soutine.co.uk
Lunch at Soutine before the Lord's ODI
The neighbourhood brasserie that makes the walk to Lord's feel like the start of something
St John's Wood has a particular self-assurance to it. Quieter than most of north London, the kind of neighbourhood where people have lived for decades and don't feel the need to explain themselves. Soutine fits right in.
It opened in 2019, part of the Wolseley Hospitality Group, on the High Street about eight minutes from the Grace Gates. The room has high ceilings, dark wood, banquette seating, the low hum of a lunch crowd that knows the place well. It doesn't perform — it just gets on with it.
The menu is French bistro: soupe à l'oignon, steak frites, crème brûlée. Nothing revolutionary, but done carefully and without the shortcuts that menus like this sometimes take. The prix fixe is worth knowing about — two courses for under £20 at lunch. À la carte runs around £50 a head with a drink.
For the Lord's ODI on 19 July, this is the obvious pre-match lunch. Arrive at noon, take your time, walk to the ground by 2pm. Lord's has food inside, but arriving having already eaten well is a different afternoon entirely.
Book ahead. It fills up on match days.
Why it's special
Soutine doesn't try to be a special occasion restaurant. That's exactly what makes it one.
The Wolseley Hospitality Group has a specific skill — they create rooms that feel like they've always been there, where the service is attentive without being performative, and the food is good enough that you talk about the meal as well as whoever you came with. Soutine is their neighbourhood version of that. Smaller than the Wolseley itself, more lived-in, without the grandeur that can make central London restaurants feel like you're eating in a set.
The location is the other thing. St John's Wood High Street is genuinely pleasant in a way that few London streets manage without trying too hard. There are independent shops, a farmers' market on weekends, and almost no chains. Eating here before a match feels less like logistics and more like actually having a day out in London rather than just attending an event.
On an ODI day, the walk from Soutine to Lord's takes about eight minutes past Abbey Road (yes, that one) and through residential streets that are very much the point of being in this part of the city. The contrast between the quiet of St John's Wood and the noise when you walk through the Grace Gates is one of the better arrivals in sport.
Insider tips
- 1
Book the prix fixe rather than ordering à la carte. Two courses for under £20 at lunch is genuinely good value for St John's Wood, and the kitchen takes it just as seriously as the full menu.
- 2
The banquette seats along the wall are the ones to ask for. Better for a longer lunch, easier to talk across the table, and you get a proper view of the room rather than staring at someone else's back.
- 3
Don't walk in without a reservation on ODI days. The restaurant fills up and they won't hold tables. Book at least a few days ahead on OpenTable or through the website.
- 4
Don't confuse this with the Wolseley in Piccadilly. Same group, very different room and energy. Soutine is the neighbourhood version — more relaxed, less grand. If you're expecting the full theatre of the Wolseley, you'll be slightly surprised.
Practical info
- Hours
- 11am - 9.30pm
- Cost
- Prix fixe lunch: 2 courses £19.75 / 3 courses £24.75; À la carte avg: £50–60/head
- Address
- 60 St John's Wood High St, London NW8 7SH, United Kingdom
- Website
- www.soutine.co.uk
