London Knightsbridge Restaurant Guide

This “opulent, high-ceilinged dining room” within a Polish émigré club in South Kensington (“a stone’s throw from the Royal Albert Hall”) provides a “truly elegant” backdrop for a meal. “Inviting and cosmopolitan in atmosphere”, it is “unusually, equally good in summer and winter” thanks to its “delightful” covered rear outside terrace, which provides “a memorable location on a warm day”. “Delicious” Polish fodder comes in “hearty” portions and “without any grand prices despite the grand setting”; there’s a wide range of affordable central and eastern European wines; and “the cocktails and vodkas are well worth a shout out”.

“French… and have to admit pretty good” – London’s outpost of this Gallic ‘Maison du Hamburgé’ chain (that’s 50-strong over the Channel) is to be found in South Kensington’s ‘Little France’ and gets a consistent thumbs up. The addition of lashings of different French regional cheeses is key to distinguishing its menu options.

This well-known family-owned quartet of “upmarket Chinese” operations – in Knightsbridge, Mill Hill, Wandsworth Common and Esher – are “longstanding favourites” for many reporters. “The menus may not excite any true aficionados of Asian cuisine, but its consistency excites us!” And even if it’s “never cheap, it’s always worth the price”.

“An excellent location overlooking the River Thames makes the Richmond branch very special if you are able to bag one of its outside tables on a balmy summer evening”; and it’s a highpoint of this chain run by a firm of well-known Iberian food importers. On the plus-side, its branches are generally “buzzy”, with “tasty” and “authentically flavoured” tapas. On the minus-side, for all the “high quality ingredients”, dishes can end up “indifferent” and “pricey for the size of the portions”; and “service can be a little too uneven”.

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”.

“A wonderful survivor”, this old-world “gem” by South Ken tube has served “solid, Polish food” (“all the old hits: duck, goose, herring…”) at “sensible prices” since 1947, and its devotees love its “real sense of authenticity” (“I feel happy when I walk in the door: the menu never changes and I hope it never will!”). It may be “a level down from Ognisko” culinary-wise, but “you’re coming here for the charm, not the workmanlike fare”. Top Tip – “it’s well situated close to the South Kensington museums and a good alternative to the numerous expensive and unexciting chains!”

This “long-established” family-owned Italian in a Venetian Gothic building near the Albert Hall is “set up as a sort of homage to Princess Diana”, who used to bring Princes Wills and Harry for pizza and pasta.

“Still one of the steak stalwarts of London…”; “still our go-to place for a relaxed night out…”; “still the place for a discreet business meeting in the City…”. Few brands inspire as much long-term adulation as Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse chain, which has ridden the zeitgeist since its founding in 2006; and which is now (with the help of Graphite Capital, who own most of it nowadays) to be found in NYC and Dublin, as well as Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool. A “terrific” cocktail in the bar, precedes “awesome steaks with fantastic side dishes, all in a cool setting”. At least, that’s long been the accepted wisdom anyway, although there’s a widespread feeling that quality “has dropped off a bit in recent years”. In this year’s annual diners’ poll, ratings improved in some respects and declined in others, with historical concerns over stratospheric prices supplanted by niggles that maybe the formula is just “starting to look a tad tired” and that service – though often “excellent” – can also sometimes seem increasingly “impersonal” (“you are just a number!”). The majority verdict for the time being, though? Still “always hits the spot”.

“Generous portions” of “reliably excellent Thai food” have kept the six London branches of Khun Patara Sila-On’s international group busy for more than 30 years. Although known for its value for money, there were one or two grumbles about “price increases” this year, but full agreement that you get “a consistently great bargain on their lunch deal”.

“Ever-reliable, ultra-tasty sharing plates” and “brisk but jolly service” are the order of the day at “this buzzy South Ken local” (and its Queensway offshoot) from Barry & Patricia Hamilton. The “interesting” mix of Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines is backed up by a “very different wine list – Lebanese, Macedonian, Greek, Armenian”.

“Tucked away from the hustle and bustle”, in the kind of ultra-picturesque Kensington backwater where one imagines Mary Poppins floating about on her umbrella – this “quirky” converted town-house provides a “special”, “understated but comfortable setting” and “always impeccable personal service with attention to detail”: it’s “ideal for a romantic evening”. “You might not expect much of the cooking as it’s part of the D&D London Group – but you’d be wrong!” – Ben Murphy has been at the stoves since 2017 and his “refined and interesting” cuisine goes from strength to strength: “food that just makes you smile about how it looks and how it tastes”. Top Tip – “good value at lunch”.

The “absolute dogs for real Japanese dining” – this “authentic” duo in Mayfair (the original – “a welcome oasis from Oxford Street”) and Knightsbridge (in posh Beauchamp Place) offer “exemplary sushi and cooked dishes” backed up by “a wide sake list”. “As is always the case with this cuisine, it’s never cheap, but great for a treat”.

“Consistently delicious Lebanese food” remains a hallmark of Marouf and Houda Abouzaki’s well-established restaurant group after more than 40 years. Even experienced Beirut hands report “very authentic” cooking, although service can be “inconsistent”. The group shrank during the pandemic, but has bounced back with a large new restaurant/bar/emporium further west, in Park Royal. A sandwich wrap in the busy café on the ground floor of the Beauchamp Place branch is one of the top cheap eats in the Knightsbridge area.

“Crowded… slightly crazy-busy… top oysters supported by a changing menu of fish and crustacea” – that’s the package at this trio of “busy” bistros in Borough Market, Battersea Power Station and South Kensington. “You come here for the seafood, not to be fawned over. The decor’s a little rough and ready but the food’s so fresh and delicious”.

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.

Such is their similarity, that we continue to write up this Japanese duo in a single entry, even though the chefs who own them split the business a few years ago and now run each independently. Both provide “dishes to wow the palate” – and “a feast for the eyes” too: “each beautiful, tiny dish tastes as good as it looks”. If you’re looking for differences, SW3 receives more attention nowadays, but fractionally lower ratings and can seem “crowded”.

“Buzzy and still heaving” – Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney’s happening Eurotrash magnet, a short walk from Harrods, is “still a firm favourite after all these years” (and was the original site of what’s now a 20-strong global luxury chain). As well as its moody cocktail bar, the draw is “top-notch Japanese food” – sushi, tempura, robata grills, black cod, lobster – “if with prices to match”. “I feel like a cheat putting this as my top choice again… but it never fails to deliver!”