London Bayswater Restaurant Guide

Chef Tom Pemberton’s “consistently excellent neighbourhood resto” in Bayswater has a sharp focus on “very good seasonal British produce, very well cooked”, and is “a bargain for the quality”. “I’ve been eating here since I gate-crashed the opening in 2007, and I’ve never been disappointed”.

“Vegan at its best”, agree fans of this contemporary Californian-style operation from Camilla Fayed (daughter of the former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed). The cooking is “interesting and highly competent”, and while “vegan food can often be bland, that’s not the case here” – so “if you want your first vegan experience, it’s the place to come”.

“Love the garden and the creative spin they put on classic brunch dishes” – hitherto the main reasons to seek out this bright Notting Hill pub conversion. With the arrival of Ruth Hansom in April 2019, however, the menu has taken on a more serious, and British-sourced, slant – very early reports are upbeat: “exquisite cooking from a fabulous new female chef”.

“Sexy sharing dishes and a dark romantic setting” earn a big thumbs-up for this “fabulous French tapas bistro in deepest Westbourne Park”, with an “open brickwork vibe and a couple of coveted tables outside for the hot weather”. Wine is taken seriously, prices are “gentle”, and it’s “one of the few places one can enjoy fresh foie gras cooked rare or à point”.

“A long-time local favourite” celebrating its 25th anniversary this year: Tom Conran’s Irish-themed gastroboozer on the Notting Hill-Bayswater border is “always relaxed”, with “reliably good food” (both in the bustling downstairs bar, and the cute, cramped first floor). Despite its name, the focus is on seafood (oysters washed down with a pint o’ Guinness being the classic choice here).

“Reliably upmarket curry house” on the Earl’s Court-South Ken border – a true veteran (est. 1964) whose loyal, well-heeled clientele rate its “consistency” and comforting atmosphere. Given its posh neighbourhood, it’s attracted its share of slebs, with Brangelina, Gwyneth and Robbie spotted over the years. The Bayswater offshoot is similar, but less fashionably located.

Mussels, prawns, calamari and other seafood by the, er, bucket-load is the promise at this “lovely local” yearling on the Bayswater/Notting Hill border – a “comfortable” modern bistro with simple-but-effective decor, serving “a wide selection of very fresh fish and seafood” (in small metal pails) that’s “very good value”. Top Tip – oyster happy hour 4pm-7pm weekdays and 4pm-6pm on weekends, when oysters are £1 each with any bottle, jug, cocktail or bucket of beers.

“A serious wine list complements the good-quality Gallic cuisine” at former Gavroche sommelier Thierry Tomasin’s clever conversion of a Lancaster Gate mews pub into an art nouveau bistro. The “old-fashioned service” is excellent, but prices are high, given the slightly off-the-beaten-track location.