Bushey Heath Restaurant Guide

“A private, discrete setting” with “reasonably spaced tables and no music”, together with “no-nonsense good grills and fish” win a fair number of recommendations – including for business meals – for this Art Deco hotel dining room, a short walk from Selfridges, which features striking murals above its plush banquettes and wood panelling. It consciously aims to import Manhattan style down to the slant on its menu of salads, crustacea and steaks.

“A really lovely atmosphere” is a high point for fans of Adriana Cavita’s chilled two-year-old in Fitzrovia, in which the well-known chef from Mexico City presents tacos and street food alongside sharing dishes of grilled fish and steaks cooked in homemade Red Mole sauce over coals. Inconsistent feedback hits its ratings though: the odd dish doesn’t work (maybe it’s something about the London palate) and service is, on occasion, “VERY slow”.

“Sally has triumphed in maintaining stands and a smile across the decades” and the “super-civilised institution” she opened in 1984, south of Notting Hill Gate, has shown rare staying power. That “there is always a really warm welcome” from the “effective and nurturing” staff goes down well, as does the way she has “maintained excellence with the finest seasonal produce perfectly cooked” (inspired by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in California, her friend and mentor since the late 1970s). “Simple but elegant decor” and a strong wine list focused on North America complete a picture which still inspires practically zero criticism.

“It’s worth the trek to Colindale for the superior dim sum on offer” at Andrew Hung’s “high-end Chinese” three-year-old. Andrew gave up a career in architectural engineering to pursue the project and the commitment shows through: “the interior is beautifully designed, and the service is slick, friendly and engaging. Top-class and highly recommended!”

“They know what they are doing” at this comfortable hotel brasserie, well-located with a covered terrace on Marylebone Lane. Even its harshest critic – who finds the menu “pretty standard if uninteresting” – says that it suits “a functional business lunch”. But most reports are more upbeat – “there’s nothing to ‘frighten the horses’ but what they do, they do well. A place to come and please everyone and be able to have a proper conversation. Hooray!”

Billed by Malaysian-born founder Bernard Yeoh as ‘liberated Nanyang [ie South Seas Chinese] cooking’, the well-accoladed cuisine at this Mayfair fixture has impressed diners for more than 30 years, with Adele one of the more recent celebs to sing its praises. High-quality hit dishes include a “definitive wasabi prawns and slow-cooked pork”; and there’s no compromise on the quality of the drinks offering, with a comprehensive selection of teas, cocktails and wines. But... “the prices! £23 for a plate of brocollini tells me the trick is to get someone to take you there!” (and, you can spend over £10,000 per bottle on the wine).

“A truly epic wine list” (almost 2,000 bins), “with virtually all options available by the glass” – and including some “lovely, mature vintages” – is the special appeal of this Parisian import, which occupies a traditionally smart corner-site in Fitzrovia, across the square from the back of John Lewis. The modern French cuisine that provides a foil to the wine is in a fairly conventional mould but consistently well-rated.

Markos Tsimkalis is celebrating his second year at this upbeat modern taverna near Holland Park station, where fish is a particular highpoint of a sunny Greek menu made from excellent ingredients (e.g. meat from nearby Lidgates), and with many dishes from the charcoal grill. High-quality Greek wines are a particular feature of an interesting drinks list, with a number of ‘special pours’ by the glass.

“Authentic cooking from the open kitchen” elevates this Indian venue, easily missed amidst the anonymous units around Westfield Shepherd Bush’s Southern Terrace. It’s the London representative of a chain founded in 1972 in Bombay by JK Kapur (with 15 locations in India) and specialises in North Indian cuisine.

Named for the booking pseudonym of the late Princess Margaret (who lived for many years at nearby Kensington Palace), this stalwart bistro is perennially popular for its superbly welcoming, quirky style (a kind of quaint, old-farmhouse, rustic chic) rather than its 1970s Anglo-French cuisine. A fire closed it in early 2024 – a reopening in 2025 is suggested by its website.

“Richard Corrigan’s grown-up Mayfair flagship”, just off Park Lane, is a favourite spot for enjoying top-quality British Isles cuisine, where the emphasis is on the best produce be it ‘furred, foraged, finned or feathered’. Typical feedback applauds dishes such as “brilliant ox cheek” or “a great fish selection prepared with aplomb”… “mouth-watering”. There’s a “great value set menu”, but “beware of straying too far from it, as otherwise racking up a hefty bill is very, very, very easy”.

“For a quick meal before boarding a train at King’s Cross or St Pancras” across the road, this inviting café is worth remembering for “well-prepared” pasta in generous portions provided by “very attentive” staff. In summer 2024, after our annual diners’ poll had closed, top chef Adam Simmons (ex-Ynyshir Hall and Danesfield House) joined as consultant, creating a new menu of ‘reimagined Italian classics’ for Spagnoletti (named after an Anglo-Italian engineer who developed railway signalling in the 19th century).

“The culinary jewel in Chiswick’s crown” – this cousin to Chez Bruce “located in a side street off Chiswick High Road” is many diners’ idea of the “perfect neighbourhood restaurant”. Having “survived the enlarging of the space” and a “change of staff a couple of years ago, things have now completely settled in as has chef Greg Wellman”; and its performance this year in our annual diners’ poll was incredibly consistent. The modern French cuisine “is a bit cheffier and more refined than before”, with “lots of interesting Asian/Japanese touches”: “interesting, but not too cutting edge” and “most importantly full of flavour”. There’s also a “fascinating” wine list to match (“the commitment to wine, as opposed to just seeing it as a profit centre, is noteworthy” with “an outstanding sommelier who will suggest perfect accompaniment for the dishes but also provide answers to far-fetched requests!”). “It’s all combined with seamlessly efficient service… not as easy to do as they make it look, I suspect!”. “Sit outside on a warm day”. Top Menu Tips – “excellent pasta/ravioli plates add to excellent versions of more classic dishes, and a recent rabbit terrine was world class”.

“This unusual Asian-fusion restaurant” from Michael Lim “delivers extremely high-quality, fresh-tasting dishes almost uniformly across the board” from its variety of cuisines – and “Michael always takes care of the customers”. After almost three decades in Notting Hill, it now has a spinoff in Seymour Place, Marylebone, where it’s “a very welcome addition”.

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2022 Review: Worth knowing about near Gloucester Road tube – this large hotel dining room has been serving Indian cuisine since 1984. Too few reports for a rating, but promising feedback and worth bearing in mind if you are in the vicinity.

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“Despite now being part of a rolled-out chain, they have managed to maintain good quality” at these tapas-haunts, whose original branch off Goodge Street was an early pioneer of the capital’s trend to small plates. A minor gripe is of “packed” seating, but most feedback focuses on their “delicious food and well-thought-out wine list”.

Cheneston's, named after the early spelling of Kensington, embodies refined fine dining with a touch of British culinary heritage. Discover a symphony of comfort and creativity orchestrated by Executive Chef Daniel Putz, crafting signature dishes infused with inspiration fro...

Something of an unexpected find on the Hammersmith Road – part of the Victorian former premises of St Paul’s Boys School were converted into a hotel some years ago and incorporate this smart dining room looking onto a small park. A variety of relatively affordable menus – Sunday Lunch, Afternoon Tea, and, more recently, a steak and whisky pairing – make it a flexible venue, particularly suited to a family occasion.