1 Royal China
After all these years, the original Royal China branch still holds its position at the top table of London’s dim sum venues. Enter its glossy black-lacquered interior, where curling waves and geese in full flight embellish the walls, and deliberate over the menu of mouth-watering snacks. Glutinous rice in lotus leaves (wonderfully aromatic, full of delicious tidbits) will provide ballast for such delicacies as honey roast pork puffs (divine pastry) and scallop dumplings, as well as inspired creations from the specials list. The full menu has its attractions, too, including classic stewed pork belly hotpot.
2Naughty Piglets
What began as a pet name between French sommelier Margaux Aubry and Brit chef Joe Sharratt, who met while working at Clapham’s Trinity, is now the moniker for the couple’s dinky natural-wine bar and small-plates restaurant on the Brixton/Herne Hill border. This is casual dining at its best: Sharratt’s tight, daily-changing menu features gutsy yet refined dishes such as wild rabbit faggots with Earl Grey-soaked prunes and slivers of melt-in-the-mouth lardo, or boudin noir with tender grilled octopus and tart capers. The list of natural wines, meanwhile, has been expertly pimped and pruned by Aubry, with lots available by the glass and the rest organised by producer. You need never again leave Zone 2 for dinner.
3Bistro Union
Claphamites are lucky indeed to have such a good neighbourhood restaurant. Self-styled as a British bistro, it’s a place where the staff are chummy, the look rustic and the clientele ever appreciative – it’s seriously popular. The food at this second Clapham venture from Adam Byatt – who also runs Trinity, the area’s even smarter modern European restaurant – riffs on a range of hearty Anglo, American and French influences, but gives them a British sheen. The likes of toad-in-the-hole and fish pie sit comfortably alongside chicken liver parfait and mac ’n’ cheese – and all are prepared with impressive precision. For the best spectator seats, head to the tall stools by the bar.
4Ottolenghi
Credited with making deli dining a fashionable pursuit, Yotam Ottolenghi continues to wow London with his big, delicious flavours, drawn from the Med, the Middle East and beyond. Salads change seasonally but might include green beans with shaved asparagus, broad beans, confit garlic and spinach or caramelised pink grapefruit with bitter leaves, roquefort, labneh, spicy walnuts and pomegranate balsamic. Given the casual ambience, the prices can be a surprise, but as with all things of exceptional quality, you get what you pay for. And the Soho outpost, Nopi, more of a ‘proper’ restaurant, is much more expensive.
5St John
As ‘British cuisine’ continues to establish its own identity, it becomes clearer how groundbreaking Fergus Henderson’s Smithfield restaurant really was. It’s far from faddy, and St John’s continued commitment to well-sourced, simply cooked traditional food has stood the test of time: it’s still one of the most reliably exciting places to eat in London, 21 years after opening its doors. Forgotten cuts and obscure ingredients grace the twice-daily-changing menu, and despite the reputation for concentrating on meaty things, fish cookery is expert and very serious. While this stripped-down luxe doesn’t come cheap, neither is it as expensive as roughly comparable places. St John remains a model other restaurants aspire to.
6Scott’s
Some of its younger A-list clients may have migrated to Chiltern Firehouse, and it’s hard not to think about that Charles and Nigella incident, but one thing’s for sure about Scott’s: it’s still one of the finest fish restaurants in this fair town. The setting oozes glamour, from the grand oyster bar (a great place to perch and survey the room), to the impeccably groomed clientele and suave staff. Caviar, lobster and Dover sole may be pitched at the money-to-burn crowd, but there are also humble sardines and deep-fried haddock (complete with mushy peas), plus pretty much every variety of seafood in between.
7The Shed
The three brothers behind this jolly venue have filled their rustic dining room with tongue-in-cheek farm references such as reclaimed tractor parts, bright portraits of cows and oil drums for tables. However, their intentions are sincere: many ingredients, plus wines, are sourced from the family’s West Sussex farm and vineyard. Start with inventive ‘mouthfuls’ such as hake rillettes, then choose from ‘fast cooking’ or ‘slow cooking’ selections, including the terrific pastry-wrapped beef ‘cigars’, served with the house-made mustard. Each plate has a spring in its step, and smiley staff encourage sharing – you’ll wish it was your local.
8Yashin
London may not be lacking high-end sushi restaurants, but Yashin in particular bridges the gap between quality and creativity. As at some sushi bars in Japan, soy sauce and wasabi are not offered for diners to use as they please. Instead, the sushi chef crafts and seasons each piece differently, to bring out certain qualities of every piece of fish or shellfish. A fatty piece of salmon nigiri may be lightly blow-torched to enhance its flavoursome oils, for example, then balanced by cubes of tangy, citrus ponzu jelly. For something equally eclectic (but without the rice), try its sister restaurant in South Kensington – Yashin Ocean House.
9Ember Yard
The Salt Yard Group have produced some stunning but little-known restaurants such as Dehesa and Opera Tavern, and have gone from strength to strength as they add new branches. Taking the Italian-Iberian small-plates ethos of Salt Yard, but with the cooking done over smoky coals, Ember Yard goes one better. The ground floor is a wine bar and restaurant with lots of warm woods; if you’re in the basement, try for the bar counter. Every tapas flavour combination is a winner; tender octopus with peas, smoked tomato and wild garlic, say, or Ibérico pork ribs grilled to melting softness.
10Gymkhana
Gymkhana models its look on Indian colonial clubs in the days of the Raj. But if the look and feel are retro, co-founder Karam Sethi’s cooking is anything but. Based on regional cuisines from across the subcontinent, the cooking is modern in approach, and the spice can be serious without overwhelming the layers of big and subtle flavours that bring this menu to life. There is even a nice touch of theatricality: Indian punches come in sealed medicine bottles, with an ice-filled silvery goblet on the side.
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The 10 best restaurants in London
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