Shepherd Market in London W1 is at the heart of Mayfair. It’s hedge-fund territory. It’s also renowned for something else, which we will get to shortly. And it has restaurants, bars and pubs piled upon each other in a comparatively tiny space crammed between Piccadilly and Curzon Street. L’Artist Muscle (its exterior is shown on the home page) is one such establishment, in this instance dating back to 1971. It is a French-style bistro and, to use a boringly popular word du jour, it is ‘authentic’. I have been a few times with an English friend who lives in the South of France and he says that when we’re there we could be eating in Provence. (The weather is often not that good, though.) For what it’s worth I concur.

Excellent steak frites at L’Artiste Muscle…if meat is not for you, the house salad is utterly terrific, too

From one of the outside tables, it might be possible to throw a napkin across the small street to L’Autre. This began life as a French wine bar in 1942 but has over time morphed into a Polish/Mexican restaurant. No, it doesn’t serve some form of European/Central American fusion food (with the exception of one nachos offering). It has Polish dishes and Mexican dishes. For example, one might start with beef goulash soup and then move on to some enchiladas. There is neither Polish or Mexican wine; we went for a Malbec. And, if I’m being honest, a glass of cherry vodka at the end.

A restaurant offering a combination of Polish and Mexican cuisine isn’t an option you’ll find too often

As much as maybe 20 yards away one finds Sofra, a Middle Eastern restaurant with an extensive menu. I began with kibbeh (ground lamb, minced onions and wheat) and followed that up with the main course you see in the photo below. I have been back a couple of times since my first visit, on each occasion trying something different, and I intend that it will not be long before I’m back there again. Having said that, in Shepherd Market alone that still leaves several places that I have not tried at all: if a dilemma could ever be a good thing, this would be one of those.

An example of a simple but perfect dish to be enjoyed at Sofra: calf’s liver served with basmati rice

The genesis of Shepherd Market can be traced back to the 1730s. It is an area that has long been populated by artists and writers. And, maybe not a total surprise given how long it has been around, it also has a reputation for being an area favoured by members of ‘the oldest profession’. It was in Shepherd Market in the 1980s that the Conservative Party chairman, and author!, Jeffrey Archer, allegedly consorted with Monica Coghlan, who was what today might be termed a ‘sex worker’. (Allegedly.)

Outdoor tables at Sofra: given the partial reputation of this part of London, one wonders about that door

So you can see, there’s a lot going on in Shepherd Market.

Robert Green