London Southwark Restaurant Guide

You walk past “chiller meat displays” as you enter Roberto Costa’s Italian group. Macellaio means ‘butcher’, and the focus is on quality steaks, particularly the Piemontese Fassona breed, but also including cuts from the UK (from Herefordshire) and with tomahawk and Halal options; all matched with an “extensive wine list”. “For a great and reasonable dinner (including pre-theatre) and excellent steaks” it does still have fans. But its support has waned in both quality and quantity in recent years, and the group has halved in size since the last edition, shedding branches in Bloomsbury, Borough and Clapham (all RIP) to focus on Theatreland/Soho, Exmouth Market and the South Kensington original. All of the (relatively few) reports say the food is still mostly good but increasingly there are caveats: “Hmmm, the steaks are getting pretty… not bad, but no longer as good value”. Top Menu Tip – the “dessert theatre of tiramisu created at the table”.

This “hip, buzzy under-arch venue with counter seating” and distinctive blue-and-white tiling, near Borough Market, showcases “really interesting” wines and tapas-style dishes from Portugal. Founder Max Graham, from the Churchill port family, also has a second branch in the City in Finsbury Avenue Square, although this inspires no feedback (and is not listed).

“Handy for the local South Bank theatres”, this “small, unassuming place” close to Tate Modern from Lucy Pedder and Natasha Cooke has won a strong following over seven years thanks to “an interesting and well-executed menu” of small and larger plates, all “in a friendly atmosphere and at a reasonable price”. Top Menu Tip – “The enormous and delicious Cheddar fritters are a must!… Roasted Pigeon in a stout sauce along with Confit rabbit, ribollita & cavolo nero is a highlight… definitely save space for dessert”.

A particularly solid choice for brunch – this “buzzy” Kiwi-run chain (with seven branches) fits the bill well, with “interesting small plates” of pan-global fusion food and an emphasis on notably good coffee (which they roast in-house). On the downside, the food is often “passable and no more” and their “lively” interiors (Granary Square in particular) can become “hopelessly crowded”, giving rise to incidents of “slapdash service”. Still, they’re “fun” and “reasonably priced”. (See also Vardo).

Forget sourdough: the magic ingredient at this Neapolitan duo in Borough and St James’s is apparently pure Mediterranean seawater – whatever the formula, it results in notably tasty pizza, with a choice of Neapolitan and ‘Gourmet’ varieties (and there’s also a short selection of other main dishes, including pasta). “Service is very good”, too, and the ambience “enjoyable”.

“Brilliant, lip-numbing” northern Chinese cooking has put this Soho fixture from Wei Shao firmly on the map, and it serves a flexible menu of skewers, noodles and rice, wok dishes and other dim sum options. Some feel its Borough Market offshoot is “weak” by comparison (“it’s as if the Soho one benefits from the proximity of Chinatown but they don’t expect anyone with any discernment in SE1!”).

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

“Simple and so good!” – MJMK’s chain (they also own Kol and Lisboeta) of “posh Nandos” makes an outstanding choice for a “bustling if noisy” night out on the cheap. “Excellent piri piri chicken ’n’ chips” is at the heart of the food offering, but there are also brilliant sides (such as “very good African rice and slaw”) and some fab veggie options. The original SE1 branch remains the most commented-on, and has a “lovely” plant-filled upstairs. The other branches are perhaps a fraction less vibey, although the newly opened Victoria outlet wins praise as “a good airy space”.

“A really interesting menu” of “modern Israeli food” (including “loads for veggies”) is found at this lively railway arch venue on the South Bank from ex-Ottolenghi chef Eran Tibi – “highly recommended”. Top Menu Tip – “the dumplings with date jus are fantastic”.

“The aroma is breathtaking and you will want to linger longer than one cup”, especially at the original WC2 branch of this renowned coffee chain: “a tiny, friendly place where you always share a table with someone interesting”; and with “an exceptional array of coffees from around the world”. “Yes, you will likely have to queue; and no, it is not somewhere to linger with friends. But for the best coffee served by supremely knowledgeable staff in special surroundings, this is still the benchmark, with outstanding pastries too”.

“Take your pick and follow your street-food taste buds” at these “vibrant and buzzy food halls, with a huge variety of pop-up vendors”. Launched 10 years ago at Milan’s World Expo, the concept reached London in 2016 with the opening of the first MM in an old paper factory near Elephant & Castle; a deconsecrated Mayfair church came next, followed by Wood Wharf in Canary Wharf and then Ilford in summer 2024 – in each case fostering a “great community spirit”.

“Eat in or take out, these buns are delicious” – the universally agreed take on this Taiwanese street-food operation founded 13 years ago by Shing Tat, his wife Erchen Chang and sister Wai Ting Chung, now with six sites across the capital and part of the JKS Restaurants group. The “good-value” filled steamed buns “really make you want to go back” – “I called in 3 times in the same afternoon!” – while “the noodles are fab, too”. The only real complaint concerns the settings, with some branches “far too cramped” given their popularity.

“A very good fish selection with great daily offerings” and “excellent seafood” win very many nominations for these ever-popular fish-and-seafood bistros in Borough Market, Battersea Power Station and South Kensington. All offer a “pleasant experience”, with an appealing “casual” ambience, “friendly” staff and very “reliable” standards. In particular, SW8 has a “terrific location – right by the Power Station and the boat landing! – Step off and step straight inside!”

“A buzzy place with great sharing plates”, pizza and grills from the wood-fire oven plus a “really interesting and varied natural wine list, with many available by the glass”: Brett Redman’s bar/café is a staple of SE1, with an opening frontage that looks onto one of the entrances of Borough Market. Founded in 2011, it spawned a Hackney spin-off three years ago. While both remain well-supported, ratings here over the years are steadily heading into more middling territory.

“Amazingly fresh and beautifully cooked fish, plus great chips” is the straightforward offer at this family-run stalwart in the heart of Borough Market, which has plenty of outdoor seating for warmer months. Gripes? “Deserts are a little average”. The family also run La Gamba tapas bar along the river at the Festival Hall.

“The tacos are still loaded and delicious and the frozen margaritas are exceptional” at the Hart Bros’ “lively” Latino haunts: particularly the original SE1 branch – a “fabulous Mexican street food venue under the arches in Borough Market”. (The newer Soho branch with its basement ‘Mezcaleria Colmillo’ bar inspires good marks but much less feedback). In April 2024, they launched a new, 90-cover site in Battersea Power Station, with adjoining 60-cover, open-all-year, outdoor riverside terrace.

“There are only two things on the menu at this Borough Market hole in the wall, but who cares when one of them is the most incredible three-cheese, onion and leek toastie you’ve ever had?”. (The other is raclette, melted over baby new potatoes.) Cheesemaker Bill Oglethorpe’s stall has been a market fixture since 2008, and is “definitely worth the queue!”.

One of the success stories of Borough Market – this Levantine operation with an “interesting mix of Middle Eastern food” started out as a simple stall before trading up to a permanent restaurant that gets “very busy at lunchtime”. It has a similarly well-rated offshoot in King’s Cross.