London Wandsworth Restaurant Guide

Helping make Tooting’s Broadway Market a foodie destination, this “very affordable” three-year-old seafood specialist wins praise for its “fabulous food, great service and big smiles”. The “really inventive” approach extends to drinks, which include an “amazing gin cocktail” flavoured with oysters. Antiques trade veteran Jimmy Luttman is an “excellent” host.

Amidst the mushrooming luxury developments of Vauxhall’s once-neglected south bank, Robin and Sarah Gill’s (The Dairy, Counter Culture, Sorella) biggest venture to-date occupies the ground floor of one such new building, near the new American Embassy. Set around a large central bar with counter – and following an Irish-American theme (incorporating Robin’s Irish heritage) – the culinary emphasis is ingredient-led as the website makes clear: ‘… our single philosophy is: We have a wonderful product, let’s try not to feck it up’. It’s a comprehensive offering, complete with in-house bakery, large open kitchen with grill, cold storage (showing off steaks and fresh fish), an oyster bar, and a big outside terrace. It opened just as the survey was closing, but early feedback is of food that’s “fresh, interesting and delicious” – “the ragu was the best I have eaten anywhere ever!”

Shane Marshall’s highly accomplished, if spartan Battersea venture (formerly called Darwin) serves “a very small menu of exquisite modern British food” that’s well above-par for its anonymous location. “You wouldn’t know it was there unless someone told you.”

“Little wine bar and kitchen, with a great vibe in Tooting Market” – “a consistently delightful gem” with “regularly changing guest chefs” and “a fun and quirky wine list to accompany whatever’s on the menu”. (There’s a spin-off wine bar in a shipping container by Waterloo station.)

“Tasty pizzas” top the bill at these “good-looking gastropub” conversions in Notting Hill and Shepherd’s Bush, with the “excellent new addition” of a “stylish bistro” in a “stunning, huge space” on the river at Battersea. “Pizzas and starters outshine main courses, but overall very pleasant and relaxing”.

This “old-school Indian” keeps its long-term Wandsworth Common regulars “very happy” with a “good range of dishes” – not all of them the usual suspects. Everything is “done perfectly, and it’s not too expensive”.

Sibling to Peckham’s Mr Bao, this casual, small Tooting yearling similarly specialises in steamed buns and other tasty Taiwanese treats, and wins nothing but very good ratings for its cooking.

“Deservedly loved” – this “friendly, little ‘vegan soul food’” yearling in Earlsfield serves “delicious”, meat-free dishes, created by Arvin Suntaramoophy and Shyam Kotecha. It’s a total bargain too – not only can you BYO (no corkage) but you pay as much as, or little as you feel the meal is worth. You may have to queue: not only do the locals love it, but it regularly features as #1 in TripAdvisor’s London rankings.

“The best and freshest oysters by far, with seasonal varieties from time to time…”; “superb plateau de fruits de mer”; and “super-fresh fish” from an “ever-changing selection of specials”, all make this small group of seafood bistros “easy to love”. The style is “busy and jostling” throughout – “be prepared to share your table with other diners” in some locations – in others “some of the tables are so close, you’ll make new friends whether you want to or not!”. The Borough Market original and South Kensington spin-off attract most (and most favourable) reports – other branches (including at Battersea) can seem “a welcome addition but nothing remarkable”.

“Go at the right time to avoid all the yummy mummies”, to get the best from this “great but often excessively busy neighbourhood brunch spot”. “Aussie influence shines through the menu, and is reflected in the quality of coffee served. It has a good little sun-trap for outside seating, and is perfectly located for a post-brunch walk on Wandsworth Common”.