Greater London, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

Many older Londoners tasted their first tapas at this “fun and reliable” Hispanic spot on a prominent corner of the Cut, near Waterloo – back in the days when you “had to queue (now you can book)” for a place in the “cramped interior”. It’s still “excellent before and after visiting the Old Vic” across the road.

Who knew Arthur Andersen’s previous HQ (also apparently a former car park) could look so chic! The founders of Frieze art fair are behind this “stylish and buzzing” yearling in a Modernist building, off the Strand – “an interesting mid-century space”, which is “spacious” and “with a lovely secluded outside terrace”. Chef Yohei Furuhashi delivers an “on-trend concept”: “ingredients so fresh and of superior quality” are interfered with as little as possible: “this is how delicious food should taste, with flavours bursting in one’s mouth, not dishes laced with salt lazily passed off as a meal in most restaurants” (“impeccable…. I’m still dreaming about the artichoke and pea salad”). “Prices seem to have jumped up in recent months” though, placing it in value terms as “pricey, but worth it”.

“One of the prettiest restaurants in London – charmingly tucked away in Floral Court, Covent Garden” – this is the in-town offshoot of the famous Richmond plant nursery, and in fact houses two establishments – “La Goccia is the better of the two” (see also). There’s “a lovely atmosphere in this light and bright room – it’s the sort of place you might take your rich aunt to for lunch”. The food, though, is “not especially memorable” and “weirdly expensive for average fare”.

2022 Review: This 300-room landmark hotel – from the Edwardian Group – just off Leicester Square had been set to open in 2020 as the pandemic hit, and finally launched in September 2021. As well as incorporating two Odeon luxe cinemas and a rooftop bar with fire pits, it offers six concept eateries, bars and a tavern. The main event is Whitcomb’s, an all-day bar/brasserie. Other possibilities include The Stage (for breakfast, tea and caviar, with Champagne a-go-go); and 8 at The Londoner (on the rooftop, serving Japanese dishes and cocktails).

“A secret, below-ground escape from the mayhem of Leicester Square” for more than half a century – this “well-hidden”, “old-school” wine bar has “only got better” over the years, first under founder Don Hewitson and latterly under Will Clayton. Top Menu Tip – “share the ham and cheese pie (it is absolutely enormous)”, and has sold around a million portions since 1971.

“One of the best fish restaurants anywhere” – Costas Spiladis’s London outpost of his luxurious international chain channels the brilliance of the Mediterranean, with its bright, white walls and high ceiling. “The fish is displayed beautifully on ice at one end of the venue and hosed down every 20 mins or so” – “a fantastic selection that always delivers a fabulous meal”. Sadly, though, you have to be a Greek shipping magnate to afford it nowadays (“just reading the menu is a shock”), and even those who think it’s “worth the hype” can find it “so eye-wateringly expensive, I think it might be one visit per year from now on”. Those less well disposed to it, say “if you like being served a smidgen of food and being charged a fortune, this restaurant is for you!”

“Very friendly” and “authentic” – this “family-run traditional Italian trattoria” is a “dependable and good-value” option in Covent Garden, “with outside tables in decent weather”. The food is “good but not exceptional”. Top Menu Tip – “try the calves’ liver and tiramisu”.

2020 Review: A “perfect City lunch-spot”, handily located just a short cheque-bounce away from the Bank of England, with “plenty of space between tables” and “a cracking wine list”. A French menu is “well executed and served” to a very “consistent standard”. For the cellar bistro, see Don Bistro & Bar.

“Still a very good gastropub”, this green-tiled ex-boozer was a leading light in Bermondsey’s emergence as a foodie destination when it opened 21 years ago, and remains in the gastronomic high ground with its commitment to ethically sourced ingredients.

2021 Review: A “wealth of wines by the glass” and “tasty nibbles”, help make this growing group of self-service wine bars a “fun way to try a selection of vintages from a multitude of small producers”. At the Battersea Power Station branch’s school you can educate your palate towards Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification and watch wine being made from grapes grown in Oxfordshire and Surrey.

“An exceptional list of wine with so many to choose by the glass that it’s always possible to try something a bit different” is the key selling point of this popular modern wine bar chain. Its culinary attractions are less reliable – the food can be “surprisingly good” but is too often “essentially average”; service can be “accommodating” or “rushed”; and the ambience can be “better if you can sit outside”. But its “excellent value” drinking and “lively” style carry the day. In particular, the “conveniently placed” King’s Cross branch has a “great location, which makes it a winner”. Top Tip – “creditable set lunch at a pretty restrained price”.

2021 Review: The promising, but hitherto under-exploited mix of Mediterranean and Japanese small plates is the crux of the menu offering at this August 2019 opening, which promises ‘a modern, day-to-night, neighbourhood restaurant and bar… complemented by a diverse variety of wines, sake and signature cocktails’.

The Soho flagship of Israeli writer/chef Yotam Ottolenghi is conceived as a step up from his deli-diners, and the food is generally considered “wonderful”. But a note of disappointment has crept in with complaints along the lines of “bad service” or “overpriced vegetables and wine” – “I really don’t know what all the fuss is about”.

2021 Review: “Like a home away from home”, this Pimlico stalwart keeps regulars happy with a “lovely range of tapas” and Spanish classics, “supervised brilliantly by the amazing host, Issy”. “In an age of ever-changing restaurants, it’s a great pleasure to enjoy such consistency over many years.”

2021 Review: A “wealth of wines by the glass” and “tasty nibbles”, help make this growing group of self-service wine bars a “fun way to try a selection of vintages from a multitude of small producers”. At the Battersea Power Station branch’s school you can educate your palate towards Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification and watch wine being made from grapes grown in Oxfordshire and Surrey.

“Gastropub heaven!” – this basic boozer on the busy Farringdon Road is where the gastropub revolution started in 1991, and it’s “still fabulous after all these years” – “no fuss, no pretence, just wholehearted focus, as ever, on simple yet perfect flavour combinations. Unbeatable!”. Head chef Edward Mottershaw celebrates two decades as head chef this year, and still chalks up the daily changing menu of Mediterranean-influenced dishes a matter of minutes before service, ensuring “simplicity and perfection without scary prices”.