Pollen Street is a small, pedestrianised road just to the south of Hanover Square. Many passers-by could miss it. Which would be a pity, since it houses a delightful restaurant called Chez Rose. On a sunny day, three tables allow guests to sit outside. Indoors, the vibe is classic French bistro with a few modern twists. Close your eyes and you could almost believe you were in France.
The clue is in the name: banquet meaning lots of food, and the number eight being an auspicious one in China. This big and bold venture located in the semi no-man’s land of St Katherine’s Dock has large ambitions. The venue delivered, but it did not wow.
‘Beef and liberty’ is a very English idea (see William Hogarth’s painterly interpretation). It appears too in the logo of Hawksmoor, the successful steak chain that seems to go from strength to strength. The latest outpost of its London empire – the group has also started to conquer the rest of the country plus America and Ireland too – opened recently in the Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras. It’s very good.
Everyone needs a Marcella in their lives. Or, at least a good local restaurant. Keep it simple yet do it well is the mantra applied successfully at Marcella, which combines the best of Italian and British seasonal produce.
For almost thirty years, the denizens of Little Venice had enjoyed eating at The Red Pepper, a classic Italian restaurant. While the venue had seen its ups and downs over this time, it remained a local institution, and nearly always busy. Many lamented (if not your reviewer, entirely) its closure last year, and so it was with some excitement that its successor, the Little Red Pepper, recently opened on the same site. It has the potential to become another favourite.
Pollen Street is a small, pedestrianised road just to the south of Hanover Square. Many passers-by could miss it. Which would be a pity, since it houses a delightful restaurant called Chez Rose. On a sunny day, three tables allow guests to sit outside. Indoors, the vibe is classic French bistro with a few modern twists. Close your eyes and you could almost believe you were in France.
‘Beef and liberty’ is a very English idea (see William Hogarth’s painterly interpretation). It appears too in the logo of Hawksmoor, the successful steak chain that seems to go from strength to strength. The latest outpost of its London empire – the group has also started to conquer the rest of the country plus America and Ireland too – opened recently in the Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras. It’s very good.
For almost thirty years, the denizens of Little Venice had enjoyed eating at The Red Pepper, a classic Italian restaurant. While the venue had seen its ups and downs over this time, it remained a local institution, and nearly always busy. Many lamented (if not your reviewer, entirely) its closure last year, and so it was with some excitement that its successor, the Little Red Pepper, recently opened on the same site. It has the potential to become another favourite.
Istanbul has just nine restaurants with Michelin Stars, despite a population of almost 16m (the comparable stats for London are 84, for just over 9m people). Neolokal is one of this haloed group and could easily hold its own in any capital city around the world. Its success derives not just from its location, but the ability of chef Maskut Askar and his team to successfully meld the old with the new.
One key rule in marketing is that if you name something with a homophone then be prepared for the obvious jokes. Mour, a new Mediterranean restaurant, is not a homage to Moorish cuisine but an abbreviation of the street (Seymour) on which it is based. If its website is to be believed, “life is better with more.” Your reviewer agrees with this sentiment and did enjoy Mour but was left wanting – cue the inevitable punchline – more.
If restaurants were judged on names alone, then Paradise ought to win prizes. Located minutes from one of the most famous Victorian cemeteries, the resting place was immortalised in a 1927 GK Chesterton poem. In The Rolling Road, he declaimed “for there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen, before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.” Your reviewer was disappointed that there were not more fine things on offer at a recent visit to this W10 restaurant.
Not that your reviewer knew it at the time, but it seemed kind of fitting that DJ Seinfeld’s club classic “These Things Will Come To Be” was playing when he walked into Island on a recent evening. There is a lot to like Island, but there are also some major flaws. Island feels kind of stranded at present, in need of a more coherent gameplan.
Italy may not be in this summer’s football World Cup, but were there a similar competition for food, then the country would be a sure-fire championship contender. For everything that is great about Italian food, diners should visit Ida, a neighbourhood gem in northwest London. A trip to this venue is like stepping into a bona fide trattoria.
If restaurants are experiences more than merely meals, then Sibilla plays in the premier league. The approach tells you everything you need to know: perched on a hillside above the river Aniene, guests know that they are set for a show. Combine a stunning location with top-notch local cooking plus a comprehensive wine list and you have a winning formula.
Keep it simple and do it well is a mantra that more restaurants should follow. If Barrafina were not enough for fans of all things Spanish, then Parillan, from the same team, takes things to another level. There are few better outdoor spots to eat and drink, sit back and relax anywhere in London.
Reader, rest assured, all the animals you may consume at Happy Lamb did enjoy good lives. The menu delightfully informs diners that not only the lambs, but the cows and the deer too, not forgetting the ducks, led initially happy lives. Many were ‘grass-fed’ too. It’s hard to fault the relentless optimism pervading the venue. The nosh is pretty good too.
It does exist: Michelin-quality Indian cuisine in the suburbs. Look no further than Surbiton’s Koyal. Chef Nand Kishor Semwal and his team have pedigree. If you can earn recognition at Trishna and Gymkhana, then running your own restaurant is the next logical step. Koyal makes it seem easy. Diners love it too, with every table occupied on a recent visit.
There’s a certain magnetic magic about rooftop dining spots in London. Views, people-watching and the chance to get a tan are all ticks for this reviewer. Forza Wine is where the cool kids hang out, whether in Soho, on the South Bank or down in Peckham. At the venue perched atop the brutalist National Theatre, the vibe is less about the stage and more about the show.
JKS don’t do bad restaurants. Slowly but surely the group seem to be taking over the London dining scene. Not content with a swathe of successful Indian restaurants, their Persian franchise is seeking to hit the big time, with its third venue. Beyond the Soho original and a Borough market outlet, the newest opening sits right in the heart of swanky Mayfair. It has all the ingredients for an enduring success.
These three adjectives are the first thing diners see when they walk into Liu Xiaomian. They are projected in red neon on the back wall. No surprises then in terms of what to expect. The fiery sensations linger long after visiting and it will only be a matter of time before a return trip. We were told that Liu was addictive after all.
