Tredwell's, Leicester Square, London

Fashion Features & Entertainment Assistant, Josie Ayre finds a top date location in the centre of London

Date locations are a funny thing. They’re a balance. You don’t want somewhere so lively that you can’t hear one another, but you also don’t want somewhere so dead that you feel like the barmen are hanging onto your every word. You don’t want to go somewhere where the food is too astronomically expensive, otherwise you may be laden with a huge bill and you certainly don’t want to end up in McDonald’s eating a double cheeseburger and fighting over the last of the salt drenched chips. Most of all, you want somewhere where the food is so good, it doesn’t matter if the date isn’t. With all of this in mind, I think I’ve found the perfect place to take a new (or old) beau. 

Marcus Wareing’s Tredwell’s in London treads all of these fine lines with ease. Located around the corner from Leicester Square, you’ll find yourself battling through herds of tourists to make your way there, but once you’re in the door, you’ll be in a slick haven of food and drink.

The interior is dark but not moody with the perfect soft lighting to emphasize all your best features. The waiters are smartly dressed and polite but not overbearing so you can flirt away without feeling like you’re about to be interrupted at any moment. 

Cocktails are of course, a staple of any good date in my mind so we started with the Fair Play – a mix of gin, Kamm & Sons, elderflower, grapefruit, lemon and egg white – which was the perfect palate cleanser (and nerve calmer if you’re that way inclined) to start off. 

To line our stomachs we ordered the Taste of Tredwell’s sharing platter which handily erased the dreaded food envy and allowed for playful eating. It comes with pork sliders, chorizo jam with charred bread and sticky glazed chicken wings and while it was all pretty good, the chorizo jam was the clear winner here. I could have eaten a barrel of the stuff, let alone the twee jar we were given.

For mains we both ordered the Monkfish, squid and prawn orzo and shared a portion of triple cut chips. The fish was meaty while maybe a tad overcooked, the squid crisp while the orzo creamy, the triple cut chips were however, quite greasy and we didn’t venture too far into the pot after tasting the first. No worries though, as we probably had had enough carbs at this point to sink a small ship. 

Gin enthusiasts with a sweet tooth, rejoice for Marcus and his ingenious team have surely tapped into your minds and concocted the Gin and Tonic Cheesecake for you to enjoy. You could certainly taste the gin which was neither a good or a bad thing for me. 

With a legendary chef onboard, you’d be mistaken in thinking that a meal at Tredwell’s would cost an arm and a leg, however, the menu is reasonably priced, so you won’t be left with a bill which is the equivalent of a months rent in Zone 2.

With all of that in mind, if your beau suggests heading to a dive bar for your next date kindly redirect them to the Tredwell's website and make a booking on their behalf.