Chinatown Restaurant Guide

When it launched in Soho 10 years ago, the Salt Yard group (of which it’s part) was zeitgeistily surfing the tapas trend sweeping London: here, using the wood-fired grill to put a spin on its Spanish and Italian-inspired sharing plates. It’s still a stylish place (although the odd fan feels the decor “is a bit tired” now), and wins uniform praise for delivering “super tasty” results.

“Seemingly effortlessly classy and convivial” – these attractive spinoffs from the national San Carlo chain provide “casual dining with Italian small plates in a lively setting” and can be particularly “great for a pre-theatre meal” given their “very convenient locations for the West End” (including a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus). There are drawbacks though: “quality of the dishes is a little variable”; “tables are squeezed in”; and conversation can be “difficult” (“this place is described as ’buzzy’, for which I would read loud”).

“Well-located – tucked behind Regent Street on the corner of Ganton and Kingly Streets”, this Soho haunt has stood the test of time. Its Italian/Spanish tapas is uniformly rated as “good” and “even if it used to be miles better when it opened, it doesn’t really matter because the place has a lovely feel – ideal for whiling away a lunch with a friend”. (“Wish they would change the high bar stool seats, though: they are just uncomfortable!”). Top Tip – pavement seating in summer, and some fans also tip the “quiet downstairs cellar dining room”.

“An enjoyable tapas-style menu in Covent Garden” is served at this two-floor venue near the Royal Opera House: a lively spot “with quite a lot of its former pub architecture retained”. Part of the Salt Yard Group, Hispanic flavours are to the fore here as well as some Italian inspirations. Top Menu Tips – “the broccoli and courgette tempura are two standout dishes”; “pan con tomate is particularly good”; “good orange panna cotta with matching ice cream”.

These clubby Nikkei haunts from former Nobu exec Kurt Zdesar in Soho and Marylebone have spawned an international group with outlets in North America and the Middle East – with Manchester scheduled to follow this year. The food can be “excellent”, and the joints are “buzzing” (so don’t go if you want a quiet evening, or the “thumping and repetitive club music spoils the dining experience”).

An “atmospheric gem” that brings a “rustic taste of the French countryside to Covent Garden”, this bistro is “one of the few London restaurants that has been under the same family ownership since the 1980s”. “Fantastic for date night”, “perfect for pre & post-theatre dining, or a catch-up with friends”, it has a “terrace ideal for people-watching on a sunny day over a glass of Côtes de Provence rosé”. One or two dissenters, though, leave nonplussed: “didn’t live up to its promise” – “the food was very average”.

Zima is a Russian Restaurant located in the heart of Soho offering traditional Russian dishes with a modern twist.Treat yourself to the best priced caviar in London and other favourites of Russian cuisine, sip on our homemade selection of infused vodka and enjoy the wel...

“Such a shame not more people recognise this as a top Indian” – so say fans of Roop Partap Choudhary’s lavishly decorated venue in Holborn’s spectacular old town hall. “They seem to have observed the leading groups and copied the best bits” and the result is “really well-executed food” (if perhaps “with few surprises”). Last year, he also debuted in the large space off Trafalgar Square that was formerly Jones Family Project (RIP): “a well-designed if cavernous space” but sometimes “a little raucous due to its seeming popularity with big work groups”.

“Everything is comme il faut” at this “rapid-service and good-value” duo from Lyon-born Aurelia Noel-Delclos, which capture “something of the style and liveliness of a French bistro”. The newer branch, in Victoria, has “clearly been discovered by Civil Service bods, so is often full” (and the “excellent breakfasts” there are an added bonus). Covent Garden is easily overlooked in the tourist ‘Ground Zero’ at the heart of the market itself. Top Menu Tip – “well-flavoured chicken breast with a good piperade and smoked new potatoes; good example of duck confit; decent creme brulée”.

Amidst the gents’ outfitters of Jermyn Street (whose suave suits and shirts clad many of the clientele here), this popular stalwart (founded in 1945) is a super-convivial rendezvous for its St James’s pack of wealth advisors, art dealers and property agents; and it is “buzzing” (from its popular breakfast-time onwards) at its “closely spaced tables” (“not too bad if you are seated by a wall, but potentially claustrophobic in the middle of the room”). In that vein, it’s a “fun experience with a high standard of service and care”, plus “great Italian food”. A caveat? “Everything works but the prices are a bit daft”.

“A fun place – great for a meal before a show… and the food is imaginative and good too” – Vivek Singh’s spin-off from the famous Cinnamon Club is well-supported for its “solid modern Indian cooking” at “relatively good value” prices for the West End. On the downside, service can be “disorganised” and the (“noisy” and “really packed in”) dining room “doesn’t really inspire” although “as it fills, it becomes animated with a buzz of excitement”.

“A real journey of discovery” is to be had at Adam Handling’s renowned Covent Garden flagship, where fans of his eight-course – haute but unstuffy – theatrical experience for £199 per person say it’s “sheer culinary perfection from start to finish!”, complete with “bangin’ tastes, engaged staff and great fun for any occasion”. For many of its fans, it’s “a go-to for a special celebration (or any excuse we can make for a special celebration!)” as it “somehow keeps managing to exceed expectations with new twists on old favourites and new innovations both culinary and presentational”. On the flipside, though, there is a notably large band of more cautious sceptics, who either feel that “it’s trying too hard”, or who note that “while lovely, it is very costly”. (“Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with the food here per se, with some fantastic dishes such as the lobster wagyu. Where it falls down a bit is value-for-money compared to competitors, with the pricing pushing very much at the upper end of what I would expect from a Michelin one star, but the overall experience being more in the mid-point of that category”).

Five years after the opening of the legendary Battersea bar and pizzeria, Bunga Bunga has come to Covent Garden with an even bigger and bolder version of the original. On the ground floor, discover a family pizzeria and bar, BungaTINI. Below accessed through the meat locker li...

It’s hard to keep up with this “lovely Soho old-timer” which was founded in 1971 but has shifted location twice since it first opened its doors (most recently in 2021 from Poland Street). First timers say “what a surprise, it’s really good!” and those in-the-know (who include former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who had his engagement party at the former site) appreciate it as “a very friendly family-run ‘real’ Italian restaurant in the heart of the West End”. “Delicious seafood and fish dishes” in particular are a highlight of the Umbria-inspired menu; and owner Paul Matteucci (son of Vasco) is “an exceptional host” (particularly once you are known as a regular). Top Menu Tip – “the carpaccio di tonno is outstanding”; and “the range, quality and value of wine is immense and very difficult to find in these inflation-hit days”.

2023 Review: “Great name… even better food” say fans of this casual, Japanese-inspired dining experience within a Soho hotel, whose all-day dining possibilities (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea…) were conceived by star chef Garry Hollihead. Too limited feedback as yet, though, for a full rating of its mix of poke bowls, salads, sliders and main plates, complemented by an oriental cocktail list and sake menu.

“Seemingly effortlessly classy and convivial” – these attractive spinoffs from the national San Carlo chain provide “casual dining with Italian small plates in a lively setting” and can be particularly “great for a pre-theatre meal” given their “very convenient locations for the West End” (including a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus). There are drawbacks though: “quality of the dishes is a little variable”; “tables are squeezed in”; and conversation can be “difficult” (“this place is described as ’buzzy’, for which I would read loud”).

“Timeless elegance at a mind-boggling price” is a trade-off practically all diners are still content to make at what is technically London’s oldest restaurant (on its current site since the 1980s, but with a history dating back to 1742). “For those who treasure the traditions of yesteryear, they are continued here with impressive commitment”, complete with “boothed seating, crisp white tablecloths and napkins, and immaculately cleaned glasses and cutlery”: a “lovely subdued, elegant and spacious”, interior with a “respectfully quiet” ambience. (There is also “bar-style seating for seafood”.) “You marvel at the slick professionalism of the well dressed-waiters”, who deliver resolutely “old-style British food” – particularly fish, seafood and game in season: simple “but the quality and cooking is simply perfect”. “The only drama is the bill!!” (Style note – “I was concerned about the dumbing down of the dress code – previously jacket and tie de rigueur for men – but it was pleasing to observe that other customers were smartly dressed as are all the waiting staff.”) Top Menu Tips – “sensational roast beef cooked rare with several generous slices and a fine Yorkshire pudding: home-made horseradish sauce was a fine savoury accompaniment; crunchy millefeuille with cream and sweet slices of English strawberries is a sheer delight”.

“Sit in the buzzing and upbeat Oyster Bar” on the ground floor, tip regulars at Richard Corrigan’s West End landmark, in a quiet lane between Piccadilly and Regent Street: one of London’s most venerable and popular dining destinations, which celebrates its 110th anniversary in 2025. Under his careful stewardship, the establishment remains “a classic for a reason!”: “expensive, but very good in all departments”, not least “top-quality fish and crustaceans” (and “it’s always worth looking at the specials board”). Long-serving staff provide “service with a smile” and keep the vibe “upbeat”, although “upstairs, the atmosphere can vary when there are few people there”. Although it is heated all year, the outside terrace is a particular delight in summer. Top Menu Tips – “superb oysters” as you’d hope (“including the baked ones”); “the Irish soda bread is yummy”; “fish ’n’ chips to die for”; “Cornish crab is very special”; “splendid fish stew”.

This “glitzy ‘see-and-be-seen’ Italian” in the ever-more chic environs of Lower Regent Street is the London flagship for Carlo Distefano’s national chain, which was founded in Birmingham in 1992 and expanded to most UK cities before hitting the capital in 2012 (the group also has a number of simpler ‘Cicchetti’ locations around town, see also). The aim is a traditional one: an “extensive menu” of classic dishes delivered in a golden glow of crisp tablecloths and smartly dressed servers. The food is consistent, if fully priced; and the service can be “attentive but lacking charm”.