Sutton Restaurant Guide

Run by Markos Tsimikalis and his family (who also run Spitalfields’ Hungry Donkey), this modern taverna near Holland Park station is hailed by its fans as an “excellent, innovative Greek restaurant”. Prices are far from bargain basement, but you are investing in top-quality supplies (meat from nearby Lidgates, for instance) and the cuisine is matched with “a fantastic wine list” – incorporating some hard-to-find vintages from Macedonia and islands such as Santorini; and with rarer vintages made more approachable by their new and novel policy of fixed rather than percentage wine mark-ups. Top Tip – Mezedes sharing menu, including a glass of Tsipuro, for £30 per person.

Experience excellent food and fine wine in the 4 silver star Crowne Plaza Marlow’s newly refurbished Glaze Restaurant in Marlow, AA Rosette awarded for its culinary excellence. Having recently undergone a huge refurbishment project, the Glaze Restaurant is no...

Gazzab is a celebration of indian fine dining in London. our philosophy is simple: to transform authentic indian recipes inro an elegant culinary journey. Each dish is crafted with the finest ingredients, plated with precision . From delicately spiced starters to signature mai...

“It’s more gastro than pub, but the ambience deliberately stops short of a full restaurant experience and so you can have great food in a more relaxed manner” at Mike Wall-Palmer & David Adams’s characterful old hostelry, which has been a feature of the high street since the sixteenth century. A feature highlighted for praise is the “exceptional value set lunch” (“delightful carpaccio of beef, sea bream in a delicious mussel sauce and a scrumptious dessert… top value!”). There’s also a simpler offering in the bar and courtyard.

“Lovely as ever and long may it continue” – Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi’s “welcoming” country venue (their flagship is in Marylebone) provides “wonderful Italian cooking”, including “silky-smooth homemade pasta” and “top-quality, tender calf’s liver in white wine”.

Ignore the “average curry house” looks: this place “turns out adventurous and seductive dishes as good as many of the Michelin-starred Indians”, offering “West End flavours at suburban prices”. It’s owner-operated by “lovely people” – chef Shilpa Dandekar, who trained under both Raymond Blanc and Quilon’s Sriram Aylur, and her husband Faheem Vanoo (although “now without their own day-to-day personal attention with the opening of their new restaurant in South Kensington, Pravaas”, see also). Top Menu Tip – “the best black daal”.

Laurie & Jacqueline Gear’s “fabulous, classic restaurant in Old Amersham” has long been a hit in our annual diners’ poll and was in the top-40 most mentioned restaurants outside London this year. “Laurie’s personality shines in his delightful food” – “a remarkable range of menus (including brilliant vegetarian options)” with the entry-level offering being a three-course selection for £95 per person. Service is “really efficient and also very warm” and “wines are paired with intelligence and insight” (although “chatty sommelier” Valentin recently left the business).

At 144 On The Hill, we celebrate bold flavours, the finest seasonal ingredients, and a touch of creative flair. Our menus change with the seasons, offering beautifully crafted dishes served in stylish surroundings. Dine in our swoon-worthy interiors, soak up the atmosphere on ...

“A lovely view of the weir at Marlow and over the Thames” through old-fashioned leaded glass windows is a highlight at this “friendly and professional” outpost of star chef Atul Kochhar, which – true to the contrasts of 21st-century Britain – aims to pay homage to his love of Indian cuisine in the environs of a “pretty” dining room by the river whose situation is archetypal of the traditional English Home Counties. On most accounts, his team provides “exceptional” cuisine that’s “sometimes full-on Indian” but mostly “a subtle, not-too-fiery fusion”. Ratings, though, are dragged down this year by a minority who find its performance “very average”. Top Menu Tips – “sublime Dal Makhani”; “the best ever soft shell crab and amazing monkfish”.

“Year after year the food is consistently excellent and the value incredibly high” at Michael & Steph Macdonald’s well-established fixture, which they founded over 18 years ago in a house once occupied by poet TS Eliot. “Whether it’s the excellent value set lunch or the full tasting menu” you opt for, all reports are full of praise (“I hadn’t been to the Vanilla Pod since before the Pandemic, so was delighted to discover that it was still in business and as good as ever”; “I have yet to have a course I didn’t enjoy”). “Others in the locale get more publicity, but in reality offer less for more”.

“The latest addition to the Dastaan stable” – Nand Kishor opened this new venue in autumn 2024: a debut that was not only “Surbiton’s No.1 food event of the year”, but comfortably the decade. “Every bit as good as the original (Dastaan), just in a more useful location – it’s much larger than its sibling and a bit of a noisily hectic venue – mostly because it’s so popular – the cooking is astounding (I occasionally feel like I’ve been punched in my face after a visit, and that’s meant entirely as a complement!)”. “The dining room is simple, colourful and that’s about it: very much ‘Home Counties curry house’. It’s the cooking that is very special, every sauce perfect” – “each dish is superb, the rice is world class (it’s the best Indian food I’ve ever had”). “At last, Andy Hayler has a reason to visit Surbiton!”

“Good for business or a Sunday lunch” – this boutique hotel on the Hammersmith Road is converted from the Victorian former premises of St Paul’s boys’ school and its smart, small dining room overlooks the adjoining park. A range of menus encompasses breakfast, afternoon tea and Sunday lunch and there’s a brasserie-style menu served at other times. Top Menu Tip – “one of the largest selections of Malt and specialist Whiskies I have found”… there are about 600 available.

Tapas Inspired by Spain and Lebanon What does Dar mean? It’s Lebanese for “lounge” and Spanish for the verb “to give”. And that’s a perfect combination with Spanish and Lebanese-inspired tapas as well as fine wines in a relaxed and convivial ambience. This new restaurant is un...

Meimo's is one of Windsors finest restaurants Meimos Restaurant has an extensive menu with dishes that will suit all tastes and a friendly atmosphere. A real locals' favourite and definitely not a tourist-trap! With popular dishes such as Lamb or Chicken Tagine with exotic...

“Lucky Chiswick!” – “You can’t go wrong with a meal at La Trompette in W4!” – which, like its south London stablemate Chez Bruce, is one of the most enduringly popular restaurants in our annual diners’ poll and likewise also one of the most consistent. True, the Covid years were more tricky than usual, but many reports agree they are “back to where they were pre- pandemic”. A “comfortable” space just off the high street, its atmosphere is that of a “neighbourhood restaurant” but a “very civilised” one at that. Greg Wellman’s cuisine is “expertly prepared” and “faultless every time”: “from the sourdough bread to begin to the warm soufflé that’s a favourite to finish, all from a seasonally changing menu which provides nice variety” and which “leaves you feeling well wined and dined at a good price”. Service is “always polite, friendly and professional” and has useful advice to give, including on the “well-priced wine list”. “I just wish it were a bit more central”, notes one fan… who visits it from Cheshire!! Top Tip – “now offering no corkage if you BYO on Sunday nights to add extra pleasure”.

An “unexpected find in a quiet location” – this “gorgeous olde worlde pub with delicious food” and big dining conservatory is to be discovered in a leafy suburban street near Richmond Park’s Sheen Gate; and is “a great all-rounder”, run by TV-chef owner Paul Merrett. Other features include six boutique bedrooms upstairs, and a large kid-friendly garden.

“We LOVE this restaurant. Use it for weddings, anniversaries, special occasions… it never disappoints!” – Eric & Sarah Guignard’s Gallic stalwart, 10 minutes walk from Surbiton station is “just the best neighbourhood restaurant” for its army of dedicated fans drawn from the inner London burbs, Surrey and beyond (some of whom have been coming since the place first opened in 2001). It is “a long thin room as it always has been” and perhaps “rather cramped”, but “year-in, year-out” the Gallic cuisine is “excellent”, “beautifully presented” and well-matched with “interesting wines”, all delivered by a “superb front of house crew” who “are very welcoming and remember preferences”. “Brilliant value all round”… “and great bread too at their ‘French Tarte’ patisserie” next door.

Apadana Restaurant is a 5 Star Award-winning chic restaurant that uses family-kept recipes to craft authentic, sumptuous Iranian classic dishes in the heart of London's trendy Kensington high street.Indulge your senses in our family kept recipes passed on for generation...