Cobham, International Restaurant Guide

A well-located venue on the Thames at Teddington, where “wonderful views of the lock” remain a standout feature, whether you opt for the glass-fronted restaurant or (better) the riverside terrace. On the menu, competent modern Euro cooking – shellfish platters, steaks, plus afternoon teas – abetted by regular jazz nights.

Proximity to Richmond Park – a large terrace for sunny days – and a comfortable, attractive interior help justify the ongoing inclusion of this eighteenth-century Fuller’s pub, near Sheen Gate. In other respects, its ratings remain resolutely ordinary.

A “charming” atmosphere and “Laura Ashley decor” set the tone at this brunch-and-cocktails spot, which has clocked up 25 years in Strand-on-the-Green. The global menu “may not set the pulse racing”, but seldom attracts much in the way of criticism. Founder Lorraine Angliss also operates the Little Bird and Rock & Rose venues in southwest London.

“Massive portions of delicious vegan food” hit the spot at this Earlsfield 10-year-old from former school friends Alvin Suntaramoorphy and Shyam Kotecha (who have a spinoff branch in Honor Oak Park). Their ‘vegan soul food’ is “so good that even carnivores demand more” – but if you’re not satisfied, they say you can renegotiate the bill. It’s also BYO with no corkage charge, and if you’re broke they’ll feed you in return for some washing up. Top Tip – “leave room for the decadent puds”, such as “their delicious vegan ice cream”.

A “very handy local” in a former pub on a corner overlooking Wandsworth Common that has “a good buzz when busy” and enjoys a fair amount of support in southwest London. Foodwise, reports suggest it’s decent if rather middle-of-the-road, but the wine offering – from owner John Brinkley’s shop in Chelsea – is a strength.

“Wonderful fine dining but with the feel of a small local eatery” is both the blessing and the challenge for this Chiswick destination which is “trying very hard to be great, succeeding, and so much better than the location makes you think”. Chef Nathan Cornwell was recruited in 2023 to up the ante here, and his “carefully thought-out” cuisine is “just getting better and better”: it’s a serious rival to nearby Trompette in terms of its “exceptional” quality, with “a fabulous tasting menu which gets it just right and doesn’t overwhelm you”. But while its reputation is generating ever-more feedback in our poll as a “classy” and also a “romantic” destination, it is ever-so slightly constrained by its (albeit posh) “caff-like” premises on the High Street, with the least kind view that you are “crammed in, while the waiters try to deliver to you a fine-dining experience”.

“The perfect local is full of locals, and this defines The Andover perfectly: a buzzing bar and friendly staff greet you” at this “lively old boozer” in a quiet corner of Hammersmith’s ‘Brackenbury Village’. “Under new ownership for a couple of years now, the food has gone up another level” – somewhat more inventive and “a giant step up from pub grub” (but equally also a little “expensive for a pub”). Top Tip – “Sunday lunch is a must”.

2022 Review: The World’s End – a huge Grade II listed late-Victorian gin palace that’s long been a landmark of the more distant stretches of Chelsea’s King’s Road – offers an ‘immersive’ experience nowadays, comprising basement ‘Bletchley’ Bar (1940s vibe), top-floor Chelsea Black Martini bar and a ground-floor restaurant. Initially branding as ‘Journey’ was replaced with ‘Jolie’ mid-lockdowns in autumn 2020 – a ‘salon’ serving French-inspired sharing plates and with bottomless brunch a big feature.

2022 Review: “Excellent value, especially set meals” (at what feels like 1980s prices) mean this age old Italian greasy spoon in Chelsea has a wider constituency than you might imagine.

In one of London’s most ‘Mary Poppins’ settings – a tucked-away, Regency square close to the Design Museum in Kensington – this flower-bedecked mid-Victorian tavern has a “great atmosphere”. It excels as a convivial gathering place over a drink or two, with a terrace that gets busy in the summer, and a dependable menu of classic pub dishes. Famous patrons over the years include Princess Di in days of yore to Piers Morgan (who lives nearby) more currently.

Limited but highly positive feedback again on this neighbourhood outpost in East Sheen, where chef Leonard Kola presides over an eclectic menu that mixes steaks and burgers with blackened miso cod and seafood curry.

It’s hard to know how enthusiastic to be about these slick food courts from all-conquering JKS restaurants at the foot of Centre Point and in the heart of Battersea Power Station. They do win dependable feedback for their “nice mix of cheap ’n’ cheerful food and drink” and “great selection of different cuisines”, but more cynical types dismiss them as hyped, unimaginative venues for sanitised street food. BREAKING NEWS. In July 2025, the group applied for planning permission to create a third ‘Arcade’, in the landmark site of Covent Garden’s former TGIF.