Good Food Guide Restaurant Offers in London 2024 | Where To Eat

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Apricity

Mayfair, London £££

A little south of Oxford Street, Chantelle Nicholson's Apricity might one day come to define London dining in the new 'twenties'. Amid the plutocrats' boutiques of Duke Street, it styles out its defiant scruffiness, with scoured, … Read more

68 Duke Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6JU

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Babur

Forest Hill, London ££

A local institution with creative Indian food that's a cut above

‘Serving up exceptional curries since 1985,’ Forest Hill’s beloved Babur just keeps on rolling – and it's still the go-to option for locals wanting prettily plated Indian food that’s a cut above … Read more

119 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, London SE23 1JP

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Behind

Hackney, London £££

The idea behind Behind, Andy Beynon’s restaurant on the ground floor of a new development in London Fields, is to foreground what usually goes on behind the scenes. The restaurant, more spacious than its 18 covers might sugg… Read more

The idea behind Behind, Andy Beynon’s restaurant on the ground floor of a new development in London Fields, is to foreground what usually goes on behind the scenes. The restaurant, more spacious than its 18 covers might suggest, is open plan with no distinction between kitchen and dining room, front and back of house. The chefs get to enjoy the abstract paintings and the excellent soundtrack too. No wonder they look happy. Although it’s a self-described ‘chef’s table’ set-up, Behind differs from others of this ilk because the counter is a single high table that curves around the room in a near full circle, quite apart from the culinary workspace. Service is delivered entirely by the chefs themselves who come over only when they have a dish to present or a wine to pour. They know their stuff. Beynon, who has worked under Claude Bosi, Phil Howard, Michael Wignall and Jason Atherton, offers a fish-focused daily ‘menu surprise’ at £98 for an eight-course dinner, £54 for a six-course lunch (tremendously good value). He introduces the concept personally and personably, explaining his approach to ethical sourcing and seasoning (he likes to use seawater, not salt). From a waiter, it’s a spiel; direct from the chef-patron, it’s a statement of belief. The first wave of dishes served at our lunchtime inspection expanded on the statement: an intense shellfish broth made only of prawns and wine; lavosh flatbread pressed with microscopic shrimps (‘bycatch’ that would otherwise be wasted); and a sashimi-like sliver of the powerfully flavoured top side of mackerel cured in tiger’s milk. Did the cured trout in seaweed with bonito flakes and a full-bodied mustard and chive emulsion need a buttery laminated bun on the side? No, not really, but who would turn down such excellent baking. Delica pumpkin tortellini made of duck-egg pasta in crab soup was the pinnacle of the meal: rich, sophisticated, complex, clever. The main course, a take on fish pie, with a beautiful glassy piece of skate, oyster leaf, beurre blanc and trout roe, seemed conventional after the pasta. Standards remained high for an 82% chocolate dessert with ricotta ice cream, sesame and black olives, and an optional cheese course that paired blue cheese with sweet plum jam and a frangipane tart. The wine list goes from £39 to £390, with just a handful below £60. But we’d argue that cooking this confident is worthy of a special bottle.

20 Sidworth Street, Hackney, London E8 3SD

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Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill

Mayfair, London £££

Venerable seafood institution

A ‘very reliable’ Mayfair fixture since 1916, the self-titled ‘grand dame of Swallow Street’ is still shucking oysters with a vengeance under the stewardship of chef/patron Richard Corrigan. These days, reg… Read more

11-15 Swallow Street, Mayfair, London W1B 4DG

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Bradleys

Swiss Cottage, London ££

Bastion of French-accented cuisine in Swiss Cottage

Ticketholders heading for the nearby Hampstead Theatre take full advantage of the fixed-price supper menu on offer at Simon Bradley’s neighbourhood stalwart, which has been a diamond for the denizens of Swiss Cottage and bey… Read more

25 Winchester Road, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3NR

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Brook House

Fulham, London £££

Brook House may be noisy and lively, but it has kept the warm, welcoming ethos and atmosphere of a pub. It's hugely popular with locals (often with kids and dogs in tow), while close-packed tables mean that you can earwig oth… Read more

65 New Kings Road, Fulham, London SW6 4SG

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CLOSED

Cin Cin Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia, London

* This branch is closing for good at the end of service on 11 October 2024. The Hove outlet remains open.* With its sun-trap terrace, bright abstract artworks and a menu of firm Italian favourites, this corner site is one of Fitz… Read more

21a Foley Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6DS

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Corrigan's Mayfair

Mayfair, London ££££

Richard Corrigan's majestic Irish cooking and hospitality

There has always been something appealing about Richard Corrigan's mission to bring the spirit of his native, rural Irish cooking to the heart of London's West End. It survives its translation largely intact in the form of wild an… Read more

28 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London W1K 7EH

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Daffodil Mulligan

Shoreditch, London ££

The atmosphere is casual at this modern, lively restaurant and bar with its polished concrete floor, exposed steel girders and natural timber tables. Popular with young professionals from the area’s hi-tech Silicon Roundabout hu… Read more

70-74 City Road, Shoreditch, London EC1Y 2BJ

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Danclair's Kitchen

Brixton, London £

Cool Caribbean riffs and home-cooked Venezuelan hits

Having scored a huge hit with his ultra-hip Caribbean joint Fish, Wings & Tings, globetrotting chef Brian Danclair added a second string to his Brixton Village bow in 2021. His self-styled 'Kitchen' is squeezed in among the sh… Read more

67-68 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village Market , Brixton, London SW9 8PS

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Frog by Adam Handling

Covent Garden, London ££££

Adam Handling’s Covent Garden flagship is a crowd-pulling destination full of noise and action, with an organised open kitchen serving up what the man himself calls ‘British food, inspired by London’. Bare tables… Read more

34-35 Southampton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HG

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Galvin Bistrot & Bar

Spitalfields, London ££

Slip away from the frenzy that surrounds Liverpool Street station into this charming little piece of Paris (formerly Galvin Hop). You’ll find all the expected tropes here: red-check tablecloths, windows stencilled with brass let… Read more

35 Spital Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6DY

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Galvin La Chapelle

Spitalfields, London £££

Through an entrance draped with hanging flora, La Chapelle makes the most instant statement of all the Galvin brothers' venues, and now has a fresh new look to coincide with its 15th anniversary in 2024. Inside, it's a cavernous, … Read more

35 Spital Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6DY

Hakkasan Mayfair

Mayfair, London ££££

There had been high-end Chinese eateries in London before visionary restaurateur Alan Yau launched Hakkasan in 2001 but none that had made the concept approachably aspirational rather than simply offering dining rooms for the rich… Read more

There had been high-end Chinese eateries in London before visionary restaurateur Alan Yau launched Hakkasan in 2001 but none that had made the concept approachably aspirational rather than simply offering dining rooms for the rich. This 2010 sequel keeps all that was ground-breaking about the Tottenham Court Road original but in a Mayfair location that seems a better fit for the high-octane glamour of it all. A mirror hanging above the staircase to the basement dining room emphasises that this is a restaurant where appearances are at a premium and, from the carved oriental screens and spot-lit tables to the scarily good-looking staff, Hakkasan Mayfair is not somewhere to slum it. Then again, this is food to dress up for. The Anglo-Chinese favourites can be pimped up with luxury produce – the Peking duck comes with the optional addition of beluga caviar – but all the ingredients here are top-notch (as indeed they should be at these prices) and the quality of cooking is unfailingly high. The pork ribs are smoked with jasmine tea, the Singapore noodles adorned with jumbo-sized prawns (rather than the usual sad specimens), soft-shell crab, squid and Dover sole are gently encased in the lightest of batters, while perfectly timed pak choi zings with fresh ginger. Balance is a hallmark of the Hakkasan kitchen, whether the genuinely sweet-and-sour Duke of Berkshire pork (a best-in-class rendition of the clichéd dish), the hot-and-sour crispy freshwater prawns with chillies and cashews (an update of the classic kung po), or the sharp and rich slow-roasted ibérico pork char siu coated with black garlic glaze, mustard dressing and pickled daikon. Wines from the style-led list will at least double the bill, while other drawbacks to dining here include tightly packed tables that allow easy eavesdropping and a throbbing soundtrack that would not be out of place in a nightclub. Natural light makes the ground-floor dining room-cum-lounge bar feel less claustrophobic, not least for daytime dim sum that is some of the best in London. But for special occasions – or any time you just want to feel special – Hakkasan Mayfair fits the sizeable bill.

17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 6QB

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Hide

Mayfair, London ££££

A hide is where ornithologists conceal themselves to watch the birdlife, and up on the first floor at Ollie Dabbous' Mayfair bolthole, lucky diners have a panoramic view over the expanses of Green Park. In a room done out in neutr… Read more

85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7NB

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Kahani

Chelsea, London ££

A well-trodden restaurant site hard by Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall is the setting for this solo outing from ex-Tamarind chef Peter Joseph. Like Tamarind, Kahani (the name means ‘story’ in Urdu) occupies a high-ceiling… Read more

1 Wilbraham Place, Chelsea, London SW1X 9AE

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Kanishka

Mayfair, London £££

Atul Kochhar's elegant Mayfair outpost

‘So consistent and so good,’ is one verdict on this relaxed Mayfair offering helmed by established Indian restaurateur Atul Kochhar. The decor transports diners with its cool jazz soundtrack and elegantly themed i… Read more

17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2QH

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Lahpet Shoreditch

Shoreditch, London £

Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh started out with a pokey residency on Maltby Street Market, before transferring their fascinating Burmese cuisine to this bricks-and-mortar site in Shoreditch – a typically stylish spot that’s … Read more

58 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London E1 6JW

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Lardo

Hackney, London ££

There’s a lot more competition than when Lardo first opened its doors in 2012, but this industrial-chic venue remains a favourite among the local families and well-to-do professionals of London Fields. While the pizza oven i… Read more

197-205 Richmond Road, Hackney, London E8 3NJ

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Levan

Peckham, London ££

Innovative ‘bistronomy’ with a terrific natural wine list

From the moment we walked in on a cold January day, we were greeted with warm smiles and immediately felt at ease with the casual vibe that emanates from this neighbourhood gem – a tribute to New York DJ Larry Levan. In… Read more

12-16 Blenheim Grove, Peckham, London SE15 4QL

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Maremma

Brixton, London ££

Inviting neighbourhood venue with a Tuscan accent

Brixton has a reputation for exciting startups and on-trend eateries, so it’s curious to find a traditional Italian neighbourhood restaurant in this part of town. The venue itself is done out in minimalist style (think expos… Read more

36 Brixton Water Lane, Brixton, London SW2 1PE

New Review

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Mriya Neo Bistro

Earl's Court, London

West London’s magnet for the capital’s Ukrainian population nostalgic for a taste of home, this neighbourhood bistro has the bonus of staff who are remarkably friendly and chefs who happily give a cheery hello and… Read more

275 Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court, London SW5 9JA

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Nest

Shoreditch, London £££

Precise seasonal cuisine with an ever-changing agenda

True to its name, Nest takes the form of an intimate restaurant nestled amid the hubbub of Old Street: two dozen seats are set around a horseshoe-shaped dining room, stylishly decked out with dusky green walls, ceramic tiled floor… Read more

374-378 Old Street, Shoreditch, London EC1V 9LT

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Ombra

Hackney, London ££

A taste of Venetian bacaro cool in Hackney

When Ombra opened its doors by the banks of the Regent's Canal back in 2011, today’s gentrification was a long way off. Now this former retail site is custom-built for a taste of Venetian-style bacaro cool. Drop by on spec, … Read more

1 Vyner Street, Hackney, London E2 9DG

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Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria

Notting Hill, London ££

When the wind is whistling through Notting Hill, but you still doggedly want to sit outside, the Portobello has a retractable-roof terrace with heaters and blankets, so you can get well bedded in and let the weather do what it lik… Read more

7 Ladbroke Road, Notting Hill, London W11 3PA

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The Game Bird

St. James's, London £££

A formal homage to old-school cuisine

A former carriage house tucked into a corner of St James's Place in Mayfair, the Stafford is one of the best-kept secrets among London's luxury hotels. It also boasts one of the original overseas American bars inspired by the cock… Read more

The Stafford, 16-18 St James's Place, St. James's, London SW1A 1NJ

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The Silver Birch

Chiswick, London £££

From its look, feel, ambience and pricing, there's little to suggest that this high-street restaurant is anything other than a decent independent local (in an area dominated by chains). The room itself, part bare brick with expose… Read more

142 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London W4 1PU

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Wild Honey

St James’s, London £££

*Anthony Demetre has launched a casual, all-day bistro called the Bistrot at Wild Honey, adjacent to the main restaurant. Watch for a review coming soon.* As dining rooms go there can be few more striking than this dramatic… Read more

Sofitel St James, 8 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5NG

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