Fitzrovia Restaurant Guide

“The rather cramped interior isn’t great but Keralan food is exceptional” at this “really good local independent Indian”, near the Telecom Tower, which has delivered “very decent value for money” for four decades. (“More than a quarter of a century after my first visit, the dosas are still worth the trip. I think it’s been redecorated as well!”)

James Knappett and Sandia Chang 18-seat, chef’s-table experience is “an exceptional restaurant that never ceases to amaze and delight” and some would say it’s “London’s best Michelin two-star by far” (“I’ve had four visits in the last year, and this is the most imaginative cooking in the capital!”). Even fans, though, had come to see it as “ridiculously overpriced” – “I love Kitchen Table, I really do. I’ve dined there quite regularly since it first opened and the food is exquisite. However, the price per person of £300 is a step too far: it’s a great establishment, but that feels extortionate”. The penny has dropped however, and in late May 2023 – after our survey concluded – they slashed the price here by one third, to £200 per person for their 20-course experience. On that basis, we’ve rated it a little more optimistically than this year’s feedback in our annual diners’ poll would have suggested.

“Glorious-tasting authentic Neapolitan pizza”, “with interesting toppings that are quite unique”, is the USP of this Ealing-based operation launched in 2010 by Naples-born duo Angelo and Pasquale, which has grown in recent years into a small group with outlets as far away as Islington and Fitzrovia. Their “aim is to transport you to Naples, and the pizzas live up to the ambition”.

Perhaps our user-base isn’t impressed by the c’leb ownership of Guy Ritchie’s rustic Fitzrovia pub, where pal Becks has been seen pulling a pint, as we receive few reports. But such as we do get praise “fantastic food, attentive service and good value”.

2022 Review: This ‘Philadelphia dive bar’ in Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia, has certainly “got the American vibe”, with “US-style beer and bar food” giving a real taste of the City of Brotherly Love. Philly street food classics such as the hoagie and cheesesteak are on the menu – and “it’s not health food, that’s for sure”. Reporters are divided on the results – “defining the category” for fans, “pretty underwhelming” for sceptics. There’s now a second site at Westfield Stratford, complete with baseball batting cages, but a 2021 crowdfunding bid to raise £150,000 for a massive bar under the railway arches in Leake Street, Waterloo, struck out.

“Hidden in a quiet street in Fitzrovia”, Mathieu Germond “continues to oversee a brilliant operation”, on the site that was once Dabbous, RIP. An “imaginative French-orientated menu” is well-realised (“but not exceptional or pointlessly innovative”) and service is “truly exemplary”. “But the real bonus is the interesting wine list expertly put together and presented by Mathieu himself”, who is “not only completely charming but also hugely knowledgeable” and “it always includes something new and unusual to try”.

“Awesome, thin and crispy pizza” has built quite a following for this “fast, simple, really cheap and really cheerful” Goodge Street spot – where, “unless strip lighting, functional metal tables and chairs are your thing, the ambience is forgettable”. Celebrating its quarter-centenary this year as ‘The People’s Pizzeria’, it now has a branch in Camden and ‘click & collect’ kitchens in Wood Green, Colindale and Croydon.

2021 Review: “Top ramen with great broth and good combinations”, win fans for this genuinely Japanese chain (originating in Fukuoka), which has branches in Holborn, Embankment and Canary Wharf. Ratings, though, fall short of the top heights at the hands of those who feel its food is “not bad, but not memorable”. A fourth branch is to open in Fitzrovia in autumn 2019.

2022 Review: “A wonderful menu with a good choice of tapas to suit all tastes” again wins recommendations for this buzzy and good-value bar on Goodge Street.

High ratings express continued satisfaction with this 70-seater in Fitzrovia, where an outside bar is something of a feature. The website promises ‘Asian-inspired food, cocktails and sake’ and steady feedback confirms that’s what it consistently delivers.

2021 Review: “Great food at a good price” continues to win acclaim for the Deptford branch of this Sichuanese duo, whose chilli-hot and numbing cuisine makes it one of SE8’s brighter culinary sparks. No feedback in the last survey on its less noteworthy Goodge Street branch.

2023 Review: This “lovely neighbourhood Italian” in Fitzrovia opened in April 2021 as a spin-off from a successful Brighton duo, and has made a “great transition to London” on an eye-catching corner site (formerly Bonnie Gull, RIP). The food is “delicious”, although “portions are lady-sized rather than man-sized”. The business was founded ten years ago when Italian-Australian lawyer David Toscano bought an old Fiat van to participate in a Brighton street-food festival.