Located in a gaming club with a long history, The Milroy has opened to the public for lunch. Get a taste of how the other half live, if only for an hour or two.

The Venue
The Milroy is the restaurant of Les Ambassadeurs Club, on the first floor of a building built in the early 1800s. First the home of the fourth Earl of Buckinghamshire, it passed through various upper class hands until it became the second home of Les Ambassadeurs Club in 1950. Since then the club has played host to a variety of celebrities, politicians and aristocrats but The Milroy has recently opened to the public, giving Londoners that aren’t au fait with the intricacies of members’ clubs the chance to lunch in the historic venue.

And it definitely is historic, right from the grand staircase at the entrance. It’s absolutely gorgeous, made of warm, rich wood and covered with lush carpeting. After you check in at the entrance desk, head up the staircase to the restaurant. The Milroy’s high ceilings, large mirrors and cream and yellow colour scheme fit right in with the glamorous venue, although some details – including chandeliers that look like plant pots and glitzy beaded curtains – seem a bit off.

The Atmosphere
On a hot summer’s day The Milroy is calm, cool and relaxed. Service is perfectly efficient, anticipating your wants before you even catch their eye to ask a question. A small corridor-like space looks out onto a flowered terrace, and the view, combined with the cushioned armchairs, make the venue seem even more luxurious.

The Food
Head chef Simon Foster has worked at La Tante Claire and Claridges, which means expectations are high. The menu, though, is reassuringly simple, making the wide range of prices (mains cost between £14.50 and £35) the only clue to the ultra-posh surroundings and the chef’s background. The daily changing set menu, though, costs £25 for three courses. From the a la carte menu, a starter of Kidderton ash goat’s cheese salad with beetroot, spinach and walnuts is refreshingly down to earth, with big cubes of goat cheese and thin slices of tart, bright fuchsia beetroot. A plate of smoked salmon is satisfying and rich, and the dill cream on the side is a nice touch.

For mains, salmon fishcakes arrive as crisply fried balls of fish rather than the usual flattened shape. The crisp saltiness of the outer coating is a good contrast to the slightly sweet fish, and the cucumber and dill dressing is cooling but slightly sharp. Another fish dish, the grilled Cornish sea bass, is well cooked with tender, firm flesh. The accompanying vegetable ratatouille is surprisingly filling but not too stodgy. Sides of spinach and green beans are as fresh as you’d expect.

For puddings, if the thought of eating a whole cheese plate puts you off after a long lunch, staff can easily serve up half a portion. It comes with chutney and biscuits, and the goat’s cheese is particularly recommended. For those with a sweet tooth, though, the passion fruit and mango parfait is a summer treat, light, cool and fruity and scattered with fresh, ripe raspberries.

The Drink
The Milroy’s wine list is thorough, with a fair number of choices by the glass and half bottle. There’s a variety of countries on the list, from the usual suspects like France and Italy through to California and Lebanon. By the bottle, prices range from £25 to £735 (for a Château Mouton Rothschild) whilst glasses are priced at £7.50 and Champagnes at £15 and £20. If you’re more of a cocktail fan, the house cocktail, The Milroy Royale, is a refreshing, sparkling drink made with Champagne and berries.

The Last Word
A relaxingly upmarket retreat on a hot summer’s day, The Milroy is a perfect example of the good food and impeccable service you’d expect from a historic members’ club.

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