London Fitzrovia Restaurant Guide

It’s “always a pleasure to eat the tasty, well-spiced and reliably classy Keralan food” at this “very good value” veteran in a basement near the Telecom Tower. There’s “friendly service in the compact dining area”, although the interior is not going to win design awards any time soon. Top Menu Tips – “love the fritters!”; dosas here are a perennial favourite too.

“An exceptional meal all round, with fantastic, seasonal cuisine” is how all the numerous reports we receive describe James Knappett & Sandia Chang’s 18-seat chef’s table experience in Fitzrovia, which has one of the best reputations amongst the capital’s most renowned tasting experiences. Even so, its “eye-watering prices” are of concern to both fans and foes alike. A rare critic says that “everything about the place misses the mark for me, apart from the food. I am in a minority, but just not a fan”. More representative is the following enthusiasm: “somehow I have managed to justify to myself spending this much on a meal four times now. That’s how good I think it is!”

“The pizza is second to none”, combining “top-quality ingredients and fabulous bases” at this quartet of “bustling” pizzerias founded 15 years ago by Neapolitan-born Angelo and Pasquale. Since launching in Ealing, they have expanded slowly to Fulham, Islington and Fitzrovia – and the extent to which they’ve maintained their ratings is an achievement for an expanding group.

Under the ownership of film director Guy Ritchie (pals David and Cruz Beckham have been spotted here), this “first-class” pre-Victorian Fitzrovia boozer is thriving. Everything is “done well”: and at heart, the food is “simple, and well-sourced” (although this description possibly under-sells a menu featuring such dishes as Wiltshire Venison Tartare with Togarashi Mayonnaise and South Coast Brown Crab Risotto with Coriander and Cherry Harissa dressing).

2022 Review: This ‘Philadelphia dive bar’ in Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia, has certainly “got the American vibe”, with “US-style beer and bar food” giving a real taste of the City of Brotherly Love. Philly street food classics such as the hoagie and cheesesteak are on the menu – and “it’s not health food, that’s for sure”. Reporters are divided on the results – “defining the category” for fans, “pretty underwhelming” for sceptics. There’s now a second site at Westfield Stratford, complete with baseball batting cages, but a 2021 crowdfunding bid to raise £150,000 for a massive bar under the railway arches in Leake Street, Waterloo, struck out.

“Brilliantly-executed-but-unfussy food paired with exceptional-and-well-priced wines” is winning ever-higher acclaim for master-sommelier Mathieu Germond’s low-key Fitzrovian… and people already thought it was pretty cracking to start off with. Founded in 2017 after Mathieu quit Pied a Terre, it’s named for the village in the Loire Valley where his grandparents ran a farm and “for the true Francophile, it’s a real find”. “Mathieu is the don when it comes to affordable vintages: he will often recommend a cheaper bottle than a ‘known’ producer: the mark of a great somm’”; and service generally is exceptional: “delightful, knowledgeable and gracious”, which contributes to the “delightfully buzzy” atmosphere. Chef George Farrugia (installed in 2021) is “cooking up a storm” at present, and numerous dishes are enthusiastically mentioned in reports: “the ‘Sole Fritter’ snack is probably the finest two-bite snack ever”; “the duck meatball starter which sounds a bit ordinary, is unbelievable”; “the Muscat broth will almost have you licking the bowl”. “Ask Mathiew to choose a glass to go with your choices: you’ll appreciate the incredible knowledge as you get a description of each one with terroir, flavours and why it matches your food. You learn so much… and get fabulous glasses of wine!”

“Awesome, thin and crispy pizza” has built quite a following for this “fast, simple, really cheap and really cheerful” Goodge Street spot – where, “unless strip lighting, functional metal tables and chairs are your thing, the ambience is forgettable”. Celebrating its quarter-centenary this year as ‘The People’s Pizzeria’, it now has a branch in Camden and ‘click & collect’ kitchens in Wood Green, Colindale and Croydon.

2021 Review: “Top ramen with great broth and good combinations”, win fans for this genuinely Japanese chain (originating in Fukuoka), which has branches in Holborn, Embankment and Canary Wharf. Ratings, though, fall short of the top heights at the hands of those who feel its food is “not bad, but not memorable”. A fourth branch is to open in Fitzrovia in autumn 2019.

2022 Review: “A wonderful menu with a good choice of tapas to suit all tastes” again wins recommendations for this buzzy and good-value bar on Goodge Street.

“A jolly pan-Asian mish-mash that’s good value for the West End” inspires ongoing interest in this Fitzrovia venue. Most of the action is on the ground floor, but there’s also an outdoor bar and basement chef’s counter.

2021 Review: “Great food at a good price” continues to win acclaim for the Deptford branch of this Sichuanese duo, whose chilli-hot and numbing cuisine makes it one of SE8’s brighter culinary sparks. No feedback in the last survey on its less noteworthy Goodge Street branch.

2021 Review: With their “chilled ambience and laid-back vibe” this trio of cafés have championed Aussie-style day-time eating for more than a decade in London. “Good for breakfast, brunch and lunch”, they are “not too overpriced compared with competitors”, and the Shoreditch and London Bridge venues are open in the evening for drinks and dinner.