My Favourites, Fall 2015

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The last time I updated this page was way back in April 2012 – feels like a lifetime ago. The London restaurant scene continues to undergo rapid transformation, sadly some of my favourite haunts have left the game, but the good news is that lots of interesting new players have come into the picture.

This year, I decided to streamline into a list – less words, easier to scan, easier to update – and hopefully this will help you find your next meal. It is by no means definitive, just a list of places that I love. I’ve also included the few places which I was fortunate enough to visit on my travels.

(You can sort the list by clicking on the headings.)

It’s been 7 years now since I started this blog, thank you for joining me along the way and I hope you continue eating fabulous things.

TL:DR – Medlar , Goodman, Cambio de Tercio.

Restaurant£ppCuisineLocationPublic TransportLatest BlogpostLast visit (IG)No. of visitsNotes
House of Curry02 - 04Roti PrataBrunei--2015-023Forget Roti King. This is the BEST roti I've ever had in my life. It's seriously that good. Those condiments.

Worth a flight to Brunei just to eat this.
Prufrock03 - 05CoffeeLondon, UKHolborn2011201310+Favourite cafe in London
Glorious BBQ King03 - 10ChineseThe Venetian,Macao--20142Best chicken rice Ive ever had - like polished porcelain... meat has layers!
Pizzarium05 - 10ItalianRome, Italy--2014-013Honestly my favourite pizza place ever. They do hundreds (or thousands?) of toppings every year. It's crazy good. Took a box on the plane with me.

If pizzas were like a box of chocolates.
Shake Shack10BurgersLondon, UKCovent Garden-201510+McDonalds 2.0
Bleecker St.10BurgersLondon, UKLiverpool Street-2015-142Lives up to its hype, just solid burgers.
Tommi's Burger Joint10 - 15BurgersLondon, UKBaker Street2012-102014-125-10The steak burger with béarnaise. Quality.
Shoryu10 - 20JapaneseLondon, UKOxford Circus2013-02201510 - 20All about the non-ramen dishes.. The wagyu skewers, the genki don, superb prawn tempura and frozen kirin.
Flat Iron Steak10 - 25SteakhouseLondon, UKOxford Circus-20156Not just serving flatirons anymore. Unique cuts from good breeds.

Incredible value for money. The burger with Béarnaise , The irish beef belly steak for £15.
The Fish Shed15Fish & ChipsTopsham, UK-2012-04-1
Trattoria Meloncello15 - 30ItalianBologna, Italy--2013-071Indebted to Helen for this rec. Mythic tagliatelle al ragù, and a beautiful restaurant run by two sisters.
Bao Soho20 - 30Taiwanese Street foodLondon, UKLeicester Square20152015-062
Spuntino20 - 30American London, UKPiccadilly Circus20112015-0310+Still my favourite Russell Norman haunt. Less busy these days, making it a great place to relax for long afternoon snacks.
Vintage Salt20 - 30Fish & ChipsLondon, UKIslington-2015-073Favourite fish and chips in London.
Jingogae20 - 40KoreanLondon, UKMotspur Park2015-112015-073After moving to the area, this is my favourite of the many Korean restaurants in New Malden.

They specialise in Kalbi Tang (spare rib soup). Also their Bossam is pretty spectacular.
Roti Chai20 - 40IndianLondon, UKBond Street2012-0420145
Roscioli25 - 40ItalianRome, Italy--2014-011The best carbonara. In the world. Likely.

They also sell the carbonara home kit. We tried it - look here. Its amazing. The Conero Guanciale.
Shi Yang25 - 40TaiwaneseTaipei, Taiwan-2012-0120121Perched on the side of a mountain. Unforgettable, spirit-nourishing stuff.
Antidote25 - 50French, Wine BarLondon, UKOxford Circus2014-042015-085Change of chefs in 2015, but still bloody great. Scallops, Fish, Suckling Pork Belly. I prefer this to Hedone, so...
Yu Ding Xiang30 - 40ChineseTaipei, Taiwan--2015-091The Best Peking Duck I've ever had.
Copita30 - 40Spanish TapasLondon, UKOxford Circus20112014-065
L'Archangelo30 - 50ItalianRome, Italy--2014-011The best amatriciana I've ever had.
Smokehouse30 - 50Pub & BBQLondon, UKHighbury & Islington, Gunnesbury2013-102015-085Favourite sunday (pork) roast.
Atari-ya Swiss Cottage30 - 50JapaneseLondon, UKSwiss Cottage 2010-062015-0320-30Long-time Japanese importer with numerous locations. Swiss Cottage branch is my favourite izakaya-style in London. Just easy and good value. Great for midweek tuna-fix like this
Quality Chop House30 - 50 BritishLondon, UKFarringdon2015-072015-071
The Lockhart30 - 50American SouthLondon, UKMarble Arch2014-102015-054Unassuming but really serious cooking, like this short ribs dish. Mind-blowing. Brad is a hugely talented chef.
Social Wine & Tapas30 - 50Tapas and WineLondon, UKBond Street2015-0620153I do like Berners Tavern too, but I think my favourite Jason Atherton has to be this one. Food is glorious, scallops and those toasties.
Pizarro30 - 60SpanishLondon, UKLondon Bridge2012-102014-105
St John Group30 - 60BritishLondon, UKFarringdon , Liverpool Street2010201410+Its the quintessential classic. If you've never, you should.
Parlour Kensal Green30 - 70Pub & ReataurantLondon, UKKensal Rise2014-0820152
A.Wong30 - 75ChineseLondon, UKVictoria2014-022015-065My favourite Chinese restaurant in London, both for dinner and dim sum.

The duck egg buns are peerless (in London).

I also love his beef hofun - with scratch of lemon zest, genius.

Andrew continues to innovate with his recipes. He loves visiting restaurants too, so feel free to sit at bar and chat with him. Always something different here.
Yashin30 - 100JapaneseLondon, UKGloucester Road, High Street Kensington20102015-066-10I prefer Ocean House to the original. More cooked dishes, plus they've got a good chef who does the hot food there.

Interesting things such as this Ishiyaki Sukiyaki.

The Yashin 8 still hits the spot.
Ember Yard35 - 50Spanish TapasLondon, UKOxford Circus2014-0320141Had to put a Ben Tish restaurant on this list. All of the Yards (and Tavern) are brilliant. Can't go wrong.
Kyubei35 - 120JapaneseTokyo, Japan--2015 3At today's exchange rate, you can get 10 pieces for £35 as lunch. It may have lost its reputation to the younger guys, but it's still an institution and offers ridiculous value, and the skills are still there. Custard tamago and dancing shrimp and those unagi/anago.
Lyle's40 -70British ModernLondon, UKLiverpool Street2014-102015-032
Bob Bob Ricard40 - 70Anglo-RussianLondon, UKPiccadilly Circus2012-0720145Crazy fun and more importantly incredible wines, vodka and bubbles at decent prices.
Medlar40 - 70FrenchLondon, UKBus 328 to Worlds End20152015-0715-20My favourite restaurant in London.

Pictures of dishes through the years (1, 2, 3, 4)
Portland40 - 75British ModernLondon, UKOxford Circus2015-032015-083Fantastic reserve wine list at great prices. Will is doing great things to change the way we buy quality wine in restaurants.

Of course, the food is proper too. Merlin is a chef to follow.
Engawa40 - 100JapaneseLondon, UKOxford Circus2015-0620152Best during lunch, especially the wagyu katsu.
Sushi Tetsu40 - 100JapaneseLondon, UKFarringdon-2012-062Like those Ginza legends, a pain to book, but absolutely fantastic sushi.
Lurra45 - 60Spanish GrillLondon, UKMarble Arch2015-1020151
Tango bar & kitchen50 -75NorwegianStavanger, Norway--2013. (1, 2, 3 , 41Basically this is one the best restaurants in Norway. The chef, Tony Martin is extremely talented lad and has dubbed his restaurant's style 'rough fine dining'.

If you end up in the south of Norway, make this your number 1 priority.
The Manor50 - 75British ModernLondon, UKClapham Common2014-122014-121Best meal in 2014.
The Sportsman50 - 80Pub & RestaurantWhitstable, UK-2011-1020111As time goes by, it is becoming clear that this is the perfect example of a British restaurant. I'm due a return...
Bonhams Restaurant50 - 80British ModernLondon, UKBond Street2015-102015-101Best meal in 2015 so far. I'm itching to go back.
The Clove Club50 - 100British ModernLondon, UKOld Street2013-0720131Young Turks. Love them to bits. Those buttermilk chicken nuggets. Don't miss.
Goodman & Beast50 - 100SteakhouseLondon, UKOxford Circus , Canary Wharf, Bank20112015-0420-30Favourite steakhouse in London.

But you must also try their Norwegian king crab at Beast. Yes I know, very expensive, but it is worth it.
The Hind's Head50-75Pub & RestaurantBray, UK-2010-0520101Always thought of this as the precursor to Dinner. In many ways, Hinds Head may just be better than either Dinner or Fat Duck. Easier to get into and much cheaper, but food is just as brilliant.
Koffmans60 - 80FrenchLondon, UKHyde Park Corner-20145La Tante Claire reborn. The perennial classic. Every meal has been about Trotters and Pistachio Souffle, with that amazing mash, in that order.
Dabbous60 - 80British ModernLondon, UKGoodge Street20122012-022It's on this list purely because I had 2 great meals, and then it became impossible to book (more accurately, they allowed crazy advanced bookings). I think its easier to get into now, so I'll be back soon...
Peter Luger60 - 80SteakhouseNew York, USA--20131The Original.
Ming Court60 - 100ChineseMongkok, Hong Kong-2014 2014-101Because Charsiu.
Cambio de Tercio60 - 100Spanish ModernLondon, UKGloucester Road2011, 20102014-0620-30Favourite Spanish in London. Been coming here for 12 years, never disappoints.
The Square60 - 130FrenchLondon, UKBond Street2014-0320143Phil Howard, nuff said.
Marcus60 - 150FrenchLondon, UKKnightsbridge2014-042015-02 (Taster Menu Pics : 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)4IMHO the best 2 stars in London. The 3rd star must be soon. Always perfection. I still revere Marcus Wareing after all these years. Don't miss the egg tart. It really still the best in the world.
Sabi Omakase110 - 220JapaneseStavanger, Norway-2015-1020151Norwegian Crab, Langoustines, Scallops, Salmon, Mountain trout + careful sushi ageing techniques + crazy good wine.
Sushi Saito150 - 300JapaneseTokyo, Japan-2012-0920121Best sushi I've ever had.
The Fat Duck255++British ModernBray, UK-2010-0420101Can't believe it was 5 years ago. It was £150 then, now its... gasp. They re-opened this year after long refurb, now with floating pillows. I need to go back..
Katsukara20-30JapaneseKyoto and Tokyo, Japan--2013, 20124No ceremony, just brilliant Tonkatsu, from this chain restaurant that has a bunch of locations across Kyoto and Tokyo.

This is my favourite Tonkatsu. I prefer this to the famous Maisen.

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