London Knightsbridge Restaurant Guide

Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker’s “well-oiled” glamour-magnet, just off Knightsbridge, “has kept its high standards for more than 15 years now” (it opened in 2002, nowadays with spin-offs around the globe). “The cocktail bar is a bit of a zoo”, but that just adds energy to its “buzzy” (“so noisy!”), “casual and comfortable” overall style; and even if Japanese-fusion cuisine doesn’t today seem like quite the genius-magic it did on opening, the “sublime” dishes here still feel as fresh as a daisy: “wonderous bites” of sushi, black cod and other “supreme” creations.

Emptied your wallet at Harrods and need to recover over a bowl of pasta and glass of fizz? – Richard Caring’s “fun” and “nicely buzzing” Italian brasserie, near the store’s rear entrance, can be just the job. Now two years old, its fanbase primarily seems to extend to shoppers and other miscellaneous Knightsbridge types, as it elicits limited survey feedback; but all reports praise its “great consistency in a fun setting with attentive and engaging staff”.

“An impressive wine vault in the middle of the dining room” provides a talking-point at Gordon Ramsay’s “beautiful” and “romantic” (luxuriously anodyne) Belgravian, whose capacious wine list is one of its defining features. Russell Bateman joined as chef in mid-2018, and, according to most reports, his “fabulous” modern cuisine “ticks every box” to contribute to a “fabulous all-round experience”. Ratings slid here a bit this year, though, due to concerns about value: “it’s good, but so painful on the wallet”.

“Andy Murray is a regular visitor (to the Wimbledon branch), and with good reason”, report fans of this “upmarket” group. Like Sir Andy, “great service” is a particular strength, while “the food is pretty authentic” too. Now an international operation, the first of its six London venues opened in 1990.

“Marvellous, exquisite Japanese food”, including “super-fresh fish” and “the best sushi in town that won’t break your wallet”, is served at this “very professional” Mayfair outfit. Popular with Vogue staffers, who call it the ‘Condé Nast canteen’, it has a “cosy” offshoot buried in a luxurious corner of Knightsbridge.

Huw Gott and Will Beckett “do the ‘casual excellence’ thing very well indeed” and their still über-fashionable steakhouse chain (founded in 2006) occupies a niche in the hearts of London’s fooderati like no other, with its “distinctly clubby” (“big, loud and busy”) style, its “to-die-for cocktails” and its “top steaks”: British-bred and “char-grilled to perfection over wood fires, with deliciously indulgent sides”. Ratings for such a phenomenon have sometimes seemed middling in comparison to its renown – a reflection of the very full pricing that’s always been their policy. That said, despite some accusations that “it’s all gone downhill in recent times”, its grades actually bounced back significantly this year, and remain in line with its past best. The City branch in particular shines. “Dark dens and out-of-this-world quality beef are the cornerstones of dealmaking. What deal would not reach a happy ending fuelled by a perfectly cooked rib-eye, grilled bone marrow, and beef dripping fries? Throw in a bottle or two of bordeaux and that IPO is around the corner!” Top Tips – “£5 corkage on Monday BYO is an incredible deal” and starting the day at the Guildhall branch: “if anyone can do a better breakfast I’d love to try it!”