London Fitzrovia Restaurant Guide

“One of a kind!”: James Knappett’s “phenomenal” Fitzrovia 20-seater – entered via the hotdog-and-Champagne bar that shares its name (see Bubbledogs) – “takes creative gastronomy to a new level” and is “well deserving of its second Michelin star”. Cooking behind a horseshoe-shaped counter with the kitchen at its centre, “the chefs are good company”, and their conversation helps “nail the balance between a very interesting gastronomic journey and a lovely ‘feel-at-home’ atmosphere”. Dishes “celebrating high quality produce are effortlessly executed and perfectly sized”; and “with enough innovation to keep you interested, while not alienating anyone”. “One of the best meals of my life” – “I barely noticed that it lasted three hours!”

Grade I listed ‘One Marylebone’ – an Event Space run by One Events which occupies what was formerly Holy Trinity Church, designed by Sir John Soane – is morphing for the time being into more of a conventional restaurant operation (with the events business more on-the-side than previously). The starting point comes in May 2021 with a "Tel Avivian sharing-style outdoor restaurant" from Isreali chef (and ex-NYC's Alenbi) Elior Balbur, set in nine individual greenhouses. On the menu, yellowtail sashimi, chargrilled romanesco steak and Spanish octopus. Other features will include a tented garden lounge, silent cinema, "magical wellness sessions", weekend market, a fitness centre, dance classes, and a gallery. A private members club will follow in the autumn.

Open from March 11 2021 (initially for delivery only), a second, 50-cover, branch of Padam Raj Rai's ishiyaki and sushi restaurant, serving certified Kobe beef, one of only eight restaurants in the UK to do so. Once the restaurant is able to open its doors in May, diners can expect sushi and sashimi alongside maki rolls as well as Hot Stone’s signature Ishiyaki menu – inspired by the ancient Japanese art of cooking on a searing-hot stones; also, 48-hours marinated black cod. The interiors boast traditional wooden panelling, accent tiling and artwork by 18th century Japanese ukiyo-e painter Hokusai Katsushika.

Mathieu Germond, former manager of Pied à Terre, “has worked his considerable magic here”, and has created an “amazing wine list” with “very fair mark-ups” at his “very charming” Fitzrovia yearling (on the former site of Dabbous, RIP) – “go for his suggestions” from the “wide and interesting range, many by the glass”. Ed Dutton’s “delightful” French cuisine is “excellent too”, showing “genuine, old-school skill”, while the “tasteful decoration, with lots of natural light” and “spot-on” service (“personable” – “there when you need them and non-intrusive”) “make it an ideal spot for an informal business lunch, as well as more serious entertaining”.

“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”.

“You can tell the moment you walk through the door that the people who own it are involved and want to make their guests’ experience enjoyable” – that’s the vibe at Monica and David Galetti’s “peaceful and delightful” Fitzrovia three-year-old. “You have a relaxing drink at street level in the bar, and then it’s down a flight of steps to a chic room flooded in natural light from the street outside”. “The heart in the mind-blowing cooking shines through” – in particular the “wonderful, delicate, balanced tasting menu, packed with fresh seasonal ingredients”; and “it’s paired with an exceptional wine list”. “Staff are outstanding and the chef/patron visiting guests at their tables is a lovely touch”. “Must surely get its Michelin star soon?”

David Moore’s illustrious Fitzrovian “continues to shine” under the tenure of head chef Asimakis Chaniotis, and this “elegant” townhouse remains one of London’s foremost temples of gastronomy. “Letting Chef Chaniotis take you through an evening with a custom tasting menu is second to none” – “he really is a master of meat, but they have great vegetarian and vegan tasting menus too”, and “there’s always something new and exciting” to sample. “An impressive wine list and a great sommelier’s intelligent recommendations” complete the formula. The proportions of the building are not expansive, but tables are “well-spaced” and the overall experience is an “intimate” one.

This “stylish and serious”, coffee-shop operation with two sites in Fitzrovia is “still one of the best independents in London”, 10 years after pioneering modern Antipodean-style coffee culture in the UK. They serve “brilliant coffee” (naturally), “a nice range of pastries” and “excellent sandwiches”, and have a “good vibe at both locations”. “Only the slightly monastic seating lets things down” – and there’s “not enough” of it!