London Knightsbridge Restaurant Guide

“A favourite stylish, civilised option” that’s surprisingly affordable for somewhere so close to South Kensington’s museums and the Royal Albert Hall – this stunning, “romantic” chamber in an émigrés club (founded in 1940) can still seem like “something of a hidden gem” although it has been extremely well-discovered for decades now (more so since Jan Woroniecki took over its management in 2015) and is “always busy and buzzing”. There’s “a characterful bar for aperitifs of all descriptions” and “a table outside on a summer’s day is perfect” when they open a huge rear terrace adjacent to Prince’s Gardens at the back. On the menu: “hearty and original Polish fare” that will not win prizes for finesse, but will for value, alongside “a brilliant selection of vodkas” and other tipples.

«C’est ouf!». “Superb burgers at reasonable prices” – “a really good range with a focus on flavour” and using different French regional cheeses – win a big thumbs-up for the South Kensington outpost of this Gallic ‘Maison du Hamburgé’ chain (that’s 50-strong in ‘La Patrie’). Delivery is a big business here too: “appropriately packaged so none of the greatness is lost!”

“It might not be for a true aficionado of Asian food, but the welcome is genuine, the food is always meticulously cooked and presented, service standards are high, and it has pleased us for many years” – one report neatly encapsulates the strong virtues of this rather “glamorous”, “good-but-pricey” Chinese group: a family-owned chain with branches in Knightsbridge, Mill Hill, Wandsworth Common and Esher. “Why not save yourself the trip to Chinatown and enjoy a meal without the crowds, bad service, and soulless dining rooms!”

This quintet of tapas bars from the well-known Iberian food importer attracts most attention for its locations – in particular its “lively and popular” original bar at the entrance to Borough Market; and most recent addition: a “lovely riverside spot overlooking the Thames at Richmond”. Despite its renown – and some praise for its “small plates but big flavours” – ratings are held down by prices many reporters consider “high” for what’s widely seen as “pretty standard tapas fare”.

2021 Review: “When all you want is an old-school burger”, these US-based arrivals of recent years really “hit the spot” – you can “build your own”, with “tons of accessories”; plus “seriously addictive fries”, “thick milkshakes”, and “more soda flavours than is reasonable”. “The eat-in experience is as depressing as McDonald’s”, though, in fact perhaps more so – “some branches have a strangely gloomy ambience” – but fans feel that “if you don’t mind 1980s-rock, a trip can still be surprisingly fun”.

“Unchanged since it opened” in 1947, this Polish institution by South Ken tube station serves “very authentic”, “reliably interesting” and “sometimes rather stodgy” East European home cooking to an adoring audience who wouldn’t want to change a thing. “I love the ambience – bright daylight, serious lunch crowd; evenings the vodka kicks in more”.

Near the Albert Hall, on a quirky site built in the Venetian Gothic style to please Queen Victoria, this “typically bustling family-run Italian” opened in 1967, and offers a “standard menu, with properly cooked pasta” and dependable pizza. “Kids are really well looked after, just like being in Italy” – as Princess Diana found, when she used to take Wills and Harry out for a treat from nearby Kensington Palace.

“Despite his branches in Hollywood and Dubai having closed, the original staggers on” at Ciro Orisini’s Knightsbridge veteran: an old-fashioned cellar, to which a visit has been a rite of passage for the gilded youth of Knightsbridge since 1978. “It’s not really about the pizza and pasta, which is average in all but price – hit a good night, and with the live music and dancing, a visit to Ciro’s can still hit the spot”.

“Simply love Hawksmoor!”. Founded by Will Beckett and Huw Gott, this phenomenal steakhouse chain remains one of the Top-5 most-mentioned restaurant groups in our annual diners’ poll and also one of the most popular. At heart – despite expansion to the 10 UK sites, one in Ireland and two in the US (Chicago, launched in July 2024, is the latest) – the essentials of the brand haven’t changed since they first opened near Spitalfields in 2006: “the steak and the sides are all thumping winners” (“chewy char on the all-grass-fed meat and perfect chips”); “cocktails are a standout attraction” (“those cherry Negronis are a bit too addictive!”); “service is smiley”; all the above is “unbelievably popular”; and consequently they are seemingly able to charge “silly prices”, while not deterring their huge fan base. Opening in the City also helped establish the brand as a huge client-entertaining favourite: “if you’re doing business with carnivores, the excellent steak, red wine, service, and professional ambience should help you seal the deal”. Meanwhile, “good fish and veggie options” have been added to the menu in recent times, perhaps to help defuse the obvious criticism that beef farming is not that super for the planet. In July 2024 – three years after the business tried to float on the stock exchange – majority owners, Graphite Capital, put their 51% stake in the business up for sale for a reported £100m valuation. Will and Huw will, it seems, retain their stake. Top Tip – “BYO is £5 on a Monday!”

For “a more upmarket Thai experience”, head to the branches of Khun Patara Sila-On’s “very pleasant” group (which is over 30 years old, with branches from Asia to Europe). “Well-presented flavoursome dishes” from “good-quality ingredients” are provided by staff who “always seem happy to see you”.

“Interesting and tasty small plates” – “sort of evolved eastern Mediterranean” – is backed up by a “short and eclectic wine list” focused on the same region at Barry & Patricia Hamilton’s Levantine duo in Queensway and South Kensington. With its “fast, efficient service”, the latter is a “good place for pre-Albert Hall dining”. Top Menu Tip – for brunch, “the Turkish breakfast (halloumi, merguez, baked eggs, spicy tomato crush, pitta bread)”.

If Hollywood was going to film a cutesome Kensington scene, it might well choose the picturesque sidestreet location of this “ideally romantic” townhouse, where it’s “always a pleasure to have a meal”; and which, under various owners, “has been satisfying diners for a few decades now”. The “quiet and cosy” interior is “conducive to conversation” and sets the scene for Ben Murphy’s “classy” modern European cuisine from an “impressive menu that’s excellently presented”. At least, it did before August 2024, when Murphy resigned – presumably demoralised by Michelin’s stoic (pig-headed?) refusal to recognise this place with a star despite it being so clearly merited. His final services are in October 2024, and given the uncertainty surrounding this D&D London venue we’ve removed its excellent ratings for the time being. At dinner choose a three-course à la carte for £75 per person, or a seven-course tasting option for £105 per person. Top Tip – lunch is a relatively cheap £42 per person for three courses.

Fans say these straightforward Japanese operations “set a benchmark for quality sushi and sashimi”, backed up by a “fabulous sake selection” and “charming service”. The Mayfair branch is “something of an oasis off the bustle of Oxford Street”, and like its Knightsbridge sibling is “very reasonably priced for the area and quality of food”. Top Tip – “good omakase”.

Covid-19 was not kind to Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s long-established Lebanese chain, and none of its Maroush-branded branches now survive in its original Edgware Road heartland (not counting their Ranoush and Beirut Express branches which do still operate there). Of its longstanding outlets, only Maroush II – the seasoned Beauchamp Place café/restaurant a short walk from Harrods – now remains with its dated, once-glam interior; and it’s still “always consistent with the quality of the food” (although rather than the full restaurant menu, some feel “the best option is to grab a shawarma” from the sandwich selection in the café). The Abouzakis have far from given up, though, with the 2021 opening of “a very modern canteen, located in the middle of the Park Royal industrial estate”, which is well-rated by those who’ve made the trip.

“A very good fish selection with great daily offerings” and “excellent seafood” win very many nominations for these ever-popular fish-and-seafood bistros in Borough Market, Battersea Power Station and South Kensington. All offer a “pleasant experience”, with an appealing “casual” ambience, “friendly” staff and very “reliable” standards. In particular, SW8 has a “terrific location – right by the Power Station and the boat landing! – Step off and step straight inside!”

2022 Review: Amidst the glossy boutiques of Beauchamp Place, this beautiful, luxuriously decorated Chinese opened at the end of 2019, and – aside from a favourable review by Fay Maschler – has never really had the chance to make waves. It specialises in hot pots, and the menu features much in the way of seafood and wagyu beef to accompany or incorporate. It’s listed (without a star) by Michelin, who typically list only extremely expensive, culinarily ‘safe’ Chinese restaurants: you can view that as either a positive or negative.

“The food is always spectacular”, say fans of these top-quality, low-profile Japanese restaurants, which we continue to list under their common brand even though the ownership of the business was split between the individual chefs who run them a few years ago. Reports remain almost indistinguishable between them, although SW3 under chef Masaki Sugisaki inspires more feedback and has more of a “neighbourhood gem” feeling than its W1 namesake, perhaps thanks to its “really cosy” setting off chichi Walton Street.