it’s still something of a London institution. It’s a traditional quiet pub with no TV or recorded music, done out in traditional style with much old wood, tartan, yellowing walls and hunting prints. The left hand door leads to the restaurant, opening on to a small and charming bar area dominated by a vintage portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip, separated from the rest of the pub by a surviving Victorian wooden screen with an integral door. Beyond is a refrigerated display of meats – though today’s diners also have recourse to the menu – and a slightly cramped but very pleasant restaurant area with sparkling table settings through which uniformed waiters glide effortlessly.

To the right is a small, basic bar open for drinkers, with limited table space, drinking shelves and a lovely corner snug at the back with comfortable seating under a huge mirror. Drinkers frequently spill out to stand in the attractive mews, under the blossoming planters and hanging greenery that enlivens a classic façade. Upstairs a boardroom-style space offers private dining and meetings, with a fine view of the mews from the projecting oriel window.

The Atmosphere
Although the Guinea Grill remains a pleasant, relaxed and refreshingly sedate place, there’s certainly a prevailing air of poshness, underlined by the deferential politeness of the staff even on the pub side – not a venue for a lads’ night out, unless the lads happen to be on a public school reunion.

The Food
The Guinea Grill is proud to be a founder member of the Scotch Beef Club, and specialises in beef from grass fed Aberdeenshire cattle, dry aged exclusively for the pub by Godfrey’s the butchers. A diagram of cuts on the menu sets the tone. It’ll set you back – a 12oz sirloin is £31 and a 10oz fillet £33.70, without vegetables or sides. Other options include oysters, grilled dover sole (£33.50), a renowned steak and kidney pie (£14.85) or potato gnocchi with Portobello mushrooms (£14.25).

A much smaller but more affordable selection is available on the pub side on weekday lunchtimes, where the steak and kidney pie is only £10.50 and there’s an award winning steak sandwich (£8.70) as well as a sausage sandwich (£3.60) on offer for power lunchers. In the evening the bar choice dwindles to pies and chips.

The Drink
Well kept Wells & Young’s cask ales include Young’s Bitter, Special, London Gold and Wells Bombardier, with Ramrod and Pale Ale in bottles. Keg lagers and stouts are standard, and there are a few single malts. Surprisingly given the emphasis on food, the wine list is short, with only eight mainly French choices, by the glass from £4.35.

The Last Word
A distinctive London experience, the Guinea Grill is worth a visit for fans of traditional pubs, and steak and pie aficionados as well as business blokes looking for a quiet place to network.

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