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London,
Restaurants
The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
All restaurant bills are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax) of 17.5%, which is usually included in the prices given.
A service charge (usually 12.5%) might be included in the prices stated on the menu but it is more likely to be added to the bill at the end. This is technically an optional charge but it would be very unusual to ask for it to be removed. Where ‘Service is not included’, a tip of at least 10% is expected, although 12–15% is becoming more common. Diners should check the bill thoroughly, as tipping is not required on top of a service charge.
The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include VAT but not service charge or tip.
Gastronomic:
Le Gavroche: Since its opening in 1967 by brothers Albert and Michel Roux, the smart, formal, dark and classically French Le Gavroche, with two Michelin stars, has been setting the culinary benchmark for the British restaurant scene. Currently run by Michel Roux Junior, with the assistance of award‐winning maitre d’, Silvano Giraldin, diners can expect the highest standards of food, wine and service – at prices to match. Highly praised dishes include the artichoke hearts with foie gras, truffles and chicken mousse, the grilled sea bream with pea and wild mushroom sauce and the baked sea bass with tiger prawns. Reservations essential. No lunch Saturday. Closed Sunday.
43 Upper Brook Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7408 0881. Fax: (020) 7491 4387.
E-mail: bookings@le-gavroche.com
Price: £70 or £40 (set lunch). Wine: £20.
Lindsay House: Irish-born chef Richard Corrigan has made this Soho townhouse his home and gained a Michelin star in the process, by creating impeccable dishes in a grand but comfortable environment. Arriving at the discreet front door, diners must ring the bell to gain admittance, which heralds the beginning of an evening where the attentive staff treats them like the houseguests of a rich, absent host. The 1740s building quietly exudes charm, while guests pad up carpeted stairs to a small, elegant but simple dining room, with white walls, oil paintings, a grand fireplace and comfortable chairs. It is impossible not to feel at home, although there are two private dining rooms for those who really wish to be cocooned, as well as one other public dining room on the ground floor. The menu changes daily (Richard Corrigan tries to source all his ingredients from small suppliers) but, from the tiny wafer-thin cheesy biscuits served with a champagne cocktail, every dish is perfectly balanced, well presented and beautifully cooked. Recommended starters include the Dutch white asparagus with langoustines and morels or the melt-in-the-mouth foie gras tart with sautéed foie gras and Muscat grape, followed by the best end of lamb with sweetbreads and seared kidneys and the native scallops with pork belly and spiced carrots. For dessert, the Sauternes jelly, poached pear and blue cheese Bavarois is a dreamy dish, where a tiny piece of perfect pear is suspended in a delicate jelly and served with the creamiest Bavarois. With an accessible and distinguished wine list, overseen by Thierry Talibon, amuse bouche between every course and petits four to round the whole thing off, nothing is forgotten in this most memorable establishment. Reservations essential. No lunch Saturday. Closed Sunday.
21 Romilly Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7439 0450. Fax: (020) 437 7349.
E-mail: richardcorrigan@lindsayhouse.co.uk
Price: £48. Wine: £20.
Locanda Locatelli: Giorgio Locatelli, who has been a well-respected chef behind the scenes at various London Italian restaurants for some time, has finally emerged into the limelight with a TV show (Tony and Giorgio) and, this, his very own restaurant with one Michelin star. An instant hit, Locanda Locatelli serves up delectable Italian dishes in sleek surroundings with a glamorous 1970s feel. Four courses are recommended, so diners are able to enjoy an antipasto – such as the lightest salad of borlotti beans, red onions and tuna – but not miss out on a pasta dish, such as the rave-worthy veal shank ravioli. Mains include a decent number of fish and meat dishes, served simply with one or two other ingredients, such as John Dory with potatoes and peas (vegetarians might be forced to indulge in a second pasta dish!), while desserts should not be missed. Reservations well in advance are essential.
8 Seymour Street, London W1
Tel: (020) 7935 9088 (reservations) or 8390 (confirmations/cancellations). Fax: (020) 7935 1149.
Price: £45 (three courses) or £55 (four courses). Wine: £12.
Nobu: This devastatingly fashionable restaurant, located on the first floor of the Metropolitan Hotel, provides award-winning Japanese cuisine melded with South American influences in a relaxed yet classy environment. Smiling, uniformed members of staff guide the diner through an extensive menu with head chef Mark Edwards at the helm. The presentation is impeccable and the food itself unique. Signature dishes include black cod marinated in miso, chocolate cake with tea-tree ice cream or sake with gold leaf. The place is also one of the best spots in town for sushi. There is plenty of opportunity for celebrity spotting. Reservations essential. No lunch weekends.
19 Old Park Lane, W1
Tel: (020) 7447 4747. Fax: (020) 7447 4749.
Price: £85. Wine: £18.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay: The only London restaurant with three Michelin stars, this remains the best place to experience Gordon Ramsay at work. In a comfortable but fairly neutral room, the focus is entirely on the food. All dishes are superb and might include the starter of a mosaique of foie gras served three ways – pressed, confit and smoked – with marinated figs and pickled girolles, followed by fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with caramelised pig’s trotters, quail’s eggs, sautéed baby artichokes and truffle sauce. A seven‐course set dinner is available for £80 for those who wish to experience the full gastronomic experience. Reservations essential. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3
Tel: (020) 7352 4441. Fax: (020) 7352 3334.
Price: £35 (set lunch); £65 (dinner). Wine: £25.
Business:
Incognico: Nico Ladenis’ unfussy West End restaurant provides the best‐value set menu in London. For a meagre £12.50, at lunchtime or early evening, diners can enjoy a well‐composed three‐course meal, with a choice of two dishes per course, from a menu that changes weekly. Dishes might include a brandade of salt cod in crispy pastry, followed by pork belly with fresh sauerkraut and Madeira sauce, and key lime tart. A decent mainly French à la carte menu is also available, including many fish dishes but few entirely vegetarian ones. The interior is cosy and uncluttered but the service can be patchy. A decent wine list has a helpful (or pretentious) adjective describing each wine. Closed Sunday.
117 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2
Tel: (020) 7836 8866. Fax: (020) 7240 9525.
Price: £40 or £12.50 (set lunch/1730–1900). Wine: £15.
The Ivy: The restaurant of choice of many a celebrity, The Ivy is notoriously difficult to get into without a famous name or advance booking of at least six weeks. Telephoning to reserve involves an intimidating call‐back system. Once inside, however, the comfortable decor suggests a gentleman’s club with dark wooden panelling and diamond‐patterned stained‐glass windows. The food is simple but of high quality and includes traditional British favourites, such as bangers and mash, potted shrimps or braised beef in stout, along with more European recipes, such as pork tenderloin on lemon polenta. The cosy environment, pleasing food and guaranteed celebrity spotting makes The Ivy a laid‐back yet impressive venue for a business meal.
1 West Street, WC2
Tel: (020) 7836 4751. Fax: (020) 240 9333.
Price: £50. Wine: £15.
Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie: For panoramic views of London, there is no better place to eat than the restaurant at the top of the Thameside Oxo Tower. In good weather, diners can eat on the terrace, otherwise they take a seat in the stylish minimalist interior. At lunchtime, the place is a favourite venue for business meetings, with light, well‐prepared food and a set menu available (£28.50 for three courses). In the evenings, the place takes on a more festive mood, with its busy bar set against the stunning London nightscape. The cuisine is modern European, with dishes such monkfish with oxtail, sprouting broccoli and parsnips or spiced tenderloin of lamb, peas, mint and coriander, however, too often the dishes sound promising but fail to shine. The service can also be poor, but with those views the Oxo Tower remains perennially popular.
Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, SE1
Tel: (020) 7803 3888. Fax: (020) 7803 3838.
E‐mail: oxo.reservations@harveynichols.co.uk
Price: £45. Wine: £13.95.
The Real Greek: This smart restaurant attracts a fair number of ‘suits’ for lunch, due to its proximity to the City, although a friendly staff and rustic detailing, such as some beautiful plates, make it a relaxed and comfortable place in which to eat. The homemade bread, with its unusual flavours, is a great introduction to the authentic regional Greek cuisine that might be unfamiliar to many diners. As a starter, the delicious plates of three or four different mezedes are recommended, such as the one that includes dolmades, gigandes plaki (oven‐cooked giant beans), pastourma (cured beef sirloin) and pan‐fried kefalotiri (ewe’s milk cheese). Mains are simple yet intensely flavoured dishes, usually extraordinarily tender, such as the veal stifado (slow‐cooked casserole with button onions, spices and red wine) or the lamb fricassee (stew cooked with green dandelions, leeks, cos lettuce and herbs). Prices are expensive but with such a good‐value set menu, available at lunchtime and 1730–1900, there is no excuse for one not to eat here. Knowledgeable staff can help with the all‐Greek wine list. Next door, the Mezedopolio serves wine and meze individually. Reservations recommended.
14–15 Hoxton Market, N1
Tel: (020) 7739 8212. Fax: (020) 7739 4910.
Price: £35; £13.50 (three‐course set menu) or £10 (two‐course set menu). Wine: £11.70.
Sumosan: Stylish Japanese restaurants seem to be the thing at the moment and Sumosan, opened in May 2002, is one of the latest pretenders to the crown held by Nobu (see Gastronomic above). Executive chef Bubker Behlit has created a menu that pleases lovers of sushi and sashimi, as well as offering tempura, soups, salads and extensive and adventurous appetisers (such as ebi fry, tiger prawns and scallops deep‐fried in three different crusts) and mains (such as foie gras teppanyaki). With stunning presentation, luxurious decor and prices to match, this place is good for impressing business clients. Reservations recommended. No lunch Saturday. Closed Sunday.
26 Albemarle Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7495 5999. Fax: (020) 7355 1247.
E‐mail: info@sumosan.com
Price: £30. Wine: £13.
Trendy:
Cigala: Jake Hodges, one of the original founders of Moro, is the owner‐chef of this wonderful Spanish restaurant, with big windows, light wood and simple cream decor. Cigala can get busy and noisy and the tables are a little close together but it always remains relaxed, friendly and sophisticated, rather like the food. From the starters, the salads are always fresh and delicious combinations, such as the asparagus, broad beans, pea and mint salad. Recommended mains include the fish dishes, such as the skate with garlic, guindilla peppers and balsamic vinegar with braised spinach. There is a charming, small tapas bar in the basement, where it is possible for diners to eat as much of the incredible bread alongside excellent tapas (the meatballs and king prawns are highly recommended). Reservations recommended. Closed Sunday.
54 Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1
Tel: (020) 7405 1717.
E‐mail: tasty@cigala.co.uk
Price: £25, £18 (three‐course set menu) or £15 (two‐course set menu). Wine: £18.
The Electric Brasserie: Opened in 2002 as part of the refurbishment of Portobello’s famous Electric Cinema, England’s first purpose‐built cinema. A major revamp brought in soft leather seating and chic wooden tables – and a suitably trendy following, coming for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just drinks in the bar area. With a huge range of brasserie‐style dishes and great seafood available all day long, this comes as no surprise; it is especially popular for Sunday brunch – comfort food like chunky steak sandwiches or hamburgers with red onion marmalade. The à la carte menu gets slightly grander, with the addition of dishes like grilled dover sole or chateaubriand for two. There is also a joint on a trolley, which varies every evening but all Sunday is Aberdeen Angus beef with Yorkshire pudding. Open daily, although reservations recommended Thursday to Saturday.
191 Portobello Road, W11
Tel: (020) 7908 9696.
Price: £30. Wine: £13.
Hakkasan: This chic restaurant is situated down an alley in central London, which deters passing trade and helps heighten Hakkasan’s sense of exclusivity. Once down the smart slate steps and past reception, the blue glass doors open on to a stunning, dimly lit, room, where a beautiful latticework screen encases the dining area. Unfortunately, the effect is best seen from the lounge‐bar area outside, because once within this inner sanctum, with tables too close together and an ill‐advised music policy, the magical effect is lost somewhat. Neverthless, the food makes up for everything – this is one of only five Chinese restaurants with a Michelin star. The lunchtime dim sum is so excellent that it is difficult to single out any one dish. Nevertheless, unmissable mains include the roasted silver cod with champagne and Chinese honey. However, just soaking up the atmosphere with the other trendy people is a viable alternative, given the exquisite, exotic concoctions on the famous cocktail list (all £8). Reservations highly recommended.
8 Hanway Place, W1
Tel: (020) 7927 7000. Fax: (020) 7907 1889.
Price: £45. Wine: £22.
Mash: Brainchild of entrepreneur Oliver Peyton, who also owns the Atlantic Bar and Grill, Mash is a novel combination of restaurant, bar, micro‐brewery and deli, housed in a bright, open space just off Oxford Street. The bar and micro‐brewery downstairs is open until 0200, serving a trendy post‐work crowd stylish cocktails, heady own beers and Modern European dishes ranging from the snacky to the more substantial. Enormous beer vats encased in glass line the back wall, while chairs are space‐age pods; there is also a sunken cushioned seating area. Upstairs, the quieter restaurant is more exclusive and the food slightly classier, such as roast rack of lamb with ratatouille of courgettes and peppers with green olive tapenade or baked halibut with sautéed potato, artichoke and Swiss chard with anchovy salsa. Trendy places come and go but this remains a reliably stylish West End choice. Closed Sunday.
19–21 Great Portland Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7637 5555. Fax: (020) 7637 7333.
E‐mail: info@gruppo.co.uk
Price: £15 (bar) or £30 (restaurant). Wine: £13.50. Beer: From £3.20 (pint).
Sketch: French chef Pierre Gagnaire’s first venture in London, this enormous 18th‐century house has been divided into four different culinary experiences, all extravagantly designed by Mourad Mazouz. The Parlour on the ground floor is a frou‐frou tea room, with pastries displayed in a jewellery case. The West Bar, almost space age with red lighting and pod bar stools, is the place to drink at the moment and also serves a ‘quick but refined lunch’. The Gallery is entirely white and filled with white furniture but has coloured light emanating from the ceiling and a huge frieze of video art; it serves lunch and dinner. However, the piece de resistance is The Lecture Room, with its dramatic design featuring luxurious padded walls studded with gold and its dramatic prices (main courses go for £75). The menu is divided into sections, with a dish or two underneath, so the starters consist of Red Mullet, Vegetables, Charcuterie, Langoustines and Crab. Mains are famed for unusual pairings, the sections include Poultry and White Truffles, Beef and Caviar, John Dory and Scallops. Reservations essential. Closed Sunday; The Lecture Room closed Monday as well.
9 Conduit Street, W1
Tel: (0870) 777 4488.
Price: £120 (Lecture Room); £60 (Gallery). Wine: £30.
Budget:
Café Emm: This brasserie serves the best‐value good food in Soho, so its no‐booking policy means that a queue is inevitable unless it is very early evening. As well as various starters and snacks, there is a selection of main courses at £5.95, including Cajun‐style chicken with potato skins, homemade lentil rissoles and smoked salmon and cream cheese crêpes. For £7.95, diners can choose from classier dishes, such as chargrilled rump steak with new potatoes. The dark‐wood interior is packed with candle‐lit tables and the service is brisk but not rushed.
17 Frith Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7437 0723. Fax: (020) 580 2947.
Price: £13. Wine: £9.90.
Golden Dragon: One of Chinatown’s best restaurants, the Golden Dragon is bedecked in red and gold and has a noisy, bustling atmosphere. In the daytime (1200–1700), the dim sum selection, brought to the table in a never‐ending parade of bamboo steamers, is of exemplary quality. Main dishes, available both night and day, are excellent value and come in generously sized portions. As well as all the standard dishes and more, some unusual dishes are on offer, such as eel or jelly fish, roast pigeon or even a whole suckling pig (available on order for £115).
28–29 Gerrard Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7734 2763. Fax: (020) 7734 1073.
Price: £15. Wine: £9.
Mildred’s: Mildred’s is a tasty and popular Soho establishment that happens to be vegetarian. Although it recently moved a few streets, thankfully, the warm decor, relaxed atmosphere and low prices remain. One improvement is the size, with more space to accommodate the steady stream of regulars and savvy tourists. The healthy menu changes, however, the homemade veggie burger of the day and the pasta of the day are reliable favourites. Vegans are always catered for, as are those with wheat or dairy intolerance. A selection of organic wines and juices is on offer. The staff is young, trendy and helpful. Closed Sunday. Debit cards accepted but no credit cards.
45 Lexington Street, W1
Tel/fax: (020) 7494 1634.
Price: £15. Wine: £10.
Rock and Sole Plaice: It is difficult to beat sitting upstairs at the Rock and Sole Plaice, near the fryers, watching the cooking and the takeaway punters and munching on a good plate of fresh fish with crispy batter, chunky chips and mushy peas (optional), while downing a good cuppa. Although, sitting on one of the picnic tables outside on a summer’s evening, with a nice bottle of crisp white wine, might pip it. Fish and chips are a British institution and there are few places better to indulge than this, London’s oldest surviving chippie. It serves up all the basic fishes (cod, rock, haddock, plaice, skate and scampi) and more specialities (halibut, lemon sole, dover sole, trout, salmon, sardines and mackerel), depending on market availability, as well as other chip‐shop standards like pasties and pies.
47 Endell Street, WC2
Tel: (020) 7836 3785.
Price: £10. Wine: £8.
Tokyo Diner: This Japanese canteen on three small floors is a reliable and cheap favourite in Chinatown. With wooden tables and wooden stools, all the floors are fairly similar but the ground floor, with its pale yellow walls and Japanese mask hanging on the wall, is the best, because of the wrap‐around windows. With a limited menu that changes seasonally, this is not the place for sushi‐lovers, as Tokyo Diner only has a few unalterable sushi sets on the menu. However, people come for the ‘four‐course’ bento boxes and the donburi (filling rice dishes served in a bowl), a particular favourite being the chicken and onion don. The restaurant also serves Japanese curries and noodle soups. With free Japanese tea, diners who eat just one of the donburi will pay just £6.60 for a filling meal.
2 Newport Place, WC2
Tel: (020) 7287 8777.
Price: £11.50 (bento box). Wine: £6.90.
Personal Recommendations:
Duke of York: A quirky little gastropub in a quiet Bloomsbury street, the Duke of York is a relaxed yet vibrant place to spend an evening. Unlike most gastropubs, it is not overly trendy, overly crowded or overly priced. Diners can mingle with pub punters and eat in the brighter red‐toned bar area, decorated with contemporary art, or instead sit in private, little booths in the back dining room. The usually tasty dishes range from British classics like Cumberland sausage and mash to more unusual daily specials, such as sea bream tempura with stir‐fried noodles, although they can sometimes disappoint. Reservations recommended for dining area.
7 Roger Street, WC1
Tel: (020) 7242 7230.
Price: £15. Wine: £10.50.
La Trompette: La Trompette sneaked into the top ten of Harden’s London Favourites in 2002 and, despite being situated in a quiet street in Chiswick, it looks set to retain its success. Owner Nigel Platts‐Martin and head chef Ollie Couillaud have worked miracles in creating a genuinely world‐class menu at out‐of‐town prices. The menu changes daily but highlights include the starter of tarte fine of wood pigeon, onion and mushrooms or the main of rump of lamb with ratatouille, olives, fondant potato and new season’s garlic, while the steak tartar can make a decent claim to be the finest in London. The chic modern interior has a buzz but never becomes too noisy, while most conversations seem to be dominated by discussions about the quality of the food at this fantastic‐value restaurant.
5–7 Devonshire Road, W4
Tel: (020) 8747 1836.
Price: £30 or £21.50 (three‐course weekday set lunch). Wine: £14.50.
Malabar Junction: The entrance to Malabar Junction somewhat belies its smart interior, which opens out into a bright light dining room, almost like a conservatory with its huge central skylight, bamboo chairs, greenery and water fountain. The South Indian restaurant caters for both meat‐eaters and vegetarians (although vegetarian dishes get their own kitchen) and dosas are the house specialities. The size of a dinner plate, these pancakes are traditionally filled with potato masala and served with sambar (lentil curry) and coconut chutney. Recommended mains include the tangy king prawn masala or any of the Keralan dishes, such as kozhi varutha (chicken curry).
107 Great Russell Street, WC1
Tel: (020) 7580 5230. Fax: (020) 7436 9942.
Price: £25. Wine: £10.
St John: This restaurant, an old smokehouse, is notorious for being pig heaven, where no bit of the animal is left off the menu. But it also happens to be home to one of the loveliest dining rooms in London. Up some stairs from the courtyard bar, this wonderful, light room is all wooden boards, white paint and chrome hanging lampshades. With tables a decent distance from each other, a friendly staff and an unpretentious mixed bag of diners creating a general hubbub, it is difficult not to recommend this place, even to vegetarians. Although (unless they eat fish), they will be confined to eating the one basic vegetarian dish on offer, such as leeks and red wine. Ultimately, however, this restaurant serves up old‐fashioned British classics with absolute panache – boiled ham and parsley sauce, rabbit saddle, roast beef with a stunning horseradish sauce, eccles cakes with Lancashire cheese for dessert. Although one or two unusual cuts of meat – bone marrow, neck of kid, ox heart, pig’s ears, tails, trotters, cheeks – are guaranteed. Whole roast suckling pigs can be pre‐ordered for 14 diners, at least seven days in advance, costing £280.
26 St John Street, EC1
Tel: (020) 7251 0848. Fax: (020) 7251 4090.
Price: £30. Wine: £12.50.
Truc Vert: This restaurant consists of no more than a few rough and ready wooden tables and chairs at the back of a French deli, surrounded by bottles of wine up to the ceiling. Unfortunately, the prices do not reflect the unpretentious surroundings and the service is terrible, as the staff is split between serving diners and customers of the deli. However, the food is unpretentious and near perfect. The dishes change daily but are not that dissimilar from lunch (1200–1500) to dinner (1800–2100). Starters include pea and fresh mint soup, while mains feature roast duck fillet with roast mushrooms, mash potato and pink peppercorn sauce or seared monkfish with rocket and spring onion risotto. However, at lunch, it is also possible for one to buy from the deli – cheese, charcuterie, patés and also daily salads, sandwiches and quiches. The smoked salmon quiche is quite possibly the best quiche in London. No dinner weekends.
42 North Audley Street, W1
Tel: (02) 7491 9988.
Price: £30. Wine: £10.90.
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