London Nine Elms Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “Bright modern tapas with some old favourites” are on the menu at this “stylish” pair south of the river, named after the food market in Barcelona. “Consistently good cooking” and “reasonable prices” are the plus points, although they may “lack the extra zing of the very best places”.

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

This quintet of tapas bars from the well-known Iberian food importer attracts most attention for its locations – in particular its “lively and popular” original bar at the entrance to Borough Market; and most recent addition: a “lovely riverside spot overlooking the Thames at Richmond”. Despite its renown – and some praise for its “small plates but big flavours” – ratings are held down by prices many reporters consider “high” for what’s widely seen as “pretty standard tapas fare”.

“A very good fish selection with great daily offerings” and “excellent seafood” win very many nominations for these ever-popular fish-and-seafood bistros in Borough Market, Battersea Power Station and South Kensington. All offer a “pleasant experience”, with an appealing “casual” ambience, “friendly” staff and very “reliable” standards. In particular, SW8 has a “terrific location – right by the Power Station and the boat landing! – Step off and step straight inside!”

2021 Review: A “wealth of wines by the glass” and “tasty nibbles”, help make this growing group of self-service wine bars a “fun way to try a selection of vintages from a multitude of small producers”. At the Battersea Power Station branch’s school you can educate your palate towards Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification and watch wine being made from grapes grown in Oxfordshire and Surrey.

With its “great terrace” by the Thames and prime position at the Battersea Power Station, this smart modern Italian from D&D London was one of the first openings in the development and certainly looks “elegant and modern”. “Good, but a little expensive” summarises input on the traditional Italian menu, where even cheaper options like the small selection of ‘Pinsa’ (Roman-style pizza) will set you back £20.

“If you’re in the mood for some delicious Indian cuisine”, this duo from Vivek Singh make a more affordable alternative to his flagship Cinnamon Club, pleasing both vegetarians (“great- tasting paneer butter masala”) and omnivores (“the chicken 65 is a particular favourite”). The cavernous City branch can get “incredibly noisy”, but the newer Battersea Power Station branch earns a lot of positive feedback, and is seen as a “viable competitor to Dishoom”, its near neighbour.

A “buzzy” atmosphere and “welcoming service” are the strong suits of this “expanding group”, with 16 branches in London and another handful nearby. While nobody disputes that they’re “lovely to sit in” and offer “value for money”, the “Middle-Eastern-inspired cooking” divides opinion, with some reporters “pleasantly surprised by the tasty food” and others bemoaning “underwhelming” dishes that “sound better than they taste”.

Overlooking the back of the US Embassy, Robin Gill’s comfortable modern brasserie occupies a high-ceilinged unit on the ground floor of a block within the Nine Elms’s forest of new developments. Attractions include an NYC-style oyster bar; chiller cabinets showcasing its steaks; regular live music; an on-site bakery; and an outside terrace in summer. It’s still perhaps more of an amenity to the locals than it is a destination, but all reports rate it highly.

On the fringes of the new developments around Battersea Power Station, this modern all-day-brasserie opened in April 2023 – too late to generate any survey feedback. Instagram-worthy foliage is a feature, both inside and on the terrace. Let’s hope chef Luigi Vairo (who provides an international menu) doesn’t take too much inspiration from the restaurant’s name… the legendary queen of the Iceni, who burnt London to the ground…

Now into its second year, this “neighbourhood restaurant in the most unlikely of places” – a railway arch near Battersea Park – offers a “small and perfect Italianesque/Med menu served by staff who care that you are having a happy time (but without being intrusive)”. Chef Alex Owens learnt her trade at the River Café, while owner Emily Few Brown runs the front of house.

The “buzzy” original in a Victoria hotel occupies “a great space” (modelled on Continental grand cafés); while its younger sibling in the new Battersea art’otel is agreeably modernistic in style. Both can provide “a decent dining experience”, but even fans sometimes noted “service issues” this year, which holds back a more wholehearted recommendation.

Near the entrance to Battersea Power Station in an attractive, spacious new unit, this South African all-day cafe beamed down at the very end of 2023. Specials include a pork schnitzel fried in corn flakes, healthy salads and in-house twists on familiar cocktails. The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa was very impressed by brunch here in his February 2024 review (“I cannot see a universe where most of us will not be charmed by the gloss, rigour and sun-warmed generosity of Tashas”). Some of our initial feedback agrees saying it’s “hit the ground running and very good in every respect”. Not everyone’s impressed, though, with the odd report of “disappointing” food and service that’s “unconcerned”.

Near the new American Embassy in Nine Elms, this modern izakaya opened in September 2022 and is the creation of Singapore-born Lynus Lim (ex-The Laughing Heart) and Chase Lovecky (formerly of The Clove Club). Foodwise, it’s a bit of a mashup, aiming to ‘highlight Japanese cookery techniques whilst engaging the micro-seasonality of produce from the British Isles’. Most reports say the result is “a super newcomer with really enjoyable food showing great balance of flavours and representing value for money”. On the downside, there’s the occasional view that “though good it’s been very hyped up and some dishes work better than others (a bit overcomplicated)”.

This 10-year-old group with six sites offers a “good-value and tasty” take on the Middle Eastern kebab, served with a “modern twist” alongside “noteworthy cocktails”. “A seat at the counter is fun” at the original Kingly Court branch in Carnaby Street, which has a ‘fine dining’ option downstairs, Kebab Queen (see also).

“A beautiful room overlooking the Power Station” – the 16th-floor flagship restaurant at Battersea’s new art’otel showcases “classic Portuguese dishes” from chef Henrique Sá Pessoa of Lisbon hotspot Alma. A year on from its opening, there is the odd doubter who feels “they charge too much money… the best part is the view”; but most reports say it “truly delivers on both taste and ambience”.

This “relatively new addition” to the capital’s Italian restaurant scene “doesn’t disappoint”, serving “delicious homemade pasta and a good variety of starters” at the four sites it has opened in two years (Islington, Battersea Power Station, Shoreditch and, most recently, Richmond). It‘s the brainchild of Andy Bassadone – one of the UK’s most successful restaurateurs who, for example, rolled out Côte; and it is part of the Various Eateries group owned by Hugh Osmond (of PizzaExpress and Punch Taverns fame).

“Eat in or take out, these buns are delicious” – the universally agreed take on this Taiwanese street-food operation founded 13 years ago by Shing Tat, his wife Erchen Chang and sister Wai Ting Chung, now with six sites across the capital and part of the JKS Restaurants group. The “good-value” filled steamed buns “really make you want to go back” – “I called in 3 times in the same afternoon!” – while “the noodles are fab, too”. The only real complaint concerns the settings, with some branches “far too cramped” given their popularity.

“The tacos are still loaded and delicious and the frozen margaritas are exceptional” at the Hart Bros’ “lively” Latino haunts: particularly the original SE1 branch – a “fabulous Mexican street food venue under the arches in Borough Market”. (The newer Soho branch with its basement ‘Mezcaleria Colmillo’ bar inspires good marks but much less feedback). In April 2024, they launched a new, 90-cover site in Battersea Power Station, with adjoining 60-cover, open-all-year, outdoor riverside terrace.

“God those rotis are heaven!” – they make it “worth joining the inevitable queue” (including “lots of Malaysian students and Asian visitors enjoying a taste of home”) for this “small Malaysian street-food cafe” in a packed little basement near Euston station. “A lot of patience is required lining up outside”: the queue here is such a regular fixture that the council have allowed the installation of a long decked area in the parking bays on the street to accommodate it. “The fluffy roti canai itself is amazing: you watch chef swirling and stretching paper thin dough”. But the “rich and aromatic” noodles and curries also on the menu can be just as rewarding. Don’t expect a long foodie religious experience. The “functional” service will get you in and out in no time. There are also now a growing number of spin-offs, of which the most high-profile is in Battersea Power Station, whose shiny vibe could not be more at odds with the grungy original; and where there’s “more of a feeling of a fast-food joint”. Even so, it comes “highly recommended for anyone looking to try some authentic and tasty Malaysian cuisine”: “it’s good to find such a reasonable place near Battersea Power Station. You can sit outside if weather permits. But it’s very popular and no booking, so go early to get a table”. Also in Waterloo and – since this year – in Spitalfields. Top Tip in NW1 – takeaway lunch is easier than queueing and amazing value too.