London Barbican Restaurant Guide

It’s pleasing that this monolithic arts centre boasts a respectable restaurant, in the form of this Searcy’s-run operation, which is ideally situated for a meal around a performance, and uniformly well-rated. There are niggles though – even those who applaud “very decent Italian cuisine” can note “the odd lapse” in execution, or say the overall meal “lacked finesse”.

“If you like game, this is the place for you” – a “lively” City gastropub with a focus on “fabulous British food” led by game in season, spit-roasted suckling pig and rare-breed meat. Handy for pre-show dining for visitors to the neighbouring Barbican arts centre, and “great-value Sunday lunches too”.

“A vegan delight”, say fans of this meat-free three-year-old near Barts Hospital: a crowdfunded spin-off from an acclaimed Cambridge venture. Results can be uneven (“maybe I chose badly…”; “some of the food missed but more was a hit…”), but they must be doing something right as a new Broadgate branch launches in September 2022.

This modern Italian “favourite” makes good use of its large and attractive terrace in Chelsea’s peaceful Duke of York’s Square, and has a big and loyal following as a result. Fans say the food is “interesting” too, but more sceptical diners feel that’s debatable. It also has a twin in the City, which attracts much less comment.

2021 Review: “Ranks with the best beef I’ve ever had in London” is typical of the high praise earned by this smart three-year-old. “Mind you, it is right next to Smithfield” – a fact reflected in its straight-to-the-point menu – “and the maître d’ knows just the right wine to wash it down with”. It occupies an architectural gem of a townhouse once home to Sir John Betjeman.

“Handily close to the Barbican”, this Japanese venue provides “quick and friendly service” and fans say the food is “always very, very good,” too, from a “varied menu”. Not all reports were as stellar this year, though.

“Bloody good, succulent steaks”, with “epic cocktails and wines”, all served in “rather clubby”, “classy” surroundings is a formula that’s won fame and fortune for Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse phenomenon. “Many happy afternoons have been lost in these places!”, which continue to be voted as London’s “best steak chain by far”, and “a go-to for business”. “Everything is top-notch: the quality and cookery of the beef; the exemplary seafood (be it Salcombe crab on toast or their lobster); even down to their excellent sides of mac ’n’ cheese, bone marrow or Caesar salad”. However, a visit “is not exactly easy on the wallet”. “It’s verrrrry expensive” (and “if you go with mates who like to chug back the wine, the bill will be massive!”). And ratings are coming under ever-more pressure due to “staff who seem unable to cope”, or meals with “too many misses at too heavy a price to be a reliable bet”. Last year, the team expanded to Manhattan and also opened a “stunning floating boat/barge” in the docks at Canary Wharf. Later in 2022, the group will also add a Liverpool branch to rival Manchester’s; and a few months later make a Dublin debut on College Green too. “Are they losing some of their je-ne-sais-quoi as they get bigger and badder? There’s a sneaking suspicion the lustre is being slightly lost.”

“Super-fresh” food, including “especially good starters and mezze”, “friendly service” and “very good value for money” are the hallmarks of this “very good Turkish chain in the City”. There’s also a “large range of vegetarian dishes”. The six branches are all heaving at lunchtime, but “St Paul’s is the most spacious, in a great setting near the cathedral and much quieter too, especially at the weekends”.

“Ideal if you’re visiting the Barbican” – this “reliable, genuine, family-run Italian” opposite Smithfield market is a “very friendly little place”. The “great pizza and pasta” and “very good Italian wine list” are “fairly priced” and represent “good VFM”, especially for the area.

2022 Review: A “family-run trattoria” three minutes’ walk from St Paul’s that rates highly for its “varied Italian menu” – and it’s notably well priced for the City, too.

A “charming” old-style Gallic brasserie (est. 1986), with a “genuine French ambience, in an interesting setting tucked away on the edge of the City” near Smithfield Market. Its classic cuisine remains well-rated, and live jazz in the evenings adds to a special appeal that many find “romantic”.

2019 Review: For “good, old-London pub atmosphere and straightforward food”, this Victorian institution near Smithfield Market is a perennial, and – as one of the few watering holes licenced from the early hours to serve market traders – is most famous for “a quality traditional breakfast, served with a pint of Guinness”.

A handy location, near the Guildhall, “buzzy” large interior and versatile menu of “decent (if unspectacular) food” mean it’s worth remembering this “reliable option in the City”, although it “can be incredibly busy”.

“Not for the faint hearted… you need to have some courage to eat at St John with its challenging menu and stark industrial aesthetic” (complete with “harsh acoustics”). But the “uncompromising ethos” of “nose-to-tail eating at its very best” is what’s carved the international renown of Trevor Oliver and Fergus Henderson’s ex-smokehouse near Smithfield Market. “No wonder many of the best chefs in the UK are alumni of this amazing kitchen”: fans feel “this is the only place that treats every part of the animal with respect” and it remains an “all-time favourite” for very many diners (“been going for over 25 years, faultless food and personally I love the minimalism of the décor too”). Ratings did slip quite a bit this year, though, with one or two reports that “menus have been more routine of late, with execution below old standards”. Perhaps the general strain of these post-Covid and post-Brexit times?

2019 Review: “Superb Vietnamese street food” draws a hungry City crowd to this pitstop near Bank. It’s “super-busy at lunchtime – better to take away than sit at the tiny tables”.

This “cracking Sichuanese restaurant on the unglamorous and busy City Road” (near the Honourable Artillery Company) is “not for the chilli-hater!” “Go for the authentic and freshly cooked regional specialities” from chef Zhang Xiao Zhong, whose grandfather was personal chef to Sichuan-born Deng Xiaoping, Chairman Mao’s successor as China’s leader.

“It’s wonderful being able to choose so many wines by the glass” from the “eclectic list” at these popular modern wine bars, liked for their approachable contemporary style. “Obviously the liquid refreshment is the main point here”, but the “simple” cooking can be “more assured than you might expect”, if from a “limited menu”. A new branch opened in late 2021 at Borough Yards in SE1, while in late 2022 its oldest site, on Seymour Place in Marylebone, shut up shop. Other particularly notable branches include the one right by King’s Cross station (with a convenient and excellent terrace) and Chiswick.