Crocker’s Folly restaurant in St John’s Wood is the place to head for opulence, old-fashioned British service and a little bit of something special…

As two large goblets of wine arrived at our marble table, my friend remarked that she felt like she had been transported back to our childhood, where we used to spend hours impersonating the way in which the ‘posh’ twin in The Parent Trap commented on the bouquet of her grandpa’s wine in her formal dining room. That’s because it is hard not to feel a little out of place in the extravagance of the Marble Room at Crocker’s Folly in St John’s Wood, made up of no less than 50 different types of marble.

However, this high-class atmosphere turned out to be part of the charm and as we settled into our surroundings, we became very taken by the beauty of the room and its edible delights.

And the edible delights didn’t take long to arrive, as a choice of five different types of bread, including walnut, were presented to us. Baked to perfection, the doughy goods were the perfect appetite quencher whilst we were deciding on our food and the attentive staff made us feel like we were the only ones dining in the restaurant.

This high-class atmosphere turned out to be part of the charm

The meat here is cooked – or uncooked as the case may be – to perfection. For my starter, whilst Hannah tucked into seared scallops and crispy prosciutto, I had steak tartare, which rivalled the raw meat I’ve had on the game reserve at home in the country.

To follow, my choice of beef fillet served with parmesan puree and red wine sauce was pure British delight and, again, the meat was cooked perfectly rare as requested. Hannah also went for a meaty option with the beef bourguignon, which was marinated for 48 hours and slowly braised, so it was tender and succulent.

The food on the table was at times a work of art and matched the elaborate marble setting flawlessly.

For dessert, my bread and butter pudding had a welcome twist of a dash of Bailey’s and the apple, pear and cinnamon crumble was also met with a smile.

Everything is presented beautifully. From the small detail in the right glass for each different drink, to the composition of the food on the table – it was, at times, a work of art and matched the elaborate marble setting flawlessly. If you fancy something a little bit different, and something to bring out the noble within you, then Crocker’s Folly certainly won’t disappoint.

24 Aberdeen Place, St John’s Wood NW8 8JR; 020 7289 9898; crockersfolly.com