London Marylebone Restaurant Guide

“Very good Italian family food is served in a buzzy atmosphere” at chef Giancarlo Caldesi and his wife Katie’s Marylebone flagship – “all the classic dishes are available”, accompanied by an “interesting wine list”. The couple also have a country restaurant in Bray and a cookery school, while Tuscany-born Giancarlo has written a healthy cookbook following his diagnosis as a diabetic.

“So long as you don’t mind queuing and the fact that there’s just one item on the menu” – “entrecôte, salad, secret sauce and sublime frites” – this Gallic duo in Marylebone and the City can offer “a wonderful evening of no-frills dining”, and it’s an “obsession” to more ardent fans . “The only pressing question is ‘house red or Bordeaux’” – while the “hugger-mugger seating and bustle is all part of the charm”. The original Paris branch opened 60 years ago in a bankrupt Italian restaurant – hence the name.

“Going strong” since 1914, this Marylebone veteran is one of the oldest in central London, serving “reliable and authentic fish ’n’ chips in a part of town where no-nonsense dining is not so easy to find”. Unusually for a chippy there’s “outdoor seating in warmer months”, and when it’s cold you can finish your meal with a traditional sponge pudding.

“Trading on a once-great name but disappointing in every category (except perhaps breakfasts)” – this brasserie brand themed around the Theatreland classic feels “very ‘chain restaurant’ now”. Some reporters do suggest their “comfort food staples” and “buzzy interiors” make them useful destinations, but too many suggest they are “haphazard” and “not a place to return to”.

An “upscale Japanese/fusion place” – “a modern take on Nipponese cuisine in a light and airy venue in the heart of Marylebone High Street”. It scores higher this year: even those who consider it “overpriced” still say the culinary results are “very good”.

“Stunning salads, amazing pastries” and a “lovely variety of interesting prepared dishes” have stood the test of time at Yotam Ottolenghi’s “vibrant” deli-cafés – still hugely popular 22 years on from the launch of the first in Notting HIll. The Israeli-born chef and writer has had an enormous influence on the way people shop, eat and cook, helping to create a whole category of modern Middle Eastern cookery and “totally living up to his reputation as a leading expert in vegetarian cuisine” – even though his premises serve meat and fish. An occasional quibble – “the prices? Too high for a few stalks of broccoli even taking into account the undoubtedly skills of the Chef!”

“Well priced, tasty” burgers make this long-running Icelandic chain (with two outlets in London and one in Oxford; as well as Berlin and Copenhagen) a “cheap ’n’ cheerful favourite” for some reporters. Veteran burger-slinger Tómas Tómasson founded the group 43 years ago, and in 2021 was elected to Iceland’s parliament, the Althing, at the age of 72.

Lady Bamford’s quartet of London ‘rus in urbe’ cafés should have caught the zeitgeist, with their focus on home-produced organic ingredients from her estate. But the offering is variable, with food that’s too often slated as “poor”; or incidents of “staff hanging around not knowing what to do”. The Pimlico branch scores the best of the bunch, but it’s worthy of note that visitors to the Daylesford farm mothership in the Cotswolds report an altogether different and “delightful” experience.

Sommelier Xavier Rousset is behind this “wonderful and quiet little restaurant” and wine bar in Marylebone, “serving delicious, serious food” – mostly inspired by Italy – and “an outstanding Rhône-specialist wine list”. Service is notably “friendly, with a relaxed vibe”.

“Simple food done well...and the cheese!!” – this small group has basic eateries attached to their stores as well as “an enormous selection of cheese to buy at retail”. WC1 is by far the most popular outlet – “like wandering into a village restaurant in the heart of Bloomsbury”. “If you like cheese and wine, what’s not to love about this place?”

The “super-fresh fish” – “simply prepared” and “never overcooked” – “never disappoints” at this “good value” trio of West End seafood brasseries, in Covent Garden, Marylebone and Swallow Street, off Piccadilly.

“Wonderfully scented dishes” are “delicately and expertly prepared” at JKS Restaurants’ exceptional Marylebone flagship, just off the high street, which fans claim “surpasses the Indian original” in Mumbai (which inspired it). But while its culinary performance impressively lives up to its reputation, perceptions of its “oddly shaped and slightly claustrophobic” premises are deteriorating. Top Menu Tip – “definitely get the Duck Keema Naan if it’s on the menu”.

“A super choice to explore Peruvian cuisine with a wide variety of dishes available on their tapas-style menu” (ceviche, croquetas, churros…) – these noisy and atmospheric, cocktail-fueled operations in Marylebone and Shoreditch make for a fun night out: “a great evening was had by all!”

They look modest, but “great value Japanese food” (for example, “delightful sushi” and “very fresh salmon and tuna”) of “consistently high quality” is served by “lovely people” at this well-established Marylebone restaurant and its more deli-style offshoots in Highgate, Bloomsbury and Bayswater.