92 Good Food Guide restaurants supporting StreetSmart 2023 | Where To Eat

20 Stories

Manchester, Greater Manchester £££

Glitz, glamour, dependable cooking and jaw-dropping views

With ‘incredible’ panoramic views stretching over the city to the Pennines beyond, 20 Stories can be an eye-popping experience. Literally towering above its nearest rival when it comes to sheer glitz (ahoy down there, … Read more

No.1 Spinningfields, 1 Hardman Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester M3 3EB

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Acme Fire Cult

Dalston, London ££

Eco-conscious fire-fuelled eatery next to the 40FT Brewery

In a foodie courtyard behind Dalston Junction, the inviting smell of burning embers and charring now mingles with the aromas of hops and freshly baked loaves. Those embers are from Acme Fire Cult – a low-budget, eco-consciou… Read more

The Bootyard, Abbot Street, Dalston, London E8 3DP

Akoko

Fitzrovia, London ££££

* Head chef Ayo Adeyemi has left and been replaced by Alain Ducasse alumnus Mutaro Balde. Watch for a new review coming soon.* Judging by our most recent lunchtime visit, this Fitzrovia hot spot is a restaurant on the up and up. … Read more

21 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LP

Andrew Edmunds

Soho, London ££

Bastion of old Soho famed for its glorious wine list

Deep in the heart of Soho, Andrew Edmunds (named for the guiding light who sadly passed away in 2022) has been a bulwark of Franco-Mediterranean bistro dining in the gloriously unreconstructed style for what feels like forever. It… Read more

46 Lexington Street, Soho, London W1F 0LP

Angler

Moorgate, London £££

Highly refined cookery in a lofty setting

It may feel a little counter-intuitive to find a seafood-leaning restaurant up in the clouds, but the ascent to the seventh floor of the South Place Hotel is worth it. It's a bracing location complete with a heated terrace and che… Read more

South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, Moorgate, London EC2M 2AF

Bar Crispin

Soho, London

A useful address on Kingly Street, this tiny corridor of a wine bar – high stools, tapas-style tables, a scattering of outside seating – is the place to come for a glass of wine and tasty, snacky food ranging from plat… Read more

19 Kingly Street, Soho, London W1B 5PY

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Bellamy's

Mayfair, London £££

Archetypal Mayfair brasserie that oozes class and civility

Run with consummate grace and decorum by ever-present Gavin Rankin, this archetypal Mayfair brasserie feels as if it has been around forever – even though it only arrived on the scene in 2004. Inside, the green banquettes ar… Read more

18 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London W1J 6LY

Bibi

Mayfair, London £££

The capital's Indian restaurant scene is booming, with openings across the spectrum from street food to high-end cuisine, yet this venture from the JKS group (Sabor, Lyle’s, Hoppers, Gymkhana, Bao etc) is one of the most exc… Read more

42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6ZP

Bokman

Bristol ££

Original and entertaining Korean eatery

A quirky red and white storefront tucked away at the end of a steep cul-de-sac off Stokes Croft marks the spot, but don’t be fooled by the setting: Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeon's modest Korean restaurant has a big reputatio… Read more

3 Nine Tree Hill, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3SB

Best Local Restaurant

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Caper and Cure

Bristol ££

‘Cash chemists’ proclaims the 1920s mosaic tiling at the entrance to Caper and Cure – a reminder that the site was famously a pharmaceutical drop-in where poorly folk could procure their remedies without prescrip… Read more

108a Stokes Croft, Cotham, Bristol BS1 3RU

Celentano's

Glasgow, Strathclyde ££

* From September 2024, Celentano's will become a restaurant with rooms following its acquisition of the adjoining Cathedral House hotel.* Celentano’s is inspired but not constrained by Italian cooking and chef-owner Dean Pa… Read more

28-32 Cathedral Square, Glasgow, Strathclyde G4 0XA

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Chakana

Birmingham, West Midlands ££

Peru comes to Brum in the shape of Chakana, the first solo venture from chef Robert Ortiz (ex-Lima in London). Located in the city’s Moseley district and housed in a former Lloyd’s bank (the safe is now a private dinin… Read more

140 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands B13 8HT

Cherwell Boathouse

Oxford, Oxfordshire ££

The prospect of chilling out on a hugely desirable decked terrace by the river Cherwell makes this enchanting Victorian boathouse one of Oxford’s great delights – and that’s before you factor in its glorious wine… Read more

50 Bardwell Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX2 6ST

Clipstone

Fitzrovia, London ££

This area of Fitzrovia is beginning to be known for some exceptionally good eating, and Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s pioneering Clipstone (a sister restaurant to nearby Portland) is a case in point. Opened in 2017, th… Read more

5 Clipstone Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6BB

Cor

Bedminster, Bristol ££

At the hip end of North Street, this cool but relaxed small-plates diner has created something of a tidal wave of enthusiasm since opening in October 2022. It feels like a breath of fresh air, with a spare, white interior and larg… Read more

81 North Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1ES

Core by Clare Smyth

Notting Hill, London ££££

The new decorative look at Core has worked wonders. What was an underused bar space is now Whiskey & Seaweed (named for its signature cocktail), and the dining room has had quite the 'glow-up' too. The expansive space is bathe… Read more

The new decorative look at Core has worked wonders. What was an underused bar space is now Whiskey & Seaweed (named for its signature cocktail), and the dining room has had quite the 'glow-up' too. The expansive space is bathed in bronze light, with candles performing their age-old office of making a restaurant table look inviting, and at the centre of it all is a striking column, loaded with uplit glassware. So far, so chic. An army of staff is on permanent manoeuvres, yet without making the place feel like a parade-ground. Efficiency and discretion are as finely judged as is consistent given the ambitious context, with just enough friendly chat to ensure civility. As for Clare Smyth's food, the first thing to say is that, for a venue operating in this bracket, it has an uncommonly solid following of regulars. Call them the core of Core. As soon as the nibbles appear, one can see why: a truffled pumpkin gougère; a lobster roll; a caviar sandwich, all sublime. Bread is made with Wessex flour and served with whipped buttermilk. Dishes from the full menu are capable of balancing sparkling freshness and delicate textures – just consider the Isle of Harris scallop tartare in sea-vegetable consommé, the shell sitting proud on a mound of flora. A more assertive fish pairing sees roasted cod honour-guarded with Morecambe Bay shrimps and Swiss chard in brown butter. Tour the home nations with a main course of Rhug Estate venison, which comes with a refined (ie offal-free) 'haggis' of the leg meat and bacon on pearl barley in an ambrosial sauce of 16-year-old Lagavulin single malt. If it's internal organs you're after, look to the crisp-fried veal sweetbread dressed in honey and mustard, with a serving of Norfolk kohlrabi. Desserts incorporate what might be considered the local option, Notting Hill Forest – a trompe-l'oeil pile of ‘fallen leaves’ made of ceps, chocolate, pine and woodruff on nutty crémeux, in which are embedded little shards of millefeuille pastry, to give the acoustic effect of crunching through autumn leaf-litter. And then one stumbles on a prune soaked in Earl Grey tea. Dinner ends with a little tableside tasting of Irish whiskey. A magnificent wine list covers pairing options, as well as an inspired glass selection (from £12), before graduating to the great and the very great of the vinous globe.

92 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2PN

New Review

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Da Terra

Bethnal Green, London ££££

High-end contemporary cuisine with a big personality

Secreted within a once-grand Edwardian town hall, this major-league dining establishment packs one hell of a punch. It’s a serious, smart-looking spot – both the bar and dining room have a fabulous character and patina… Read more

Secreted within a once-grand Edwardian town hall, this major-league dining establishment packs one hell of a punch. It’s a serious, smart-looking spot – both the bar and dining room have a fabulous character and patina into which mid-century furnishings and the stylish open kitchen slot sympathetically.

Brazilian-born Rafael Cagali’s cooking has pursued an interesting trajectory – with stints at Quique Dacosta and Martín Berasategui in Spain, then the Fat Duck and Simon Rogan’s Fera and Aulis – and his background suggests a fondness for classic, ingredients-first techniques. This certainly shines through in exquisite snacks such as a tiny, friable pastry cup made with stout and filled with scallop roe, mousse and tiny diced scallop; in quail tortellini in a sparkling clear broth, alongside a skewer of quail breast with a slice of brioche topped with parfait, damson and a generous shaving of black truffle; and in wagyu sirloin with hen of the woods, lobster rice and cavolo nero.

Yet it’s the weaving in of Brazilian-influences that really set Cagali’s cooking apart. Take moqueca. It’s a traditional fish stew fiendishly reinvented by Cagali as an elegant tasting-menu dish of aged brill (on our visit) with manteiguinha (butter) beans and farofa (toasted cassava) in a frothy coconut sauce, given heft with whole biquinho teardrop chillies (fiery and fruity) that are served on the side. Or the cross-cultural slant of a baba served with Brazilian cachaça, pistachio ice cream and a generous dollop of N25 Reserve caviar. All of this comes at a price – the tasting menu is £245, the set three-course lunch £110 – but it is without doubt an exceptional experience from start to finish.

Much depends on front of house, a first-class team who take the east London essence and manage to transform fine dining to something fun and classy at the same time. The wine list is brilliantly curated and correspondingly expensive, although it's worth mining the sommelier's impressive and charmingly imparted knowledge to get the best from it.

Town Hall Hotel, 8 Patriot Square, Bethnal Green, London E2 9NF

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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

MEMBER PERK

Dobson & Parnell

Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear ££

‘We have been regular customers for a while, and it seems to be getting better each time,’ noted a reader who plunged into the ‘exceptional’ seven-course tasting menu at this grown-up metropolitan brasserie… Read more

21 Queen Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear NE1 3UG

Eleanore

Edinburgh, Lothians £££

* The restaurant now offers fixed-price tasting menus rather than a selection of small plates.* This site previously played host to sibling eatery the Little Chartroom and a few design tweaks set the two apart, with high tables a… Read more

30-31 Albert Pace, Edinburgh, Lothians EH7 5HN

Fallow

St James's, London £££

It’s the whole cod’s head, drenched in sriracha butter, that brings us face to face with the truth: the pursuit of sustainability is going to change the way chefs cook and we eat. Leading the charge are Jack Croft and … Read more

2 St James's Market, St James's, London SW1Y 4RP

Best Local Restaurant

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Fancett's Bistro

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire £££

Excellent-value French bistro on Cambridge's lively Mill Road

You can eat your way round the world, it seems, on Mill Road, such is the diversity of independent restaurants, food shops, bars and cafés along this lively street. Flying the flag for – or at least inspired by &ndash… Read more

96a Mill Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 2BD

Gymkhana

Mayfair, London £££

Originally inspired by colonial India’s Days of the Raj polo clubs, this thoroughbred from the JKS group (Trishna, Brigadiers, Hoppers etc) is a classy Mayfair package spread over two levels connected by a mirrored staircase… Read more

42 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4JH

Ikoyi

Temple, London ££££

Jeremy Chan has settled into his new surroundings in a tucked-away corner of the huge brutalist building that is 180 Strand. The entrance is discreet and the dining room dominated by an open kitchen that runs down one long side, w… Read more

Jeremy Chan has settled into his new surroundings in a tucked-away corner of the huge brutalist building that is 180 Strand. The entrance is discreet and the dining room dominated by an open kitchen that runs down one long side, while the decoration is nothing more than earthy colours, some golden wood (including the well-spaced tables) and the ambient dusk of a hip restaurant. Without design, fireworks or ornamentation, it is what it is: a space devoted to the service of food. The previous location in St James’s Market was known for its Nigerian-inspired cooking – Ikoyi is the name of a well-to-do Lagos suburb. The kitchen still takes its cue from West African cuisine, but this is merely the jumping-off point for a repertoire of precise, produce-led westernised dishes with prices very much in line with the international clientele. From the three-hour-long tasting menu at dinner, a veal sweetbread with pea purée, pork cheek and black garlic was the undoubted standout, closely followed by dry-aged turbot with a frothy crab bisque and umami-rich egusi (melon seed) miso – though the tiny accompanying honey-glazed brioche filled with veg added nothing to the dish and was not well thought through (it was so sticky, we had to ask for wipes). What tantalises is how Chan blends each flavour with the one preceding it, and the one about to come. His careful use of chilli, a subtle hint of heat that lingers gently on the palate, infuses snacks and early courses, building to a crescendo with the final beef offering where two dabs of purée (agrodolce and curried courgette) pack a real punch. Look a little deeper, however, and some flaws are evident: that beef (dry-aged Belted Galloway) proved surprisingly chewy, and the accompanying jollof rice – the classic West African one-pot dish that is a regular fixture on the menu – was made slightly too sweet and creamy with a lobster custard. And while a palate-cleansing timur pepper and rosé sorbet was utterly delicious, desserts are clearly not the kitchen’s forte. Service, however, is faultless. Wines are chosen with spice in mind – we drank an excellent South African Gabriëlskloof Elodie Swartland Chenin Blanc 2022.

180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA

CLOSED

Ino

Soho, London ££

Deep in the Soho hinterland, where the restaurant competition is hotter than anywhere else in the country, this self-styled 'gastrobar' is a contemporary Greek venue from the team behind an Athens spot with the sobering name of Fu… Read more

4 Newburgh Street, Soho, London W1F 7RF

Jolene

Newington Green, London ££

So tuned in to local tastes are restaurateurs Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim and David Gingell, they have three eateries within a mile or so of each other. First came Primeur (Newington Green, 2014), then Westerns Laundry (Drayto… Read more

21 Newington Green, Newington Green, London N16 9PU

CLOSED

Kintsu

Colchester, Essex £££

*After four years of trading Kintsu closed at the end of May 2025.* Scenic views and grand entrances do not (necessarily) a great restaurant make. What is arguably Colchester’s finest place to eat is down an inconspicuous a… Read more

11a North Hill, Colchester, Essex CO1 1DZ

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Kitty Fisher's

Mayfair, London £££

An animated local institution, this simple set of rooms has been a bright light in Shepherd Market since 2014. The two-tiered interior (linked by a narrow staircase) has a rustic, thrown-together look with clumping wood furniture,… Read more

10 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London W1J 7QF

Kutir

Chelsea, London ££

Compellingly creative Indian cuisine in tasteful surroundings

The Sanskrit word ‘kutir’ means ‘a small cottage in the middle of nowhere’; in fact, Kutir (the restaurant) occupies a luxe Chelsea townhouse not a million miles from Buckingham Palace – although insp… Read more

10 Lincoln Street, Chelsea, London SW3 2TS

La Fromagerie Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury, London

Run along similar lines to its elder sibling in Marylebone, the Bloomsbury outpost of Patricia Michelson’s brilliant cheese-focused emporium stands out because it takes bookings throughout the week. Inside, it’s tiny a… Read more

52 Lamb's Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3LL

La Fromagerie Marylebone

Marylebone, London

Patricia Michelson started selling cheese in 1992 with a consignment of Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage; today, her esteemed Marylebone emporium/deli is a turophile’s treasure-trove with some 200 specimens in its temperat… Read more

2-6 Moxon Street, Marylebone, London W1U 4EW

Le Petit Citron

Hammersmith, London

Quite a caricature of a French bistro, complete with bentwood chairs, gingham tablecloths and workaday glassware, this neighbourhood favourite ensures that diners’ expectations are focused mistily across the Channel even bef… Read more

98-100 Shepherds Bush Road, Hammersmith, London W6 7PD

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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

Lorne

Victoria, London £££

‘An unassuming restaurant in an unassuming location,' noted one reader. Katie Exton is now the sole proprietor, with Graham Brown (who has worked at Lorne since opening) promoted to head chef – although you won't notic… Read more

76 Wilton Road, Victoria, London SW1V 1DE

Luca

Clerkenwell, London £££

Originally conceived by the owners of the Clove Club, this ‘Britalian’ restaurant is almost as well-known for its bar as its restaurant –so it was with some reluctance that we bypassed the Negroni-based fun … Read more

88 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4EH

CLOSED

Lyle's

Shoreditch, London ££££

Pared-back ingredients-led cooking and natural wines

*James Lowe has announced that he is closing Lyle's for good on 18 May 2025 to focus on a new project.* Shoreditch began coming up in the culinary world around a decade ago, and now boasts a range of adventurous, aspirational din… Read more

*James Lowe has announced that he is closing Lyle's for good on 18 May 2025 to focus on a new project.*

Shoreditch began coming up in the culinary world around a decade ago, and now boasts a range of adventurous, aspirational dining that has hustled it to the forefront of the capital's restaurant scene. Occupying the ground floor of the former Lipton's Tea building, Lyle's is a clean-lined, voluminous white space with an industrial lighting rig and lightweight, functional furniture. James Lowe was head chef at St John Bread & Wine for several years, and believes wholeheartedly in the pared-back, ingredients-led approach, with natural wines to add to the unexpected flavours.

Set menus are the main attraction here, although there is also a range of small plates for more mix-and-match ordering. The latter might include a cluster of phenomenally good Firth of Clyde shrimps with black pepper mayo or game liver parfait on toast. On the taster, there is more of a sense of Russian roulette. Appetisers often include a more or less perfect Carlingford rock oyster, before the main dishes begin to arrive. Creamy pumpkin and whey soup was pleasantly unremarkable, but was soon elbowed aside by a deliciously oily sliver of John Dory with toasted salsify, chervil and a sauce of lightly oxidative Jura Savagnin.

By spring, the offer embraced monkfish with celeriac and citron, followed by pedigree Hereford fore-rib with Tropea onion and ramsons. All things considered, though, there is an uncomfortably high incidence of dishes that don't quite land, which was the case with a single slice of rare but unfeasibly tough goose breast with half a Brussels sprout, a quenelle of celeriac purée and a bit of quince, something like Christmas dinner for somebody who has been very naughty.

A dessert that featured distinctly funky buckwheat ice cream wrapped in loose chocolate mousse was fine, but didn't exactly scream £119 tasting menu. Those who received the pumpkin-seed cake with chocolate ice cream in March might have fared better. A skin-contact Campania white, an Austrian pét-nat, a fragrant Gascon rosé, and Foradori's exuberantly blueberry-scented Teroldego, give some indication of the depth of research that has gone into the impressive list.

Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, London E1 6JJ

Manteca

Shoreditch, London ££

Cool Shoreditch Italian with impressive artisan credentials

Frequent queues stretching out of the door are testament to the daily popularity of this trendy modern Italian, which is marked by an ornamental boar's head suspended above the entrance. Manteca is that sort of place, a Shoreditch… Read more

49-51 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3PT

Marmo

Bristol ££

Neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar that delivers on all fronts

Enveloped in the restaurant quarter of Baldwin Street, a few metres from one of the river crossings, Marmo has been making waves with cooking that takes Italy as its base, but glides into effortless orbit from there. Shared tables… Read more

31 Baldwin Street, Bristol BS1 1RG

Moro

Clerkenwell, London ££

When Sam and Samantha Clark opened Moro in 1997, it was an instant hit, seducing Londoners with its effervescent vibe and earthy Moorish cuisine. More than 25 years later, its pulling power and pizzazz are undiminished, although t… Read more

34-36 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QE

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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

Oren

Dalston, London ££

Stepping into unprepossessing Oren on a dark night, one is immediately assailed by delicious cooking smells and the sound of music playing. It’s tempting to walk straight out – if only to walk straight back in again to… Read more

89 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London E8 2EB

Ottolenghi Islington

Islington, London

This bustling, shiny white café and deli is where it all started for chef/writer Yotam Ottolenghi. Locals pile in for breakfast but there are temptations aplenty right through the day. ‘They champion such brilliant an… Read more

287 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 2TZ

Pasta Ripiena

Bristol ££

Intimate and informal, with small, closely packed, square wooden tables ranged along either side of the dining room, this cool, modern Italian offers a short, daily changing menu of fresh stuffed pasta dressed in moreish sauces. T… Read more

33a St Stephen’s Street, Bristol BS1 1JX

Planque

Haggerston, London £££

Planque – or should that be ‘plonk’ – in Haggerston describes itself as a ‘wine drinkers’ club house’ though it’s as unlike the claret-soaked clubs of St James’s as it’s … Read more

322-324 Acton Mews, Haggerston, London E8 4EA

Plaza Khao Gaeng

Fitzrovia, London ££

It may be inspired by a street-food joint in a defunct movie theatre in Bangkok, but this hot-ticket Thai canteen is pure London – located on the mezzanine of the JKS-backed Arcade Food Hall off New Oxford Street. Inside it&… Read more

103-105 New Oxford Street, Fitzrovia, London WC1A 1DB

Portland

Fitzrovia, London £££

Shoehorned in amid the bustle to the north of Oxford Street, Portland has clocked up nearly a decade already. Its quiet commitment to innovative contemporary cooking may not have made the greatest of waves, but in the opinion of o… Read more

113 Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6QQ

New Review

Quo Vadis

Soho, London £££

Long-serving Soho stalwart

The Latin moniker harks back to a time when this veteran Dean Street site was home to a grandiose, old-school Italian restaurant of the same name. A great deal has changed since the old days, although some original features such a… Read more

26-29 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3LL

Restaurant Martin Wishart

Edinburgh, Lothians ££££

Seasonal Scottish produce meets modern French cuisine

A well-respected aristocrat on Leith’s regenerated waterfront since 2001, Martin Wishart’s flagship has weathered the storms of fortune and continues to please locals and visitors alike. It helps that the ‘lovely… Read more

54 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh, Lothians EH6 6RA

New Review

MEMBER PERK

Root Bristol

Bristol £££

Time-worn original from Josh Eggleton

Opened on Bristol’s waterfront Cargo development in 2017, this 'restaurant in a shipping container' may be starting to show its age (in good weather, the terrace is the place to be), but Root still delivers fresh creativity … Read more

Cargo, Gaol Ferry Steps, Wapping Wharf, Bristol BS1 6WP

Rovi

Fitzrovia, London ££

Yotam Ottolenghi's name has become synonymous in recent years with a style of aspirational, but practically doable, cookery writing, thanks to a portfolio of bestselling recipe books and a high-profile weekly presence in The … Read more

59 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London W1A 3AE

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