Weeks after launching the Grand Divan, the restaurateur Jeremy King has announced details for the “final piece in the jigsaw that is Simpson’s in the Strand”, a more casual 135-cover dining room on the first floor of the building called Romano’s. It will open on March 30.
Known as the West Room and on the first floor of Simpson’s, King said Romano’s is his tribute to the restaurant that once shared the building with Simpson’s until it was bombed in 1941.
The story goes that the space was founded by an Italian, possibly of Russian heritage and known simply as “the Roman”, and that at its peak the space “had a distinctly bohemian air, operating almost like an unofficial private club with its own unspoken codes of belonging”.
In an announcement to long-time regulars of his restaurants, King recounted that the restaurant was first put on the map in the 19th century by a journalist named John Corlett, a leading figure at the Sporting Times — then known as The Pink ‘Un — who held weekly staff dinners there.
As such, a signature dish at Romano’s is soupe crème pink ’un, a rich crayfish bisque made to the same recipe as decades past. King told the Standard that it’s made with tomatoes and white wine and is thickened with pearl barley.
Other smaller dishes at Romano’s include salade à la russ (Russian salad), smoked eel with candied beetroot and horseradish, and a courgette and tomato tart. Prices range from £6.75 for a scotch egg to £15.50 for Portland crab.
Larger dishes include roast cod persillade (a garlic and herb sauce), Lancashire hot pot, and crayfish and veal marengo, a classic southern French stew some believe to have been created to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte's victory at the Battle of Marengo in 1800.
There will also be a pie of the day available, from steak and kidney pudding to chicken and tarragon. No main courses sit above £30, with many closer to £20. In addition to the à la carte, there’s a prix-fixe menu at £21 for two courses and £24.75 for three, as well as a three-course formule menu at £29.75, which includes a glass of house wine or beer.
The prices are notably accessible for central London, especially in such a grand space, which is made up of faux marble columns, Wedgwood-inspired friezes, green leather upholstery, and bright mirrored detailing.
King explained the styling is a nod to the venue’s “heritage as a stomping ground for London’s artistic set”. Its long association with chess and theatre are honoured by the chequerboard carpet and marquetry tabletops, while portraits of famous and lesser-known 20th century playwrights line the walls.
Romano’s 100 Strand, WC2R 0EZ, jeremykingrestaurants.com
