Strand, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“The go-to place to celebrate a special anniversary” – this “enchanting” Covent Garden haunt is “magical for a special occasion or simply a treat”; and is yet again voted Londoner’s No. 1 choice for a hot date in our annual diners’ poll. If possible, try to book a table in the “beautiful flower-filled conservatory”, where there’s an opening ceiling in summer and a log-fire in winter: “upstairs, the cosy and intimate dining rooms have a whiff of that atmosphere (e.g. similar white flowers across the ceiling) but are perhaps for more mature relationships!”. While not its USP, its French cuisine is by no means incidental – “beautifully presented and bursting with flavour”; but it is upstaged by the wine list, which is “a rival to ‘War and Peace’ in length”. Service that’s “extremely helpful and very welcoming” caps off an impressive all-round performance. Top Tip – “the weekday set lunch is astonishingly good value for such cooking, particularly as it also offers a small carafe of well chosen wine for a pretty modest supplement”.

This “super-cosy”, “chic and friendly restaurant is very welcome” in Covent Garden, “an area of chains and tourist traps” – with a “simple menu” of ‘elevated comfort food’, it’s “hard to beat for an early pre-theatre meal”. Named after a mid-Victorian courtesan who learned her trade nearby (although she made the big time in Paris), it is the younger sibling to Kitty Fisher’s (see also).

“The magic has gone” for many critics of this Theatreland icon whose ‘chainification’ under Richard Caring (who put the Ivy group he created up for sale for £1bn in January 2024) has reduced this original site to “living on its past celebrity status”: “everything is slightly better than at the café and brasserie spin-offs found in humdrum regional shopping centres and other backwaters… but not much”. It’s certainly “a lot easier to book than it used to be” – the A-listers are long gone and “the clientele seems less highbrow, with more sportswear and baseball caps”. But – to be fair – its ratings are middling, not terrible; and many diners feel that “while not as special as it once was, we still enjoy it”. Though more “corporate” in atmosphere, it still has a “beautiful interior”; service is “a little bit patchy” at times, but mostly gets it right; and the menu of “British classics with a smattering of Continental and Asian dishes” – never the prime attraction – is “acceptable”. Top Tip – “Can’t go wrong for a business lunch” that’s “reliable if nothing special”.

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.

This “big, buzzy faux-Parisian brasserie” in the heart of Covent Garden certainly looks the part, but it “can get very busy” and “extremely noisy” as a result. It provides “lots of classic French cuisine”, but with very mixed results: fans say it’s “executed pretty well” but reviews overall are often jaundiced – for example: “dull food, impossible to chat… really bad experience and a ridiculous bill”.

“Pre or post-theatre, very much a favourite over many years” – this elegant seafood bar was added adjacent to the main restaurant fifteen years ago, and its more laid-back style means it’s tailor-made for a luxurious bite and glass of fizz. That said, it’s become “quite pricey” over time, and doesn’t have quite the dazzling golden glow of yesteryear.

2021 Review: Promising, if limited, early feedback on this modern ‘wine parlour’ – recently opened by wine expert Andrew Gray (a merchant with a business at the Southbank Food Market) on a corner-site near Covent Garden (the erstwhile office-space of a Mr Charles Dickens); and with an excellent list of 70 wines: “limited food, but what they do is lovely; tiny space, but it’s gorgeous, and well worth a visit, especially as staff are so lovely”.

“A very good pre-theatre meal” makes this mezzanine spot in a luxury hotel near Covent Garden a particularly useful option for eating around a show. It’s also “great for those who are gluten or dairy free”, and “the children’s chocolate-themed afternoon tea themed on Charlie & The Chocolate Factory is absolutely great”. Any downsides? It’s “a bit noisy”.

Irish Wexford Tomahawk… Hereford Fillet Chateaubriand… Argentinian Ribeye… USDA prime fillet – the high quality of the steaks are a point of pride for Simon Thomas who owns London’s biggest and busiest casino, where the restaurant occupies an interesting space converted from the old circle of the former Hippodrome Theatre. NB under 25s must have ID. Top Tip – superb pre-theatre deal at £24 for two courses.

Despite its cosy and historic charm, it’s tempting to omit this cosy Soho landmark which dates from 1867. It once was a major West End destination, and still has a gorgeous Champagne bar, but Soho House (owners since 2016) seem to have been mostly interested in converting its upstairs event spaces into 33 bedrooms, leaving the downstairs dining room run to be run in partnership with a North London pub (The Clarence Tavern x Kettner’s): “the food is average but it has a nice setting”.

Three years on from a relaunch under its original name by Gordon Ramsay (it was formerly Kaspar’s), this elegant chamber with Thames views from the window tables has yet to regain the lustre it enjoyed before the hotel relaunched in the noughties. It’s not devoid of fans, but too often its cooking (of mainly fish and seafood) is critiqued for being “overpriced (and in some cases overcooked or over-sauced)”. Sceptics say Big Sweary’s name above the door is a saving grace – “if it wasn’t a Ramsay restaurant they’d struggle”. Top Tip – a good choice for a posh brek.

“The fine rooftop setting” with “charming views over to Trafalgar Square” (and Big Ben off in the distance) help lend a “special” sense of occasion to this well-known destination that can otherwise seem a tad “Spartan” and “echoey”. “After the National Portrait Gallery’s stunning makeover, it reopened”, overseen by Richard Corrigan in July 2023. Chef Corrigan’s involvement keeps the menu focused on the British Isles and “though the food isn’t wildly ambitious, you can taste everything: it’s a masterclass in the clarity of its flavours”. At least, that’s what its biggest fans think – a number of sceptics say it’s “not cheap” and “nothing memorable, but pleasant nonetheless”. Top Menu Tips – “Oysters, Sea bass in hollandaise with greens and the creamiest mash imaginable; finally, Chocolate fondant plated prettily with raspberries and teeny madeleines. Yom!”

“Wine is the star attraction in this luxurious hidden basement in Soho”, with a “lengthy, well-thought-out list” from master sommeliers Gearoid Devaney & Xavier Rousset (who founded it as Trade, a club for industry insiders). “The light bites are not to be ignored”, which “make this one of the better options for quiet drinks in the centre of town” – and late opening is another feature.

“Scrumptious food, Soho ambience: a winner!” – Cameron Emirali and Luke Wilson’s “intimate” fixture has won renown above its size and inspires feedback from diners living all over London. The food from the open kitchen “is amazing and interesting” and “it’s a place to come back to” (“I’ve eaten at 10 Greek 20+ times, I’ve never had one bad mouthful of food”). Top Tip – ask for their ‘Little Black Book’ of ‘rarer wine gems’.

“Tiny, but perfect in every other way” – “you couldn’t ask for better bistro food” than that produced by Neil Borthwick (Angela Hartnett’s husband) at this quirky dining room, where “simple dishes are realised with flair” and with “big, big flavours”. “Downstairs is a throwback to Soho boozers of yesteryear, you head upstairs to eat” – the room where General de Gaulle composed some of his speeches during WWII. “With six or seven small tables, it’s a rustic and cosy room, complete with very friendly and entertaining service, a humble and charming chef, and a feel of spit-and-sawdust, it’s the perfect spot for a cosy Soho supper”. Top Menu Tip – “the crisp bacon jowl will live long in the memory… and even longer on the hips!”

“A tiny Soho wine bar”, with an ever-changing array of biodynamic wines and selection of vinyl for you to choose from. Launched in 2011, it doesn’t attract the volume of feedback it once did, but can still produce “sensational small plates of seasonal European cuisine”.

With “light streaming through the windows”, this “big, airy space in Somerset House” is “such a beautiful dining room”: “not cosy” but “very elegant” and with “luxuriously spaced” tables, it’s a really “great choice for an intimate conversation”. Skye Gyngell’s cuisine “is not in-yer-face gastro, but simply thoughtful, beautiful and heartwarming”; and together with the “personal” service it adds up to a “delightful” overall package. Top Tip – “the set lunch and early bird ‘scratch’ menus are good value” (utilising food that would otherwise be wasted).

“This farm-to-table bistro” from the Gladwin Brothers is celebrating five years in Soho and mostly receives a good rep, for its “delicious and local” cuisine and “friendly” approach. It’s not entirely consistent though – even those who laud “admirable sustainable credentials and well-intended cuisine” can say “it does not quite hit a notable standard”.

“On the site of the old Gay Hussar in Soho”, Dan Keeling & Mark Andrew’s “tightly spaced” drinking den has recreated the “wonderful raffish atmosphere” of its famous predecessor. In combination with the attractions of its “fabulous wine list” – “always with something new to try”; with the huge draw of “outstanding vintages by the glass”; and “presided over by knowledgeable and really friendly staff” – it “makes you nostalgic for the days of the long long lunch”, especially “if a cheeky afternoon away from work can be arranged”. A few critics view its culinary performance as “indifferent” to the point of being “vastly overrated”, but most diners hail its “unfailingly good Anglo-French classics” as “superb food, where they manage to elevate the simple into something special”. Nowadays one of the Top-40 most-mentioned locations in our annual diners’ poll, its most ardent fans claim “there’s no better place to eat in London”, especially if you go for the “amazing value set meal”. Top Menu Tips – “The Liver Pâté Choux bun nibbles are addictive”; “the roast chicken with rice and Jura vin jaune sauce is pretty good too”.