London Westminster Restaurant Guide

“Lorne has gone from strength to strength since its recovery from its awful flash flood”, which closed it for a significant portion of 2018 – “it’s a measure of the warm feelings it generates that just about all staff came back when the restaurant reopened, as did all the regulars who had become loyalists in a relatively short period of time”. Owned and run by Katie Exton and Peter Hall, it’s a “tranquil space” with “no fuss and no pretentiousness”, but “unexpectedly good, seasonal food for a street a stone’s throw from Victoria, and lined with medium-priced, fast-food restaurants”. A good chunk of its appeal lies in its “vast and interesting wine list” on which “Katie provides guidance”.

“Consistently excellent” Keralan cuisine – “beautifully presented and served” – from chef Sriram Aylur ensures this 20-year-old, from the luxury Taj Group, remains at the summit of modern Indian gastronomy in the capital. Despite the swish hotel decor, though, it’s a decidedly low-key institution – if it wasn’t for such “friendly and thoughtful staff” the ambience could become stifling and leaden here. A short walk from Buckingham Palace, it’s close enough to Parliament to have its own division bell to summon MPs for a vote. Top Tip – “set lunch is tremendous value”.

“Fun and trendy” Persian newcomer in Soho – a busy, small (35-seater), no-bookings dive that’s part of JKS Restaurants’s portfolio, where the seats at the counter look onto a grill, rotisserie and clay oven. On the menu from Iranian chef Kian Samyani, “gentrified” kebabs (arguably “it’s really all about the meat”, this place), flatbreads and mezze that are “interesting and full of flavour”.

“Oozing rustic, Gallic charm of yesteryear” – the “lovely, intimate room” above Soho’s famous Francophile watering hole (where de Gaulle is said to have composed his ‘À tous les Français’ speech during WWII, rallying the French people) oscillates over the years between being a forgotten-about curio, and sporadic partnerships with brilliant chefs (e.g. St John’s Fergus Henderson, who started out here) that lead to its re-discovery. The arrival of Neil Borthwick (Mr Angela Hartnett) at the end of last year sees it riding another high – “it’s smashing to have this old-favourite reborn under such good hands” – and his “great, old-fashioned, gutsy French menu” (“short, but with dishes which seem dragged from a distant memory”) can be “top class”, while service is “fabulously friendly” too. A few reporters, though, feels “it doesn’t live up to the hype” or that “while great to have it back, it’s still a work in progress…”

In the heart of the West End, this decidedly glam newcomer scored better in our survey than the mixed rep it received in press reviews. The first UK outpost of a 30-strong international chain hailing from India and the Gulf, its repertoire of tapas-y offerings are very much of the funky, evolved school of Indian cuisine, and reporters salivate over “an amazing choice of inventive dishes” that are “far better than you would expect” in this touristy locale.

“Gorgeous, perfect, elegant” Indian cuisine from former Rasoi chef, Manmeet Singh Bali, wins very high food-ratings for this Marylebone newcomer. It’s on the site that was formerly well known as Galvin Bistrot de Luxe (RIP), which has been given a “beautiful”, unusually tasteful makeover; “impeccable” service adds to the very civilised, if slightly “low key” tone. Fingers crossed word gets out fully, though: “it was a bit empty when we went which made it a bit of a barn: with a few more people it could have been fantastic”.

“Never had a bad meal, and the food can be outstanding” – this Roux-branded operation near Parliament Square offers accomplished cuisine overseen by Steve Groves (winner of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2009) in an “impressive” (if, by the nature of the building, slightly institutional) setting. It’s typically “backed up by well-judged, discreet service” (although one or two meals were “slow” here this year). Top Tip – “the excellent and well-priced set lunch menu is a bargain for the area”.