London Bayswater Restaurant Guide

“The best coffee in town” is the claim made by fans of Mathew and Charmaine Tabatabai’s year-old Bayswater brew-stop, which – with Mavam espresso machine, BOCCA beans, partnership with Ozone coffee roasters, hand-made artisanal cups, yada, yada – is a perfect pitstop for caffeine junkies. It’s “a great hang out” too, though, serving simple salads, pancakes, eggs on toast…

“A wonderful taste of India!” – the cooking at this plush venue tucked away behind Marble Arch has returned to the heights following an extended period of closure after a fire a few years ago. “The makeover looks great” and “the food is still consistent and authentic”, according to relieved regulars.

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”.

“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” that celebrated its 25th anniversary last 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).

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.

“Extraordinarily good pizzas”, “very good negronis” and “no burgers” are served at this bar, which boasts “the style of Mayfair transplanted to Notting Hill”. It’s upstairs from Assaggi, and from the same team, in the former pub they share, and these days seems the less risky bet. Top Tip – “try the truffle pizza in winter and English asparagus with San Daniele ham in summer”.

“Irreverent pop-art-meets-punk surrounds” are the hallmark of this cult chain, home of the ‘Dead Hippie’ burger, washed down with ‘Grog’ (“powerful rum cocktails”), showcased by a new West End flagship just off Oxford Circus. “I thought I might be bored with yet another dirty burger-style place, but these are so good” for “when you need a ‘filthy’ treat” that’s “tasty as hell” (and, moreover, “much better than GBK, Byron and so on”).