Bloomsbury, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Bloomsbury greasy spoon that’s been artfully transformed into a simple bar and modern bistro by the team behind 40 Maltby Street, with Anna Tobias (P Franco, Rochelle Canteen) at the stoves. It was launched in December 2020 and won a big thumbs-up from Guardian reviewer Grace Dent, who – while noting that it “looks a bit like a sandwich shop with lofty aspirations” – found “finely judged, nicely eccentric cooking with a strong undercurrent of country-house living”. Our early feedback is limited but similarly upbeat.

This “delightful” hotel terrace (with fully retractable roof) takes its name from a Virginia Woolf novel, and provides a rare peaceful haven in busy central London – “honestly, everything’s that’s been said about this beautiful place is true!”. “Service is attentive”, and the venue is perfect for a “lovely afternoon tea catching up with friends”. It can seem a little “chichi and pricey generally, although the brunch set menus are decent value”.

“Reliable, whatever the hour” – this small group of upscale diners has grown from its long-established Chelsea base, although – with closures in recent times – its only two siblings now are within midtown hotels in Aldwych and Bloomsbury. Aldwych is the only one actually open 24/7 (VQ = ‘Vingt Quatre’, i.e. 24-hour), but both its siblings are open for most of the wee hours, which is when they come into their own as a pick-me-up post clubbing. “It’s a very cosmopolitan menu, but drink may dull the senses of fussier gastronomes…”

The former HQ of the Baptist Church provides the gracious quarters for this swish Holborn hotel, converted by design guru Jacques Garcia. Since Tony Fleming left in December 2019, the main food operation (formerly known as The Baptist at L’Oscar hotel) has shifted to this all-day ground-floor operation offering a more accessible, Parisian-café-style menu from breakfast through to dinner. Allan Pickett (former head chef at Orrery, and briefly chef-patron of Piquet) is the new head chef.

“Such a special place” – Mark Andrew and Daniel Keeling’s Bloomsbury five-year-old entered diners’ Top 20 most-mentioned restaurants in our survey for the first time this year. “You come here more for the wine than food (although we love both)” – “a visit allows you to meander through one of the most adventurous and imaginative lists” in town: “a real wonder, with some extraordinary wines by the glass, and passionate and knowledgeable staff who heighten the experience”. (Not coincidentally, Mark is an MW, and they publish a wine mag of the same name). By comparison, “the excellent ingredient-focused cooking” can almost become “a sideshow”. Further anchoring the experience is the “delightful location on Lamb’s Conduit Street”, and the “very atmospheric” site they inherited from the ancient 1970s wine bar Vats (long RIP). Thus, “it feels like a ‘real’ restaurant, untouched by an expensive corporate interior designer”. “The bill adds up but meals at this place are always a pleasure” – “a perfect combination of warmth and style”. See also Noble Rot Soho.

“Truly extraordinary” – James Knappett and Sandia Chang’s gastronomic vision continues to blossom at their Fitzrovia 18-seater, which reopened in July 2021 after a major refurbishment. The reformatting included ditching the adjacent Bubbledogs concept, which they led with in 2012, and converting that space into a lounge and bar for diners at the main event: the chef’s table. It also included a not-insignificant price hike to £250 for up to 20 courses, which on opening included dishes such as Glazed Cornish Blue Lobster, Tahitian Vanilla Brown Butter, and Pickled Beach Roses. Sandia’s wine list now features some of the rarest grower champagnes (which she also sells online). The ratings are something of a guesstimate based on past performance and – the restaurant being closed leading up to the survey – rave meal kit reports.

In a sidestreet near King’s Cross, this very regular-looking pub is known for its surprisingly wide selection of tapas from around the Med. Fans say, “they’ve tightened the menu in recent times, but some of the dishes are out of this world!”

“An admirable replacement for the Gay Hussar and a great sibling to the original Noble Rot” – this legendary Soho site (founded as the Gay Hussar in 1953, and closed in 2018) has been rejuvenated by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew and re-opened in September 2020. Even in its heyday, the point of a meal here was to polish off a conspiratorial bottle of wine or two, rather than critiquing its stodgy Hungarian scoff. So its resurrection by a wine-focussed group feels like a true continuation of its former spirit and “there is no end to exploring the wine list” which recreates the excellence of the first Noble Rot; as does its “warm, knowledgeable and impressively passionate service”. The interior was always “really lovely” and retains its still old-fashioned looks, with dark wood-panelling and cartoons from Martin Rowson. Meanwhile “the food quality has been transformed for the better” (thank heavens!) with chef Paul Weaver (aided by input from The Sportsman’s Stephen Harris) “maintaining a more-than-respectful nod to the past” by including the odd Mitteleuropean note in what’s essentially a hearty, modern European menu. “Love it!”

2019 Review: Executive Pastry Chef, Mark Perkins, has created an artful afternoon tea with a colourful collection of pastries, inspired by the works of the famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh, the “exceptional cakes and pastries are truly a work of art… and taste great too!”.

“The most sensational-looking dining room” – a “so lively” (“far too loud”?) converted banking hall in Ian Shrager’s Edition hotel – overshadows Jason Atherton’s food at this fashionable Fitzrovia haunt. Fans do hail cooking they say is “lovely”, but it “miscues” too often for comfort, and its harshest critics now place it “essentially at gastropub level”. Even critics, though, suspect the place will “carry on pulling people in”.

“The food is one star turn” (the wine is the other) at this “small and spartan” Soho wine bar, frequented by wine-trade insiders. There’s an “interesting menu, short but imaginative”, with “beautiful combinations of textures and flavours that make a very special meal”. Ask the “knowledgeable front-of-house staff” for tips on the day’s handwritten ‘Black Book’ list of fine wines.

2021 Review: A “superb and quirky afternoon tea” is to be had in the atrium of this boutique hotel north of Oxford Street, with is themed around Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter (the ‘drink me’ potion here, is an invitation to indulge in Champagne!): “good value for a huge amount of attention to detail – love it!”

Opening in Spring 2022, a sibling to Fitzrovia's Riding House Cafe (celebrating 10 years of business) and Victoria's Rail House Cafe. Head chef Henry Omereye is combining Riding House classics with some new dishes.

In late 2019, the team from well-known café, 26 Grains of Neal’s Yard, opened a big sister over the road from Borough Market. It’s a casual, tastefully decorated haunt serving simple food; and where at night, the vibe is less café, more wine bar. In late 2020, Tom Cenci (the ex Duck & Waffle head chef, whose own Loyal Tavern venture did not survive the pandemic) took over what has become an extended residency. The cooking (by him and one other chef) centres on sustainability, and less-used cuts of meat (particularly Irish beef).