City, International Restaurant Guide

“The energy is fab” at this “busy and buzzy” Mayfair haunt, whose large central bar, pavement tables and green leather stools import a sense of chic Italian glamour to this corner-site a minute from Bond Street. The Italian food (cicchetti, risotti, pastas, traditional mains) doesn’t detract from the occasion, but is “highly priced for average quality”, albeit “all decent”; and “service can suffer when it’s over-busy”. Nowadays part of Soho House, its branches spread from Berlin to West Hollywood, via the City of London (in The Ned). Comments on the latter aren’t terrible, but less enthusiastic than those for W1.

“A unique experience!” – “For a dinner with a twist, sit ‘outside’ within Borough Market and enjoy a set menu with wine pairing” at Tomas Lidakevicius’s offbeat venture, attached to a greengrocer’s stall. “You’ve no need to choose anything and everything is good”: “the lovely setting helps for sure, but the great food from a tasting menu with seasonal veg as its centrepiece speaks for itself”. “Loved it!”.

2021 Review: “Brilliant value… market bustle… great modern menu – we love it”, declare fans of this “upmarket” wine bar with (mainly Italian) small plates – “another good option for a great tapas meal in Borough Market”. It took the name of the greengrocer who previously occupied the site.

‘A taste of South Africa’ is the promise of this City-fringe duo in Farringdon and London Bridge, which combine “an excellent choice of steaks” and dishes from the braai with a wide selection of South African wines. There’s also the prospect of a trip to the (very un-African) walk-in cheese room to end off a meal. But even those who acknowledge “decent Saffa-inspired grills” can say “the overall feel of the place is a little tired” or “functional”. And that it’s “not cheap for what it is” was also a repeat-complaint this year.

2021 Review: “Ranks with the best beef I’ve ever had in London” is typical of the high praise earned by this smart three-year-old. “Mind you, it is right next to Smithfield” – a fact reflected in its straight-to-the-point menu – “and the maître d’ knows just the right wine to wash it down with”. It occupies an architectural gem of a townhouse once home to Sir John Betjeman.

“Recovering nicely from the Covid effect” – this “perennial favourite for lunch” near Tower Hill is a classic bolt hole for professional buddies conspiring to kill off an afternoon over a decent bottle. Run by an independent wine merchant in a superbly characterful Victorian cellar, it provides “basic platters” of cheese or charcuterie (with veggie/vegan options) to help absorb the “very good wine at accessible prices, with good advice from the owner”. A flat £12 corkage fee makes it a good place to explore more expensive vintages, and it hosts regular events – “did a Chinese wine tasting... who knew?”

‘A taste of South Africa’ is the promise of this City-fringe duo in Farringdon and London Bridge, which combine “an excellent choice of steaks” and dishes from the braai with a wide selection of South African wines. There’s also the prospect of a trip to the (very un-African) walk-in cheese room to end off a meal. But even those who acknowledge “decent Saffa-inspired grills” can say “the overall feel of the place is a little tired” or “functional”. And that it’s “not cheap for what it is” was also a repeat-complaint this year.

2021 Review: “Sensational Asian-fusion cooking, with the freshest of ingredients” creates an “exciting” culinary experience at this small waterside café, in St Katharine Docks. “The team is friendly and you can chat to the chef – who is a real artist – as he works in the open plan kitchen area, adjacent to your table”.

“Handy for the South Bank arts venues” – chef-patron Peter Lloyd took over the much-loved RSJ eight years ago with enough success to add another south Thames site near Tower Bridge to the brand (although a third site, in Islington, lasted just months in late 2023). “Soft shell crab, Roti canai, Singapore chilli lobster; Lamb Shank Massaman” have all been enjoyed – if there’s a gripe, it’s that the food is “good, but nothing exceptional” (“we enjoyed it, but my friend who is Singaporean by origin was disappointed that the menu was not more authentic”). Top Tip – “the pre-theatre menu of 3 courses for under £30 is excellent value”.

“Quite unique!” – Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale have won renown (including two Michelin stars and the 2nd highest score in the UK on World’s 50 best 2024) for their transformation of West African culinary traditions into an “incredible” and groundbreaking haute-fusion mashup; and a meal at this copper-shaded and minimalist venue (relocated a couple of years ago from St James’s) is acclaimed in a majority of reports as an “exceptional” and “creative” all-round experience. Even fans, however, often note that it’s also become a “very, very expensive” one, while for a significant minority it’s a “disappointing” or even “joyless” one too. Chief concerns are cooking that can seem “too complicated” or “unmemorable (and I was longing to try it!)”; “robotic” staff “not engaging with customers and barely explaining dishes” is another repeat complaint.

“A special location for afternoon tea!” – the “beautiful” foyer of this celebrated hotel serves one of “the best teas in London”, which fans say is “as good as it gets”: “not too formal”, with “service that’s up-to-standard but not too stuffy” and “limitless sandwiches” amongst the “lovely and plentiful food, with no problems replenishing”. In August 2024, the site closed to relaunch in November 2024 – renamed from its former ‘Thames Foyer’ branding to this new moniker, with a new look and a new menu of ‘traditional recipes with a modern twist’ (which will maintain the ‘legendary afternoon tea’). Though likely a case of ‘plus ça change’, we’ve removed ratings for the time being.

“Convenient, if unexciting, medium-priced brasserie two minutes from the Royal Opera House” that’s worth knowing about in the touristy ‘minefield’ it inhabits. The Gallic staples are “fairly priced” (“in particular, the set menus are good value”) and “service is acceptable for such a busy, central establishment”. Top Tip – “great pre-theatre”.

“Perfect for cheese lovers”: the “quirky and atmospheric” cafés adjoining these excellent retail cheese emporia – particularly the well-known branch in Marylebone – are particularly “good for lunch”, offering cheese and charcuterie boards alongside simple dishes like pan-seared salmon or paté en croute. Top Tip – worth remembering for breakfast.

2021 Review: ‘Gluten free but you wouldn’t know it!’ is the motto at this modern bistro “very handy for the Sadlers Wells theatre”: “a charming and slightly eclectic restaurant with enthusiastic staff” and “a varied menu to suit all tastes”. “My gluten-free friend was delighted to find he could eat anything on the menu, and happily tucked into pie and mash, saying that you wouldn’t know it was gluten-free (a point echoed by the non-gluten-free among us)”.

Quirkiness in spades is the particular appeal of this Dickensian watering hole – London’s oldest wine bar, whose best tables are in a superbly ancient candle-lit cellar which originally housed wine shipped to its front door by barges on the Thames. But in summer its outside comes into its own, boasting as it does a huge terrace adjoining leafy Victoria Embankment Gardens. “It has a very good wine list” – while the cold food is somewhat incidental: “a simple menu of quality ingredients” majoring in cold cuts and cheeses. Fun fact: it’s owned by entrepreneur Simon Gordon (the place was already called ‘Gordon’s’ when he bought it), who owns the increasingly ubiquitous Facewatch anti-shoplifting software, which was originally developed to stop thefts at the bar.

“They order 10 cases of wines on a rotating basis so the wines change regularly” at this “cosy, bustling little venue (recommended by a sommelier friend)”, with “simple French bistro food that’s really well-cooked” and “sunny service to match”. The result is “never a bad meal or a boring glass of wine” – “how they manage to have such a good wine list with such favourable markups in Covent Garden is a puzzle”. And “it’s in the perfect location for the theatre or opera”.

“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”.

As ‘plain vanilla’ posh hotel brasseries go, this elegant and airy chamber near Embankment station puts in a polished performance, yet arguably flies under the radar in terms of media profile (and inspires only limited feedback in our annual diners’ poll). André Garrett’s cuisine is “very good” and staff are “professional and friendly”. Top Tip – “excellent lunch menu” at £39 for two courses.