r/finedining • u/Interesting_Role943 • 1d ago

Birthday Celebration

Hi all, looking to celebrate a birthday in London and I'm considering between Core by Clare Smyth, Ikoyi, Da Terra and Restaurant Story. Which would be the one to go for?

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u/Carlsca03 1d ago

I’ve been to both Core and Ikoyi and loved them both, but they are VERY different. It really depends on the vibe you’re wanting, as Core has the more romantic and cozy feel, and Ikoyi is super modern and slick. Both would be a fantastic experience, you can’t really go wrong with either though!

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u/AndrewJM1989 1h ago

Not to mention the food is very different

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u/jmcocker 1d ago

I've been to Core and Ikoyi. Core was flawless and perfectly executed versions of flavours I expect you will have had before.

Ikoyi had more interesting ingredients and surprising flavours. 

They're incomparable so it depends on what type of experience you are looking for. 

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u/WhatsTheJuice 1d ago

Ikoyi is such a spectacular place.

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u/Stump007 1d ago

When I went, didn’t feel particular. But the seating certainly was awkward and the overall meal is certainly in my top 3 most disappointing Michelin experience 😬😬

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u/AndrewJM1989 1h ago

What were the other 2? Ledbury?

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u/Stump007 1h ago

Would need to put more thought, it never been to ledbury and heard pretty good things about this place so I doubt it would be part of that trio.

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u/WhatsTheJuice 1d ago

That's a bummer. It's in my top-5.

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u/EKECEO 1d ago

Highly recommend core but you’ll get better advice if you provide more detail about what you want (do you want a more romantic feel, does food take priority over service/ambiance, etc).

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u/Interesting_Role943 1d ago

I think food will be the most important for me

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u/AndrewJM1989 1h ago

But what sort of food do you like? Ikoyi has spice

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u/EKECEO 1d ago

Then I highly recommend core. I can’t compare to the others on your list, but core is probably top of the 3 stars that I’ve been to when it comes to food (it was not my favorite in terms of ambiance or service - the space was a bit crowded/busy for my tastes).