Southbank, Fusion Restaurant Guide

“A well composed panoply of flavours from Southeast Asia” – curry puffs, crab dumplings, lobster, ox cheek Penang curry – have won a loyal following for Peter Lloyd’s South Bank fixture, and over time fans “have become enamoured, and no longer mourn the loss of RSJ” (which preceded on the site for over 20 years). “Nothing is extraordinary, but it is our current first choice pre the National Theatre”. He must be doing something right, as expansion is coming fast, with a sibling to open in July 2023 on the former site of Cantina del Ponte, RIP, with a large terrace overlooking Tower Bridge; and another in Islington later in the year.

Iré Hassan-Odukale and Jeremy Chan have won huge renown for their ‘haute’ interpretation of West African culinary themes, but this year saw very unsettled reports. Perhaps, in part, this owes to the disruption of a move to 180 The Strand, although the copper-hued, minimalist design there isn’t wholly at odds with the look and feel of the former location in St James’s Market. But to a large extent, this year’s themes are a continuation of last year’s; and complaints that seemed to set in after they jacked up their prices following all the Michelin and ‘World’s 50 Best’ accolades. True, some reports do acknowledge an “outstanding gastronomic experience” from the blind tasting menu which sees jollof rice and plantain jostling with luxury ingredients, foams and emulsions. But too many are mixed: “we had a couple of stunners, but a dish that was so bitter it was unpleasant. So expensive and given the unpredictability it makes Core look like a bargain…”; “really did not enjoy this. Dull atmosphere, combinations of food which just did not work and service not firing on all cylinders. First time I’ve ever not enjoyed a two-star restaurant…”; “was expecting something so special: it wasn’t!”

Zooming up to the 38th floor of the Heron Tower in one of Europe’s fastest lifts… looking out with a cocktail on an open terrace overlooking the scrapers of the City, it’s easy to get swept up by the glamour of the original, “buzzy” branch of this US-based chain. And its popular WC2 spin-off is also “always a pleasure to visit”: looking out onto the back of the Royal Opera House from the huge terrace on the top of Covent Garden Market. Fans say the luxe, Japanese/South American fusion cuisine in both locations – taquitos, sushi, steaks, samba rolls, black cod from the robata – is “delicious and remarkably inventive” too. But ratings for it have sunk post-Covid, and while pricing here has always been toppy, there is a growing gripe that “food which is average at best is accompanied by a bill that’s distinctly not average!”

“A taste-tingling sensation of Japanese and other Asian delights” – the “most amazing bao buns”, plus “Korean wings, poke bowls and sushi that are all so good” – win a big thumbs up for this duo of “great Asian-fusion restaurants” (under the same ownership as Bone Daddies). If anything, their star has risen since they cut back to just two branches in Fitzrovia and Covent Garden.

“Ramuel Scully gets flavour out of ingredients like no one else” at his ambitious St James’s Market fixture, where he and his team serve a “wacky and interesting menu based on ferments and underused ingredients” from their open kitchen. Its ratings are not as stratospheric as when it first opened, due to the odd doubt that “the quality of foodstuffs can be lost in the plethora of flavourings”. But the balance of feedback this year was highly enthusiastic: “it’s my London go-to” with a “very different menu that changes enough to warrant a return”.

“Perfect French cuisine with a Korean twist” has built an impressive reputation for Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki’s ambitious and highly accomplished three-year-old – a patch of serenity in the gritty streets surrounding Guy’s Hospital. The main event is an 8-9 course tasting menu, which is exciting in the freshness of its ideas and with “faultless” realisation. Top Tip – Bomee trained as a pastry chef so pace yourself for dessert.

“The most original brunches” – with “a good selection of super-tasty, tapas-style dishes” fusing eclectic flavours from the Middle East to the Pacific – are the top feature of these “nicely vibey” haunts, which also boast “great coffee and pastries, plus interesting non-alcoholic drinks (like sodas and kombuchas)”. And they serve “lots for vegans and veggies too”. On the downside, they become “noisy”; staff can be “overstretched” and ratings are dragged down by those who find them “a convenient option, but, in truth, a slightly disappointing one”. Expansion is still on the cards, though, with 2023 seeing a big new opening in Covent Garden, in a workspace on Drury Lane, complete with outside terrace.

This “beautiful little restaurant with a neighbourhood feel” in Marylebone, from chef and food writer Ravinder Bhogal, offers a “wide-ranging and ever-changing selection of consistently good dishes” inspired by her ‘no borders kitchen’ philosophy. “It’s a melange of Middle Eastern, African and Indian influences” that results in “very creative flavours – not just in the cooking but also outstanding cocktails such as a Negroni with pomegranate and rose”.

“An amazing variety of small, tasty and unusual combination dishes served in a very cool environment” continues to win a thumbs up – if from a tiny fan club – for this Israeli-Japanese one-year-old in the shiny new Islington Square development.

“Tucked away in Marylebone, with a friendly vibe and tasty food”, this creative outfit marries flavours from Spanish, Italian and Japanese cuisine. “Some of the tapas are very good indeed”, and they are supported by a serious wine list focused on Spain and Italy.

This “modern Japanese” with a “clubby and bouncy vibe” has been a hit on Clapham High Street since three former Nobu chefs opened it 23 years ago, and it remains a “very popular” destination for cocktails and fusion bites. Always “a slightly idiosyncratic” place – this issue was more to the fore this year with incidents of “erratic” or “uncoordinated” service, and one or two fears that the “huge” menu is being “dumbed down”.

Rafael Cagali provides “precise, innovative and fully-flavoured” Brazilian-influenced cuisine that’s “some of the best food in London” at his acclaimed Bethnal Green venture – a site in the area’s former town hall which has housed a number of the capital’s most notable restaurants (The Typing Room, Viajante) over the last fifteen years. “The lovely setting is very good as it is intimate but still allows you to see the kitchen and how they prepare your food”.

“Every time is a different experience thanks to the ever changing menu” at this “imaginative and wonderful” Dalston venture. “The food really is a mix of European and Japanese influences” and served in a tasting menu format (either the 10-course ‘kaiseki’ or 4-course ‘omakase’) that’s “excellent, without feeling too fussy, and great value for money”. The “dark and moody interior” creates a “pared-back but buzzy atmosphere, which makes this a perfect pick for a special dinner”.

“Fun and interesting” (if sometimes “very noisy and exhausting”), is the verdict on this “buzzy” Notting Hill Gate hang out, complete with bold Mexican-inspired wall hangings (and soon to acquire a rooftop offshoot at 100 Liverpool Street in the City, scheduled to open in autumn 2023). “The menu is less fusion, more Mexican with a nod to Japan”: “flavour-packed mouthfuls” dubbed ‘Baja-Nihon cuisine’ by founder Markus Thesleff.

This “fun local for Clapton hipsters” offers “exceptional” Chinese cooking from two well-travelled Western chefs, Ellen Parr (ex-Rochelle Canteen and Moro) and Peter Kelly (ex-Morito), who knock out “the freshest flavours at incredible value” – “what a great neighbourhood place!” But “expect to mime: the rendered walls and low ceiling amplify the bonhomie, so the volume is turned up to 11”.

Despite tons of money thrown at its numerous incarnations, the site of the former Strand Dining Rooms, just off Trafalgar Square, has never really cut through in recent years. Maybe this new Nikkei (Japanese/Peruvian) operation – a ‘Coming Soon’ as we go to press – will break the mould, which will feature a sushi counter and bar named Lima; a main open kitchen called Osaka; and an outdoor terrace.

“Fun and interesting” (if sometimes “very noisy and exhausting”), is the verdict on this “buzzy” Notting Hill Gate hang out, complete with bold Mexican-inspired wall hangings (and soon to acquire a rooftop offshoot at 100 Liverpool Street in the City, scheduled to open in autumn 2023). “The menu is less fusion, more Mexican with a nod to Japan”: “flavour-packed mouthfuls” dubbed ‘Baja-Nihon cuisine’ by founder Markus Thesleff.

This high-street Nikkei hangout’s first Chelsea branch opened in 2021 and shut in mid 2023 in favour of a new Marylebone location. No feedback as yet on either site, which purveys a trendy fusion of sushi, tacos, ceviche and robata bites, and of course pisco sours, sakes and cocktails aplenty.