London Mayfair Restaurant Guide

“Elegance… discreet service… classic French cuisine – they never go out of fashion”, and nowhere else in London can match Michel Roux Jr’s “grande dame of the London restaurant scene” for “perfect, old-school Gallic gastronomy”. Founded (on Sloane Street) in 1967 by his father Albert, this famous culinary temple has operated in Mayfair just around the corner from the former US embassy since 1982 and with MasterChef-maestro Michel at the stoves since 1991. Menus (with no prices in the lady’s version) are perused in the smallish ground floor lounge, before descending to the “dark and moody basement with its elaborate table ornaments”. To a few doubters the style is too “stuffy and formal” (or, alternatively, too dated and 1980s-tastic) – but to most visitors (some of whom are regulars of many decades’ standing) the milieu makes it “one of the capital’s best dining rooms, setting the perfect scene for any posh liaison”; with “soft furnishings and a layout that means one may hear and converse in quiet and relative privacy; and where it’s refreshing to find the standard of dress amongst the patrons still includes a suit and tie”. “Attention to detail and personal enjoyment shows in every aspect of the experience”: cooking is “superbly judged both in its selection and preparation”, and the “wine list is the work of an afternoon – hugely pleasurable to read and to attempt to absorb its width and variety!”. “Smooth, unobtrusive service” under maître d’ Emmanuel Landré, is “impeccable” – “ideally pitched from when you step through the door to the final farewell”; and Michel (usually in attendance) “is a charmer as well as a brilliant chef”, with “the personal visit from Le Patron making a special meal very special”. The bill? “It’s barely affordable, but worth saving for”: “a classic example of the rule, ‘you get what you pay for’ and, while expensive, good value for money”. Top Tip – “the renowned set lunch deserves every bit of its reputation”: “perhaps the best value prix fixe deal in town” and “always a top experience”.

“I’ve never had a bad meal at Roka, and I’ve eaten there many, many times” – Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker’s small modern Japanese group delivers an “exceptional”, “all-round” package of clean-tasting fusion food served in stylish and “buzzy” contemporary surroundings. Dishes are “beautifully presented but also amazingly well-flavoured” – be it “fantastic black cod”, “fabulous sushi” or grilled tapas-y bites from the robata grill. Top Tip – in E14, the “weekend brunch menu is splendid value for money: especially the children’s menu”.

“Still at the top of its game” – the Sethi’s “posh Indian” in Mayfair is “worth the hype” and remains the most-mentioned Indian in the survey on account of “memorable and beautifully flavourful” cuisine delivered by “warm and friendly staff” in an enveloping, old-colonial-style setting: “get a booth on the ground floor and prepare to be transported!” Top Menu Tip – “How I love the tandoori lamb chops. After a marinade in spices, these thick pieces of meat become so succulent, tender and taste-laden, are magnificently presented and really delicious on the eager palate!”. NB: Just as the survey closed, in June 2019, a fire gutted the restaurant and according to its website it remains “closed until further notice”.

“Just thinking about it is making my mouth water!” – Nieves Barragan and José Etura’s “bustling, casual and friendly” two-year-old, tucked off Regent Street, is establishing itself as one of the West End’s brightest stars: “a guaranteed first-class food experience with a lot of fun thrown in”. “The downstairs bar serves modern tapas, including the beloved carabineros and croquetas. Upstairs at the communal tables, you’ll feast on traditional dishes like suckling pig, cooked in an Asador (wood-fired oven)”. Both locations score a big thumbs up: “not cheap, but what an utter treat to have well-executed, passionate, uncomplicated cooking of Spanish classics in the middle of London”.