15 lip smacking, tried and tested London restaurants

On the corner of Euston Road, what was once a Barclay’s Bank has morphed into the Megaro Hotel with a multi-coloured façade and home to Spagnoletti restaurant and Hokus Pokus alchemy bar. The main feature is the homemade pasta but there are plenty of snacks too such as Suckling pig and black pudding croquettes and wild mushroom and truffle Arancini.

Restaurant Review: Spagnoletti restaurant

The Mint Leaf restaurant has a historic location next to the Bank of England somewhat sequestered within Angel Court. But unlike that prim and proper financial institution, there is nothing stuffy about this stylish yet sometimes playful restaurant that sometimes offers eyebrow-raising flourishes with its cocktails and Indian cuisine.

Restaurant Review: Mint Leaf Restaurant

There’s more than a hint of animal magic at Hux bar, restaurant and late-night music venue in London’s vibrant Kensington. All around are stuffed animals, and we got to share our meal under the glare of a full-size giraffe. head chef Stephen Collins and offers a contemporary twist on British cuisine. Try shredded poached salt beef with dill or Rib Eye Steak.

Restaurant Review: Hux Restaurant, London

Galvin at Windows offers gourmet dining in elegant surroundings with excellent views over London. Galvin at Windows is located on the 28th floor of the London Hilton in Park Lane – probably the most stylish Hilton I have so far visited. With floor-to-ceiling windows you get 360-degree views over London’s Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace Gardens, the Shard and the Eye. Though Galvins has been around for decades, the newly renovated version offers a grown-up night out.

Restaurant Review: Galvin at Windows

The humble dumpling, a favourite treat for Georgians, is put on a pedestal. At the brand new Kinkally Restaurant in Fitzrovia these dumplings called Khinkally,  have striking twisted forms and colours and filled with wagyu, lamb, fish and vegetables.

Restaurant Review: Kinkally, London

Penelope’s restaurant offers a fusion of Spanish and Israeli cuisine in London’s Covent Garden. Penelope’s is attached to the stylish Amano Hotel, nevertheless, the restaurant has become a destination in its own right. Both were opened in 2023.

The menu offers an exotic style of cuisine that fuses Spanish and Israeli food (inspired by Chef Schiff’s upbringing in both Tel Aviv in Israel and Madrid in Spain) resulting in utterly delicious flavours.

Restaurant Review: Penelope’s, Russel Street London.

Jeru (which means ‘Old Town”) restaurant is located in London’s Mayfair. The cuisine is Middle Eastern but with a twist. The menu has been modernised by Australian/Israeli chef Roy Ner to great effect.

Restaurant Review: Jeru in Mayfair

You will find the Michelin starred City Social restaurant on the 24th floor of a skyscraper where great views and the finest dining go hand in hand. Dine on rabbit, or guinea fowl amongst other scrumptious dishes while looking over the views of London.

Restaurant Review: City Social, London EC2

Lucy Wong brings back a decadent timeless glamour, with décor inspired by Chinese design, signature cocktails and Cantonese food. It’s primarily a cocktail bar, with food, and the name is inspired by the 1957 novel ‘The World of Suzie Wong’ by Richard Mason – set in Hong Kong in the late 1950s.

Bar & Restaurant Review: Lucy Wong, Rathbone Place, London

Make your way past the bouncers, walk down some stairs, thread through the gamers at the slots and arrive at what almost looks like a film set. Except this is a real restaurant serving up decent Asian food. 7th Cat serves up authentic Asian Food among the slot machines and card tables, 7th Cat is a unique dining experience.

Restaurant Review: 7th Cat Chinese Kitchen, Empire Casino, Leicester Square, London

The Three Crowns is an excellent gastro pub in the heart of Stoke Newington, with music. They offer a mercifully small modern British menu with the focus on locally-sourced and seasonal produce, prepared by head chef Ousmane Gaye. Outside on Church Street everybody is drinking and eating outside, but the restaurant here is surprisingly quiet. 

Restaurant Review: Three Crowns, Stoke Newington, London

Italian restaurant Tozi  Grande Cafe is located on the excitingly named Electric Boulevard right opposite the iconic Grade II Power Station. Tozi Grand Cafe is attached to the Art’otel in trendy Battersea and fits right in. The menu offers Porterhouse Steaks and probably the best chips in London.

Restaurant Review: Tozi Grand Cafe, Battersea, London

Monmouth Kitchen in London’s Seven Dials region just off Covent Garden, offers a spectacular fusion of Peruvian and Italian cuisine.

Fusion cooking can sometimes be spectacular, and at other times it can fall spectacularly flat on its gastronomic face. The good news is that they do it particularly well at Monmouth Kitchen. This stylish restaurant is located on Mercer Street, one of the six streets that fan out from the Seven Dials monument in Covent Garden. Though it is part of the Radisson Blu Hotel (see review), it has its own entrance and is open to everyone.

The style is small plates made for sharing, and the experience on the palate is an artful fusion of Peruvian and Italian cuisine.

Restaurant Review: Monmouth Kitchen, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, London

Pulia restaurant in London delivers an authentic taste of Southern Italy in relaxed surroundings. The restaurant is a contemporary light and airy space with decor from Southern Italy. Olivewood table tops and earthenware pots, sprouting shoots of wheat lining the window add to the Mediterranean vibe.  A long bar, shelves stacked with wines, olive oils and balsamic vinegar, fills one wall. Mercifully the music is kept low, quiet enough for conversation.

Restaurant Review: Pulia, Borough Market, London

The area of London’s St James evokes a sense of decorum. It’s especially pukka around Buckingham Gate, where at number 51, you will find the Taj Hotel and its separate restaurant, Treehouse@51. Together they contribute their style of finery to the landscape.

Treehouse@51 is a beautiful designer restaurant, with a long sultry bar, fine food and al fresco dining around a fountain. 

Restaurant Review: Treehous@51, St James, London