Where to eat before the opera
Published 19 May 2023

Housed in part of what was the Barkers department store of blessed memory, the Kensington outpost of the Dishoom group is an elegant, Art Deco room with booth seating that could almost be a railway station buffet of yesteryear, complete with a giant clock. On Thursday and Friday evenings, a resident jazz band, the Marine Liners, contributes to the nostalgic feel, while the menus perform agile variations on Indian all-day eating.

There are Bombay breakfasts for the rise-and-shiners (try a Parsi omelette or a bacon naan roll), plus small plates for the grazers – lamb samosas, chicken and mango salad, chilli cheese toast, hot potato vada buns – and a repertoire of main dishes given enjoyably florid menu descriptions. Jackfruit biryani, mutton pepper fry, Goan monkfish curry and tandoori lamb chops finished with lime and masala are among the attractions. Vegan menus are of course butter-free, and full of invention, right through to basmati rice pudding with coconut milk, cardamom and cashews.

Alternatively, simply drop by for that old-time Bombay classic – a buttery bun with a cup of spicy chai. First-class cocktails and everyday wines (from £29 a bottle) sit alongside lassis and coolers to wet the whistle.

‘A haven of cultural tanquillity’ and a ‘landmark for the Kensington community’, Kitchen W8 is the flagship restaurant of the vastly experienced business partnership of Rebecca Mascarenhas and chef Philip Howard. With its linened tables, plain cream walls, ornate mirrors and contemporary art, it wouldn't look out of place on a quiet street in Mayfair – yet it also manages to perform the role of a special-occasion neighbourhood spot to perfection.

‘Our style,’ write the hosts, ‘is modern English with a French soul,’ hitting a popular gastronomic nail on the head, and there is an impressive balance of the earthy and the refined in the cooking that exerts a strong appeal. Scorch a Cornish mackerel and add to it some smoked eel with golden beets and bitter leaves, and it's hard for many to resist. Pasta work is executed with particular aplomb, perhaps for a first course of pigeon raviolo with pickled pear and sweet-sour shallots. Prime materials are top-drawer, extending from 60-day Dexter sirloin or venison haunch with red cabbage and quince to a gently handled fillet of brill that comes with caramelised cauliflower and chestnut gnocchi in truffled leek velouté.

At dessert, leafy clementine sorbet with warm vanilla beignets caters for those who might wilt at the prospect of Valrhona chocolate pavé with salted-caramel ice cream, peanut praline and lime. A five-course tasting menu offers a comprehensive tour of the kitchen's repertoire. By-the-glass wines rope in some on-trend varietals such as Grüner Veltliner, Albariño and Touriga Nacional, before the main list hits the highlights, never forgetting that the whole operation is powered by the aforementioned ‘French soul’.

Normah Abd Hamid, affectionately known in the local Malaysian food community as 'Auntie Normah' cooks entirely on her own in this bijou, simply furnished space deep inside Bayswater Market. It's not that easy to find but well worth the effort for generous portions of Malaysian hits at low prices. Start with flaky roti canai and dhal before tucking into tasty curry laksa with king prawns or mee goreng. Nasi lemak comes with aromatic beef rendang, and whole sea bass is paired with asam pedas or belachan. No alcohol is served, so drink hot, milky teh tarik ('pulled tea') instead.

Given the name, it’s not surprising that a dedicated oyster bar takes centre stage at this personally run seafood restaurant – the product of innumerable pop-ups, festivals and private party gigs. Oystermen's breezy interior was extended a while back, and the premises has also gained some additional outdoor space (a hangover from the pandemic). All-day opening is a boon for Covent Garden’s theatre crowd, who drop by before or after the show for ‘perfect’ oysters, squid salad with anchovy toast (‘beautifully done’), ‘excellent’ skate and more besides. The menu follows the market and rolls along with the seasons, so expect anything from a gratin of Isle of Man ‘queenie’ scallops with chives and lemon or cured sea trout with apple and ponzu dressing to whole ‘undressed’ Dorset crabs, native lobsters slathered in garlic butter with chips or pan-fried stone bass with parsnip purée, wild mushroom sauce and crispy bacon. Working in a 'teeny-tiny' kitchen, the chef and his team also throw in the occasional exotic curve ball such as hake with red curry sauce, baby sweetcorn and crispy kale. For afters, there are ‘delicious concoctions’ including vanilla panna cotta with blackberries and crumble or strawberry tartlet with vanilla custard and basil. Well-chosen, fish-friendly wines are knowledgeably served by efficient clued-up staff. ‘Overall, a pleasure,’ concluded one fan.

Designed with table seating to one side, high-top stools to the other, window seats (for walk-ins) and an alfresco pavement terrace, Will Palmer and Ian Campbell's seafood spot (opposite their 10 Cases Bistrot à Vin) maximises a bijou dining space beautifully. The single-sheet menu lists a satisfying array of small plates and snacks, plus a handful of more substantial dishes, sides and desserts. What the dayboats bring in largely dictates what’s on offer. Two deliveries a day from the coast translates into some superb specialities – perhaps a whole turbot to share, served with mussel beurre blanc and Avruga caviar, or a great hunk of impeccably cooked skrei cod atop Jerusalem artichokes and a lemon beurre blanc – a hit at inspection. Other highlights included potted shrimp croquettes, smoked haddock chowder, and a superb Loch Fyne scallop croque monsieur where the sweet succulence of the bivalve worked beautifully with the rich, buttery, cheesy toast. Welsh rarebit makes an appearance on the dessert menu, alongside a spectacular tart-sweet blood orange sorbet and chocolate mousse with hazelnut crumb. Whites dominate the wine list, which has something to suit every pocket; it's an eclectic selection that encourages veering off the beaten path – although a few more options by the glass would be welcome.

‘Go there for fine feasting in wonderful surroundings,’ advises one reader who was instantly captivated by this singular restaurant in the newer wing of Somerset House. Another dubs it ‘one of the most serene and beautiful dining rooms in London’ with its gleaming white walls, neo-classical pillars, exquisite floristry, pastel upholstery and cluster light fittings. The mood is soothing and eminently civilised, aided by diligent, helpful and ‘extremely knowledgeable’ staff.

The late Skye Gyngell's legacy is a joyous celebration of all things seasonal, with cooking that seeks out new creative possibilities – especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Flavours are always true to the calendar, while inspiration is gleaned from the annals of Mediterranean cookery and beyond, whatever the time of year. Cultured kefir butter comes as standard: spread it on ‘porridge’ sourdough and seeded rye bread or use it to enrich a plate of radishes. Pasta is a favourite call with readers (perhaps pappardelle with artichokes, guanciale, chilli and mint), various seasonal takes on stracciatella have been well received, and there’s also the simple pleasure of Wye Valley asparagus with Italian fonduta. Fern Verrow biodynamic farm in Herefordshire supplies many of the kitchen’s vegetables and leaves, which might feature in a meat-free dish with tulips, elderflower and buttermilk dressing. If animal protein is required, look no further than grilled leg of lamb accompanied by slow-cooked courgettes, rocket and horseradish cream or a well-reported dish of wild sea bass with girolles and corn purée.

Desserts are also hugely impressive, be it a classic summer pudding with crème fraîche, a honey custard tart with white peaches and white almonds or an ‘espresso jelly pud’ with cream, which reminded one recipient of a Malaysian gula melaka. There’s nothing avant-garde or experimental here, but for pinpoint execution, flavour and sheer pleasure, the results are exceptional.

Prices aren’t cheap, but weekday set lunches offer terrific value, and it’s worth checking out the early-evening ‘scratch menu’ built around ‘waste’ from the kitchen. The well-spread wine list nails its colours to the mast with an impressive roll call of on-trend varietals and low-intervention contenders backed by some seriously priced ‘cellar’ bottles.

Tucked into one side of the landmark brutalist building that is 180 Strand, Toklas is easy to miss. Just remember it has its own entrance on Surrey Street, opposite the old Strand tube station – if you find yourself outside Toklas Café & Bakery, you’ve gone too far. Set one level above the street, it’s a genuine find – an oasis of calm, especially on a warm summer’s day when a table on the wide, plant-filled terrace is highly prized. The restrained modern interior goes bare on napery and big on concrete, but natural light floods in through huge windows and striking artworks add colour.

The restaurant draws inspiration – and its name – from the avant-garde American food writer Alice B Toklas, but what distinguishes it is a commitment to concise, seasonal and elegant Mediterranean-style cooking. Indeed, the kitchen is noted for its simple, calendar-tuned line-up of dishes based on the freshest of ingredients with classic accompaniments. Those pristine raw materials are handled with a delicate touch, as in a starter of wild sea bass crudo with sweet 'honeycomb' tomatoes offset by dots of salty bottarga, plus a colourfully tangled assembly of black figs, oakleaf lettuce, crunchy hazelnuts, pecorino shavings and honey. Rabbit saltimbocca with a pile of braised chard and a chunk of fresh Amalfi lemon is completely delicious in its simplicity, while homemade pasta is the business: a plate of tagliatelle with Scottish girolles, garlic and parsley showed up well during our lunchtime visit. 

And there’s concord right to the final act: our dessert of gorgeous, perfectly roasted amaretto peaches needed nothing more than a dollop of mascarpone. The innovative wine list is dominated by bottles from the Mediterranean basin. Although there are comparatively few options under £40, drinkers have access to a generous clutch of recommendations by the glass and carafe. Excellent cocktails, too.