London Swiss Cottage Restaurant Guide

Simon Bradley has been cooking for well over 30 years at this stalwart venue, in a backstreet near Swiss Cottage tube station, whose smart interior is judged somewhere between “gloomy” and “pleasant”. The “mostly good” (if occasionally “erratic”) European cuisine and “nicely priced wine list” mean it’s “well above the norm for the area”, making it particularly “useful for a pre-Hampstead Theatre meal”.

“We keep coming and they keep feeding us” – this “longstanding, basic Chinese restaurant” in Swiss cottage “never lets you down”, serving some of the “best roast duck outside Chinatown and Queensway”.

“Always good, always reliable, always full… which is unfortunate if you want a table last minute” – this Singaporean/Malaysian “old favourite” in a shopping parade near Swiss Cottage is sought out by hungry regulars, “as it has been for decades” (fans include Giles Coren, restaurant critic of The Times). Service is “fast”, but it can also be a little “rushed and unsmiling”.

This “tiny” Belsize Park two-year-old from chef Jake Finn (ex-La Petite Maison and The Ritz) is a “buzzy neighbourhood spot”, where most of the food has been ‘kissed by flames’ on the Josper grill. But while it’s undoubtedly a boon “in an area of drought for decent restaurants”, opinions divide on its performance: to fans it provides an “excellently judged, seasonally changing menu”; to sceptics, it’s “somewhat underwhelming and a bit expensive”.

The “most charming front of house”, led by “delightful owner Guiseppe” adds brio to this “passionate and cute little local”, which occupies a quiet corner of Primrose Hill. “Good wines… it’s also a wine shop” add to the gastronomic appeal of its “authentic” Sardinian/Sicilian gastronomia.