Every time we visit London, no matter what we’re there for, we can’t help ourselves – we always try to fit in somewhere new to eat. We seem to have a growing list of restaurants we’d like to try, so much so that a weekend in the capital rarely feels long enough.

During a recent trip, we headed to Chelsea for dinner at Myrtle Restaurant, chef Anna Haugh’s Irish restaurant just a short walk from the King’s Road. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a fangirl. I love watching Anna on MasterChef and thoroughly enjoyed her Big Irish Food Tour series, so Myrtle has been on my list for quite some time. As someone originally from Belfast, a restaurant celebrating Irish food and produce was always likely to appeal.

From the outside, Myrtle is surprisingly understated. Tucked away on a quiet residential street, it feels more like you’ve stumbled across a neighbourhood secret than one of London’s most talked-about restaurants. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming; elegant without being intimidating, and the sort of place where you immediately know you’re in for a good evening.

We opted for the tasting menu with paired wines, which felt like the obvious choice. If you’re making the effort to visit somewhere like Myrtle, you may as well let the kitchen take you on the full journey. I was particularly excited to discover not a water glass on the table, but a chalice. It felt wonderfully dramatic and set the tone for the evening ahead.

Each course arrived with a story, accompanied by a small card explaining the inspiration behind the dish. It was a lovely touch and added another layer to the experience.

We eased into the evening with a tasty cocktail and the chance to enjoy some of Anna’s famous Soda bread baked in a can, which to me was more like the Wheaten Bread we get in the North of Ireland, however with lashings of Irish butter, it was delicious and moreish.

Then the main event began, starting with Bia Beag, a small bite designed to introduce the restaurant’s Irish influences. A delicate Gubbeen mousse with barley and hazelnuts sat alongside seaweed caviar served on miniature potato blinis. They may have been small, but they packed plenty of flavour and set the tone for what was to come.

The first course, Siobhán’s Quest, combined beetroot, St Tola goat’s cheese, walnut, cinnamon and raisin. It was beautifully presented and balanced earthy, sweet and creamy flavours perfectly. Light enough to start the meal, but interesting enough to leave us looking forward to the next course.

Next came Sultan’s Offering, featuring smoked mackerel with tapioca, watercress and hazelnut. Mackerel can sometimes be quite a bold flavour, but here it was beautifully judged, with the freshness of the watercress and the texture from the tapioca creating a dish that felt both light and complex.

The menu then moved on to Kindred Spirits, a comforting combination of fried yellowmeal, braised lamb, courgette and fennel seed. The lamb was beautifully tender and packed with flavour, and this was the point where the menu began to shift into richer, heartier territory.

For me, the standout dish of the evening was the sirloin of Irish beef. Served with Burren beef boxty, butternut squash, black butter glaze and pumpkin seeds, it was everything you hope for from a main course. The beef was perfectly cooked, the boxty added a welcome nod to Irish tradition, and the black butter glaze tied everything together beautifully. It was one of those dishes that makes conversation briefly stop while everyone focuses on what’s on their plate. In fact, even the woman at the next table leaned over to tell us it was her favourite course of the evening too.

By this point we were already impressed, but there was still dessert to come.

First up was Milseog Mór, a gooseberry and elderflower posset with oat crumble. Fresh, light and just tart enough to balance the richness of the earlier courses, it worked as a lovely palate cleanser before the final dessert.

Then came Dark Hedges, a combination of mascarpone, poitín-soaked cherries and dark chocolate. Rich, indulgent and packed with flavour, it provided a suitably dramatic finale. The name, of course, will be instantly familiar to anyone from Northern Ireland, adding another subtle Irish touch to the evening.

Finally, we were served Milseán – Irish buttered fudge. A small bite perhaps, but a fitting end to a meal that had consistently delivered from start to finish. To round off the evening we enjoyed this with a couple of glasses of their homemade digestifs.

The wine pairings throughout the evening were excellent. Each was introduced with just enough detail to be interesting without feeling overly formal, and they complemented the dishes beautifully.

Not quite ready for the evening to end, we wandered next door to The Wee Sister, Myrtle’s cosy wine bar. After several courses and accompanying wines, a final drink might have seemed ambitious, but it turned out to be the perfect way to round off the night. I opted for a margarita while we reflected on the meal and watched the world go by for a while. The relaxed atmosphere made it easy to linger a little longer before eventually calling it a night.

What I enjoyed most about Myrtle wasn’t just the food, although that was excellent. It was the sense of hospitality that ran through the entire experience. The restaurant celebrates Irish produce and traditions without ever feeling clichéd, and there is a genuine warmth that makes you feel welcome from the moment you arrive.

If you’re planning a visit, Myrtle is located in Chelsea. We travelled by tube to Sloane Square and then by bus from just outside the station, the number 22 is what you are looking for, which dropped us within a short walk of the restaurant. Alternatively, it’s around a 30-minute walk from Sloane Square station if you fancy stretching your legs and seeing a little more of the area on the way.

London has no shortage of excellent restaurants, but Myrtle manages to stand out. If you enjoy tasting menus, thoughtful wine pairings and food that tells a story, it’s well worth adding to your list. It was certainly one of the highlights of our weekend in the capital.

I’ll admit I was slightly disappointed not to spot Anna Haugh during our visit, but that’s probably the downside of being a fangirl. Thankfully, the food, hospitality and a final margarita at The Wee Sister more than made up for it.