London's top 50 restaurants
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By Time Out Food & Drink editors
Updated: Fri Oct 28 2011 British | Gastropubs | Indian | Oriental | French | Italian | Vegetarian | Modern European | Spanish | Best to impress | Best service | Best for grazing | Something different | Map Best Oriental restaurants
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Barshu
28 Frith Street, W1D 5LF
Since opening in 2006, Barshu has done much to popularise Sichuan cuisine in London. The strong flavours of slow-cooked dong po pork knuckle in chilli oil is typical of the dishes that give your taste buds an invigorating whack. Spice lovers we may be, but we still recommend avoiding the dishes marked as hot, because here they really mean it. Barshu remains an exceedingly charming venue, its decor modelled on that of an old Beijing teahouse, complete with elaborate wood carvings and tasselled lanterns. Its owners also now run two other restaurants nearby, Ba Shan which champions northern dishes, and the cheap Baozi Inn café.
When to go: If you know your way around a Cantonese menu, and want something with more kick.
What to have: Classic Sichuan dishes such as fish-fragrant aubergines or dong po pork. Read more
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Busaba Eathai
22 Store Street, WC1E 7DS
Alan Yau founded this Thai fast food restaurant in 1998, yet it’s kept up with the times remarkably. In 2008 Yau sold it to an investor, which has resulted in new branches popping up in prime sites such as Hoxton, Leicester Square and next to Selfridges, yet we’re pleased to report that standards have not dropped at the two original branches (Bloomsbury and Soho). What has ensured Busaba’s longevity are the more unusual dishes which you won’t find on the usual roll-call of the Thai top 50.
When to go: With a friend or two for for an off-peak lunch/dinner.
What to have: It’s hard to wrong here, but we especially rate the betel-leaf wraps, the som tam and both versions of the pad thai. Read more
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Cah Chi
34 Durham Road, SW20 0TW
This original branch of Cah Chi in Raynes Park has long been one of our favourite Korean restaurants. You won’t find watered-down Korean food – all the dishes we’ve tried here have been confidently rendered with no compromise on flavour. Crisp pa jeon (a sort of pancake) filled with fresh seafood and spring onions, or strips of raw beef sizzling in a stone bowl (dolsot) with rice, pickles and vegetables, being just two of many great examples. There are plenty of more esoteric dishes for the adventurous, such as pigs' ears casseroles, pig's liver dishes and blood pudding.
When to go: For Korean food without the clichéd barbecue-side theatrics.
What to have: Fill up on the panchan (small side dishes) and move swiftly on to the grilled marinated meats. Read more
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Dinings
22 Harcourt Street, W1H 4HH
This tiny Japanese restaurant, set in a beautiful Georgian townhouse, is a place we recommend for a treat. The contemporary take on Japanese cuisine means small plates are rechristened as ‘Japanese hot tapas’ and nigiri are topped with salsas, truffle and jelly cubes of ponzu (a citrus-tinged soy sauce) – to delicious effect. Dishes are immaculately styled, yet presentation is always trumped by flavour; slivers of lightly seared rosy duck breast served with a shiso salsa and ponzu sauce looks as divine as it tastes. It’s no surprise, then, that a meal here doesn’t come cheap.
When to go: With some fashionable friends in tow – these plates were meant for grazing.
What to have: Tickle your tastebuds with the delightful ‘tar tar’ chips – like mini tacos filled with crabmeat or scallop, salmon and tuna tartare. Read more
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Koya
49 Frith Street, W1D 4SG
The Japanese ethos of devoting a restaurant to one dish or ingredient is admirable, yet rarely seen in this city. The fact that Soho would become home to a highly authentic udon-ya (a place specialising in udon – a thick, springy wheat noodle) was perhaps unthinkable even a year ago. The noodles are freshly made daily, utilising a traditional foot-kneading method to achieve that desirable chewy texture, and the broths are deeply flavoured with three types of dried fish. Udon dominates the menu, but the small plates (such as slow-cooked pork belly, or lotus root salad) are excellent as side orders, too. Chilled tap water is free, the staff are sweet and while seating might be cramped and the queues inevitable, a bowl of these noodles is always worth the wait.
When to go: All year round – opt for cold noodles in a chilled dipping sauce in hot weather, or a bowl of piping hot udon in broth when you’re chilled to the bone. Always go off-peak.
What to have: All variations are excellent, but none are complete without that silky smooth slow-cooked egg (onsen tamago) to go on top. Read more
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Manchurian Legends
12 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BP
Sichuan is so over. With regional Chinese cuisines in Chinatown sprouting like bamboo in a rainstorm, there's no need to limit yourself to just Cantonese or Sichuan dishes any more. For culinary adventurers with chopsticks at the ready, Dongbei food is a blast of fresh air from north-eastern China, a surprise even if you think you know Chinese food. When to go: This is the ideal place for the coming cooler month, with a menu of warming spiced dishes.
What to have: The meaty skewers are the highlights, particularly the chilli-dusted lamb and cumin-spiced chicken wings. Read more
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Nahm
5 Halkin Street, SW1X 7DJ
Nahm’s fronted by the world’s most acclaimed Thai chef, Australian David Thompson – although he spends most of his time in Bangkok. Despite this, standards remain high even in his absence. The Thai dishes are imaginative and unusual ingredients abound; shards of banana blossom, logans and grilled chilli jam can appear in unexpected places. Despite this, the balance of flavours – salt, sweet, bitter, chilli heat – is always correct, in the Thai way. Don’t expect a tropical interior though, because – like a Lib-Dem frontbencher – the room is smart, but a bit dull.
When to go: Lunch is great value.
What to have: Go vegetarian. Read more
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Song Que
134 Kingsland Road, E2 8DY
The over-enthusiastically long menu at this Kingsland Road stalwart might not suggest anything special is going on in the kitchen, but the nightly queues out the door dispel all doubts. While neighbouring restaurants have chased the trendy Shoreditch pound by tarting up their interiors, Song Que remains resolutely perfunctory in design (although the toilets have been seriously spruced up – not before time). The draw is the low prices and the fairly high standards of the food. Almost all dishes on offer are good, but the perfectly balanced broth in the pho is a work of art.
When to go: When you need a cheap, large, appetising meal in Shoreditch.
What to have: It’s got to be the pho. Read more
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Yashin
1a Argyll Rd, W8 7DB
London may not be lacking high-end sushi restaurants, but Yashin’s offerings manage to bridge a gap between quality and creativity. Like some sushi bars in Japan, soy sauce and wasabi are not offered at the table for diners to use as they please; instead, the itamae (sushi chef) crafts and seasons each piece differently, to bring out certain qualities of every (shell)fish. Here, a fatty piece of salmon nigiri may be lightly blowtorched to bring out its flavoursome oils, which is then cut through with cubes of tangy, citruous ponzu jelly. Or a sweet milky scallop may benefit from the gentle heat of a jalapeño salsa. The combinations are exciting (tuna and gorgonzola, anyone?), but never reckless. This is the place to truly experience omakase – that is, to leave everything in the chef’s (very capable) hands.
When to go: When you can’t take another day of fridge-cold supermarket sushi.
What to have: Sushi, naturally, but don’t miss its brilliant own-made silken tofu. Read more
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19 comments
Why is most of the best veggie restaurants not actually vegetarian!? If I wanted to limit my choices to just the 'veggie options' of a menu, I would go to any place on the high street. More actual vegetarian restaurant reviews would be nice
The Moti Mahal in the best Indian category? The food we had bland, uninspired and pretentious. Surroundings are pleasant enough and the staff are friendly but the food we had was dull and quite frankly, I have often had far better Indian food in my local High Street. £150 for two with wine made it vastly overpriced for what it was. Save your money and head for Brick Lane
I went to Hawksmoor in Spitalfields for lunch last year with great expectations. Was very disappointed. Firstly, was shown to the bar first instead of a table even though the restaurant was almost empty. Would have preferred having my drink at the table. I had a very expensive burger which was fatty and lacking flavour. This might have been a one-off but I doubt I will go back.
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I haven't any word to appreciate this post.Thanks a lot for sharing.... Looking forward to reading your next post.
Song Que ??!!!! One of the best oriental restaurants in London??!!!! My God... HOW??? That's it for me getting my recommendations from Time Out. Greasy, poor service, too salty and it goes on....
Who the hell are these reviewers!!!!!
I went to the Steak Exchange restaurant and bar on exchange square last week and its a little gem. I usually go to Hawksmoor when im craving a good feed but a friend recommended we try Steak Exchange and we are so glad we did the steak was just as good if not better than Hawksmoor. Great atmosphere on a busy friday night, the staff could not do enough for us and the pudding list was to die for. I Think this new steak restaurant is a real winner and should be featured as its definately one to visit in london.
Have been to Hawksmoor in Covent Garden several times and so pleased to see it high on the list. It is truly great, not only because of the amazing steak and other dishes (ohhhh the desert menu!!!) but for it's amazing cocktails, lovely, warm staff and beautiful venue.
Maybe it was an off night when I went to Veeraswamy but feel there are several better Indian restaurants in London (Cinnamon Club & Tamarind)
I'm surprised to see Magdalen in Tooley Street missed off this list !
Mien Tay is the worst Vietnamese restaurant I've been to, so I'm not surprised it is nowhere to be seen.
@Unashamed Human:
Ever heard of live and let live?... Just because you are unashamed, doesn't mean everyone feels the same. I'm not vegetarian, but if I was, I am sure I would like to know the best vegetarian restuarants in London. What does it hurt you if some feel like that?
Very tasty food in Basaba Eathai at Westfield but don't like the concept of serving starter and main at the same time which results in eating cold food. Strong sense that you are required to eat, pay and go. Small thick glasses containing small amount of whatever you are drinking. Also, something that is nowadays so common but to someone of my age incredibly rude, the waiting staff pass food etc in front of the client instead of from the side.
I agree with Ian. You need to get with the program re Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw food restaurants. What about SAF in Hoxton, Manna in Primrose Hill, The Gate in Hammersmith, Vita Organic and Zilli Green in Soho to mention a few.
For some reason I can't possibly fathom, Angels & Gypsies continues to be lauded by food critics. It's a lovely little restaurant, but the food is indifferent and very expensive for what it is. Don't bother braving a 30 minute bus ride down the Walworth road shit hole to eat there.