French, Soho
Alex Gunz
Goldies: Keep it simple, do it well

If Soho’s Kingly Court dining complex is an incubator for restaurants, then Goldies is destined for bigger things. Perhaps we should not be surprised, since it is backed by the team behind the now sadly closed Blanchette. The angle at Goldies is comfort food in a casual dining format. Guests might not want to leave.

Goldies: Keep it simple, do it well
Spanish, City
Alex Gunz
Hispania: Mucho glamour

If you wanted to create “the most accomplished and ambitious project devoted to Spanish gastronomy in Europe,” then the City of London with its staid suited bankers might not be the first location that springs to mind. Regardless, Hispania – whose website is the source for this quote – is a gem of a venue. Décor, food and ambience all provide a reason to visit.

Hispania: Mucho glamour
Chinese, French, Mayfair
Alex Gunz
Revisiting old friends: Kai and LPM

“But why do you always choose new restaurants?” The question was put to your reviewer by a long-standing friend and sometime dining comrade recently. He continued, “surely if you rated them previously, then they must still be good.” We’re all fascinated by the novel, and there is a certain imperative as a reviewer to check out hot new openings. However, return visits to a pair of old favourites – coincidentally days apart – confirmed that sometimes it is best to stick to the tried and tested.

Revisiting old friends: Kai and LPM
Gastropub, Notting Hill
Alex Gunz
The Fat Badger: Magical mystery tour

A venue without either a formal entrance or a menu might not be everyone’s idea of a fun experience. But this is precisely the point. Create a mystery and you make things kind of cool. There’s a cachet value – you’re either in on it, or you’re not. Such is the zeitgeist of 2025 London. Overcome your prejudices and visit the Fat Badger. You will not be disappointed.

The Fat Badger: Magical mystery tour
Middle Eastern, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
Seymour Kitchen: Pure Persian pleasure

Every neighbourhood needs a venue like the Seymour Kitchen. Walk in and it’s hard not to fall in love. The place works as a grocery, a deli and a restaurant. It’s full of colour and charm and if you haven’t yet fallen for the flavours of the Middle East, then you will after visiting.

Seymour Kitchen: Pure Persian pleasure
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Bombay Palace: Great food, but terrible service (November 2013)

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The British love of curry is well known and all manner of options are available, from Michelin-starred grandeur by the likes of Tamarind or Rasoi Vineet Bhatia to your carpeted local Indian found in almost every small town in England that serves After Eight mints at the meal’s conclusion.

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The Red Pepper: A Little Venice institution (November 2013)

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A Little Venice institution, the Red Pepper has been delivering consistently good food in the fifteen years I have been visiting the restaurant. While there have been several changes in both management (the current team, led by the charismatic Lara, is a definite success) and décor, the basic formula has remained unaltered.

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Hawksmoor Guildhall (October 2013)

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It is relatively rare for restaurant groups to be able to expand successfully, particularly without risking dilution either to their brand or concept. In the case of Hawksmoor, full credit to the team. I had enjoyed visiting their Seven Dials restaurant earlier in the year, and a recent lunch at the Guildhall location showed every evidence of consistent delivery.

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C London (October 2013)

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Clearly C-London must be doing something right since the place was packed on the weekday lunchtime when I recently visited the restaurant. Maybe it’s just that people still want to be seen here, but even if C-London was in the vanguard of ‘destination restaurants’ some years ago, it seems difficult to believe that it has been able to sustain this mantle.

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Ikeda: Good food, but not cheap (October 2013)

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Diners in London in search of authentic Japanese food and service have it good in Mayfair. Ikeda can comfortably hold its own against the likes of Sakana-Tei (Maddox Street) or Kiku (Half Moon Street) among others. If there is a common factor across these restaurants, it is that they – like much of Japanese culture – are discreet and under-stated.