Finding a place to eat in London is no small feat. The popular restaurants are invariably packed; the non-jammed places aren’t always worth it. Here, then, is a guide offering five superb dining options that speak to the array of questions we get asked all the time: What’s a great
New opening: Dove, Notting Hill
What’s the hottest restaurant neighbourhood in London? Currently, it’s Notting Hill. And within that high-octane zone, the top table is chef Jackson Boxer’s takeover of his old spot, Orsay. Inside that cosy beige and steely blue space, Boxer is maximising comfort food, one of the hottest trends in dining now.
The chef crowns fried pizzettes with a ruffle of fat-studded mortadella (£16, or $37) and cleverly serves raw scallops on crisp mini potato cakes (£14). Several of the entrees are geared for two, including grilled wild sea bream with cloves of confit garlic (£65) and a commanding 30-day aged Tamworth pork double loin chop (£60). Come early to score London’s best burger, a coarsely ground 50-day-dry-aged beef patty with Roquefort cheese melting on top for extra funk (there are only 10 per night, and it’s not listed on the menu).
On the drinks list: a £13 walnut Negroni and multiple non-alcoholic options, such as L’Antidote sparkling gamay. The European-focused wine programme offers tasting notes including a 2021 Gillardi Langhe nebbiolo for £75 – the menu describes it as having “serious structure. Mulberry, violets & earth backbone” – though the staff will also engagingly talk you through the list. The only challenge at Dove: getting in.
Cheap eats: Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch
Once upon a time, in the 1880s, this Club Row pub was a destination for East London drinkers. It’s returned to those original roots, all classic wood panels, high ceilings and mirrors emblazoned with whiskey messaging, as a destination for both drinkers and diners. It’s the latest in a string of pubs boasting notably good cooking; here, though, the food is a downright bargain.
Chef Patrick Powell, an alum of Midland Grand Dining Room, turns out expert takes on bar snacks, including a pastrami-and-Swiss-cheese toastie and a genius shrimp-mousse-encased crispy Scotch egg (each cost £12). Then there’s the headlining rotisserie chicken, a brined and gorgeously roasted bird that arrives with chicken-fat roast potatoes, a little salad and baguette slices for mopping up the juice. It can serve two or three and goes for £38 – the cost of a few slices of poultry at spots around London. On tap there’s beer from independent breweries, such as the classic Double Diamond pale ale from Burton-on-Trent cult favourite Allsopp’s.
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Advertise with NZME.Business meal: Chutney Mary, Mayfair
At this sophisticated Indian restaurant on St. James’s Place, Mayfair’s hedge fund central, the commanding dining room has well-spaced tables. Does your business deal require a bit more discretion? Semiprivate alcoves accommodate high-level discussions and even guests with a security detail, including former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who often made the short trip from Downing Street, and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
Among the most popular dishes are tandoori artichoke hearts (£17), Andhra lobster chili stir-fry (£31) and Afghani chicken tikka (£33), a favourite of another former PM, Boris Johnson. The martinis range from the classic vesper to a golden saffron-infused option (£20). There’s also a selection of Indian craft gins to sip straight and a heavy-hitting wine list stocked with plenty of Bordeaux and Burgundies, including a 2017 Domaine de Montille Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (£700) to uncork once the ink has dried.
Last-minute reservations: The Portrait by Richard Corrigan, Trafalgar Square
In the high-trafficked Trafalgar Square/Charing Cross neighbourhood, it’s not easy to find a good restaurant, let alone one you can just waltz into, which makes the almost two-year-old Portrait by Richard Corrigan an especially enticing option. The dining room that tops the National Portrait Gallery boasts an unexpectedly great view: you’re eye level with Admiral Nelson from his perch in Trafalgar Square, with a view to Big Ben and the London Eye as well.
During the day, the place is pretty stocked with gallerygoers (though there’s sometimes room at the bar). At night, though, it’s easy to find a space at star chef Richard Corrigan’s long, white-tablecloth dining room and order the excellent S&V (salt and vinegar) martini, a good buy at £14, as well as tagliatelle with braised rabbit ragú (£28) and pecorino and guinea fowl schnitzel (£29).
Bloomberg: Mei Ume, City
Here the Peking duck is apple-wood-smoked and comes with shredded leeks as well as cucumber, pancakes and duck sauce (the imposing price tag is £115; the option with osetra caviar is £150 more). Cashews crown the kung pao fried chicken (£29), and the sweet and sour pork (£29) is studded with pomelo. There’s also a long list of sushi and sashimi (15 pieces goes for £58).
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Advertise with NZME.Don’t just take our word for it: “Great food and service in an impressive space,” writes one Bloomberg user. “Hunan Sea Bass v good. … Chilled Tuesday evening. BUY.”
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