London Westminster Restaurant Guide

“The food is executed with such skill” at this “superb” Roux-branded operation – “a calm haven away from the Parliament Square traffic”, which shines all the brighter “in the culinary wastelands of Westminster”. “Warm and comforting decor from the recent revamp” softens the “very ‘establishment’” decor, while service “strikes the perfect balance between being polite and informative, but willing to have a laugh”. Top Tip – “at £40, the set lunch may sound expensive but this is top-class cuisine at a reasonable price”.

Sriram Aylur’s “amazingly light and delicate Keralan cuisine” is twinned with “impeccable service” at the Taj Group’s formidably good Indian, which “maintains the great standards it’s set for the last decade or so” (and which was the highest rated posh Indian in the survey this year). Even fans acknowledge the space looks “drab”, which “takes away the feeling of a special occasion”, “but hey, you don’t eat the decor”.

“It arrived in a wave of critical approval and it well deserves all the praise it has received!” – Katie Exton and Peter Hall “have done an incredible job” with this “fantastic, relatively new addition to Pimlico” in the “tricky locale” near Victoria station. A “lovely little neighbourhood spot”, “the kitchen produces exquisite food using market-fresh produce” from a “concise, regularly-changing menu of inventive food that’s not overly fussy” but “executed delightfully, often with an unexpected twist”. “Front of house is the co-owner Katie, who will guide you through the excellent wine list: her wine knowledge is superb and her advice sensible and unpretentious”. (The restaurant was closed for a significant chunk of 2018 due to flooding, but has now reopened.)

“Fantastic bao buns” win praise from the small but super-enthusiastic fan club of this year-old Cantonese Soho café on corner of Greek and Old Compton Streets; and “it‘s such a cute little space” too. Downstairs is a bar, Tea Room, complete with late licence.

One of the top culinary attractions in striking distance of the Palace of Westminster (with a clientele incorporating many MPs and senior civil servants) – this “restrained Italian” in a basement is “discreet and quiet” and serves “classic food to a high standard”, alongside “an interesting and accessible wine list”.

The “perfect westernised Japanese food” at former Zuma and Nobu chef Ross Shonhan’s “hip” ramen-bar chain “shows how to do fusion”: “the soup stock is wonderfully thick and full of flavour, not watery like other places”. Top Tip: “soft shell crab ramen”.