London South Kensington Restaurant Guide

“Authentic flavours”, “attractive surroundings” and “reasonable prices for what you get” win consistent solid ratings for this upmarket Indian veteran, now 40 years old and owned by the Taj Hotels group.

Flying under the radar, as they have for over a decade now, Yasuhiro Mineno’s and Shinya Ikeda’s offbeat duo – a two-floor site in a Kensington backstreet (est. 2010), and the newer ‘Ocean House’ spin-off (est. 2013, in the quirky former Brompton Library) – never inspire a huge volume of feedback, perhaps because they are by no means cheap. The owners have fine CVs though and all reports continue to say the sushi here can be exceptional.

This “ever-popular warhorse” has served “classic Indian food” in traditional curry house style to an appreciative audience on the Earl’s Court-South Ken border for 60 years now. The “staff have been there forever and we love this happy and delicious place”, say fans – it’s “old-fashioned, but that’s part of the appeal”.

“Boeuf bourguignon was done to perfection” – typical of the “very solid French cooking of meat and fish courses” at this “reliable neighbourhood restaurant”, on the well-heeled borders of Earl’s Court and South Kensington. Top Tip – “it’s best to eat upstairs”.

“Innovative and exquisite tapas” and “excellent (if pricey) Spanish wines” have long attracted Hispanophiles to this bar, directly opposite its older sibling, Cambio de Tercio. “Lighting and service are top-notch”, too. The only complaint is that “the buzzy ambience can change quickly to unpleasantly loud when there are too many groups in”.

“Well worth seeking out on South Ken’s ‘Curry Corner’” – this “family-run restaurant with Bollywood paraphernalia on the walls” certainly “punches above its weight”, with “a good selection of north-Indian dishes” and especially “delicious starters”.

“Spanish food is all the rage now but this place has been thriving for years”, say fans of Abel Lusa’s “fun” but relatively unsung Hispanic in the Old Brompton Road, founded in 1995. “If you’re into great Spanish food, this is possibly the best in London” – and it has a “terrific Spanish-only wine list”. “Food, wine and service are simply first class”, and “they never let you down”.

“Just the place to stuff yourself silly with beef!”, say loyal fans of Roberto Costa’s successful chain, where you choose your cut from “amazing meat displays to get the juices flowing”: a formula that’s brought expansion over the years to six locations across the capital, including on Shaftesbury Avenue (where it’s branded ‘Teatro del Carne’). Ratings sank this year, though, on a number of “disappointing” reports, with recurring themes including “quality meat undermined by poor cooking” and “high prices for wines considering their middling status”.

“A throwback to old-school dining” – this wittingly old-fashioned chain (created in the last 10 years) channels an imagined La Dolce Vita lifestyle into its “enjoyable if slightly stuffy” mix of chic Italian cafés and restaurants (if you are of a certain age, think 1980s Tatler). They look “pretty” and are “attractive in their own way”: “not bad if a bit overpriced”. That’s the kind view anyway: harsher critics say they “could do better” and “don’t deserve a revisit”. But they must be doing something right, as in July 2021 they opened in St John’s Wood.

This duo of traditional local Italians are “perfectly good for a cheap ’n’ cheerful meal”, with pasta and pizza cooked to order and a “great atmosphere”. Both branches have terraces for al fresco dining – both front and back in Dulwich Village; heated and covered in South Ken.

“The best oysters and crustacea in a bustling market-facing venue” is how many restaurant-goers think of this “buzzy and packed” small group, whose SE1 branch at Borough Market is better known than its Battersea Power Station sibling. “Order from the blackboard for the freshest catch.” “You come for the seafood, not the sparkling repartee” and service “can get a bit frazzled”. (We have continued to list the South Kensington outlet, but as we go to press it is ‘temporarily closed’ due to staff shortages).

“Delicious food from the Levant, served with charm” has earned an enthusiastic following for Barry and Patricia Hilton’s “interesting Middle Eastern” bistros: particularly the original, tucked away in South Kensington’s ‘Little France’ in a quirky modernised unit with a Scandi-meets-North-Africa vibe. A thumbs-up too for its newer, year-old Queensway branch.

This “welcoming neighbourhood spot” on a Chelsea corner “won’t win awards – but it won’t let you down” with its “reliably tasty” Tuscan cooking. “The only downside is if you go late, the noise level is high.”

“Time has stood still” at this “old-fashioned and sedate” Polish institution by South Ken tube, since it opened in 1947: a “lovely, happy place that is utterly confident in what it does and sees no need to mess about with its authentic, filling and homely Polish cooking”. (“It’s perhaps a curious choice for romance, but my Polish wife loves it!”)

This “lively and friendly local” in South Ken rates well for its “high-quality menu complemented by daily specials”. Opened three years ago by the Lunar Pub Company, it’s “not somewhere for a quiet and romantic dinner, but the young local crowd make it a vibrant venue”.

“Delicious tapas with a view of the River Thames” from “a large open terrace” is going down a storm at the instantly popular, new Richmond branch of the well-known chain (occupying the prominent site that was formerly Jackson & Rye, RIP). Backed by the firm of wholesalers of the same name, the group has steadily grown from its Borough Market origins over the last 10 years, and fans feel “it’s exactly what you would expect from a place run by Spanish produce importers”. On the downside, though, there is a school of thought that “while the food’s done decently, it’s serviceable but unexciting”.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, this family-run Italian on the Fulham Road is “everything you’d expect in an upmarket Chelsea restaurant” – although the service, led by host Lucio Altana and his sons Dario and Mirko, “is rather better than you might anticipate”.

London outpost (in South Ken’s ‘Little France’) of a Paris-based chain, with over 50 branches in France and the Arab World – this ‘Maison du Hamburgé’ is “not to be missed” for its “great value and utterly delicious burgers” (e.g. “with raclette! who knew?”)

“You could be in Paris… except the staff are nicer” at Didier Garnier’s stalwart “absolute old favourite” in a quiet Chelsea backstreet. For its silver-haired Francophile following, it ticks all the boxes for “a proper French restaurant”, serving ultra-classic bistro fare (“the menu changes rarely”), “wonderful desserts” and a “fabulous Gallic wine list at very reasonable prices”. More sceptical reporters feel it’s “delightful”, but that “it’s a pity they don’t put a bit more effort into the cuisine”. They are drowned out, though, by the proportion who feel that “for a very relaxing meal, there’s nowhere better”. Top Tip – “try and get a table under the awning”.