London Westminster Restaurant Guide

“Perfection!” – “I enjoyed every single mouthful!” – “wonderful food and service in the Roux tradition” is the consistent accolade for this formal Parliament Square venue, where the kitchen is run by MasterChef winner Steve Groves. “It’s a bit quiet and sedate… but that’s not a criticism.”

Sriram Aylur’s “glorious, creative, original take on Keralan cuisine, with great integrity to its origins, but enough latitude to feel very unusual and special” has long established Taj Group’s luxurious venue near Buckingham Palace as one of London’s top subcontinentals (“My Indian colleagues swear by it when they’re in the UK”). Staff “go out of their way to be polite and helpful too”, and the only reservation is that the “spacious” interior can seem “a bit sterile”.

“A triumph from the River Café/Chez Bruce/The Square’s Katie Exton and Peter Hall” – this “confident, new modern British kid on ever-more-interesting Pimlico culinary block” (on the same street as A Wong) is yet another reason to brave the “grimy streets surrounding Victoria station”. “The seasonal menu is expertly created and cooked” and matched with a “concise but astonishingly tempting wine list” in a “light”, simple space.

“Good lord, that stock they use in the ramen!” – Aussie restaurateur, Ross Shonhan’s funky fusion chain offers “noodles served in lovely, rich broths, as well as some fantastic salads and small dishes” to create a “superb all-round experience”; branches are regularly “heaving”.

The House of Commons now opens this august chamber (created in 1867) to the public, and bookings must be made on the website (max 8) – expect rigorous security checks! “It’s a wonderful day out” and even if elements of the experience are a bit “clunky”, it’s worth it for the chance to dine in the hallowed halls of Westminster. Only a set menu formula (currently £75pp) is available; bookings currently only open up 90 days in advance.

“I’m not a veggie but this was one of the best meals I’ve had in the last year” – typical praise for these “ingenious” veggies, which offer “an unmatched range of such accomplished dishes, beautifully sourced and expertly presented”. From the “lovely hidden-gem original in Hammersmith” (behind the Hammy-O), they added a similarly “top notch” branch in trendy Seymour Place this year. Islington is probably the weakest performer of the three – “it’s let down by a noisy environment” – but even so it’s “decent and very handy for Sadlers Wells”.

“Precise and elegant” Italian cuisine, “lovely wine”, “exemplary discreet service” and “a rarity – a quiet interior”, make this “airy” (“but dull”) basement a perfect venue for entertaining MPs or senior civil servants from nearby Westminster; hence “it’s great for parliamentarian-spotting”.