Esher, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Terrific food in a nice old pub” sums up the straightforward winning formula of this highly popular venture from chefs Mike Wall-Palmer and Dave Adams, who worked together at top chef Steve Drake’s former restaurant in the village. Their cooking is “totally reliable and reasonably priced”, with the set lunch in particular offering “exceptional value”.

A “real favourite” of well-heeled foodies, this classy if relatively unsung Mayfair hotel dining room boasts in “William Drabble, the most underrated of chefs – and one of great longevity” after 15 years at the helm. There is an eight-course ‘Menu Gourmand’ (for £125), but also à la carte options (starting in the evening with a two-course meal for £82 – lunchtimes are cheaper).

“If it was good enough for Queen Elizabeth II, it’s good enough for the rest of us!” – Gavin Rankin’s “very civilised, old school” brasserie in a cute Mayfair mews has a “lovely old-fashioned vibe” (and was one of the few restaurants in the UK in which the late Queen ever ate out). “Peaceful and very enjoyable”, it’s one of those rare dining rooms where jacket and tie are still the norm (although the dress code is an unwritten one). Staff are “utterly professional” and “predictably discreet”. “Start an evening with cocktails at the bar (next to the restaurant)” and then move next door for “classic French cuisine” that’s “lovely” but won‘t scare the horses. Top Tip – “the counter bar is also a great spot in which to have a posh fish finger sandwich!”

“Hidden off the King’s Road” in “an attractive townhouse” in a backstreet near Peter Jones – Taylor Bonnyman’s “romantic” venue is “just lovely in every respect”. Chef Marguerite Keogh’s “exceptionally crafted” modern British cuisine is “incredibly well thought-out: dishes taste sublime and the presentation is a work of art in itself”. “The wine pairings are really interesting” and “Nuno, the sommelier, gave comprehensive explanations of all the wines”: part of a team delivering service that’s “excellent and not cloying”. “It’s under the radar, but one of the best restaurants in town”: “highly recommended”. (It also deserves kudos for its “exceptional sustainability”, with produce sourced from its own one-and-a-half-acre kitchen garden in Sussex).

In the underprovided area around Oval, it’s well worth discovering this “nice neighbourhood spot near the cricket ground”. Steak is a speciality (it’s a sibling to Clapham’s Knife, see also), but meat doesn’t over-dominate the wide menu, and results remain consistently well-rated. Top Tip – ‘secret’ outdoor garden out back.

“The stories behind the dishes are so lovely” at Adam Handling’s Covent Garden HQ, where diners face the open kitchen to enjoy an eight-course menu presented by the chef and his team for £195 per person. “The wow-factor of the beautiful presentation really adds to the overall pleasure of the meal” and “you will seldom see such intricately and delicately plated dishes”. For most diners, “there’s substance to match all the theatrics” too, with the resulting tastes on the plate being “absolutely superb”. But there are also those who – while acknowledging “flashes of brilliance” – still feel that “‘we’re-trying-so-hard’ screams from every dish” to the extent of seeming “pointless” or “pretentious”. “And then there’s the bill…” which even fans concede is “daftly expensive”. The main verdict though? “can’t wait to return!”. Top Tip – corkage free lunchtimes: BYO at no extra cost!

“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”.

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.

“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”.

“Just a fantastic highlight for South London” – for the 19th year running, Bruce Poole & Nigel Platts-Martin’s “outstanding neighbourhood restaurant” (in “a lovely location by Wandsworth Common”) is voted London’s No. 1 favourite destination in our annual diners’ poll, drawing adulation from across the capital as well as adoration from the immediately adjacent postcodes. It’s “a high-class restaurant but an unfussy one”: chef Matt Christmas’s modern British cooking is “imaginative” – “with lovely touches throughout” – but “not with silly complications”; and there’s “no tasting menu or small plates, thank goodness!”. When it comes to wine, “they really know what they are doing” and offer “one of the most varied and high-quality wine lists around, with lots of classics, and plenty of new options to try”. “The regular presence of Bruce himself (more common since lockdown) is welcome” and it’s a “very slick operation”: “friendly, not too pretentious” and “seemingly effortlessly convivial”. The room itself is slightly “cramped” to some tastes, but is buoyed along by the “seductive buzz of contented diners”. “It’s still the one to beat – the standards never drop… if anything, it gets better!”

Ties festooned from the ceiling is the signature look of this veteran St James’s location, which makes a civilised launch-pad for an evening in the West End. With help from Northcote’s Lisa Goodwin-Allen, the menu – well-rated in reports – offers light US-inspired bites (ribs, jambalaya prawns, mac ’n’ cheese).

A very appealing looking spot, in one of Chelsea’s more chichi little enclaves – this café bar is part of nearby boutique hotel, 100 Cadogan Gardens. It’s not the cheapest venue, and service can lag, but for a breakfast or light shopping lunch it’s praised (albeit in limited feedback) as “a good all-rounder”.

This “long-time favourite gastropub near Richmond Park” in East Sheen has been owned by TV chef Paul Merrett for more than 15 years, and serves “great food and wine”, including in the spacious rear conservatory and garden. “Never had a bad meal here”, agree regulars – many of whom meet up in the bar for a “pre-Twickenham lunch”.

“These very big premises were once a prestigious tailor’s” – then more recently a branch of the Browns brasserie chain – and are now “a pub-like restaurant in the middle of Mayfair”. Fans are impressed by “its competent realisation of a standard menu” of British classics. But service can be “somewhat patchy” and food can be “fairly average” as a result.

“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!”

“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.

“Well worth a visit” – this “sympathetically restored” Mayfair hotel is originally Victorian (from the 1850s), although the wood panelling and square cornices of this basement dining room owe their looks to the 1930s. It continues to perform extremely consistently under chef Sofian Mstefi, who provides a seven-course menu for £122 per person (and there’s also a five-course option for £85 per person served Tuesday-Friday). We received nothing but all-round praise this year, with it winning nominations as both a business and romantic venue; and with many reporters enjoying their best meals of the year here.