Idalia London brings the flair back to Olympia’s Pillar Hall
By Shivani Dubey | 21 May 2026 | Food & Drink
After a £1.3b refurbishment, Olympia’s Pillar Hall has transformed into Idalia, marrying modern British fine dining with artistic flair and cultural history
Olympia is a location steeped in cultural history. The Victorian venue played host to one of Britain’s earliest film screenings, and the Pillar Hall became a catwalk for Vivienne Westwood to stage her debut fashion collection in 1981. And now, after a £1.3 billion refurbishment, the London venue is home to Idalia – a grand all-day dining room inspired by the building’s layered history.
Set within the Grade II listed Pillar Hall, Idalia, which is named after the Greek goddess Aphrodite, is led by an all-female leadership team, presenting a menu rooted in modern British cooking, but including internationally influenced dishes that have become part of London’s dining culture. As soon as you enter Idalia, you’re swept up by the history and grandeur: high ceilings, Corinthian columns, huge plants and bold fabrics all grab your attention as you walk to your table.
And in the middle of it all? An oval bar basked in a warm orange glow, serving up cocktails and drinks that pair perfectly with your meals. Here, you’ll find an atelier inspired cocktail programme rooted in the golden age of cocktails, where the menu is structured like a couture house, spanning ‘The Foundations’ – timeless classics executed with clarity and precision, ‘The Tailored’ – reworked signatures refined with modern technique and flavour, and ‘The Statements’ – bold, expressive creations designed to leave a lasting impression.
To begin, a glass of champagne, soundtracked by a live jazz band in the background, before diving into a bread basket with some salted butter. This was followed by a delicious kombu brined sea bream with pomegranate, blood orange and lovage oil. A perfectly light, tangy and zingy burst of flavour in your mouth, this is a dish that is certainly a must-have while you’re at Idalia London. If you’re not up for a fishy start, the burrata with lovage pesto, broad beans, basil and pine nuts is a wonderful vegetarian alternative that is worth trying.
Then, we moved to our main course, which we paired with a bottle of Montes Alpha pinot noir – a smooth, dry red wine that married well with the meat-forward dishes to come. When it comes to modern British cuisine, a lamb cutlet is a tried and true favourite. And at Idalia, the herb crusted Herdwick lamb cutlet with courgette flower, rolled belly and ricotta takes your appreciation for the dish to a whole new level. Sufficiently juicy and beautifully seasoned, the lamb is cooked to perfection, with the stuffed courgette flower offering just the right amount of bite to the meal.
My friend opted for a beef fillet with red wine jus, which came with a side of onion rings – both of which she had nothing but praise for. We paired these with some tenderstem broccoli (delightfully crunchy and full of that wonderful garlic and red chilli flavour) as well as some beef tallow chunky chips with rosemary salt.
You cannot end a beautiful meal without dessert, and Idalia has a wonderful selection of some of the most mouth watering dishes you can find. The Vivienne Heel, which is a tribute to designer Vivienne Westwood and Olympia’s history with the fashion designer, is a must try. And so is the tiramisu, which, as any dessert aficionado knows, is never a disappointing choice.
Idalia London is the kind of place that will quickly become one of West London’s go-to destinations. A restaurant that not only preserves the heritage and history of the ground it stands on, but also reveres it. It is in every intentional design choice, the subtle and not-so-subtle nods to its cultural history in the menus, drinks and decor, and it is in the hustle and bustle of a packed restaurant, where every single diner is enjoying their meal, clinking their glasses together to celebrate the evening. We’d recommend booking a table sooner rather than later.
