Fitzrovia, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“An impressive step-up for Ottolenghi, and with all the elements that make his food unique”: Yotam Ottolenghi’s “just brilliant”, veg-centric yearling in Fitzrovia provides “some of the most innovative food in town” – “very clever” and “exciting” sharing-plates with “intense flavours” and “exceptional presentation” – and “even though there’s meat on the menu, it could turn the most ardent carnivore vegetarian!”. With service that’s “exemplary” and “committed” and “a really delightful atmosphere (buzzing but not noisy) it’s all-in-all a memorable experience”.

“Mouth-watering food” – “French-style with a difference” – wows almost all visitors to Jun Tanaka’s “informal fine-dining” joint in Fitzrovia. “The food is taken seriously but the atmosphere is grounded and relaxed” – “when I want a solid and thoughtful meal, I go here”. Better still, it’s “a bit of a bargain for the quality”, and there’s “huge value in the wine list for a Michelin restaurant”.

“Fun” and fashionable newcomer – a glamorous, grown-up, all-day restaurant complete with bar, on the ground floor of ‘private workspace and wellbeing destination’, Mortimer House in Fitzrovia. Its open kitchen is headed by Antonio ‘Lello’ Favuzzi (formerly of leading City Italian, L’Anima) who joined as head chef in February 2019. A versatile choice for many occasions, it is particularly tipped for business. Foodwise, one or two reporters consider the Mediterranean-via-the-Middle-East cuisine a little “average”, but overall it’s consistently decently rated.

For “a social start to the day” or to kill off “a boozy afternoon”, many recommend this all-day bar/brasserie just north of Oxford Street in Fitzrovia, whose vibey looks and “great brunch menu” have earned it a big fanclub. At other times, some reckon “the food is underwhelming” – a view possibly shared by the management, who shut up shop for ten days in August 2019 to give the interior and general offer a ‘facelift’. It now boasts a new long bar and five-course tasting menu.

A “wealth of wines by the glass” and “tasty nibbles”, help make this growing group of self-service wine bars a “fun way to try a selection of vintages from a multitude of small producers”. At the Battersea Power Station branch’s school you can educate your palate towards Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification and watch wine being made from grapes grown in Oxfordshire and Surrey.