City, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“A very historical venue, tucked away down a cobbled lane near the Bank England” – this City institution has been resuscitated post-pandemic under new ownership; and for expense- accounters it’s “great to have it back as a good addition to the business circuit” (“I have yet to find a better option for a business dinner in the City”). It still boasts a “great menu”, nowadays presided over by venerable chef Rowley Leigh (long of Kensington Place) along with an “excellent value” wine list. Set in the former HQ of Sandeman’s port, “the upstairs dining room isn’t quite as atmospheric as the old wine vaults” below.

“A cut above your average wine bar”: this 20-year-old group remains highly popular in our annual diners’ poll thanks to its “decent wines at fair prices” in “jolly” settings. “The food can be terrific – but not always”, and the overall performance shows signs of steadying after a tricky patch when the business was sold out of administration.

“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”.

Brunch in particular is “varied and delicious” at this vibey group: launched a decade ago as a pop-up in an ex-greasy spoon in Balham and progressing via supper clubs to six permanent sites open till late. “Great flatbreads with the mezze” and “the beautiful treatment of vegetables” are typical of the “simple and very good” Eastern Mediterranean dishes, wines and cocktails inspired by co-founder Tas Gaitanos’s Cretan/Cypriot heritage (the name honours owner Alex Large’s kid brother). Summer 2025’s Canary Wharf opening was the biggest yet, with an 80-seater outdoor terrace and a new dedicated ‘skewers’ menu.

With a bright, modern interior lit by big floor-to-ceiling windows, this flexible neighbourhood amenity near Old Street is a canteen and bar that opens all day from breakfast. It’s from the team behind well-known Hackney wine bar Sager + Wilde, hence an above-par drinks offering. But food is far from incidental: there’s a “constantly changing, seasonal menu” of southern European small plates, some larger risotti, pasta and burgers and it majors in a big range of pizza. Top Tip – it “can handle large parties with ease”.

One of the venues that put Bermondsey on the culinary map when it opened 24 years ago, this green-tiled gastropub is still “well worth a visit” – “the staff know their food and you can watch the chefs cook while you await your meal”. Fresh fish from Cornwall is a particularly strong suit.

Many a Londoner has enjoyed their first taste of tapas at this “always very busy” and crowded Hispanic fixture, opposite the Young Vic theatre (a stalwart launched in 1987). The tapas are “reasonable” rather than brilliant, it’s fair to say, and a popular innovation is “paella cooked outside on the pavement” in warmer weather.

“Sit at the kitchen counter and watch small plates of mostly Italian influence being expertly prepared for the best take on this consistently good venue” (which has no more than 30-35 seats in total). Jon Lawson will celebrate his tenth year here in 2026 and has maintained impressive standards of seasonal Italian-inspired small plates all the while. It helps that the venue has “a nice casual-and-hip but also romantic vibe too”.

“Full of a real mix of interesting-looking people”: this “exciting” ‘midtown’ all-rounder benefits from its position at the side of Soho House’s Strand outpost – plus ownership by the co-founders of Frieze magazine and art fairs – to be something of “a canteen” for those in-the-know; and “they seem mindful that the prices mustn’t get too expensive”. This is a foodie favourite too, thanks to the “carefully crafted, really imaginative and unusual dishes with a Mediterranean mojo”: “you never know quite what to expect but it’s invariably well executed” and “after a meal, you just want to hang around until you are hungry again!”. (There’s also “a lovely bakery with everything made on the premises, great coffee and good pastries”). Set in a large (100 cover) and “bustling” space that’s “a bit industrial” for some tastes, there’s also a “spacious flowery terrace for warm days”. Out of lots of reports this year, none have major beefs, but ratings across the board are a tad lower, and – as one regular notes – “it will be interesting to see what effect the recent departure of chef, Yohei Furuhashi, to the Lavery has on Toklas”. Top Tip – “the pre-theatre set menu is very good value”. Top Menu Tips – “fried feta and carrot dishes are stand-out”; “fish and pasta are especially good”; “interesting saltimboca rabbit – very tender if very salty” and “top, subtle-flavoured mussel escabeche snack”.

Still “consistently knocking its many imitators out of the park” – London’s original gastropub celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, while head chef Ed Mottershaw has run the kitchen for 21 of those years, guaranteeing an “always interesting” Mediterranean-inspired menu and “reliably brilliant cooking: no fuss, no faff, no fancy flourishes. Just dedication to the palate and wholehearted devotion to flavour”.

“This ever-friendly cafe sibling of next door Moro is a wonderful place to eat great tapas” – “especially sitting outside in Exmouth market”. Husband-and-wife team Sam & Sam Clark’s 15-year-old spin-off provides “superb tasty food at very reasonable prices” in a “casual but professional” environment, encompassing “interesting plates” of Spanish and North African-inspired food that is “not pretentious but delivers great enjoyment”. There’s a second branch in Hackney Road.

“Ed Wilson seems to be spending even more time in the kitchen, so the food is better than ever” at the eternally hip East London fixture he has run near Columbia Road flower market for 15 years and counting. “The wine list is always interesting”, and helped pioneer the shift toward natural and low intervention wines that is now common currency. (Even the odd reporter who was “not blown away by the food” said “maybe we made the wrong choices or just hit a bad day” – and considered their meal “enjoyable”.)

This “terrific family-owned and run trattoria in Covent Garden” is “a bit of an institution” after more than 30 years’ service, but “still produces traditional Italian food at a reasonable price given where it is situated”. “Andrea has a great team and is a warm and welcoming host to his small trattoria, hung with photos of Italian film stars of the Fifties and Sixties”. It’s a narrow room with “cosy” tables – and “booking is essential”.