London South Kensington Restaurant Guide

2015 Review: “Consistently good coffee”, and “simple and fresh” pasta too – all part of the ongoing success of these smart but “casual” and “friendly” café-delis.

“Don’t be put off by the simplicity of the dining room” – “a noisy concrete basement” (although you can also sit at the ground floor bar): Tomonari Chiba’s sushi and other Japanese fare is “genius”, albeit “spectacularly expensive” at his original Marylebone venture of over ten years standing. In May 2017 he opened a considerably swankier offshoot in the beautiful and chichi premises vacated by Toto’s (RIP) which seem likely to become the dominant member of the duo hereafter. It features a mashup of Japanese and Western ingredients and ideas – early press reviews are mixed.

These “cosy, busy and good-value” local Italians in South Kensington and Dulwich do the simple things well: “handmade pasta, great pizzas and lovely service”. “Perfect for families – kids are well-treated” (so “it can be a bit of a creche if you go at the wrong time”).

For “an efficient and cheerful meal, especially before a visit to the Royal Albert Hall” this “buzzing Italian pizza-fest” (“there’s a wide selection including vegetarian, gluten-free, halal and per bambini”) is “so good, you can forgive them their kitsch, Princess Di-themed decor!” “It’s not overpriced for the location and always entertaining”.

“Fun and casual” spin-off from Jeff Tan’s Soho Viet Food – “the food tastes great and looks magic too” at this a 60-cover café near South Kensington tube.

This Zaha Hadid-designed gallery restaurant in Hyde Park “deserves more recognition” according to reporters, who think it “a great space”, with “interesting food” (maybe only being open for lunch and afternoon tea is what keeps it under the radar). Perhaps a new team, scheduled to take over its management in late 2017, will finally put it properly on the map?

“A haven for top notch oysters and shellfish” (they have their own Cornish farm and wholesalers) – these “bustling” bistros have grown from their Borough Market origins on the back of their “sparklingly fresh and delicious” dishes, plus “good wines by the glass”. “That they’re cramped is all part of the charm”. Battersea is the latest addition to the family, and in SW7 fans tip “the little gem of a Mermaid Bar, like a luxurious grotto with elegant cocktails”.