Radlett, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“Another local winner from Lussmanns” – “a small independent group of restaurants in Hertfordshire” (and, as of late, London’s leafy Highgate) “with an emphasis on sustainability”. This “always reliable” outpost is “convenient for the Abbey but off the main tourist trail” and occupies an “interesting and well-decorated” building with a glass roof (“unusual for the group”, which favours more historic surrounds) plus a “courtyard when the weather is kind”.

This “good neighbourhood Turkish restaurant” – which serves a “nice variety of interesting dishes” using “fresh and high-quality ingredients” – celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It now has spinoffs in Berkhamsted and Harpenden – the latter “attracting a younger crowd than usual for Harpenden, which gives it the sort of buzz which is rare in these parts”.

As per its appearance on Netflix’s ‘Million Dollar Buffet’ with Grace Dent, the dining room of this luxe country estate hotel revolves around a buffet that’s “best for those who want to splurge” (to the tune of a still highly reasonable £65 per person during the week, or £78 per person on weekends). Live-action food stations showcase a “huge choice of different cuisines” – sushi, seafood, stone-baked pizzas, just to stick with the ‘s’ options – that, while not being mega-foodie, are “excellent all-round” and make for a brilliant family outing (not least as kids “love the dessert section”). Top Tip – despite the very posh surroundings, the ambience is “not at all stuffy or pretentious” as one might fear.

“So much more than just a tapas bar” – this basement hideaway at the foot of a handsome Georgian terrace, near picturesquely located St John-in-Hampstead church, boasts a serious and eclectic wine list and a focused menu of Spanish and Italian small and sharing plates.

“Everything is flame-grilled – including the olives!” at this Belsize Park three-year-old from chef-patron Jake Finn (ex-LPM and The Ritz), whose second branch in St John’s Wood is equally highly rated. They are “buzzy, sometimes noisy” places, “famous locally for their triple cooked potatoes”. Top Menu Tip – “the standout chargrilled leek salad with ricotta and hazelnuts”.

“Combining the best of French and Italian gastronomy” – Emily Roux and her husband Diego Ferrari continue to put in an assured performance at their “lovely neighbourhood restaurant” in Notting Hill. The cuisine is of “excellent quality”, yet not particularly striving for its own sake: aptly described in one report as “enjoyable fine dining, comfort dishes”. You can either opt for à la carte – three courses for £92 per person – or go for a five-course ‘Build Your Own Tasting Menu’ option at £120 per person. “Simply divine: expensive but worth it!”

Well into its third decade as a Notting Hill stalwart, this “buzzy neighbourhood Italian” provides “a friendly welcome” and “reliably consistent” if pretty “standard” cooking from a wide menu that incorporates a broad selection of pasta dishes as well as more substantial meaty and fishy options. It has two stablemates on the same street, Essenza and Osteria Basilico.

“Go mad for further adventures in veg” at Yotam Ottolenghi’s famous deli-cafés, whose Middle Eastern inspired menus are best known for their “creative” salads and meat-free dishes (bread and pastries are also “fabulous”) but there are also some meat and fish options. They are far from cheap, but “the spicing is interesting”, “the flavours are immense” and “the small-plates format allows you to try a number of options”. “A great spot for brunch” or “to drop in for cake and tea”. The Islington branch is most commented-on, and in December 2023 its newest sibling (also in north London) opened on Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, while a branch in Richmond, in the leafy southwest, is scheduled for late 2024.

This longstanding “local favourite”, tucked away on the Chiswick-Acton border, benefits from a characterful Art Deco interior and “amazing secret garden” out back. The “efficient and friendly staff” serve a Mediterranean-influenced menu that “changes frequently to reflect seasonal ingredients”.

“It’s busy, it’s buzzy, but the focus is on the high standard of cooking” at this brilliant collab between the Tom Dixon studio and famous Israeli chef Assaf Grannit, by hip Granary Square. “The good vibe and great decor are down to the design and accessories” (Dixon’s London studio is in the adjacent building) but it’s Assaf’s “unique combinations of wonderful flavours” in the Tel Aviv-inspired small plates that have built its reputation: “enough to tickle the most jaded palate: lots of herbs, pomegranate, chilli, with brilliant bread and dips”. That said, the food is “rather simple for the prices charged”: “a bit overpriced if very delicious”. Top Tip – the outdoor terrace comes into its own in summer.

“Thin and crispy pizza with coarse semolina in the base” is the main focus at this smart Notting Hill pub conversion, where “the tapas-style starters and excellent pizzas are rather more interesting than the main-course choices”. The Oak W12 near Ravenscourt Park and the Bird in Hand at Brook Green operate on similar lines.

“More gastro than pub, but jolly good” – this well-known corner-boozer near Ravenscourt Park is “the best ‘local’ you could wish for” and regularly features in our list of London’s top gastropubs. Not only it is superbly atmospheric – “with candles on the tables and a roaring fire in the winter” – but it produces “consistently outstanding food” from the menu scrawled at the end of the room.“Everything on menu is well-thought-through” and “it’s hard to believe they can turn out such consistent brilliance from such a tiny kitchen”.

“Modern Greek cuisine with a twist” earns consistently strong ratings for this 10-year-old in Marylebone, which is “definitely a cut above the traditional taverna”. Sibling to the more casual INO in Soho, it’s from the accomplished team behind well-known Funky Gourmet in Athens.

This “cosy and welcoming Marylebone” wine-bar/restaurant from sommelier Xavier Rousset is “perfect for an unrushed evening”, combining “charming service” and a menu of “excellent Mediterranean (mostly Italian) dishes done really well” with a “specialist Rhone wine list that’s a real treat”.

“Go mad for further adventures in veg” at Yotam Ottolenghi’s famous deli-cafés, whose Middle Eastern inspired menus are best known for their “creative” salads and meat-free dishes (bread and pastries are also “fabulous”) but there are also some meat and fish options. They are far from cheap, but “the spicing is interesting”, “the flavours are immense” and “the small-plates format allows you to try a number of options”. “A great spot for brunch” or “to drop in for cake and tea”. The Islington branch is most commented-on, and in December 2023 its newest sibling (also in north London) opened on Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, while a branch in Richmond, in the leafy southwest, is scheduled for late 2024.