Aldwych Restaurant Guide

Back in the day (in 2004), Arjun Waney & Rainer Becker’s successful Japanese fusion-favourite on Charlotte Street helped forge new expectations for fashionable dining out – with its slick combination of sushi, sashimi and robata-grilled items – and “it’s still a winner, even if we have now seen it all before”. Over the years four London siblings have been added, alongside another nine in the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf. A particular hit with business diners, some reporters visit several times a year, and say “it’s always an enjoyable experience, with delicious options like the black cod, crab gyoza and fillet beef”.

“Really interesting food, superbly prepared” won more consistent raves this year at Jeremy Chan’s (chef) and Iré Hassan-Odukale’s (MD) ground-breaking venture, which moved to this ‘Midtown’ location on Aldwych in 2022 having won renown for itself in St James’s Market. At the vanguard of transforming impressions of African cuisine, chef Jeremy takes the spices of sub-Saharan West Africa and combines them with British ingredients in a ‘micro-seasonal’ culinary mash-up that’s won it two Michelin stars and the UK’s highest position on the World’s 50 best (at No. 15 in 2025). It’s “exceptional food but with an exceptional and terrifying final bill” – the set menu is £350 per person before wine. And while “Jeremy’s personal attention is without parallel”, the atmosphere of this copper-hued chamber can seem “sterile”. Top Tip – at £150 per person, the shorter express lunch menu is a relative bargain.

“Full of a real mix of interesting-looking people”: this “exciting” ‘midtown’ all-rounder benefits from its position at the side of Soho House’s Strand outpost – plus ownership by the co-founders of Frieze magazine and art fairs – to be something of “a canteen” for those in-the-know; and “they seem mindful that the prices mustn’t get too expensive”. This is a foodie favourite too, thanks to the “carefully crafted, really imaginative and unusual dishes with a Mediterranean mojo”: “you never know quite what to expect but it’s invariably well executed” and “after a meal, you just want to hang around until you are hungry again!”. (There’s also “a lovely bakery with everything made on the premises, great coffee and good pastries”). Set in a large (100 cover) and “bustling” space that’s “a bit industrial” for some tastes, there’s also a “spacious flowery terrace for warm days”. Out of lots of reports this year, none have major beefs, but ratings across the board are a tad lower, and – as one regular notes – “it will be interesting to see what effect the recent departure of chef, Yohei Furuhashi, to the Lavery has on Toklas”. Top Tip – “the pre-theatre set menu is very good value”. Top Menu Tips – “fried feta and carrot dishes are stand-out”; “fish and pasta are especially good”; “interesting saltimboca rabbit – very tender if very salty” and “top, subtle-flavoured mussel escabeche snack”.

2022 Review: This independent fixture in legal-land (near the LSE) is a long-running staple of the area – welcoming, “always good value”, and with some interesting picks and bin-end deals on the wine list.

2023 Review: “Good scruffy fun with a side order of nostalgia” is to be had at this “hidden gem” in the Strand (a favourite with staff at the Indian High Commission opposite). “An almost anonymous doorway leads you up some stairs” where you “step back in time, not to a cheesy incarnation of the British Raj, but to the early days of independence”. Founded in 1951 (Prime Minister Nehru was among the founding members), the ‘club’ is open to the public and serves food that can be (but is not invariably) “excellent” at a “great price”, in an authentically “slightly chaotic atmosphere”. It’s been under siege for the past five years from a landlord itching to redevelop, but it’s “an institution that deserves to survive, and an oasis of good value in central London”. Top Tip – it’s unlicensed – “pause for a drink in the bar downstairs before or after eating” or carry your pint to the table.

“Simply cooked fresh fish (often all you want)” is the USP at this trio of fishmonger/restaurants that offer “extremely reasonable prices for the quality” in prime central locations: off Piccadilly Circus, in Covent Garden and on Marylebone High Street. “The cooking does what it should do – the fish is the star of the show, delivered daily from Cornwall and really well executed”; and “they have specials depending on that day’s catch listed on a blackboard”. It’s “let down a little by staff that need more training to improve both the service and the ambience”.

This “calm and very comfortable” hotel mezzanine on the edge of Covent Garden is a useful place to know about in a busy area – providing a “very soothing experience, with fairly traditional cooking, good-quality ingredients and generally good service”. It also serves an “amazing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea”, in which “both savoury and sweet elements are first class”. Top Tip – “fully gluten- and lactose-free menu available”.

Opened in 1870 as London’s first licensed casino, this impressive Covent Garden mansion is proof that it takes more than a fine space in a handy location to make a terrific eatery. Relaunched as a luxurious American restaurant in 1991 (by the son of a Tory grandee), it aims to import Manhattanite sophistication, top-quality surf ’n’ turf and high-class brunch to the capital, alongside a popular Martini bar. But, while it does still receive the odd nomination as a place for a business lunch, it’s largely ignored in our annual diners’ poll nowadays.

Kudos to Angela Hartnett’s team for the “consistently high standards and predictable quality” of these “handy Italians”, which inspire many recommendations in our annual diners’ poll for “a casual bite with great Italian food” in the West End. “The food is hearty (e.g. rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu), simple but well executed and service charming and friendly”. In summer 2025, she opened her fourth location, with a Marylebone site joining her other operations in St James’s, Bermondsey and Covent Garden. In particular, they are “perfect pre-theatre”; and they also often get a shout-out for their welcome to families (“my two-year-niece from Australia was over and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly”).

If you’re looking for a “good pitstop in the West End”, this trio (also with an offshoot in Hammersmith) offers “tasty vegan and veggie Indian food” at “very reasonable prices” – nothing fancy, but “good basic cooking” of “South Indian staples”. Pickier diners can feel that some sauces are “rather watery”, or that the filling food can come “with no stand-out flavours”. Practically all agree, however, that “a great Masala Dosa and beer makes a very affordable meal in Central London”. Top Tip – “good choice to take a crowd: they’re not fazed by large tables”.

“Quiet culinary bravura paired with both genuine respect for food and wonderful staff, and all served in one of prettiest rooms in London” maintains a very high level of popularity for renowned Aussie chef, Skye Gyngell’s “very elegant” chamber – a big, airy, light-filled space in the distinguished surroundings of Somerset House, that “always brings a sense of occasion”. Often tipped for romance, there’s just one complaint – “it was all fine… except for the prices!”. Top Tip – “their scratch supper menu is one of the great bargains of all time… as well as being delicious!”