Martin Williams is CEO of the Evolv Collection of restaurants, which includes Quaglino’s, Bluebird and Orrery, which this year welcomed chef Pierre Minotti. Here, Williams shares his guide to London, including where to go for unforgettable meals and flamboyant jackets (in the sale).
Home is …
Between Balham and Wandsworth Common. I live with my tolerant and beautiful wife of 25 years, Claire, a clinical nurse specialist in HIV, and our second labradoodle Wilbur.
Where do you stay in London?
On the rare occasion we can’t get home (usually due to tube strikes), it’s off to South Place Hotel. We also enjoy an overnight trip out of London and usually stay at either the Gallivant or my friend Joel Williams’ Crafted by Powdermills Hotel, which is like Soho Farm House without the snobbery and Land Rovers.
Where was your first flat in London?
Earlsfield. My wife and I met at the ‘Academy of Live and Recorded Arts’, a poor man’s RADA, where we were studying acting. It was housed in the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building near Spencer Park (home to Gordon Ramsay), which is worth a visit for its broad history, including being an asylum. Not that divorced from my three years at drama school.
What was your first job in London?
As an actor I played a transvestite prostitute in ITV’s The Vice, towering over Mark Warren and Kenny Stott (they made me remove my six inch stilletoes, to fit into frame). While acting I worked in hotels and restaurants, beginning my career as a kitchen porter.
Where in London would you recommend for a first date?
It’s been 30 years, so I am not qualified to answer, but I imagine the mix of entertainment and an epic dinner is a successful combination, so would suggest dinner at the fabulous Liverpool Street Chop House and Tavern followed by fun at the newly opened neighbouring Pool House.
Which 5 London shops/outlets do you rely on?
Oswald Boteng, Savile Row for the best British sartorial splendour. Sunspel and John Smedley for my mono-work wardrobe. Moxons for the finest fish to be found in South London. Majestic to keep my Eurocave wine fridge well stocked, despite the best efforts of friends to drain it. Pets at Home; every labradoodle needs to be kept in treats, toys and poo bags.
What’s the best meal you’ve had in London?
Trinity by Adam Byatt is my South London fave and a dinner there with Claire, where each course was paired with an expression of Ruinart champagne, will forever be in my top 10 meals.
What would you do if you were Mayor of London for the day?
I would cut the straps off every backpack entering the tube, attached to a human or otherwise. This sartorial abomination and casual anti-social act must come to an end.
Who is the most iconic Londoner in history?
I thought Boris Johnson was a great Mayor, pro-business and truly fighting for our great capital every day. Given the amount of Royal Warrants across the Capital, King Charles clearly loves London, shopping, living and championing the capital to the max over the past decades. His frequent visitation at Quaglino’s resulted in our private dining rooms being named in his honour.
What’s the best thing a London cabbie has ever said to you?
In 2014 I opened my own restaurant M in Threadneedle Street. I jumped into a cab at Victoria Station (another tube strike was in progress) and asked if he knew M in the city. “Yes, in Bank; everyone is talking about it being a great place,” he replied. It was music (and hope) to my desperate entrepreneurial ears.
Where in London do you go to let your hair down?
The cocktail bars of London are a gift of the city, particularly when enjoyed together by people in the industry. The American Bar at the Savoy is a classic; The Colony Room on Heddon Street is a wonderful secret hangout that David Ellis introduced me to, filled with the most flamboyant fabulous eccentrics; Tato Giavannoni’s residency in the rooftop of the Emory is Iconic in both views and the hospitality and cocktails of the greatest bartender of a generation.
What's your biggest extravagance?
Food, fine wine and flamboyant jackets. Restaurants are my passion. Fantastic fare matched with a spectacular wine list and heightened hospitality creates memories to last forever. My otherwise basic (black or navy) wardrobe is livened up with the help of Arlette on Elisabeth Street, which has weekly sample sales of Bond Street fashion brands.
What’s your London secret?
Wimbledon Common for weekend dog walking with my wonderful wife. Also fun for celeb spotting, particularly as we approach Wimbledon fortnight.
What are you up to at the moment for work?
We reimagined, refurbished and reopened Orrery last month, with a guy I consider to be the greatest young chef in London today and destined for (Michelin) stardom. Additionally the past months saw us open both Sartoria and Chophouse and Tavern, which are fully booked most days.
Who’s your hero?
Peter Reid, was the legendary England player and most importantly Sunderland FC Manager during my teenage years. Thanks to an introduction by Stuart Proctor of The Beaumont Hotel, we have become good friends and I love going to a game together, or a charity event where he mercilessly flirts with Claire.
What do you collect?
Menus from the finest restaurants around the globe. My wife and I must have collected hundreds.
What’s your favourite work of art in London?
Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral and Sir Thomas Greshams’ Royal Exchange are works of art that I am lucky enough to marvel at daily.
What was the last thing you googled?
Silverstone Concerts F1 2026. We are creating an exclusive trackside and backstage Bluebird lounge at the British Grand Prix this year.
