Ewell, International Restaurant Guide

A well-located venue on the Thames at Teddington, where “wonderful views of the lock” remain a standout feature, whether you opt for the glass-fronted restaurant or (better) the riverside terrace. On the menu, competent modern Euro cooking – shellfish platters, steaks, plus afternoon teas – abetted by regular jazz nights.

“Massive portions of delicious vegan food” hit the spot at this Earlsfield 10-year-old from former school friends Alvin Suntaramoorphy and Shyam Kotecha (who have a spinoff branch in Honor Oak Park). Their ‘vegan soul food’ is “so good that even carnivores demand more” – but if you’re not satisfied, they say you can renegotiate the bill. It’s also BYO with no corkage charge, and if you’re broke they’ll feed you in return for some washing up. Top Tip – “leave room for the decadent puds”, such as “their delicious vegan ice cream”.

A “very handy local” in a former pub on a corner overlooking Wandsworth Common that has “a good buzz when busy” and enjoys a fair amount of support in southwest London. Foodwise, reports suggest it’s decent if rather middle-of-the-road, but the wine offering – from owner John Brinkley’s shop in Chelsea – is a strength.

Proximity to Richmond Park – a large terrace for sunny days – and a comfortable, attractive interior help justify the ongoing inclusion of this eighteenth-century Fuller’s pub, near Sheen Gate. In other respects, its ratings remain resolutely ordinary.

2024 Review: This “lovely food-led pub” – a carefully modernised beauty from 1854 on Crystal Palace’s thriving ‘Triangle’ – showcases chef David Yorkiston’s “really great cooking – way, way above typical gastroboozer fare”. “Controversially, it has banned kids under 10” but not everyone objects (“we think the atmosphere is all the better for it, even if it means we can’t go there as often as we’d like)”.

A “charming” atmosphere and “Laura Ashley decor” set the tone at this brunch-and-cocktails spot, which has clocked up 25 years in Strand-on-the-Green. The global menu “may not set the pulse racing”, but seldom attracts much in the way of criticism. Founder Lorraine Angliss also operates the Little Bird and Rock & Rose venues in southwest London.

2022 Review: The World’s End – a huge Grade II listed late-Victorian gin palace that’s long been a landmark of the more distant stretches of Chelsea’s King’s Road – offers an ‘immersive’ experience nowadays, comprising basement ‘Bletchley’ Bar (1940s vibe), top-floor Chelsea Black Martini bar and a ground-floor restaurant. Initially branding as ‘Journey’ was replaced with ‘Jolie’ mid-lockdowns in autumn 2020 – a ‘salon’ serving French-inspired sharing plates and with bottomless brunch a big feature.

2022 Review: “Excellent value, especially set meals” (at what feels like 1980s prices) mean this age old Italian greasy spoon in Chelsea has a wider constituency than you might imagine.

“Wonderful fine dining but with the feel of a small local eatery” is both the blessing and the challenge for this Chiswick destination which is “trying very hard to be great, succeeding, and so much better than the location makes you think”. Chef Nathan Cornwell was recruited in 2023 to up the ante here, and his “carefully thought-out” cuisine is “just getting better and better”: it’s a serious rival to nearby Trompette in terms of its “exceptional” quality, with “a fabulous tasting menu which gets it just right and doesn’t overwhelm you”. But while its reputation is generating ever-more feedback in our poll as a “classy” and also a “romantic” destination, it is ever-so slightly constrained by its (albeit posh) “caff-like” premises on the High Street, with the least kind view that you are “crammed in, while the waiters try to deliver to you a fine-dining experience”.

“The perfect local is full of locals, and this defines The Andover perfectly: a buzzing bar and friendly staff greet you” at this “lively old boozer” in a quiet corner of Hammersmith’s ‘Brackenbury Village’. “Under new ownership for a couple of years now, the food has gone up another level” – somewhat more inventive and “a giant step up from pub grub” (but equally also a little “expensive for a pub”). Top Tip – “Sunday lunch is a must”.

“Any food stall here will satisfy” in the dedicated street-food zone that has taken over the old car park at Borough Market, which is invariably “busy” at lunchtimes. The competition between stalls means the quality is high – it’s “streets ahead” of similar markets elsewhere [geddit?].

In one of London’s most ‘Mary Poppins’ settings – a tucked-away, Regency square close to the Design Museum in Kensington – this flower-bedecked mid-Victorian tavern has a “great atmosphere”. It excels as a convivial gathering place over a drink or two, with a terrace that gets busy in the summer, and a dependable menu of classic pub dishes. Famous patrons over the years include Princess Di in days of yore to Piers Morgan (who lives nearby) more currently.

“A must for weekend brunch” in the summertime if you have a taste for people-watching – this prominently situated venue, just off the King’s Road, occupies a dramatic modern pavilion with a large outdoor terrace on Chelsea’s Duke of York Square. Taking its name from the Romany travelling wagon, it is part of the Caravan chain, whose menu of global hit dishes it shares (edamame, salt and pepper squid, sourdough pizza, caesar salad, schnitzel, tiramisu and so on).

In the traditional heart of posh Chelsea, this Sloaney backstreet boozer is nowadays part of Butcombe Inns, whose four siblings in the capital likewise occupy nice properties in expensive postcodes. With its small garden and cute dining room with retractable roof, it wins solid ratings but nothing like the attention it once enjoyed, and is primarily recommendable as a relatively affordable fallback in this pricey bit of town.

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.

The over-50s may get a nostalgic pang for the ‘old’ Harrod’s Food Halls in which butchery counters once occupied this shimmering space: dating from 1904, with wonderful Edwardian tiling. After a revamp from David Collins studio, it was relaunched in October 2023 with diverse food outlets, including a caviar bar, Sushi by MASA (from an NYC Michelin three-star chef) and an outlet of Kerridge’s Fish ’n’ Chips which provides easy and regular fodder for the tabloids (“’I was fuming after trying Tom Kerridge’s £37 fish and chips…”, Daily Express in March 2025).

2022 Review: One of the few early 2021 newcomers (at which time it was delivery only) – this ‘soul food fusion’ newcomer operates out of the Peckham Levels. The aim? – ‘a bold and culturally relevant brand to disrupt the traditionally Euro-centric and often whitewashed London food scene’. This translates into hearty spicy scoff – Trinidadian Bara Tacos (fried bread with a chickpea filling), Philly Banh Mi Cheesesteaks… deep-fried Oreos.