Bushey, International Restaurant Guide

This smart ‘country pub’ overlooking the village pond in Totteridge, far North London, boasts a menu that ranges from steaks to sourdough pizza. But marks suffered this year on the basis of one or two reports saying recent standards have been “all a bit ‘meh’”.

This renovated Victorian tavern makes a “great location” for refuelling “if you’ve been walking on Hampstead Heath”. Its fame rests on Florrie Forde’s music-hall song from the Edwardian era, when day-tripping Cockneys would visit, not on its cooking – the latter does have its fans, but there is also the view that it is “standard pub grub and rather indifferent” at that. Top Tip – “if you use the car park, make sure you check-in with the computer screen at the bar or risk a penalty charge”.

This “ancient characterful tavern” by Hampstead Heath has hosted an impeccable list of literary tipplers in its long history from 1585, from Byron and Dickens to Bram Stoker and local poet John Keats, who listened to a nightingale in the walled garden. These days it serves “good fish ’n’ chips” and other pub staples, and an “excellent Sunday lunch”.

Not to be confused with its namesake near Hampstead tube on the other side of the Heath – this classic, traditional pub (which boasts Dickens as a former patron) sits in a beautiful slice of period Highgate, and benefits from a large outside terrace, a characterful interior and dependable grub.

This “superb, cosy local” in Belsize Park now also has an offshoot that’s proving “a great addition to St John’s Wood”. The focus is on “interesting food cooked with fire” from chef-owner Jake Finn (ex-LPM and The Ritz), who takes inspiration from Mediterranean, Peru and Japan: “a sharing concept from a menu that’s not huge but with good variety and lots of veggie options”. Both sites provide “wonderful combinations, simply done”, with meat, fish and veggies that are “both charred and succulent”. “It’s not inexpensive, but great value given the quality of ingredients and cleverness of the cuisine”. Top Menu Tip – “whole sea bream, fennel, radish and fresh herbs is a standout”.

A “fabulous bistropub” – “now also a hotel with comfortable rooms” – in a “great location” near Parliament Hill and Hampstead Heath. “Giles Coren is not wrong” – the Times columnist is a local and a big fan. Any complaints? “If only they’d turn the music down...”.

“Safe food and lovely decor” help maintain fans for this “beautifully decorated” and “quintessentially French” brasserie – part of the Wolseley Group, and – according to such supporters – “everything you could want from a neighbourhood restaurant”. However, even those who say it’s “one of the only decent options for a meal in St John’s Wood”, can feel that “it’s really gone downhill since the departure of the Corbin & King founders”; and a slip in ratings can be ascribed to “inconsistent” standards here this year. Top Tip – popular for breakfast.

“Great to have this restaurant on our doorstep” – Kimberley Hernandez’s superior fixture is easily missed in the strip of pizza-stops and cafés on Chiswick’s main drag; but it’s well worth discovering for its “interesting, very well-prepared and presented” (and relatively healthy) cuisine. And in April 2023, they appointed Nathan Cornwell (recently of The Barn at Moor Hall) as head chef who has, if anything, further stepped up its performance. Not sure about the home-made elderflower wine though…

This “great meeting spot” in Bayswater is “ever-popular” for its “excellent coffee and snacks” served in immaculate minimalist surroundings, from founders Mathew and Charmaine Tabatabai. The menu stretches from breakfast/brunch dishes to afternoon cocktails.

“A favourite local, always to be relied on” – this cosy, all-day fixture in Strand on the Green, from Lorraine Angliss, is still popular after 24 years. A branch in Barnes hit the buffers a while ago, but three other sister venues are still thriving – Little Bird in Battersea and Rock & Rose in Richmond and most recently Chiswick High Road.

“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”.

On one level it’s like any other “friendly local”, but few pubs have such a picturesque location as this popular tavern, on the kind of Regency square in Kensington that makes tourists swoon (and with its own cute outside terrace). “Great pub-like food” (without any gastro pretensions) is served in its “lively” dining room. Piers Morgan throws an annual Christmas party here, hosting celeb pals from TV and politics, with Gary Lineker in regular attendance… well, nowhere’s perfect…

“Simple food done well...and the cheese!!” – this small group has basic eateries attached to their stores as well as “an enormous selection of cheese to buy at retail”. WC1 is by far the most popular outlet – “like wandering into a village restaurant in the heart of Bloomsbury”. “If you like cheese and wine, what’s not to love about this place?”

This “beautiful little restaurant with a neighbourhood feel” in Marylebone, from chef and food writer Ravinder Bhogal, offers a “wide-ranging and ever-changing selection of consistently good dishes” inspired by her ‘no borders kitchen’ philosophy. “It’s a melange of Middle Eastern, African and Indian influences” that results in “very creative flavours – not just in the cooking but also outstanding cocktails such as a Negroni with pomegranate and rose”.

“Simple food done well...and the cheese!!” – this small group has basic eateries attached to their stores as well as “an enormous selection of cheese to buy at retail”. WC1 is by far the most popular outlet – “like wandering into a village restaurant in the heart of Bloomsbury”. “If you like cheese and wine, what’s not to love about this place?”

Glasgow chef Nico Simeone’s distinctive concept has grown into a national chain with 11 restaurants (including Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf) in just six years, offering a quick-changing succession of themed six-course menus for under £50 a head. It’s widely seen as “fantastic value” and has a sizeable fanbase amongst reporters (“every six weeks, the menu renews and for me, it is something to look forward to…”; “we simply love it and we’ve yet to miss a menu!” – “the Tokyo menu was so good we went back a second time”). Only a tiny few say, “you can feel you’re on a conveyor belt with lots of upsells”; or that the whole thing is “a dystopia of where restaurants will evolve”.

“Buy your ticket and wait and see… the chefs give their all and I’ve never had a disappointing evening!” – typical feedback on this Fitzrovia venue, whose “signature is a rotating selection of outstanding chefs cooking at the top of their game, for just a few weeks at a time” from the open kitchen. “It is a showroom (or perhaps a labour exchange!) for the rising stars of international dining… often the room is full of extra affection and praise as the chef’s family or colleagues from past brigades offer enthusiastic support. The courses are skillful and generous, and stints reflect a wide range of global experience”. “It’s hard to compare the different chefs, but the standard generally is so high and service is very well done”.

“If you feel like a party this is a good place to come” – this lavish, foliage-filled Mayfair haunt ‘goes for it’ with its “live music, nice cocktails and lively ambience” and provides a “great setting” (including for romance). Fans say “the food is as good as the music” and applaud a “superb overall experience”. But there are also those – particularly who focus on the sushi and luxurious grills rather than the complete package – for whom it’s just far too overpriced.