Westminster, Fusion Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: For the “mind-blowing sound system”, or as “a great place to grab a drink and a bite with your mates”, this “groovy”, music-led four-year-old, near Granary Square has won quite a following. (It was founded by music consultant Paul Noble, who has worked with Monocle and the Beeb; and Canteen founders Patrick Clayton-Malone and Dominic Lake). “The new, handy Festival Hall branch has the same vibe as the King’s Cross original, and here they offer really well-prepared cooking to match the cool sounds, laid-back atmosphere and enthusiastic service... it deserves to thrive.”

“Absolutely fantastic flavours” are on the “great tasting menu” at Malaysia-born and Sydney-raised, Ramuel Scully’s idiosyncratic venue in St James’s Market, whose cuisine is flavoured by unusual ferments – some of them as much as a year old. It no longer generates the massive excitement of its early days, but still inspires lots of supportive feedback.

“Horribly overpriced but love the atmosphere” – to cut to the chase, that’s the key take-away on this duo of Japanese/South American fusion outfits: part of a slick US-chain originating in NYC 25 years ago, and now with branches from Singapore to Las Vegas, via the Middle East. The WC2 branch sits on top of Covent Garden with exceptional views over to the Royal Opera House, although (for our money) it’s the City original – up fast lifts on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower with fancy cocktail lounges and stunning views – that really stands out. The food – an eclectic Nikkei mashup incorporating tempura, crispy taquitos, samba rolls, sushi, robata dishes and large plates – is delicious but ultimately “nothing to write home about” when you consider the gargantuan cost.

“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”.

Noisy izakayas in Fitzrovia and Covent Garden from the Bone Daddies group, “serving a good range from the stickier and more crowd-pleasing end of Japanese cuisine”, along with “tasty pan-Asian small plates including their signature bao buns”. Top Menu Tips – “great yakitori, lovely beef-fat chips”.

“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.

2021 Review: “Utterly magic shakshuka served with chunks of roasted sourdough…”, “stand-out salt beef bagels…”, “incredible coffee with a selection of babka sweet breads (in different flavours!)…”, “ZFC – ‘za’atar fried chicken’ – to die for!…” – these “bustling” Israeli delis in Stoke Newington and Soho’s Kingly Court create queues (especially at brunch) with their “quite exceptional and startlingly fresh Middle-Eastern-cum-north-American food. They also make a worthwhile destination at dinner, when the pace is more sedate, the natural wines are flowing and you can actually book a table”. “Casual and relaxed”, they look “gorgeous” too.

2021 Review: Swish, Greek-owned, late-2018 yearling, which occupies two floors of a five-storey Mayfair townhouse (the remainder being dedicated to a bar, club, roof terrace, etc) which aims to ‘brings the spirit of Mykonos to London’ on a site that once housed the HQ of Cartier’s watch-making empire. Ex-Novikov chef, Sicilian Carmelo Carnevale, oversees a Mediterranean/Asian mash-up of a menu, which earned solid ratings in early feedback, alongside perhaps predictable concerns about the slightly scary pricing.

2021 Review: The promising, but hitherto under-exploited mix of Mediterranean and Japanese small plates is the crux of the menu offering at this August 2019 opening, which promises ‘a modern, day-to-night, neighbourhood restaurant and bar… complemented by a diverse variety of wines, sake and signature cocktails’.

2022 Review: Chef Krishna Negi (who first made his name when he launched Tangawizi in Richmond in 2004) opened this Fitzrovian basement spot in October 2019, with a menu featuring ‘nano plates’ (small plates and sharing bowls) inspired by 1947’s partition of India. Some initial reviews on its cuisine have been very upbeat.

A ‘no-borders kitchen’ philosophy informs the “funky mixture of Middle Eastern, Indian and African food” at chef and food-writer Ravinder Bhogul’s “busy and buzzing” Marylebone venue: it serves “combinations of ingredients you might think won’t work but really do”, and these “are matched by the equally unusual spice cocktails”. Top Tip – “the set lunch is a steal and the caramelised aubergine is amazing”.

“Amazing fine dining with Korean flavours running through each dish creates a real joy for the taste buds” at Woongchul Park & Bomee Ki’s passion project in a street in the shadow of The Shard. For foodies, it’s a must-visit, with a “restrained, unshowy and a pleasing menu” mixing classic French culinary techniques with inspirations from their home country; and all “at a reasonable price for this level of cooking and quality of ingredients”. Quality wines come from Keeling Andrew (associated with Noble Rot) although “more cheaper labels might encourage the topers amongst us to a bigger spend”. Service is “amazing”; and the neutral, 28-cover space is super-tasteful (but maybe not one for thrill seekers).

A particularly solid choice for brunch – this “buzzy” Kiwi-run chain (with seven branches) fits the bill well, with “interesting small plates” of pan-global fusion food and an emphasis on notably good coffee (which they roast in-house). On the downside, the food is often “passable and no more” and their “lively” interiors (Granary Square in particular) can become “hopelessly crowded”, giving rise to incidents of “slapdash service”. Still, they’re “fun” and “reasonably priced”. (See also Vardo).

Charcuterie, sharing plates and dishes from the Josper grill provide a “delicious Italian/ Spanish mix” at this “lovely and buzzy” small outfit: worth discovering in a backstreet just around the corner from St Mary’s Church, Marylebone.

This “longstanding Clapham local fave” – run by three “Nobu refugee” chefs – “keeps knocking out very good-to-exceptional sushi and sashimi” after almost 25 years (although some of the cooked dishes are less successful). “Service is local, friendly and charming but can seem overrun”, and the “ambience is Nobu-meets-nightclub”.

2022 Review: Hidden beneath Smith’s Bar & Grill in the Paddington Basin development – a spring 2020 Peruvian newcomer named for the Ayllu community of the Inca Empire, and serving Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes and cocktails.

“An amazing variety of small, tasty and unusual combination dishes served in a very cool environment” continues to win a thumbs up – if from a tiny fan club – for this Israeli-Japanese one-year-old in the shiny new Islington Square development.

“Excellent, innovative and delicious food” – a surprising Mexican/Japanese fusion dubbed ‘Baja-Nihon cuisine’ by its founder, restaurant entrepreneur Markus Thesleff – has made quite an impact at this “amazing” Notting Hill three-year-old (on the former site of famous chippy Geale’s, RIP), leading to the launch last year of a City branch with a huge rooftop terrace next to Liverpool Street station. Top Tip – “everything in this restaurant is gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs” (it’s also nut- and celery-free).