Ashtead, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

A “buzzy, colourful atmosphere” reigns supreme at this Surrey offshoot of The Ivy’s flashy brasserie chain, with a beautiful orangerie the best of the seating options. As for the food, “it is perfectly acceptable” but “this place lives off the name for sure” and is “very expensive for what it is” (not that this necessarily deters repeat visitors, who “return for its lovely ambience”).

2023 Review: A couple of excellent reports suggest it’s worth considering this old pub reinvented as a hotel and restaurant (a couple of years ago), between the maze of Hampton Court Palace and Bushy Park. The refit is very attractive and the menu of superior gastropub fare is well-rated.

2022 Review: “Beautifully refurbished” by the current owners (Young’s Brewery), even if not everyone is a fan of its chain-ification, this “great local” – replete with roaring fires, seasonal grub and pleasant garden – is of note for its daily chalkboard specials, but they also do fancy game nights.

“You feel miles away from London” at this Georgian gastroboozer on the edge of Wimbledon Common, which provides “a great atmosphere in very cosy surroundings”. “There’s a more relaxed vibe than when it originally emerged from its old ‘boozer’ days. The staff are lovely, attentive, fun but not over the top, and the food is perfect”.

Another year of stellar ratings confirms that Remi Williams and Aaron Webster’s former pop-up in Tooting is no flash in the pan, offering “fine food in a bustling, vibrant atmosphere” and “set menus of delicious sharing plates” for which they make clever use of European salting, curing and smoking techniques. They made a name for themselves at Pop Brixton before moving to this permanent site in 2020.

This attractive eighteenth-century inn is a short stroll from Sheen Gate and a good option following a walk in Richmond Park (especially in summer on the terrace). On the downside, “the cooking can be a bit hit and miss” – it’s “under new management” since Fuller’s fell out with the previous landlord a couple of years back, “so perhaps hasn’t found its stride yet”.

“Wonderful décor, a nice mix of cocktails and a lively buzz make this a very good local” that works equally “for a romantic meal or for celebrating a special event”. The new branch in Chiswick generates most of the feedback this year, but Lorraine Angliss (also owner of Annie’s and Little Bird) has run the Richmond original for 15 years.

A “top pub garden” is the trump card of this handsome, green-tiled tavern on the Chiswick-Acton border, and it’s backed up by “super-attentive service, great food” and “a lively buzz”. It’s been “consistently good” in its current guise for more than 20 years.

“Now under new management”, this “small and friendly” pub – in the picturesque Hammersmith backstreets known as ‘Brackenbury Village’ – has gone from good to better. It has always been a “solid, welcoming local, with good food and well-kept beer” and its new incarnation is just that bit ‘next-level’: with its “well judged and executed seasonal menus and quality wines by the glass” it’s “buzzing”.

“When all that wealth and beauty on the King’s Road become too much”, this “tastefully restored” old pub (built in 1838) is something of an antidote. It wins praise all round for its “attentive” service and “traditional British fare” that’s “on the button and carefully presented”. If there’s any reservation, it’s that it doesn’t dazzle quite as much as its restaurant royalty backing might lead you to hope (the owners of JKS Restaurants, with food overseen by Kitchen Table’s James Knappett). Top Menu Tip – “prawn cocktail and skinny chips with a side order of hot sauce”.

“A gem of a place hidden away” in a quiet corner of SW3 close to Chelsea’s ‘Physic Garden’, this “traditional” 1853 pub – a classic watering hole in the area – has been transformed by landlord Jack Greenall (scion of the Lancashire brewing dynasty), and now serves a high standard of “very reasonable value” British dishes, accompanied by “sensibly priced” Bibendum wines. “Service is spot-on, too”.

“Great food and drink, especially pizza” makes it worth remembering this stylish (if sometimes noisy) Olympia pub-conversion, a few minutes’ walk from Brook Green (part of the Oak group).

This “top-notch local boozer” in Stockwell offers arguably the “best pub food in South London” – “simple and hearty fare, but always served with verve and understanding” by on-the-ball service. Its slightly remoter address and a lack of theatres nearby means it is slightly less busy than its famous foodie stablemate, the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo.

“Still a first choice for a fun, good-value Thai meal” – the “freshly cooked” scoff in the “bonkers” flower-filled dining conservatory of this quirky 1750 tavern, near Notting Hill Gate, still makes it a top destination for the budget conscious. Popularity comes at a price, though – “booking is essential after 6pm”. Top Tip – the pub itself is worth a visit too – it was renamed in the statesman’s honour, and his grandparents visited in the Victorian era.

Very often recommended as an “expensive but reliable” venue for a “perfect business lunch”, this “decorous”, family-run hotel near Buck House (where the Middletons stayed before Kate & Will’s big day) has won renown as a “very classy”, traditionally British affair, where “everything is done perfectly”. Post-Covid, however, its dining room’s performance seems to have been on the slide and the downward trend noted last year continued in this year’s poll amidst gripes that it was “not as good as previously”, serving “bland food” and with “too many high expectations dashed”. Top Tip – “a quintessential English afternoon tea” in the lounges here is still a popular event.

“A menu of deep historical appreciation and stimulating intellectual connections adds up to a total experience that’s much more than great fine dining”, according to fans of Heston Blumenthal’s Knightsbridge venue, whose “original takes on classic English cuisine” are, apparently, inspired by Heston’s love of historic British gastronomy and research into cookbooks from the 14th century onwards. Supporters say “the signature meat fruit and tipsy cake are so good, you can just have them every time” and that his other more recent (re)creations can also be “magnificent”. But that it’s a case of “Emperor’s new clothes” is another commonly held belief about this hotel dining room, which – in 1 in 3 reports – is said by diners to be their most “overpriced” meal of the year; and which, despite Hyde Park views from some tables, struggles to generate much in the way of atmosphere. “Seriously, a disappointment after The Fat Duck. Just not value for money!”