London Fitzrovia Restaurant Guide

“Unpretentious but brilliant” Keralan veteran near the Telecom Tower, which offers some of the “best-value curry in London”. It’s “still rough as anything in terms of the building but the food consistently nails it” – including some “proper veggie choices”. Top Tip – “the dosas at Ragam are the best I’ve found in London”.

“You can tell the moment you walk through the door that the people who own it are involved and want to make their guests’ experience enjoyable” – that’s the vibe at Monica and David Galetti’s “peaceful and delightful” Fitzrovia three-year-old. “You have a relaxing drink at street level in the bar, and then it’s down a flight of steps to a chic room flooded in natural light from the street outside”. “The heart in the mind-blowing cooking shines through” – in particular the “wonderful, delicate, balanced tasting menu, packed with fresh seasonal ingredients”; and “it’s paired with an exceptional wine list”. “Staff are outstanding and the chef/patron visiting guests at their tables is a lovely touch”. “Must surely get its Michelin star soon?”

“One of a kind!”: James Knappett’s “phenomenal” Fitzrovia 20-seater – entered via the hotdog-and-Champagne bar that shares its name (see Bubbledogs) – “takes creative gastronomy to a new level” and is “well deserving of its second Michelin star”. Cooking behind a horseshoe-shaped counter with the kitchen at its centre, “the chefs are good company”, and their conversation helps “nail the balance between a very interesting gastronomic journey and a lovely ‘feel-at-home’ atmosphere”. Dishes “celebrating high quality produce are effortlessly executed and perfectly sized”; and “with enough innovation to keep you interested, while not alienating anyone”. “One of the best meals of my life” – “I barely noticed that it lasted three hours!”

“Consistently fantastic pizza, with interesting toppings and a nicely textured base” have created a major buzz around this independent Neapolitan trio, which started out in Ealing before opening off Fulham Broadway and in Fitzrovia. It’s still the W5 original that incites most fuss – “a small cafe/bistro, it’s always crowded you can end up sitting in a rather tight, alley-like room” although in recent times they’ve also colonised the Red Lion next door so you can “set yourself down at the pub and tuck in with more space and vibe”.

“Distressed in all the right places” – Guy Ritchie and David Beckham have channeled their inner Marie Antoinette at this spring 2019 yearling – a Fitzrovia boozer transformed into their conception of a perfect country pub, and serving beers from Gritchie (Guy’s brewery). “The food here is so much better than it needs to be, with a short, ideal menu” of incongruously-polished small plates; and “with the Sunday menu augmented by a roast”. “Attentive staff and a room full of happy punters” complete the idyll.

“Pure fast food evil (in the best kind of way)” – this retro yearling in the shadow of the BT tower is named for the home of the Philly cheesesteak, which it serves with “great authenticity (as validated by my colleague from Philadelphia)”, alongside “the best buffalo wings in London (and maybe outside of Pennsylvania)”, plus other classics from Rocky Balboa’s hometown like “wiz cheese and bacon tater tots”. “Friendly staff” complete its down-to-earth vibe; there’s also a branch in Westfield Stratford.

Mathieu Germond, former manager of Pied à Terre, “has worked his considerable magic here”, and has created an “amazing wine list” with “very fair mark-ups” at his “very charming” Fitzrovia yearling (on the former site of Dabbous, RIP) – “go for his suggestions” from the “wide and interesting range, many by the glass”. Ed Dutton’s “delightful” French cuisine is “excellent too”, showing “genuine, old-school skill”, while the “tasteful decoration, with lots of natural light” and “spot-on” service (“personable” – “there when you need them and non-intrusive”) “make it an ideal spot for an informal business lunch, as well as more serious entertaining”.

There are “no frills at all” at this 21-year veteran pizza-joint in Goodge Street (founded in 1991), with a branch in Camden Town – “but the fact that you can sit down with a tasty thin-crust pizza in central London for these prices (£3.95 for a Marinara) is well worth the lack of ambience”.

“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.

This pioneer of Spanish and Italian small-plates dining near Goodge Street station is “still going strong after so many years for a very good reason” – “interesting and yummy dishes plus good wine”. Ratings have remained solid since the whole group (including siblings Dehesa, Opera Tavern and Ember Yard) was taken over late last year by Urban Pubs & Bars from Simon Mullins and Sanja Moy, who opened Salt Yard in 2005. There’s even been a “big improvement in the ambience of the basement”. Top Menu Tip – “deep fried courgette flowers with honey: the cheesy goodness within marries perfectly with the honey sweetness drizzled over… just wow!”

“Popular for a good reason”, this Goodge Street spot is valued for “authentic tapas, served fast and fresh, with knowledgeable and friendly Spanish staff to guide you through the choices”. It’s “great value” for central London, but can get “hot and cramped”, with the “buzzy and loud” atmosphere rising to “raucous” on busy evenings.

“Imaginative and tasty cooking” of a “very high quality”, taking its cue from modern pan-Asian cuisines, wins steadily high ratings for chef Mitz Vora (ex-Palomar) at his Fitzrovia four-year-old, and service is generally “fast and friendly” too. Only one negative: the “very tight seating arrangements”.

“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.

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.

“Not at all what you would expect from the outside!” – “fabulous flavours and clever cooking abound” at Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s “highly sophisticated” neighbourhood venture, whose understatedly hip premises occupy a deceptively humble-looking corner-site in Fitzrovia. It also features an “exceptional and interesting wine list by glass: I go online after to see what wines I should be buying at home!”