Belgravia, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“I absolutely adore this place!” – “A great new opening” from Aaron Potter (former head chef at both Elystan Street in Chelsea and Clapham’s Trinity) and stylist Laura Hart, this September 2024 arrival in Newson’s Yard, Belgravia is one of the very best arrivals of the last twelve months. The basement dining room is “a really beautiful space with the open kitchen integrated perfectly into the dining area” and “the upstairs bar is supremely chic and welcoming” (“a great ‘secret London’ spot to know about”). “Aaron’s food is clever, elegant and generous” from a Mediterranean-inspired menu that’s often prepared on the wood grill (while upstairs the bar serves cicchetti and pintxo-style small plates). Most newspaper critics have visited and all have raved. Top Menu Tips – “sardine bruschetta is excellent”; “I think about the mussels I had there often…”; “the wood-grilled duck breast with golden raisins and rainbow chard will stay with me for a long time. Excellent non-alcoholic drinks selection too”.

New all-day dining destination in Victoria, offering a Mediterranean menu rooted in seasonal British ingredients. With a deli showcasing artisanal products, it’s a casual dining option for locals and visitors alike.

“You will want to lick the plate” if you brunch (the highpoint) at one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s inspired deli-cafés, whose creation in 2002 helped created the TV fame of the owner, and started to popularise the Middle Eastern-influenced cuisine that’s swept London and even now is seen as fashionable. The formula is little changed: “tasty, healthy and yummy dishes” that are “beautifully flavoured” but “a bit on the pricey side”. “Ottolenghi is the master of flavoursome veg (with more veg choices than at most non-veg restaurants)” and, in particular “the cakes are wonderful!”. (Also, “they’re great on allergens.”). On the downside, “space is tight” and the “ambience could be more relaxed”. There’s also a feeling in some quarters that “Yotam has become a brand and it shows”, with food that is “good but after a while same-y”.