LONDON, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: A handy location, near the Guildhall, “buzzy” large interior and versatile menu of “decent (if unspectacular) food” mean it’s worth remembering this “reliable option in the City”, although it “can be incredibly busy”.

2021 Review: “Escape the feel of the City for very reasonable home cooked-food” in the ancient crypt of Bow Bells church. “There are no better dining establishments in the Square Mile: affordable, great service, good food with delicious daily changing salads” including “excellent veggie and vegan options”. Depending on when you go, it’s either a “quiet” space or quite a “noisy” one.

2022 Review: Yet another option for eating at The Ned! This time, the colossal hipster hotel near Bank has added a new basement bar and entertainment space, complete with regular live music. The food is more than just bar bites though – Lobster Thermidor anyone?

“The original of the City’s high-quality restaurants” – ex-Goldman banker, Soren Jessen’s venture in a converted banking hall near the Bank of England “is still going strong” and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. A linchpin of business entertaining in the Square Mile, “the large dining room is well-equipped for both discreet business meetings or more lively get-togethers” and “very good front-of-house staff recognise when deals are being done”: “they can get you in and out in an hour”. “The menu is broad but appropriate for the besuited clientele, with a mix of traditional British dishes and a hint of European cuisines”. “It is not going to be a gastronomic knockout, but that’s not what you go for: it’s decent high- quality food at decent-but-not-astronomical prices”. Top Tip – also a “great venue for breakfast”.

Gordon Ramsay’s comfortable, upscale brasserie chain continues to inspire feedback that’s very mixed and surprisingly limited for the sizeable empire of an international megastar. Naysayers reckon: “What a disappointment! Average food is served in a cavernous space by staff who seemed unhappy to be there”; or that “they no longer seem like they care, just serving formulaic, bland food”. This year’s most positive comment? “It was actually much better than I expected, having no great hopes. Service and speed were pretty laid back, which suited us. The food was well-cooked and presented, even if menu choices (mains especially) struck me as a bit weird and perhaps trying to cover too many bases”.

A particularly solid choice for brunch – this “buzzy” Kiwi-run chain (with seven branches) fits the bill well, with “interesting small plates” of pan-global fusion food and an emphasis on notably good coffee (which they roast in-house). On the downside, the food is often “passable and no more” and their “lively” interiors (Granary Square in particular) can become “hopelessly crowded”, giving rise to incidents of “slapdash service”. Still, they’re “fun” and “reasonably priced”. (See also Vardo).

“A great wine list from all corners of the globe” has helped underpin the ongoing popularity of this modern wine bar chain, despite a year that saw it sold out of administration and the closure of its popular King’s Cross branch. Although this period inspired iffy marks and the odd report of “totally disorganised” service, the four remaining outlets still inspire tons of, albeit slightly lukewarm nominations as a handy option “for a simple meal”: “don’t expect any sort of culinary fireworks” from the “straightforward” dishes “but there are some very nice, reasonably priced wines” and the interiors are “definitely pleasant”. Top Menu Tips – “lovely cheese croquettes and steak ’n’ chips”.

2022 Review: Fortnum’s hold the catering and bar concession for the spectacular City courtyard of the Royal Exchange, where they provide luxury all-day snacking, sipping and dining (start the day with “the best-ever porridge with whisky and cream!”). It must be the just about the only restaurant in London to provide ‘personal shopping advice’ to diners, guiding them round the glossy shops that have replaced traders in the surrounding exchange.

This “City classic” in a former banking hall near the Bank of England makes a “safe if unexciting choice for dining with ‘colleagues’” or clients. “Nothing hits a high note but neither is it tuneless” – which suits its besuited business clientele just fine. There’s a wide range of traditional-ish brasserie fare, with daily specials, pies, steak and British Cheeses each something of a menu feature.

Easily missed, “near the Millennium (wobbly) Bridge” directly opposite Tate Modern, Neleen Strauss’s “sparse” riverside venture is worth investigating. The focus is simple: “great steaks (from Yorkshire) with everything else – including passionate rugby support – from South Africa”. Star of the show is, some would say, the “Saffer wine list – a reasonably priced one, too”.

“Great vibes and view of the city” are undisputed attractions of Jason Atherton’s City eyrie on the 24th floor of Tower 42 (which old timers will remember was the highest building in the UK till 1990). Critics say “the food here is a little bland and not as memorable as you would want given the standard and price”, but more common is the view that it’s all-round “excellent” and it remains a firm favourite for business entertaining. (It’s now one of only two survivors of Atherton’s ‘Social’ brand).

2022 Review: The name says it all about this new ‘Britisserie’ (an ‘authentic British patisserie’), which opened on a corner site near St Paul’s in December 2019. Owners Daniel Jobsz and his mum honed their classic pie-making skills at markets, festivals and pop-ups from 2015 before they found the site, which incorporates a small courtyard. Full English breakfasts (in a tart, of course), plus epic mash and a good list of beers and other drinks complete the formula.

Still-limited and somewhat up-and-down feedback on the posher part of this foliage-filled space on the 37th floor of the ‘Walkie Talkie’ (your reservation gives you access to the surrounding ‘Sky Garden’, for which you otherwise need a ticket). Nowadays the stoves are overseen by Anguillan-raised Kerth Gumbs, who puts a Caribbean spin on some dishes, be it from the à la carte or the 9-course tasting menu for £95. The odd critic considers it “overpriced and mediocre”, but fans say it’s “exceptional and romantic”.

London’s highest rooftop brasserie is on the 36th floor of the Walkie Talkie – “booking a meal here is the easiest way to get the view as the free public tickets vanish very quickly when made available!”. “The venue does not trade too rapaciously on the location and offers a pleasant if unambitious menu”. (“The view is best appreciated from the ‘Sky Garden’ that surrounds the restaurant, so it is worth taking time before or after eating to explore that”).

What does it say about the culinary tastes of the British middle classes that this spin-off chain, with about 40 locations based on the original Theatreland icon, has been such a rip-roaring success? True, there’s some “great people-watching” at the “always buzzing” Chelsea Garden venue (which has one of SW3’s best gardens). And, without doubt, those branches in Kensington, Tower Bridge and Kingston also particularly stand out amongst the rest for their “super atmosphere”. In general though, the knock-off look of their locations “isn’t a patch on the original on West Street, yet pretends to be exactly the same”. And when it comes to their brasserie dishes: although its many followers tout them as “acceptable, albeit nothing special”, their rating-average identifies them as “underwhelming tick-box fare”; all offered by service that’s very “indifferent”. And yet they are “always busy”! In June 2024, it was announced that billionaire Richard Caring had successfully sold his entire Ivy restaurants stake. Now that he is laughing all the way to the bank, it will be interesting to see if ratings reverse, continue or deepen their southward trend.

“Proper British food” of the “sort that isn’t fashionable any more” is the USP of this pub near the entrance to the Barbican arts centre. The “seasonal fare with some wonderful dishes you rarely see in other restaurants” is “filling and tasty”, and the Sunday roast is particularly recommended. Top Menu Tip – “try the cod’s head: absolutely amazing, but not for the faint-hearted!”

“A wonderful location overlooking St Paul’s and the river” – complete with “fantastic view of the Thames” – creates a “gorgeous”, if unavoidably touristy, setting for this South Bank pub, which is incorporated into Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Locals support it too though: in particular it’s “a lovely spot for afternoon tea” and “even if the teas are Shakespeare-themed, they aren’t over-tacky”. The contemporary British food is also well-rated at other times.

2021 Review: This pair of “casual”, well-located all-day brasseries serve an “eclectic menu” from breakfast on, but it’s the “friendly ambience that’s a real winner”. The Sloane Square branch is “very Chelsea” – “great for lunch” and “wonderfully convenient pre- and post-show for Cadogan Hall or Royal Court”.

“Dining on the 40th floor” (“you ride up a small glass-enclosed elevator”) of the City’s Heron Tower – with “walls that are all glass, for an incredible view of London” – is “a great experience” that’s “worth all the hype”. The signature duck & waffle dish (2 million sold!) “is normally OK”, but really “the food should be much better”. The 24/7 opening hours make it ideal for a late-night date, while “weekend brunch with views is lovely for a special occasion”.

2023 Review: “This low-key wine bar is an absolute gem”, “hiding” in the new waterside Westin Hotel, “with a huge window looking across the Thames” to Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre (“spending the evening watching the river drift by with a glass in hand is a really great way to end a tough week”). The interior has a contemporary Scandi look and the menu is put together by Jorge Colazo, ex-head chef at Aquavit. Feedback is too limited for a rating, but initial reports are upbeat, talking of “interesting wine and imaginative small plates”.