Where to eat if you’re going to RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Published 11 May 2026

Since 2012, Andrew Wong’s Pimlico restaurant has re-defined high-end Chinese dining not only in the UK but, arguably, for anywhere outside Asia. The no-choice, 30-dish tasting menu takes inspiration from far and wide – Hong Kong for the dim sum, Shaanxi province for the bao, Anhui for the fermented wild sea bass – but the result is unmistakably Wong’s own vision, not least in its striking presentation. A martini glass suspended over ice, for instance, contains finely chopped green beans spiked with wasabi soy encased by a quivering shell of osmanthus jelly, while ribbons of tofu wave in a limpid soup like the fronds of a sea anemone.

At its best, Wong’s cooking melds astonishing creativity with the most alluring of flavours and sublime contrasts of textures, everything held in a delicate balance by the surest of touches. Consider a candied walnut stuck onto a trio of honey-roast roast pork slices, each daubed with gravy to glue onto shavings of frozen foie gras, grated as finely as sherbet; or wagyu tartare, presented in a caviar tin and adorned with shards of crisp potato, its chilli heat balanced by the citrus jolt of yuzu when dolloped onto a barely-there ‘pancake’ of pear.

Wong’s contemporary interpretation of Chinese cooking is so compelling that when a faultless nugget of sweet-and-sour chicken arrives (an affectionate nod to his parents’ Cantonese restaurant, Kym’s), it feels like an uninvited old friend gatecrashing the party. At £200 a head for food, however, it is not unreasonable to expect this level of perfection throughout, and our most recent meal fell short of that. There were basic errors (prawns not properly shelled) and some dishes tasted of very little at all – even if they looked lovely (cheung fun refashioned as an inside-out wafer of pork or an al dente roll of Peking duck, for example).

Overall, we longed for more nuance to the flavours rather than an insistent, unremitting savouriness. These criticisms might have been easier to stomach had there been more charm to the service. Empty plates were whisked away with lickety-split haste, a neighbouring table was brought Pouilly-Fumé not Fuissé, and being moved to the empty bar to eat dessert in solitude seemed ungracious while our seat upstairs was filled with the next round of punters.

Perhaps we visited on a rare off-night; certainly, the advance planning required to secure a table here (or a seat at the counter, with its direct view into the kitchen) indicates there is no shortage of takers.

'A slice of Paris' in desirable Chelsea Green, Vincent Zanardi's bespoke bakery bears all the hallmarks of a well-travelled ‘maître patissier’ who has worked in top-end restaurant kitchens in France and the UK. In true French boulangerie tradition, baking is done every day on site, using flour from an artisan farmer in Burgundy, while cakes and viennoiserie feature carefully sourced ingredients from around the globe: plump almonds from Valencia, sea salt from Brittany, honey from Bermondsey. Many recipes have taken up to five years to perfect, while others are contemporary twists on the classics. Birley's also runs a chocolate shop a few doors away.

Joe Mercer-Nairne and David O'Connor (the duo behind Chelsea's much-lauded Medlar) recruited chef Gary Foulkes from Angler at the South Place Hotel with the aim of creating a smart, new destination venue in the traditionally less-than-inspiring neighbourhood between Belgravia and Victoria. The result is Cornus, located at the top of the Ice Factory development. Inside, the restaurant has been given a spare contemporary look, with minimalist decor, exposed lighting rails and a long marble-topped counter.

A rare degree of polish transforms each dish into a virtuoso performance, and what arrives on the plate reliably exceeds expectations. An opening assemblage sets the tone: French tomatoes and Solliès figs with Ribblesdale soft goat's curd in fig-leaf vinaigrette offers bundles of savoury flavour and lactic tang, while pieces of chicken wing (intricately boned, stuffed and golden-roasted) arrive crisp and juicy, accompanied by a roasted chicken's heart, a powerful and silky mushroom purée, plentiful truffle shavings and an intense jus gras-like dressing. Fish is nothing short of majestic, witness red mullet in a potently rich bisque embellished with a quenelle of precision-tuned salsa verde and a single saffron-tinted potato. Game cookery is also exemplary, as in a juicy-textured wild duck breast presented on a crimson bed of stewed red cabbage and radicchio, plus beetroot purée and a sauce pointed up with green peppercorns.

There has been some serious buzz around the pastry-chef, Kelly Cullen: should you need convincing, try her classic profiteroles filled with hazelnut ice cream and Chantilly, with hot chocolate sauce poured over at the table. For sheer quality and generosity, the three-course lunch deal (replete with incidentals) is tremendous value, and with Sussex Brut from Wiston Estate as the house fizz, the wine list makes its own statement of intent. Expect quality and imagination by the bushel, with glasses from £8.50 and extensive global reach among the premier-league bottles.

A wave of panic has swept through South Kensington. It seems TFL plan to expand the tube station, developing the buildings around it, one of which houses Daquise, London’s oldest Polish restaurant (established in 1947). This threat to its continued existence has sparked such a resurgence of interest that it now has a new lease of life and pressure on tables has doubled.

As it last appeared in the Guide in 1987, we thought we should take another look. Our findings? There’s no doubt Daquise is an institution and the Guide is glad to have it back in the listings. Outside remains unpromising, but inside is a noisy, high-ceilinged, chandelier-hung dining room (much larger than we remembered – we suspect two rooms have been knocked through), with plenty of white-clad tables and a brigade of thoroughly professional waiting staff. The menu deals in reasonably priced Polish classics, and we were particularly impressed by the Polish-style stuffed eggs and the ‘ruskies’ (pierogi dumplings made with cheese, potato and onion), followed by generous plates of pan-fried calf's liver with apple and onions as well as a spot-on veal schnitzel topped with a fried egg and served with mashed potato.

To drink, there’s a line-up of straight and flavoured vodkas – we loved the orzechówka (hazelnut) version with our sweet cheese-stuffed pancake – as well as a straightforward list of European wines starting at £26. And the good news is that with a six-month break clause in their lease (yet to be invoked), you still have time to try it yourselves before it's gone.

Cosy, intimate and a ‘true home from home,’ there aren't many settings more desirable than this. Tucked at one end of an exclusive mews, Dinings sports a lovely courtyard for alfresco meals, plus a bright high-ceilinged dining room with a mezzanine, a bar at the front, a wooden fireplace at the far end, a marble sushi counter, and small wooden tables with tan-leather seating. The atmosphere is lively, and it's topped off by chef/owner Masaki Sugisaki's innovative bite-sized Japanese dishes, which offer ‘an exquisite fusion of artistry and gastronomy,’ according to one devotee.

‘Meticulously crafted’ sushi takes pride of place here, and fans insist that it’s some of the best in town – from Cornish sea bass with bottarga or cured yellowtail belly with preserved spiced yuzu zest to first-rate hand-rolls such as smoked eel tamaki with cucumber and sweet soy. Elsewhere, dry-aged turbot is served on the bone with ceps, violet artichokes and preserved lemon while ‘shio-koji’ cured venison loin (from Windsor Forest) is embellished with glazed fig and red pepper ketchup.

As expected with an SW3 postcode, the menu is pimped up with deluxe ingredients – from a mini-burger of wagyu beef cleverly paired with teriyaki and spicy sesame aïoli to grilled Scottish langoustines with confit garlic and preserved lemon vinaigrette. Less pricey items such as roasted beetroot with tahini miso are also treated with due respect. Matcha ganache with chestnut ice cream is an enticing way to finish. Service is super-friendly and bursting with ‘genuine warmth’, while sake heads the expensive drinks list, with wines from £55.

Since teaming up in the late noughties, chef Phil Howard and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas have rolled out a series of sophisticated yet informal neighbourhood eateries – and Elystan Street follows their blueprint to the letter. The mood is one of unbuttoned luxury, Chelsea style, with pared-back interiors, large monochrome prints, a mix of peach and grey seating and lots of natural light flooding in through large windows. ‘Hospitality’ is one of the keys to the success of this place, notes a reader – although locals are here to sample the kitchen’s masterful and cleverly nuanced modern food. Expect ‘seasonal dishes cooked with skill and precision’, overlaid with a perfect sense of balance and a true respect for ingredients. Highlights from one recent visit included ‘moreish’ hand-cut strozzapreti cooked in buttery chicken stock with a dressing of summer truffles and aged Parmesan, as well as a 'lovely looking' plate of sea bream, with perfectly crispy skin and a colourfully exotic mélange of baba ganoush, apricot harissa, a charred Padrón pepper and a drizzle of basil-infused olive oil. If meat is your preference, there might be tartare of English rose veal ahead of saddle of lamb served in sunny Mediterranean style with pesto-baked aubergine, roasted San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and balsamic. British and French cheeses are kept in tiptop condition, while ‘classy’ desserts might bring a millefeuille of raspberries with vanilla and lemon verbena cream – ‘a summer treat’. Ever-attentive staff spend ‘quality time with their guests’, which adds to the relaxed, informal vibe. Lunch is good value for the postcode, and the knowledgeably assembled wine list leans heavily towards Europe, with around 20 by-the-glass selections and bottles from £35.

If you take your steaks seriously, you'll likely know about Hawksmoor, the group that started in London, expanded to various UK cities and is now a success story across the pond in New York and Chicago. This Knightsbridge address, just off the Brompton Road artery, is a big old space with a moody Art Deco finish that looks the part for a high-end steakhouse where prices are steep (especially for those with big appetites) and chips of various kinds are extra.

The menu includes an illustration revealing where each cut of beef comes from on the animal – from ribeye to D-rump – and blackboards display what's on offer by weight on the day (1kg T-bone anyone?). The beef itself is from British farms, grass-fed, dry-aged and cooked over coals, but there are other options if you're so inclined such as South Coast monkfish flamed over those hot coals, and one veggie main course (ricotta dumplings with peas, broad beans and asparagus, maybe). Fresh British seafood is well represented among starters: half a Dartmouth lobster with garlic butter, Shetland mussels cooked in white wine, charcoal-roasted scallops and so on.

Hawksmoor's highly rated Sunday lunch is as classically appealing as you might hope for (complete with perfectly timed, succulent meat carved from a whole rump of aged beef), while desserts might range from sticky toffee pud to yoghurt and lemon cheesecake. The wine list will appeal to high rollers with its selection of fine vintages, although there are slim pickings below £40 for the rest of us. 

Josephine is that rare combination, a classic-looking French bistro that serves its neighbourhood well but is also worth travelling across town for. The fact that the driving force behind the operation is chef Claude Bosi makes it easy to see why news of its repute has spread far and wide – the dining room is regularly packed to capacity, humming with noise and activity.

The menu is classic French through and through, with a focus on bistro classics and regional Lyonnaise specialities from Bosi’s home town. Though the food stays in familiar territory rather than going adventuring, everything is produced with great assurance – as one might expect, given Bosi's elevated reputation. Indeed, one sign of a good kitchen is what it can do with humble ingredients. Consider, for example, the soupe à l’oignon, widely copied although we’ve yet to eat one that comes even close to this version.

Many staples are here (terrine, filet de boeuf au poivre, lapin à la moutarde, gratin dauphinois) – dishes that people really enjoy eating. And judging by the elegant simplicity of leeks vinaigrette, or skate wing in a brown butter and caper sauce, or even a light, puffy vol-au-vent filled with chicken and morel sauce, there are never too many tastes on the plate, either. Like the cheeseboard, desserts are resolutely Gallic – think oeuf à la neige, prâline rose, and tarte au citron meringue. The good value of the daily plat du jour and the short-choice set menu offered at lunch and dinner add to Josephine's allure.

With Lucy Bosi overseeing front of house alongside general manager Will Smith (the ex-Arbutus/Wild Honey frontman lured back from Scotland), it's clear that all aspects of running a restaurant – buying ingredients, cooking, ambience – have been brought together without fuss or ostentation. House wines are available bouchon-style (you only pay for what you have drunk), and the full list is an oenophile's tour of the Rhône Valley.

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 inspiration comes from India's wildlife lodges ('away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life'). There's no doubting that chef Rohit Ghai's cooking is transportive, with its compellingly creative take on Indian cuisine including ‘expedition’ tasting menus (with optional wine pairings) that can ‘surprise and delight’.

Pressing the doorbell to gain entry adds to the sense of exclusivity, as does the smart decor which references India's stunning natural world. The atmosphere is ‘perfect for special occasions’, helped by staff who can be guaranteed to deliver ‘great service’; there’s also a delightful terrace for summer dining. Traditional ideas get decidedly modern treatment, as in a duck starter that is fruitily embellished with cranberry, kumquat, pickle and chutney, while the tandoor yields such esoteric, smoky delights as paneer tikka with sorrel, lime murabba, tomato salsa and crispy rice or a quail naan with truffle, masala scrambled egg, mince and oil.

Seafood also shows up well when it comes to main courses including wild jumbo prawns with coconut and curry leaf or pan-seared sea bass with jaggery and yoghurt rice. Guinea fowl arrives in a biryani, while desserts might feature a take on crème brûlée involving heritage carrots, reduced milk and orange. The globetrotting wine list has slim pickings below £40, although there’s a decent choice by the glass or carafe. Otherwise, drink Indian lager, IPA or something from the innovative list of Indian-inspired cocktails.    

There's an enjoyable feeling of sitting in Katie Exton's smart neighbourhood bistro within unlikely proximity of Victoria station. Light wood furniture and comfortable booth-seating, upholstered in juicy tangerine, combine to make a happy, elegant space, with the sun pouring in through a skylight. Exton previously worked as a sommelier, and the carefully curated wine selection is a brilliant bass note of the assured performance here.

In the kitchen, Graham Brown works with skill and proficiency, producing those appealingly simple, produce-first dishes that can be hard to find these days. For starters, a generously portioned tartare of cured bream with cucumber and kohlrabi in a nest of smashed beer batter is a menu stalwart that still delights, while an unctuous confit rabbit leg with farfalle and pangrattato flaunts a sophisticated understanding of the prinicples of Italian ragù. Mains might bring on rolled saddle and braised shoulder of lamb with curried sweet potato, spinach and dukkah or chalk stream trout with prawn croustillant in shellfish sauce.

Desserts are a treat. A version of Paris-Brest made with whipped pistachio and white chocolate cream came studded with strawberries, while a mirror-glazed milk chocolate mousse was topped with honeycomb. The lunch and early-evening set menu (a pair of choices at each course) is very good value. 

Warm, intelligent and attentive service sets the tone, and the wine list cries out for exploration, particularly as the pricing structure is not at all what one might expect in this prime postcode. The glass selection also comes in half-litre carafes, running from waxy, citrussy Carricante and plummy Sicilian Nero d'Avola to Coravin measures of Condrieu and Oregon Pinot Noir.

Pavement tables and a terrace overlooking one of the leafier stretches of the King’s Road make this hospitable but urbane Chelsea favourite a fail-safe on sunny days – although there’s also much to enjoy in the long, narrow dining room with its muted colours, distinctive green banquettes, contemporary artworks and blossom-laden artificial trees. Chef/co-owner Joe Mercer Nairne learned his craft at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth and it shows in his fondness for gutsy, full-blooded Franco-European flavours. His signature crab raviolo with leek fondue and bisque sauce is an ever-present delicacy worth savouring, as is the rich duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons and sautéed duck hearts. After that, the kitchen stays true to its remit, serving accessible, serious, muscular dishes with bags of finesse: rump of Belted Galloway beef with Café de Paris snails, shallot purée and béarnaise sauce; chargrilled calf’s liver with new season’s garlic, potato galette, crispy bacon, Tropea onion and sherry vinegar; monkfish and squid in partnership with sauce vierge, coco beans and sea aster. The kitchen goes that extra mile when it comes to dessert, fashioning eclectic, multi-part creations such as canelés de Bordeaux with pistachio cream, Argentinian garrapiñadas (sugary caramelised peanuts), tonka bean and spiced drinking chocolate. Similar dishes are available on the flexible fixed-price lunch menu (have one, two or three courses). The wine list is a knowledgeably curated and ever-evolving compendium bringing together the great, the good and the undiscovered from all quarters of the viticultural globe. By-the-glass options are generous (bolstered by top-end Coravin selections), while bottle prices start at £38.

Textured walls and a striking terrazzo floor add something a bit different to the Chelsea branch of Yotam Ottolenghi’s café/deli group, but there’s no mistaking the familiar white counters, the overflowing displays of cakes and pastries or the bowls of colourful salads and other Middle Eastern-inspired creations. Breakfast and an all-day lunch offer might bring anything from Dutch pancakes or scrambled harissa tofu with sweet potato crisps to roast chicken with ral el hanout, sumac and chilli. A fascinating drinks list includes Coalition beer and natural wines as well as raw, unpasteurised libations from the London Fermentary. Walk-ins only; not open for dinner.

After a quarter of a century, you could forgive Gordon Ramsay for turning his fine-dining flagship into a culinary jukebox of his greatest hits. Such is his enduring worldwide fame, he’d be assured an audience for whatever he served up. But, apart from the crowd-pleasing signature lobster, langoustine and salmon ravioli that’s been on the menu since day one, the kitchen’s elegant and sometimes playful dishes are resolutely modern. Take a main course entitled ‘100-day aged Cumbrian Blue Grey, panisse, cosberg, pontac’, described by one of the smartly suited waiters as ‘our take on steak and chips’. Despite the long ageing, the perfectly medium-rare piece of rare-breed sirloin had a mild flavour and was oh-so tender, while the garnish (a nugget of beautifully rendered fat) delivered a delicious whack of gamey, savoury funk. The crisp, refreshing cosberg was also a revelation: a cross between iceberg and cos, the lettuce heart was glazed with dashi vinegar and garnished with a multitude of pickled shallot rings, wild garlic ‘capers’, herbs, flowers and tiny croûtons. Its palate-cleansing freshness counterbalanced the pastrami spice-dusted, crinkle-cut panisse chips served on the side, and the umami pungency of their accompanying black-garlic purée. Needless to say, classical saucing is of the highest order here: pickled mustard seeds added welcome acidity to that beef jus and red wine-based ‘pontac’, while brown butter lifted the ‘jus noisette’ served with a roast veal sweetbread to another level of deliciousness. This was our dish of the day – a generous piece of precisely cooked, honey-glazed offal, encrusted with puffed grains and allium buds, all bathed in a velvety macadamia ajo blanco. Heavenly. Everything delights and every single item we sampled was faultless, from an ethereal gougère filled with smoked Montgomery Cheddar (one of a trio of stunning canapés) to a benchmark cherry soufflé with coconut ice cream and a selection of petits fours including a wonderfully full-flavoured, cushion-shaped blackcurrant pâté de fruit. Chef-patron Matt Abé (namechecked on the menu cover) and head chef Kim Ratcharoen are doing a fine job, not just by protecting the jewel in Ramsay’s crown but also by expressing their own highly attractive and accessible culinary creativity. After a decade, it is perhaps time to refresh the intimate dining room's rather dated lilac and grey interior, although it still feels like a special place in which to dine. Regulars may also lament the retirement of charismatic maître d’ Jean-Claude Breton in 2022, but the quality of service remains undiminished and is arguably the finest in the capital (perfectly paced and perfectly judged). We felt like royalty, even when we asked for tap water – which was poured with as much care and ceremony as a vintage Bordeaux. As for the wines themselves, don’t expect to see anything under £50 on the exhaustive and opulent iPad list, although there are some relative bargains that will ensure the bill doesn’t spiral into the stratosphere.

It's amazing how quickly the London restaurant scene can change. Before the obituary of Tom Kerridge's Butcher's Tap & Grill was published, the place was brought back to life as the Chalk Freehouse. It's still very much a pub where you can pop in for a drink, but the exterior has been painted white (and looks a lot better for it), and inside, the large TVs have been removed.

The menu has been completely revamped and Kerridge is not mucking about this time: Tom De Keyser (ex-head chef at the Hand & Flowers) is leading the kitchen with a posher offering that might open with a bar snack of 'nduja and smoked mozzarella sausage roll (not to be missed) or a smooth, rich chicken and duck liver parfait 'churned to order' with poultry jelly, apricot chutney and toasted brioche – a Marlow classic. On our latest visit, a generous portion of pork chop schnitzel topped with golden fried duck's egg over a bed of smoked bacon and pickled cabbage was a piece of 'breadcrumb heaven'. We ended with a Chelsea bun (first made in the local area) topped wirh boozy fruits and praline and served with cold vanilla custard. 

Service has found its flow, although a little more charm wouldn't go amiss. To drink, there are a few cocktails and an extensive list of wines starting at £45 for a Grüner Veltliner, Christopher Bauer 2024, with plenty of glasses from £10. While the Butcher's Tap & Grill never quite captured the hearts of Chelsea locals, the Chalk is most definitely a few notches up.

The setting may be vintage – on the site of Belgravia institution the Ebury Wine Bar, which closed in 2017 after nearly 60 years – but the concept is anything but. First impressions of this contemporary dining pub are charming; it feels light, intimate, low-key and very neighbourhood.

One enters via a small, convivial bar offering snacks such as cheese croquettes or whipped cod’s roe, before settling in the two-tiered dining room. Here, good food with a noble heritage is the lure – Anthony Demetre of Wild Honey oversees a menu that confirms his commitment to creative, ingredients-led bistro cooking with French leanings. There are some inspiring culinary ideas on offer here: Demetre’s trademarks of wonderful balance and flavour combinations are evinced by an ‘it has to be mustard’ dish of rabbit, carrots and persillade, and by properly made desserts (fruit tarts, pavlovas, brûlées etc). 

The Elizabeth may be located in a seriously expensive part of town, but any fears of scary prices are soon dispelled – particularly by the extremely good-value two/three-course set weekday menu (served at lunch and early dinner). Our visit produced a seasonally pitch-perfect autumnal squash soup with seaweed tartare, and a delicious slow-cooked game ragù with hand-rolled pappardelle and salsa verde. With confident, well-informed service and a fairly priced wine list added to the mix, is this another institution in the making?

The handsome Georgian townhouse once occupied by the Anglo-Irish war artist Sir John Lavery has been restored to provide an elegant, cooly refined first-floor restaurant reached by a grand staircase. The uncluttered, creamy-white interior with its ornate plasterwork and soaring gilt-edged mirrors captures the light from sky-high windows, while the bar area is dominated by a sweeping zinc counter. Moving into the main room, you'll find contemporary wooden seating and a shiny parquet-pattened floor. Some diners by the window, however, are deprived of a view and others next to the lofty open period doors may feel hemmed in. 

The seasonal, Mediterranean-influenced menu from chef Yohei Furuhashi (ex River Café and Toklas) reflects the sophisticated simplicity of the setting. The compact lunch menu gives way to a slightly longer dinner offering featuring dishes such as monkfish with clams, zucchini, coco beans and mojo verde or guinea fowl with prosciutto, sage, Marsala, olives and spinach. A pretty lunch starter of grilled squid, fresh borlotti beans, rocket and chilli was tender, creamy and light, set off by the sharp astringency of the rocket. Scottish sea trout was precisely cooked and elegantly plated but served with an underwhelming smattering of grilled vegetables.

To finish, the Original Bean chocolate mousse with Agen prunes is already being hailed as a signature dessert, although on our visit the only pudding available was a disappointing ricotta and almond cake. The European-focused wine list includes a decent choice by the glass. For something more casual, try the no-bookings daytime café on the ground floor. 

Taking its name from the warship HMS Surprise, this neighbourhood pub has stood on a quiet spot, a short walk from the King's Road, since 1853. In keeping with its neighbourhood vibe, green leather banquettes, a fireplace and peach-painted walls create a vintage/cosy feel. Indeed, the inviting ambience and good-natured staff are enough to encourage those popping in for a drink to linger and perhaps explore bar snacks such as seafood croquettes or Wiltshire cocktail sausages with mustard and honey dip. 

The straightforward menu runs from fish and chips to Somerset pork tomahawk and Sunday roasts (including a veggie option of pearl barley, celeriac and wild mushroom Wellington). We started with cured sea trout paired with thick-cut fennel finished off with apple slices and a lemony crème fraîche and dill, followed by a juicy Creedy Carver duck breast teamed with bubble and squeak, savoy cabbage and a topping of thyme crumble and blackberries. A seasonal dessert of English plums and Bramley apples with a light dusting of crumble and Cornish clotted cream made a pleasant way to finish. 

The drinks list leads off with cocktails, followed by craft beers, whiskies, and some delightful wines (especially if your tipple is Burgundy or Bordeaux), ranging from £34 right up to a Château Lafite Rothschild from the sensational 2003 vintage, at a whopping £950.

The dearly beloved trio in question are Jason Atherton's children, in whose honour his self-styled English bistro in Chelsea is named. Look sharply beneath pedestrianised Pavilion Road, if you will. The restaurant is effectively under the boardwalk, its entrance cunningly concealed. Inside is as chic as can be, split over two levels, with a pastel-coloured ‘room with a kitchen view’ and bar seating that opens onto an outdoor terrace furnished with plenty of foliage. This is one of a trio of new openings Atherton launched in 2024, and like its stablemate Sael, it's an all-day affair open for Benedict breakfasts and weekend brunches, as the place eases into its diurnal rhythm.

The principal menu opens with appetising nibbles such as harissa flatbread filled with Kalamata olives and red pepper. Englishness as a culinary concept has for a long while meant eclectic rather than anything rooted too solidly in the home nation, as the range of offerings here suggests. Crapaudine beets are having a moment just now, their rooty sweetness accommodating burrata and nasturtiums, while a wood-fired scallop is given the Rockefeller treatment and dressed in fermented miso.

The star starter at our visit was a single long tentacle of Spanish octopus with sobrasada and butter bean aïoli. From the mains, it's hard to beat the delectable brace of shorthorn beef ribs in liberally applied char siu dressing, Szechuan pepper and red chilli, but then look a skate wing schnitzel with katsu curry and lime in the eye and dare to refuse it. To finish, the bun and butter pudding with rum and raisin is an inventive take you might try at home, or there's baked Alaska with yoghurt and blood-orange. As at Sael, wines on the main list are arranged in multiples of £50, while selections by the glass (from £8.50) are also available by the pint (from £26).

Newson’s Yard, a new destination for high-end design, is an appropriate location for this remarkably good-looking restaurant from chef Aaron Potter and interior designer Laura Hart. From the gorgeous marble-topped chef’s counter to the marble tiles, light and dark wood furnishings, brick walls, pale blue banquettes and candle-dressed tables to the outdoor seating under the glass atrium, it’s the type of place you don't want to leave.

This is Potter’s first solo project after proving himself an asset at well-heeled neighbourhood dining spots including Trinity and Elystan Street. There's a terrific neighbourhood vibe here too, pepped up by an ‘80s rock and pop soundtrack and engaging, personable service under the judicious eye of Anthony Glaze (also ex-Elystan Street).

The kitchen delivers a wealth of Mediterranean flavours with snacks of fennel salami and Cantabrian anchovy toast preceding starters such as a ravishing stracciatella with violet artichoke, dried apricot and black truffle. Mains prove equally accomplished: grilled Cornish red mullet with softened Grezzina courgettes and salsa verde, or perhaps an earthy surf-and-turf paella of tender rabbit and cuttlefish with a dollop of smooth blood-orange allioli. Baked wild mushroom rice with chanterelles is an enticing veggie option, while crispy ‘holiday’ potatoes are cooked to perfection. Any flaws? There was some heavy-handed seasoning in some dishes, but a dessert of blood orange, almond polenta cake with blood-orange sorbet made for a sweet and satisfying finish.

The all-European wine list deserves commendation too: despite the prime Belgravia postcode, it has plenty of decent bottles below £50. One final tip: any opportunity to head up to the stunning first-floor wine bar should not be missed.

It's best to book at this riverside restaurant, though the hardworking staff will try to accommodate walk-ins when they can. The terrace, overlooking the riverbank and the colossal Battersea Power Station is a great spot for people-watching, but inside it's perfectly comfortable with a long communal table at the bar or more private tables around the dining room. 

Oysters are the speciality and there's a broad selection on offer, from ‘naked’ bivalves served with 'hogwash' (their own sweet-sour fresh chilli sauce) to an intriguing choice of ‘cooked and dressed’ variants – although there's much more than molluscs and seafood platters here. In their other lives, the titular 'Wright Brothers' are fishmongers, so the quality of the seafood is pretty much guaranteed – and the kitchen knows what it’s doing. 

An elegant plate of sea bass sashimi was exemplary, the fish beautifully fresh and carefully cut, with sweet pink grapefruit providing the necessary acidity, and red onion and chilli adding crunch and punch. Elsewhere, the crispness of tempura batter was a pleasing contrast to the chewy nobashi prawn within, and though the accompanying Thai dipping sauce wasn't quite as fierce as it could be, it still did the job. There are also crowd-pleasers of battered cod and chips, as well as crab linguine, made richer and more unctuous than usual with the addition of brown crabmeat in the sauce. Desserts are something of an afterthought.

Non-fish eaters are catered for, but to be honest, they're very much in the minority here.  Given the menu, it’s hardly a surprise that the rather good wine list shines the spotlight on whites rather than reds, and thanks to a Coravin system, some serious stuff available by the glass.