When you find a restaurant that’s elegant but not pretentious, grand but not show-offy, and doesn’t feel like it’s style over substance, you should pat yourself in the back for the extraordinary discovery.
Idalia feels like such a precious find that our instinct is to keep this place to ourselves. Luckily, there are 300 seats up for grabs in the striking Grade-II Victorian room, so we’re happy to share.
The modern British restaurant opened on 30 March as the first major hospitality launch within the Olympia regeneration project, marking the start of a wider rollout of dining, cultural, and entertainment spaces across the West Kensington site.
The wider masterplan will eventually introduce more than 30 restaurants and bars alongside performance venues, exhibition spaces, and hotels, transforming Olympia into a major London destination.
What’s the vibe like?
Idalia is part of Pillar Hall, a a Grade II listed Victorian exhibition hall built in the 1880s that sits within Olympia. The building was originally designed for large public events like exhibitions, concerts, and even early film screenings, and it has recently been redeveloped to host a number of luxury restaurants, Idalia included, alongside Upstairs at Pillar Hall and Pepperbird.
Think sky-high ceilings, ornate detailing, and plush furniture throughout. Zoning and layered lighting help soften the scale of the hall, transforming what would otherwise be a hollow and echoing room into a really welcoming and tasteful space that’s both swanky and homey.
So what’s on the menu?
Overseen by executive chef Samantha Williams, the menu is traditionally British but it colours across the lines. You’ll find dishes like asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise sauce next to a steak tartare, a Sri Lankan chicken curry, or a miso crusted black cod. Turn to the desserts and you can expect the beloved apple crumble, a classic tiramisu, a rum baba (the executive pastry chef, Lorena Tommasi, is Sicilian, which explains the Italian influence) or a pistachio cheesecake. It’s a rather compact and inviting menu – full of unfussy dishes that are enduringly homely.
Starters
We had the asparagus with a poached hen’s egg and hollandaise sauce, and the joy of eating something so fresh and verdant on a sweltering 30C+ day is almost indescribable. The hollandaise was piquant and tangy, dense like a mayo – albeit a little claggy. That said, asparagus and hollandaise are an uncontestable match.
The burrata with lovage pesto, broad beans, basil and pine nut was absolute perfection – by far the best burrata we’ve had in London, and we do tend to order it every other dinner out, so we know what we’re talking about. Finally, finally, here is a kitchen that understands burrata’s greatest weakness – its near-total silence on the palate – and meets it with a pesto that is punchy, salty and confident. No need to reach for the salt. A generous bed of pesto too, not a stingy smear.
Mains
We had our hearts set on the spring risotto (there’s just something about spring greens and warm weather), but it had already sold out. The silver lining was that it gave the lobster linguine a chance to shine. Nothing is more pleasing and reassuring than perfectly al dente pasta, and after too many overcooked, claggy versions in various Italian restaurants, we sighted at this level of pasta-cooking mastery. Scattered through the garlicky pasta were bits of sweet, tender lobster, as well as blistered Datterini tomatoes, threads of basil, and a low, creeping chilli heat. A splendid summer meal.
Desserts
EL&N and all the performative, style-over-substance bakeries in London can step aside. These are dainty, graceful desserts – and no, they won’t charge extra for the prettying-up (the rum baba was £8 and the pistachio cheesecake £12).
If your rum baba isn’t drenched in a pool of syrup, your alarm bells should go off. As the picture below tells, this one was – the syrup brighter and more citrus-forward than expected, orangey and zesty than Naples taught us to anticipate. We’ve done our rounds there and rum baba is one of our great loves, so we came with expectations. It was fabulously moreish, but it felt like the little cousin of the hulking Neapolitan original. We could have had three, topped with a taller pile of whipped cream.
The pistachio cheesecake, contrastingly, was gloriously self-imposing. We’re quite confident these will be one of the hit dishes on the menu, not just because it looks striking, but because the pistachio flavour is there and enhanced by a pour of thick pistachio cream. You’ll be glad there’s a perfectly placed pile of raspberries on the side of the pistachio road – it cuts through the richness and heaviness of the dessert beautifully.
And what’s to drink?
English sparkling wines feature prominently on the à la carte menu, so in keeping with the restaurant’s British spirit, we started with a glass each. You can’t go wrong with a glass of bubbles before your meal, can you?
There’s also an extensive list of cocktails on offer, including a vast range of signature serves. However, it’s worth noting that the sommelier truly knows his craft. He talks about his wines so enthusiastically and infectiously that you might find yourself on an impromptu wine pairing journey. If you’re remotely interested in wine, we’d strongly recommend letting him take the reins.
Verdict
We’re fussy when it comes to upscale restaurants with a price tag to match, especially in a city like London where brilliant menus await around every corner. But Idalia is not like every other restaurant.
The grandeur of the dining room, the beautiful décor and greenery (not to mention the dazzling bar), paired with delicious, hearty food and service that’s second to none, makes every moment here feel special. You’ll want to take your time and relish the experience.
We’d come back every Saturday night, book the same table, order the same meal and be served by the same people. Indefinitely.
Key details
Address: Olympia Way, London W14 0EY
Website: pillarhall.co.uk/idalia
Socials: @idalia.restaurant
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