London Bromley Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: A South African-based affordable seafood brand has opened its first UK branch in a former Café Rouge on the market square; Peter ‘Fats’ Lazarides and his brother George opened their first restaurant in Pretoria – more than 300 miles from the nearest coast – in 1995, and there are now more than 215 Ocean Baskets in 19 countries – many of them in sub-Saharan Africa. We expect a roll-out to commence any day.

“A super addition to Bromley” – the borough’s old Town Hall has had £20m spent on a refit as a boutique hotel, complete with this new landmark dining room which launched in late 2022: an imposing chamber, with a soaring vaulted ceiling, wood-panelled walls and clerestory windows. It serves a menu of British classics, and is aiming to be a linchpin of the area. Our early feedback (and press reports) are up-and-down: one reporter liked the “very friendly staff and great building”, but thought “the menu needs to be a little more adventurous”. Another was “slightly disappointed all round, but went shortly after it opened and they were obviously still ironing out stuff”. (Both comments have echoes of Grace Dent’s review in The Guardian: “a gorgeous space…with a brief menu… service is delightful… prompt and friendly, but it’s hard to regard the place as much more than a cafe”).