French, Oxford
Alex Gunz
Pompette: Tipsy times

In a world where dining is so often about the next hot trend, experiments with fusion and Insta-friendliness, it’s a reassuring thing of beauty to find a classic French brasserie. Located in a leafy Oxford suburb, Pompette is the sort of place where you could happily go for lunch and never leave. This is perhaps the aim of the owners, since translated, the name means ‘tipsy.’ Crack on with the wine and leave happy.

Pompette: Tipsy times
Gastropub, Indian, Islington
Alex Gunz
The Tamil Prince: Curry royalty

Even three years after opening, it is still very hard to get a table at the Tamil Prince. And rightly so. The restaurant may be off the beaten track, located in a restored pub in Barnsbury, but perseverance pays off. Get lucky with a booking (they can only be made 28 days in advance for a venue that has just 40 covers) and make the visit. Diners won’t be disappointed.

The Tamil Prince: Curry royalty
Gastropub, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
The Hart: We do need another hero

Pubs were pretty grim places to eat forty years ago, when Tina Turner sang “we don’t need another hero.” Fortunately, a lot has changed for the better in the world since. To witness the pub in 2025, diners should check out the Hart in Marylebone. Brought to London by the same team behind the Hero (and the Fat Badger), we need more pubs like this.

The Hart: We do need another hero
British, French, Buckinghamshire
Alex Gunz
Hartwell House: The curse of country dining

There is something wonderfully comforting about a roaring log fire, particularly on a blustery day. The one at Hartwell House, a Jacobean pile now owned by the National Trust on the edge of the Chilterns, was a particularly good and warming one. It was also, arguably, the highlight of our recent visit. Food was forgettable and service left quite a bit to be desired.

Hartwell House: The curse of country dining
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
,

StreetXO: And ‘xo’ what? (February 2017)

,

Chef David Muñoz apparently runs one of the best restaurants in Madrid. Like so many others before him, having conquered his home territory, it is now time to take on London. Against this background, Muñoz is clearly going for something very different at his Mayfair venue. Whether it is good, however, remains to be seen

, ,

Locanda Locatelli: Still on top form (February 2017)

, ,

In the debate about what may be the best formal Italian restaurant in London, I have consistently made the case for Locanda Locatelli. It was therefore highly pleasing to revisit it for the first time in three years (during which time the décor has received a minor makeover) and find that the very high standards for which Locanda is duly renowned are showing no signs of slipping. 

,

Pollen Street Social: No signs of standards slipping (January 2017)

,

Barely a month goes by without, it seems, an announcement concerning the expansion of Jason Atherton’s restaurant empire. Despite the proliferation of his restaurants across London, he is still intimately involved with his flagship venue and a recent visit here reinforced why Mr. Atherton is continuing to enjoy almost unbridled success

,

Beirut Express: Best Middle Eastern food in London (January 2017)

,

For those not familiar with the lower end of the Edgware Road, which heads north from Marble Arch, it is home to the largest Arab population in London. Unsurprisingly, therefore, it is crammed full of restaurants purveying food from across the Middle East. Having been a resident in the area for close on twenty years, I have sampled food from many of the establishments here and have also, separately, been lucky enough to have travelled across quite a lot of the Middle Eastern region for work. In my humble – and obviously subjective – opinion, the Beirut Express beats almost all the competition. It is certainly the best on the Edgware Road.

,

Dragon Castle: Struggling to find positives (December 2016)

,

Elephant & Castle is a depressing enough part of London to go to at the best of times. Exiting the underground station, the eye is confronted with an excess of cars and concrete. Those brave enough to navigate the roundabout can find themselves at Dragon Castle, a cavernous Chinese establishment that has been here for some time.

, ,

Jikoni: Pushing at the boundaries (November 2016)

, ,

The appetite for the new and the slightly different seems almost insatiable when it comes to restaurant openings. And so onto the scene comes Jikoni, which could arguably claim to be London’s first restaurant that is Swahili-influenced. Indeed, the restaurant takes its name from the local word used in the Great Lakes area of Africa for ‘kitchen.’

, ,

Clipstone: It’s all about choice (September 2016)

, ,

It is possible to feel slightly dizzy from the constant rush of new restaurants opening their doors to the public in London. Tyranny of choice sometimes spring to mind. However, based on the success of Portland, which I thoroughly loved when it opened last year (and won a deserved Michelin star), Clipstone definitely merited a visit.

, ,

Chotto Mate: Classy – but, wait a minute, check the prices (October 2016)

, ,

Chotto Mate ticks many boxes – it is cool, serves excellent food and wines and has enthusiastic and engaging staff. The catch, however, is the cost. The menu is somewhat bewildering in its complexity, the dishes are small and the bill can therefore rack up quickly.

, ,

The Barbary: Great expectations comfortably met (September 2016)

, ,

I was lucky enough to be one of the early visitors to the Palomar and loved it the first time I went and also on every subsequent visit. Day or night, counter or table, it never failed to impress. Indeed, getting a booking there now is notoriously difficult.