Wiltons Restaurant

Wiltons, London's oldest restaurant, has been serving seafood to the British public since 1742. Wiltons has developed from humble beginnings as a market booth selling oysters to tradespeople to a prestigious status as one of the capital's most elite places.

The 1940s were pivotal years in Wiltons' nearly three-century history. For the first time in 1742, George William Wilton packed his barrow with oysters at the Haymarket. A beer and wine license made it possible to open a full-fledged seafood restaurant in 1840. In 1942, it came dangerously near to being destroyed by a Luftwaffe bomb.

Wiltons moved to its current location on Jermyn Thoroughfare in 1984, a famed London street that has housed eminent historical individuals such as Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Walter Scott, William Gladstone, and W.M Thackeray at various periods. Wiltons' clientele remained exclusive, and its menu was pricey, thanks to the transfer to Jermyn Street, which is now associated with high-end apparel, haberdasheries, and restaurants.

The inside has been kept mostly unaltered, with green velvet banquettes, pale yellow walls, and private booths evoking the feel of an exclusive gentlemen's club. The restaurant is now regarded as an appropriate venue for high-level business gatherings. After several days of discussions over courses at Wilton's, the £7 billion mergers between Boots and Alliance Unichem were announced.

Location: 55 Jermyn St, St. James'sLondon SW1Y 6LX, UK

Phone: 020 7629 9955

Website: wiltons.co.uk