Maida Vale, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

On a corner of civilised Maida Vale, this sizeable gentrified boozer has been through a number of foodie incarnations in recent times. With the departure of Henry Harris to Bouchon Racine, it has fallen to the team behind Notting Hill’s Pelican (see also) to take up the mantle here. You’ll find stripped-down interiors and ‘nostalgic British food’ in the main bar, plus a smarter Grill Room upstairs. In his May 2024 review, the Evening Standard’s David Ellis had one excellent trip food wise – one less so – but said the old place was looking terrific (what he actually said was that it’s a “Dezeen wet dream of stripped wood and plaster walls, of barley leg stools and candle-topped tables”). Reports please!