Westminster, International Restaurant Guide

2024 Review: A mega new hotel for London sees the Old War Office on Whitehall – in which Winston Churchill made many of the most important decisions of World War II – being taken over by Raffles, no less (their first venture in Europe) and the Hinduja Group, to open in late 2023 as a new 125 bedroom property. It will have nine new restaurants, of which we list the five most notable individually: Café Lapérouse, Endo Kazutoshi, Langosteria, Mauro Colagreco and Paper Moon (see also). Other options include Mauro’s Table and a fine high-ceilinged brasserie called ‘Saison’ – which fall under the Colagreco umbrella – as well as The Drawing Room (lounge and all-day dining) and Guards Bar.

“It’s been going for very many years, has become far too busy and can get very cramped”… but that’s been a typical description of the capital’s oldest wine bar (est. 1890) near Embankment Tube for as long as anyone can remember. One casualty of popularity in recent times has been the hot food specials – it’s now just the cheeses, cold cuts, pâtés and salad selection, although they recently introduced meat and mezze sharing boards. The “great wine list” is the same pull it always was. Top Tip – try to visit in winter and arrive early for a table in the candle-lit cellar… but in summer they also have one of central London’s biggest, nicest outdoor terraces.

Malaysia-born and Sydney-raised, Ramuel Scully’s “brilliant fusion cooking with surprising combinations” and much use of fermentation is on cracking form right now, according to all who report on his St James’s Market fixture. (“He is still innovating. He is still there regularly and it shows – had several spectacular dinners there this year”). “The funky menu is a puzzle – what does it all mean?! – but it all comes together on the plate so well. His blend of flavours really shines. Everything is so well thought-through”. The unit itself is potentially anodyne but enlivened by “really lovely” staff.

“Famous for being London’s top romantic dining spot with good reason” – this bewitching Covent Garden “haven” comes complete with an “exquisite” rear conservatory, with “a glass roof that opens in summer” and “the treat of a log fire in winter” – and “on the first floor you dine under a vibrant canopy of flowers”. By most accounts the European cuisine is “beautifully presented and tastes as good as it looks” too, although a slight slip in its ratings of late supports those who feel that “it’s more hit and miss since the pandemic”. No change in its “wonderful wine selection” however: “a surprisingly eclectic list of wines, alongside the bonus of an extensive cognac offering (and Armagnac dating back 70 years!”). “A must for a special celebration”.

“As many lovely sandwiches as you can eat, a big selection of teas, great cakes etc; all impeccably served in a beautiful and very comfortable room with a pianist” marks out the central lounge of this famous property as offering one of London’s top teas. The space was called ‘Thames Foyer’ up till its redesign and relaunch in late 2024 and one report does quibble at the changes (“it’s now not as comfortable as extra tables means you eat much closer together and prices seem to be higher”). Most feedback, though, is a hymn of praise and also claims that tea here has “less pressure and formality than at The Ritz”. The venue is also tipped for “a good selection of posh breakfast classics, well-prepared and served with style”.

This South Bank pan-Asian is, for many, a “go-to near the National Theatre” – and chef-patron Peter Lloyd doubled up three years ago by taking over the former Cantine del Porte downstream at Shad Thames, which offers “great views of Tower Bridge and the river”. Both sites benefit from their “enviable locations” and – on most accounts – “give rise to little to complain about”, with “pleasing food and reliable service”. But the “tasty” cooking doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny (“my Singaporean friend was disappointed that the menu was not more authentic”) and even advocates can feel, “it’s not otherwise a destination, but it suits us pre-show”.

“Good pre-theatre option very close to the Royal Opera House” – this Covent Garden fixture is “not overly expensive”, and even if its French brasserie food is sometimes “OK but uninspiring”, it “hits the spot for a quick dinner” and provides a very “buzzy” launchpad for an evening in the West End. Top Menu Tip – “excellent onion soup”.

The soaring windows and high ceilings of this revamped hall make a “great setting” for a bite at the opera – “and you get somewhere to sit in the interval!”. Yes, it is “expensive” and the menu options are “rather limited”, but it does the job.

A period piece from 1964, this Pimlico institution has barely changed since the Swinging Sixties, when the Beatles, the Mamas & Papas and Julie Christie all ate here. The original wood panelling is still in place, along with the signature dish from Day One – fillet steak with a caramelised mustard and brown sugar crust. Founder Jeremy Friend, now 90, still lives just down the road and pops in several times a week – as do politicos from nearby Westminster, who sit downstairs where they can’t be overheard. Top Tip – the mark-ups on wine (including half bottles) is generous.

“A buzzing French-style brasserie with excellent service and attractive atmosphere” that helps “lift the spirits” if you are counting the pennies – “where else in central London can you get three courses of decent grub for £20-odd?”. “Splendid for pre-theatre”, this Soho fixture offers an “unusually wide choice” on its set menus, “while the dishes are well executed and flavoursome”. Top Tip – “eating à la carte may be a mistake. True to its name, the fixed price menu is probably a better option”.

“Really interesting food, superbly prepared” won more consistent raves this year at Jeremy Chan’s (chef) and Iré Hassan-Odukale’s (MD) ground-breaking venture, which moved to this ‘Midtown’ location on Aldwych in 2022 having won renown for itself in St James’s Market. At the vanguard of transforming impressions of African cuisine, chef Jeremy takes the spices of sub-Saharan West Africa and combines them with British ingredients in a ‘micro-seasonal’ culinary mash-up that’s won it two Michelin stars and the UK’s highest position on the World’s 50 best (at No. 15 in 2025). It’s “exceptional food but with an exceptional and terrifying final bill” – the set menu is £350 per person before wine. And while “Jeremy’s personal attention is without parallel”, the atmosphere of this copper-hued chamber can seem “sterile”. Top Tip – at £150 per person, the shorter express lunch menu is a relative bargain.

Named for a “wine list built on love and low mark-ups” (they order 10 cases of each vintage on a rotating basis), this “bustling little wine bar and bistro” in Covent Garden is a marvellous haven for oenophiles, serving “top-quality food and regularly changing wines without too much faff” – and “not too stratospherically expensive” either. “Very well run, with professional yet discreet service”, it’s “a top place pre-theatre for a relaxed supper and a glass or two”, even if “the tables are a little close”.

With its lush decor, live music and luxurious menu, this vibey Mayfair Latino is high on energy and good times. All reports say its lively mix of raw food, fish, steaks, caviar and wok dishes is good too… just “way too expensive”.

It’s hard to know how enthusiastic to be about these slick food courts from all-conquering JKS restaurants at the foot of Centre Point and in the heart of Battersea Power Station. They do win dependable feedback for their “nice mix of cheap ’n’ cheerful food and drink” and “great selection of different cuisines”, but more cynical types dismiss them as hyped, unimaginative venues for sanitised street food. BREAKING NEWS. In July 2025, the group applied for planning permission to create a third ‘Arcade’, in the landmark site of Covent Garden’s former TGIF.

From a French family who have operated in this corner of Kennington for almost 35 years – this brasserie with an upstairs jazz club on a corner near Elephant & Castle remains “a great neighbourhood choice”. The brothers behind it, Noland & Florent Regent, grew up next door in the Lobster Pot, which their parents ran for 25 years until 2016. The Gallic menu – snails, foie gras, cassoulet and madeleines – is complemented by “great beer”, including Meteor from France and Orbit from less than a mile away.

“An amazing procession of incredible chefs from all over the world passes through the kitchen” of this Fitzrovia showcase, which has hosted week-long residencies by culinary hot-shots from more than 50 countries in its 11 years. It’s “unmissable if you’re on a foodie tour of London” – you’ll find “always-spectacular food, washed down with great wines and served up by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable home team”. “Exciting new chefs” often road-test their menus here: Mexico’s Santiago Lastra was one, before he found fame with Kol. Founders Ed & Ollie Templeton also serve lunch at their on-site wine bar and snacks at their cocktail bar next door, No 28.

“Affordable fine dining” – say fans – makes these Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf venues (from Nico Simeone’s Glasgow-based national chain) “good for date nights” and “real value-for-money”. “The tasting menu changes regularly, so it’s a different experience every time” – the formula being “no mystery: you get to taste small samples of delicious food all related to a specific, changing theme”. (“We’ve been twice this year – more themes have caught our eye without the window of opportunity to try them. It’s not filling, but a really enjoyable eat”). There is, though, an alternative jaundiced view, which is that they offer “style over substance – you’ll leave still feeling hungry and the venue is noisy, like being in a canteen”.

“The South African wine selection can’t be beaten” at these steak-and-wine-bar fixtures on the edge of the City (Faringdon and London Bridge) – each with a wine cave and ‘walk-in cheese room’ showcasing British artisan cheeses. They pull in a crowd – “we could hardly hear each other!” – but also attract the odd complaint of “average food at huge prices (£100 per head was way over the top for a very dull meal)”.