London

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant

Wild Honey

WINNER
Wild Honey
Anthony Demetre and Will Smith – owners of Arbutus, which won Best New Restaurant in the 2006 Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards – certainly have the magic touch. Though Wild Honey is very different from their Soho site in feel and decor (this is an oak-panelled but subtly modern space that’s deeply convivial and made for lingering), the alluring combination of exceptionally good food at fair prices and a user-friendly wine list are the same. We wish more restaurants would copy their genius policy of making all wines available in 250ml carafes as well as by the bottle, and keeping mark-ups low. The menu changes daily. We hope belly of pork with carrot and cumin purée and borlotti beans becomes a staple dish; deeply savoury, with melt-in-the-mouth meat and glorious crackling, it cost just £14.95. Fillet of halibut with Cornish razor clams, langoustines, Ratte potatoes and parsley, though good, couldn’t compete.

Starters also garnered plaudits: a flavoursome Mediterranean fish soup with all the trimmings made a nice contrast with a delicate, summery fresh sheep’s ricotta served with watermelon, peas and pancetta. Pick of the puddings was vanilla waffles with crushed warm strawberries and chantilly cream, though the La Fromagerie cheese board (which takes centre-stage in the dining room) is hard to resist. Service is unstuffy but mostly on the ball; tables are nicely spaced; and, as at Arbutus, you can eat at the bar. Pay a visit as soon as you can; the set lunch, in particular, is astounding value.
Wild Honey, 12 St George St, W1S 2FB (020 7758 9160) Oxford Circus tube.


RUNNERS-UP
Barrafina
There’s an agreeable slickness and bustle about Sam and Eddie Hart’s sleek tapas bar. Unless you eat here outside regular meal times, there will be a queue (check it out on the webcam!), but the staff work hard at keeping waiting diners happy. Once seated at the L-shaped bar (which, apart from the kitchen and grill area behind it, pretty much constitutes the whole shebang) the fun really starts. All the tapas favourites (pimentos de padron, pan con tomate, and so on) are present and correct. Stand-outs included a flavour-packed chickpea, spinach and bacon dish, and light-as-air crema catalan. It’s far more fun than sister restaurant Fino, too, though prices are similarly eye-widening.
Barrafina, 54 Frith St, W1D 4SL (020 7813 8016) Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Rd tube.

Odette’s
The reinvention of Odette’s under music impresario Vince Power’s ownership has brought some striking changes to the NW1 old-timer. The interior, by Shaun Clarkson, is one, and you’ll either like the yellow leather chairs and banquettes, the statement wallpaper and the moody basement bar, or you’ll pine for the old-fashioned romance of yesteryear. You will like the food, though; Bryn Williams cooks like a dream. From a very memorable meal, ice strawberry parfait with poached strawberries and strawberry jam doughnuts was the highlight. The prices (£3.50 for an espresso) are at odds with the fact that Odette’s still feels like a local restaurant, despite the haute nature of the food and service.
Odette’s, 130 Regents Park Rd, NW1 8XL (020 7586 8569) Chalk Farm tube.

Olivomare
A vision in white (and everything is white but one wallpapered wall), this is one sleek restaurant. The food – Sardinian fish and seafood – may be rustic, but it’s served in suave fashion, and ingredients are good quality. Spaghetti alla bottarga (with thinly sliced grey mullet roe) was a deceptively rich plateful. Starters are uncomplicated but equally appetising: grilled squid with marinated tomatoes, pickled white anchovies on rocket and courgette salad, fresh rock oysters. Little touches (the variety of breads and olives served gratis) are well done too. The wine list is short and Italian. Staff are charming, but if you’re not a sloane or a Euro-banker, you may feel like the odd one out.
Olivomare, 10 Lower Belgrave St, SW1W 0LJ (020 7730 9022) Victoria tube/rail.

St Alban
St Alban marks something of a departure for Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, who also run the Wolseley, not only because it is an entirely modern space, but because the mouthwatering menu concentrates on modern Mediterranean dishes. We enjoyed a procession of punchy flavours right from the start: courgette flowers stuffed with salt cod bacalhau, and broad beans with chorizo. Mains were equally impeccable: a nicely spicy Sardinian fish stew and super-juicy seared scallops with a big tangle of samphire. Dark chocolate tart with white chocolate mousse was a fine dessert and the prices are reasonable for this level of restaurant. Charcoal-grilled Shetland Isles salmon with herby lentils costs £14.75 – about what you’d pay in a gastropub.
St Alban, 4-12 Regent St, SW1Y 4PE (020 7499 8558) Piccadilly Circus tube.


Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar
Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Gastropub

Rosendale

WINNER
Rosendale
As soon as the butter arrives, you know you’re in for something special at this sister to Battersea’s Greyhound. Churned in-house by chef Matthew Foxon, he changes the added flavourings as fancy strikes. On the occasion of our second visit, it was coal-smoked – and utterly delicious. From an alluring menu, we were wowed by terrifically tender Barbary duck with seared foie gras. Equally impressive was garlicky lamb rump atop puréed potato; an accompanying conker-sized lamb kofta was superfluous, but we quickly forgave the show-off tendencies. Starters were also a pleasure. Smoked eel with anchovy mayonnaise was garnished with tiny, sweet cubes of apple jelly. Dessert maintained standards: three scoops of thick mousse, one of dark chocolate, one white, one toffee.

The cavernous, echoey space (much shiny wood and leather banquettes) is divided in two: restaurant at the back, where we ate to savour the above dishes; and the bar, with its own shorter menu at the front. You get a lot more than pork scratchings on this bar menu, though, as even a simple burger on another visit was quite sublime. As we dithered over a vast wine list, our pleasant waitress suggested we consult the sommelier. The sommelier is Mark Van der Goot, who with wife Sharon co-owns this pub and the Greyhound. The very notion of a sommelier in a pub highlights the gentrification that is happening across London: the gastropub is evolving into something that is increasingly hard to distinguish from a restaurant, and be warned that beer-drinking is definitely secondary to enjoying the fruits of the vine. Still, with food of this quality, we’re not going to quibble; Rosendale is definitely still a gastropub, it just also happens to prepare damn fine meals. Be aware that the full restaurant menu isn’t served on Mondays, so you’ll have to content yourself with the simpler (but still fabulous) bar menu at the start of the week.
Rosendale, 65 Rosendale Rd, SE21 8EZ (020 8670 0812/www.therosendale.co.uk) West Norwood or West Dulwich rail.

RUNNERS-UP
Brown Dog
Charmingly small, the Brown Dog makes good use of its 150-year-old space. To the left is a cosy bar (ales include Adnams Bitter, London Pride and Harveys Sussex). To the right is a modestly proportioned dining area. A main of boneless quail was one of the best gastropub dishes we’ve had: juicy meat, perfect crisp skin, served in a complex sauce stirred with peas and pancetta. But our vegetarian companion was not so lucky: he had only one choice of main (a rather lifeless feuilleté atop mushrooms and spinach) and not a single choice of starter. The good-natured waitress did her best to minimise the gloom and dessert of toffee pud (sticky, dense, excellent) returned smiles to our faces.
Brown Dog, 8 Cross St, SW13 0AP (020 8392 2200) Barnes rail.

The Narrow
Professional food, professional service: The Narrow is Gordon Ramsay to a T. In a show of commitment to the boozer origins of this riverside site, more than half the ground-floor space is still dedicated to drinkers. Table tops are sleek and stools are shiny, but there are six real ales, benches outside with fine river views, and a bar menu that lists proper pub snacks such as Scotch eggs. The dining room is a smaller, sky-lit space. It’s the small number of tables, as much as the allure of brand Ramsay, that makes the Narrow so hard to get in to; even booking weeks ahead, we had to settle for a Monday lunchtime. Starters of gently spiced potted shrimp and pork pie were both classic dishes, reworked with first-rate ingredients. A main of pig’s cheek in meaty jus, served generously with mashed swede, was terrific value at £10. Battered haddock and chips featured a zingy tartare sauce, and, on a previous visit, baked egg custard with shortbread was faultless.
The Narrow, 44 Narrow St, E14 8DP (020 7592 7950) Limehouse DLR.

Roebuck
The Roebuck in Chiswick is bright and family-friendly. It’s deceptively large, stretching back from a front bar to a big, well-lit dining room and a paved garden beyond. A starter of cured Orkney salmon was almost sashimi-like in texture and freshness; it was set off by a sharp dill vinaigrette. Ham and rabbit terrine was just right, the flavour of the meats distinctive yet complementary. A main of three Cumberland sausages with creamy mash and gravy was as good as that dish gets. Strawberry and almond cake for pud came recommended by a bubbly Antipodean waitress; paired with hazelnut ice-cream, it was superb. Wines are grouped by style, with more than a dozen by the glass. Changing real ales (Mauldons Suffolk Pride, Caledonian Top Banana and Adnams Regatta on our visit) are listed alongside the food, with tasting notes – an excellent touch.
Roebuck, 122 Chiswick High Rd, W4 1PU (020 8995 4392) Stamford Brook or Turnham Green tube.

Waterfront
Part of Young’s expanding portfolio of spanking new riverside gastropubs (there are others in Chelsea and Vauxhall), this huge, multi-levelled room is decorated in a mishmash of modern styles. It looks more bar than gastropub: floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, centrepiece leather booths, and tables of different shapes. Numerous outdoor benches overlook an unlovely stretch of the Thames, nice in summer nonetheless. Starters were above average: an interesting terrine made with aubergines and puréed tomato, and high-quality gravadlax. A caesar salad with grilled chicken was fresh-tasting and generously portioned; we had no complaints. Young’s beers and wines are of the usual excellent class. Staff in sleek black shirts were charming. It’s hard to imagine anyone travelling far to come here – this corner of SW18 has all the character of a supermarket car park – but for residents of the new Battersea Reach development in which it’s housed, the Waterfront will be a wonderful boon.
Waterfront, Baltimore House (Battersea Reach), York Rd, SW18 1TZ (020 7228 4297/www.waterfrontlondon.co.uk) Wandsworth Town rail or C3, 39, 295 bus.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best British Restaurant

National Dining Rooms

WINNER
National Dining Rooms
The dark colours and low ceilings of the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing make for a subdued first impression, not aided by a slightly institutional feel. But the food here is the other end of the scale: individual, delicate and inspiring. This is an Oliver Peyton restaurant, and in culinary terms, we think it’s his best yet. Like Peyton’s earlier venues, it caters to various feeding whims – particularly appropriate given the mixed needs of the clientele here. There’s a prix fixe menu, an afternoon tea, a bar menu and a café counter of appetising pies, tarts and cakes. The prix fixe takes British food to an advanced level of finesse. Tiny crab cakes came in a clear tomato soup of intense flavour, beautifully garnished; and even the piccalilli that ringed the chicken liver mousse was pretty.

The flavours in the beetroot and Wensleydale tart were brilliantly realised, and the quality of ingredients in boiled and roast chicken and foraged mushrooms had been encouraged to shine through. Puds were less impressive, but points for the seasonal sundaes – and also for the Trafalgar Tap ale and a good British rosé wine. Service is polite and enthusiastic once you’re seated (less so front of house) and the acoustics are good. Most customers seem to be gallery-goers from out of town, suggesting that Londoners are missing a trick. Dinner is served only once a week, but lunch here can be a revelation. And if you’re not in the mood for a full meal, the café at the entrance to the dining room proper is an excellent place to try the Peyton & Byrne range of British savouries and cakes, from potted Gloucester Old Spot pork served with toast to hot toasted crumpets served with top-quality England Preserves. The Bakewell Tart, Dundee Cake, and selection of soft drinks in the café is also impressive.
National Dining Rooms, Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN (020 7747 2525/www.thenationaldiningrooms.co.uk) Charing Cross tube/rail.

RUNNERS-UP
Empress of India
The Empress has swiftly become a destination restaurant for east Londoners, but only by virtue of first succeeding as a great local, catering to the day-long sustenance and social needs of a varied clientele. With big windows, a mosaic floor, substantial bar and talking-point shell chandeliers, it refers to pub, restaurant and grand café and works as all three. Food is finessed British gastropub, in pleasing combinations: grilled sardines so fresh they might have swum on to their sourdough toast with tapenade and gremolata; a flavourful Barnsley chop with broad bean bubble cooked with the ability it deserved. Our raspberry cranachan (a traditional Scottish dessert rediscovered by the tartan tourist industry) and plum and frangipane tart were less involving: this is definitely somewhere that does sturdy better than sweet, notably on the rôtisserie, which turns out all manner of meat (including game and rare breeds) for diners to pull apart on wooden boards.
Empress of India, 130 Lauriston Rd, E9 7LH (020 8533 5123/ www.theempressofindia.com) Mile End tube then 277 bus.

Geales
New owners have made this former chippy into a suave and spacious fish restaurant. Its roots haven’t been forgotten, though: the ketchup might come in porcelain jugs rather than squeezy bottles but the core of the menu remains fish in batter and grilled or fried market specials. There are adjustments for gentrification: starters include sea scallops with burnt orange dressing and Thai soft-shell crab (recommended) along with dressed crab and pots of prawns. Cod, hake, haddock and sole arrived beautifully battered and fresh as the new tide; from the specials, our whole Dover sole, which requires an expert hand, was exquisite. Chips and onion rings didn’t let them down, and nor did the classy mushy peas. Service was friendly, with the caveat that we weren’t told the prices of the market fish when we ordered: disingenuous at best since the Dover sole was, at £26, more than twice the £12 stated on the menu (small print warned only that ‘some prices may vary’).
Geales, 2 Farmer St, W8 7SN (020 7727 7528) Notting Hill Gate tube.

Great Queen Street
Sister restaurant to the rated Anchor & Hope gastropub, 32 Great Queen Street shares its unpretentious, buzzy style. The pub-style room, done up in classic gastropub burgundy, positively thrums with conversation and bonhomie – though here the small and tightly spaced tables can make this an irritant. Ranging from snacks and starters to main courses to share, the menu is approachably Modern British: it’s food to tempt and satisfy, rather than educate or impress. Brawn was subtle but enjoyable; Arbroath smokie deliciously savoury; rabbit saddle appropriately rustic; artichokes enormous; shortcrust pastry pies released a rush of aroma when breached. Bottled octopus (really a marinated salad) could have been more interesting and the gooseberries in the otherwise lovely fool were woody, but in general the food was excellent and well-priced. However, it was let down by the service, which was disorganised.
Great Queen Street, 32 Great Queen St, WC2B 5AA (020 7242 0622 ) Covent Garden tube.

Magdalen
Magdalen’s terribly civilised interior, all dark wood, aubergine paintwork and florally accessorised elegance, leads you to believe that its food will be as well-mannered as its staff. A pleasant surprise, then, to be ambushed by some spirited flavours on its daily-changing, largely British menu. Artichoke soup was as glossy in taste as in texture, and salade gourmande a thickly-dressed, enjoyably to-hell-with-it assembly of endive, foie gras, own-made duck ham, walnuts, radish, more duck and French beans. Hereford beef was a fine piece of meat, served with dripping toast too crisp for authenticity but perfect for the dish. It’s a meaty menu – also featuring veal offal, sliced pig’s head and too-bland milk-fed lamb – and the fish we had was not as good (there’s no vegetarian main, either). If anything lets Magdalen down it would be consistency, atmosphere, and maybe the wine list.
Magdalen, 152 Tooley St, SE1 2TU (020 7403 1342/www.magdalenrestaurant.co.uk) London Bridge tube/rail.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Family Restaurant

Tate Modern Café

WINNER
Tate Modern Café
Super-efficient waiters soon put you at ease here, tempering what might be a slightly austere venue: a large, clattery space clad in shiny black and plate-glass. Children especially are greeted with much enthusiasm. The kids’ menu (handed out with a pot of wax crayons, and including art and literacy activities) offers haddock goujons, spaghetti and meatballs or pasta and tomato bake, with a choice of drink and an ice-cream or fruit pudding. Or they can order half-price mains from the adult menu. This features some inspirational light lunches; our favourite was the vivid vegetarian meze plate (houmous and beetroot dips, goat’s cheese, lentils, roasted vegetables and grilled flatbread). Alternatives range from snacks such as potted devilled crab to mains like grilled polenta with wild mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.

You can also get breakfast (organic muffins, sausage ciabatta), afternoon tea and, on Tate Modern’s late-closing nights, dinner (roasted salmon, say, with cauliflower champ and asparagus). It’s all about quality (the fish is from Newlyn, the ice-cream is Roskilly’s) over quantity, always a good idea, especially where kids are concerned. The knickerbocker glory was a mini-masterpiece of vanilla ice-cream, berry jelly and chocolate and raspberry sauces.
Tate Modern Café, Second floor, Tate Modern, Sumner St, SE1 9TG (020 7401 5014) Southwark tube.

RUNNERS-UP
Mudchute Kitchen
A farm fenced in by skyscrapers has obvious appeal for London’s families. Across the yard from the squealing Gloucester Old Spots and clucking Polish White-Crests sits the farmyard kitchen. The tireless young chefs are not apple-cheeked farmers’ wives but they certainly know about wholesome seasonal grub and make lashings of sparkling ginger beer. There’s a big futon for babies to roll about on, a book and toy corner and information boards outlining the history of the Isle of Dogs. The bucolic location has its disadvantages – there are flies – but these are soon forgotten when you taste the food: usually four or five hot options (available in child-priced portions for about £3), simple things (home-laid eggs, own-made jam) on toast, and great cakes.
Mudchute Kitchen, Mudchute Park and Farm, Isle of Dogs, E14 3HP (020 7515 5901) Mudchute DLR.

Munchkin Lane
You don’t have to be toting a tot to come here – the smart upstairs area is a great for coffees, smoothies and light lunches whatever your age – but it’s good to know that the basement, with its toys, chalkboards, Disney screen classics and sweet play den is especially for young children. There are plenty of tables below stairs, so that families can decide to eat in the playroom if the children so wish. The food is a happy fusion of sweet treats and wholesome organics. Kids can choose from a range of nursery favourites – shepherd’s pie, organic fish pie, macaroni cheese or sandwiches – and will enjoy dunking own-made gingerbread men into big cups of kiddiechino.
Munchkin Lane, 83 Nightingale Lane, SW12 8NX (020 8772 6800) Clapham South tube/Wandsworth Common rail.

Pick More Daisies
A friendly Californian-style diner, where family groups make up much of the daytime clientele and toddlers can toddle with impunity. Pick More Daisies’ gourmet burgers are the business: chunky, juicy, and made with prime Charolais beef steak, or, in the case of the Yummy Mummy burger, prime Kobe beef. They come between two blankets of arctic flatbread, rather like quilted pitta. Vegetarian (black bean) and marinated chicken variations are also grand. The children’s menu is pleasing, with peanut butter and jelly grilled sandwiches, stacks of pancakes and baked macaroni cheese. All-day breakfasts include ‘green eggs and ham’ (the green comes from basil oil) – presented like everything else here with care and a sense of fun.
Pick More Daisies, 12 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA (020 8340 2288/www.pickmoredaisies.com) Crouch Hill rail/W3 or W7 bus.

Raviolo
Despite its rather sophisticated looks, Raviolo is a fine family restaurant as well as a lovely local. Children have high chairs and boxes of toys at their disposal, and their own menu lists dishes in the comfort zone (spag-bol penne with tomato sauce, meat lasagne) as well as more adventurous suggestions, such as spinach and ricotta ravioli, baked mushroom crêpes, or a sampling plate like the adult one (comprising wonderful wild mushroom risotto, some delicious meatballs and a pile of creamy mozzarella with sage). It’s good food, served small, which is what every child’s menu should be, and worth a south-westerly train trip.
Raviolo, 1 Balham Station Rd, SW12 9SG (020 8772 0433/www.raviolo.co.uk) Balham tube/rail.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Cheap Eats

Kiasu

WINNER
Kiasu
‘Kiasu’ is a Hokkien Chinese word that roughly means ‘fear of being second best’. But it’s not just for literary convenience that the restaurant has won our Best Cheap Eats category. The reasonable prices are merely a bonus to the exceptional Peranakan cooking. If you ignore the few concessions to Thai and Vietnamese cuisine (as you should when ordering), the menu could be straight out of a Singaporean food court – as could the astonishingly authentic dishes, which are rated with chilli icons to designate hotness.

Hainanese chicken rice (braised white chicken bathed in a sublime, rich stock, £7) was correctly served with three extra dips of ginger, chilli and soy. The laksa ( a giant bowl of noodles and prawns in a rich, thick chilli and coconut soup, £7.50) was easily as good as any we’ve had in Singapore. Just as perfect were starters of otak otak (fish cake wrapped in banana leaf then roasted, £2.50) and roti pratha (a rich-tasting flatbread that’s Singapore’s version of Malaysia’s roti canai, served with curry gravy, £3.50). A fairly informal café atmosphere prevails, but proper wooden furniture and a snazzy blue decor mean Kiasu is, thankfully, a more civilised venue than the bare-bones food courts from which it borrows. So stop and savour.
Kiasu, 48 Queensway, W2 3RY (020 7727 8810) Bayswater or Queensway tube. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £40.

RUNNERS-UP
The Diner
A calculated hotchpotch of retro styles gives this US diner the air of knowing irony it needs to maintain credibility among its trendy Soho neighbours. And The Diner gives them a good run for their money with its fun, friendly attitude and good-quality scoff. Crunchy-out, fluffy-in chips scattered with cajun spice, and a moreish red-cabbage coleslaw proved worthy sides for a delightful burger featuring cheese, bacon and fresh leaves. The ‘Mexican breakfast’ (from the all-day breakfast menu) was a filling plate of scrambled eggs, guacamole, refried beans, salsa and chorizo lardons. Our only disappointment thus far has been a weak, watery Bloody Mary, but maybe that served us right for shunning the house cocktail list.
The Diner, 18 Ganton St, W1F 7BU (020 7287 8962/www.thedinersoho.com) Oxford Circus tube. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £50.

Mother Mash
At Mother Mash the humble spud takes the limelight. A standard, butter-and-milk-based mash is offered alongside a handful of variants including Irish champ (with spring onions and cheese). We had no reason to doubt the crucial ‘mashed to order’ promise as we tucked into the piping-hot, ethereally fluffy mounds placed in front of us. On the side, so to speak, are some very respectable pies such as Angus steak, or haddock and hard-boiled egg. There’s also a choice of gravy, including the parsley sauce or ‘liquor’ traditionally served in the East End pie-and-mash shops of yore. These, too, are the obvious inspiration for the restaurant’s design.
Mother Mash, 26 Ganton St, W1F 7QZ (020 7494 9644/www.mothermash.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £40. Set meals from £6.95.

Ooze
Risotto is one of the supremely simple yet infinitely flexible concepts which have helped make Italian cuisine so globally popular. And given the grossly oversaturated market for the other major dishes in that category – pizza and pasta – it’s a wonder that Ooze is the first place to concentrate on different permutations of gooey rice. Over a dozen colourful risottos are available at any time thanks to a clever method that involves part-cooking batches in advance. On a recent visit, mixed seafood risotto with tomato and courgette was a moreish pleasure, though a homogenous chicken version disappointed. While the recipes aren’t the finest in the world, they’re undeniably tasty, and supplemented by some fabulous salads and desserts.
Ooze, 62 Goodge St, W1T 4NE (020 7436 9444/www.ooze.biz) Goodge St tube. Dinner for two with wine and service: around £40. Lunch: around £12 per head.

Sufi
Sufi is an excellent Persian restaurant that, like the road it sits on, is an unprepossessing little place. The miniature clay kiln at front is the first hint that this is more than a generic neighbourhood grill. A wafer-thin disc of taftoon (flatbread) dough is rolled out and fired as soon as you take your seat, then best consumed with terrific starters such as kashk-e bâdenjân, a rich, earthy dip made from puréed grilled aubergine, garlic and spices. Follow with moist, tender chicken skewers or lamb khoresht fessenjan (stew with walnut and pomegranate sauce). The freshness and quality of ingredients is notable and we’ve found the high standards maintained on repeat visits.
Sufi, 70 Askew Rd, W12 9BJ (020 8834 4888) Hammersmith tube then 266 bus. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £45.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Local Restaurant

Trinity

WINNER
Trinity
Chef/owner Adam Byatt was one of the two Adams that ran Clapham’s much-acclaimed Thyme a few years ago. Now he’s returned to the area – and to form – with Trinity, a textbook model of a great local restaurant. The room is stylish but not flashy, with well-spaced circular tables and foldback windows that are wonderful on warm evenings. Service was impeccable: informed, attentive, with a personal touch that makes every diner feel special. The judiciously chosen wine list caters for all price points. And the food was sublime. Hardened meat-eaters fare well (braised pig’s head), as do lovers of the luxurious (lobster, truffles), and vegetarians get a look-in, too. Each dish is listed by its three main ingredients: a starter of ‘mackerel, cucumber, horseradish’ involved sweet, juicy mackerel fillets, with a smear of not-too-strong horseradish cream plus pickled cucumber in the form of tiny cubes and little curls (dishes look as good as they taste).

‘Beef, oxtail, bone marrow’ (a main) comprised pot-au-feu of Longhorn beef – soft as butter – with punchy oxtail ravioli, bone marrow and a stew of summer vegetables. For dessert, we bravely resisted the temptation of ‘chocolate, chocolate, chocolate’ in favour of passion fruit sorbet (intensely flavoured, perfect texture). Pricing is very reasonable for cooking of this quality, and the set menus, especially the lunch offering, are an absolute bargain.
Trinity, 4 The Polygon, SW4 0JG (020 7622 1199/www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk) Clapham Common tube.

RUNNERS-UP
High Road Brasserie
An offshoot of Nick Jones’ Soho House (there’s a members’ dining room and hotel upstairs, plus a bar in the basement), this is a slick and seductive operation that wouldn’t look out of place in central London, Paris or New York. It’s a good-looking (if noisy) space, with dark wood furniture, green banquettes, and a dove-grey awning over the pavement tables; the colourful, multi-patterned ceramic floor tiles are particularly striking. The classic brasserie menu caters for all appetites, at all hours. It covers everything from seafood (oysters, seafood platters) to sandwiches, burgers and grilled fare (ribeye, chateaubriand), plus regular starters, mains and desserts. You could drop in for breakfast or for cocktails. The food didn’t quite live up to the promise of the menu; it’s good but not flawless. Potted shrimps were excellent (buttery, creamy, packed with flavour), as was a summery chicken casserole with baby turnips, carrots, peas, broad beans and potatoes. However, a main of skate was overcooked, and the accompanying salad was dreary. The shallot vinegar – to go with good-quality oysters – came in a bottle, which made it almost impossible to use. The wine list is appealing, though there’s not much choice by the glass. Impeccable service from staff dressed in long white aprons and black waistcoats, and a buzzing atmosphere compensated; the attraction here is more about generosity of spirit than perfect, finicky food.
High Road Brasserie, 162-166 Chiswick High Rd, W4 1PR (020 8742 7474/www.highroadhouse.co.uk) Turnham Green tube.

Lola Rojo
Forget earthenware crockery and colourful tiles: there’s nothing old-fashioned about Lola Rojo. The two-room space is modern and bright (white and scarlet, with monochrome patterned wallpaper); the staff (all Spanish) are young and upbeat; and the food is contemporary and inventive. The menu – in English – is divided into different tapas: hot, cold, meat, fish, cured meats, paellas and rices. Almost all the dozen dishes we tried were excellent. Ingredients are top-quality: witness the cécina (dried cured beef from León) and the mojama (paper-thin slices of smoked dried tuna). Black rice was vibrantly flavoured, with chunks of squid and a big dollop of aïoli – you’d be pushed to find better in Spain. Ditto the confit of suckling pig with vanilla apple purée. The nueva cocina approach is most evident in the desserts: mango ice-cream sat in a bowl of white chocolate ‘soup’, with a smear of thyme-flavoured toffee. The all-Spanish wine list is an eclectic treat.
Lola Rojo, 78 Northcote Rd, SW11 6QL (020 7350 2262) Clapham Junction rail.

Tapas y Vino
Chef-restaurateur John McClements (who also owns adjoining French restaurants La Brasserie and Ma Cuisine) has created a remit that’s wider than just Spain, with the likes of halloumi, houmous and chicken tagine on the menu. The selection of hot and cold tapas is not as interesting as the ‘speciality’ list, which includes Moroccan pigeon bastilla, snails with Jabugo ham in a dinky pastry case, and zarzuela (the Basque shellfish stew – here an impressively overflowing bowlful). Clams with chickpeas and chorizo was earthy and hearty; gazpacho was suitably thick and tangy. The quality of meat and its preparation was excellent; the use of herbs and spices expert. Yet the tapas cost only £4 each or thereabout – even a small plate of Jabugo ham, which routinely sells for £12 or more in lesser venues. Service was charming, though staff could perhaps be better-informed.
Tapas y Vino, 111 London Rd, TW1 1BJ (020 8892 5417/www.elvinotapas.co.uk) Twickenham rail.

Tom’s Kitchen
'Tom' is acclaimed young British chef Tom Aikens, who runs his own haute cuisine restaurant just round the corner. This is his simpler, cheaper restaurant for the well-groomed Chelsea masses. It’s a bright and attractive space – though noisy. You can visit for breakfast (porridge, full English and, absurdly, Weetabix for £2), lunch, dinner or, at the weekend, brunch – though many dishes appear throughout the day. The menu is a crowd-pleasing mix of British and French influences, with plenty of meaty options (steak tartare, Cumberland sausages with mash and onion gravy, roast rump of beef with Yorkshire pudding) as well as the likes of lemon sole ‘à la française’ and macaroni cheese. We enjoyed excellent eggs Benedict (perfectly cooked eggs, crispy bacon), less so a burger with all the trimmings, though the thick-cut chips were spot-on. Best were the puds: chocolate profiteroles with vanilla ice-cream and a sumptuous chocolate sauce; and own-made vanilla yoghurt with sugared churros. The black-shirted staff were scatty and didn’t smile much.
Tom’s Kitchen, 27 Cale St, SW3 3QP (020 7349 0202/www.tomskitchen.co.uk) Sloane Square tube.

Leffe Best New Restaurant |Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Design

Skylon

WINNER
Skylon
Set at the front of the refurbished Royal Festival Hall (in what used to be the People’s Palace), this lofty space – with floor-to-ceiling windows affording a fantastic view of the Thames – is divided into three separate destinations: a raised bar in the centre separates the formal restaurant area from the more casual brasserie. Skylon is named after Powell and Moya’s celebrated metal sculpture that was considered one of the highlights of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Designed by Conran & Partners, the room is dominated by five enormous bespoke bronze chandeliers, their lozenge shape and ring of fins one of many subtle references to design details around the recently refurbished main building.

Chef Helena Puolakka’s menus contain the likes of Swedish classic Jansson’s temptation, and Finnish-style hot-smoked-to-order fish dishes, but stretches to appealingly familiar dishes such as hamburger, eggs Benedict and chocolate brownie on the grill menu. Sadly the wine list offers little under £5 per 175ml glass. The grill-brasserie is expensive, but the restaurant (with olive green carpet, leather banquettes and dining sofas) is even dearer for dishes such as fricassee of morels and young vegetables, or sea bass en papillote with Spanish ham, fennel, olives and puy lentils. However, staff are friendly and their ‘Star Trek’ uniforms are a fashion sensation.
Skylon, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (020 7654 7800/www.skylonrestaurant.co.uk) Waterloo tube/rail.

RUNNERS-UP
High Road House
One-time Elle Decoration editor Ilse Crawford of Studioilse has created a softly sumptuous interior for this west London outpost of private members’ club Soho House. A muted colour palette gives a clean, fresh feel to the first-floor dining rooms, but the talking point is the collection of hand-printed wallpapers by local artist Marthe Armitage. The basement bar is a sexier proposition, more intimately lit and accentuated with blood red upholstery; one small anteroom comes entirely cushioned, used as a playpen during the day and as a grown-up den after dark. Opening on to the pavement is the public brasserie, with all the trappings of a bustling Parisian café, and some wild ceramic floor tiles.
High Road House, 162-166 Chiswick High Rd, W4 1PR (020 8742 7474/www.highroadhouse.co.uk) Turnham Green tube.

L’Atelier de Joël Robouchon
An increasingly-rare example of no-expense-spared haute-design befitting the fanfare-opening of this celebrated French chef’s London eatery. Spread over four floors (one of offices) the layout makes intimate open kitchens on each floor part of the show, thus taming some otherwise unfriendly spaces. Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon knows how to do opulent, throwing in red leather armchairs, crocodile-skin bar tables, an ornate gold-fronted bar, plenty of lacquered wood, and a fantastic floor-to-ceiling wall of growing greenery. But the aerodynamic Ercuis cutlery is difficult to use and, while a design rigour that stretches to the exact placing of each tiny cube of tomato on your plate has to be admired, for the diner it can sometimes be oppressive.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, 13-15 West St, WC2H 9NQ (020 7010 8600) Leicester Square tube.

Meals @ Heal's
A witty and imaginative café for an otherwise extremely serious furniture store, Meals comes courtesy of the entertaining folk at architectural practice FAT. Effectively an exercise in what you can achieve with digital cutting techniques and some gloss paint, the cupboards suggest a fairy tale landscape of foliage and stars, while fake wooden ‘tablecloths’ and marshmallow pink chairs are the ironic side of twee. This is an uplifting setting in which to consume Oliver Peyton’s upmarket comfort-food classics. And if you’ve no time to stop, grab a pie, cake or salad from Peyton’s shop by the store entrance, also designed by FAT.
Meals, first floor, Heal’s, 196 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7LQ (020 7580 2522) Goodge St tube.

Pearl Liang
Chinese restaurant Pearl Liang takes its cues from the ancient Oriental philosophy of feng shui, with attention to the five elements of fire, wood, earth, water and metal. A sumptuous black marble bar, floor-to-ceiling bamboo poles, a dark wooden screen and a giant wooden abacus greet diners when they arrive, as well as the all-important fountain and fish pond, a portent of money (ie customers). A long mural of mui blossoms dominates the dining area, its colours echoed in the fuchsia furniture throughout the restaurant (a softening of the Chinese lucky colour red), and the fibrous paper sandwiched in the glass walls screening the private function rooms. Mirrors are strategically placed throughout, keeping the energy, or chi, flowing round the space.
Pearl Liang, 8 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, W2 6EZ (020 7289 7000/www.pearlliang.co.uk) Paddington tube/rail.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Bar

The Rake

WINNER
The Rake
Small isn’t the word. Like a licensed Tardis relocated to the streets around Borough Market, The Rake is a miniature haven for lovers of exotic beer– just one tiny room (less than 100sq ft) and a canopied, heated patio adjunct. It’s run by the knowledgeable folks behind the Utobeer stall in the market, and they’re great at giving advice when you’re perplexed by the abundance of choice. We sampled draught pints of German Veltins (a fine pilsner) and Belgian Kriek (a lip-smacking cherry beer) before plunging into the selection of more than 100 bottled beers with a glass of toothsome Power Station Porter, specially imported all the way from Battersea.

There are also ciders, perrys, jenevers and schnapps; pork pies and crisps make up the uncomplicated snack list. Bringing the worlds of bar and pub together, The Rake is a pint-sized gem. Be warned, though, that the bar offers no solace for the wine-lover or cocktail aficionado, and it’s certainly no place for celeb-spotting or lounging on big sofas; you’re strictly here for the beer.
The Rake, Winchester Walk, SE1 9AG (020 7407 0557) London Bridge tube/rail.

RUNNERS-UP
Mocotó
This Brazilian bar-restaurant in Knightsbridge was shortlisted in the Best Bar category but closed in August.

Artesian
Rum’s the thing at the Langham Hotel’s Artesian, where a 50-strong list is growing steadily as the staff are trained in each new variety (always a sign of a classy bar). Prices are serious (£11-£14.50), but our classic Champagne cocktail, made with rum, of course, was irresistible – fizzing with fruit flavours and boasting a lovely molasses finish. Staff are professional and forthcoming, ready with recommendations; drinks are served in remarkably beautiful glassware. A hugely elaborate (and hugely expensive) makeover, courtesy of David Collins, divides opinion. We find it sails nervously close to OTT, and is somewhat schizophrenic, confused between sleek minimalism and opulent old-fashioned luxury. But for excellent cocktails with all the trappings, Artesian is hard to fault.
Artesian, Langham Hotel, 1c Portland Place, W1B 1JA (020 7636 1000/ www.artesian-bar.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube.

Big Chill House
On our visit to this branch of Brick Lane’s Big Chill bar, all the action was taking place on the lively roof terrace. When the sun’s out, this kooky and somewhat knocked-together eyrie is the perfect retreat from the smoky chaos of Pentonville Road. The pervading atmosphere inside is of a club, this ‘House’ being just that – a multi-levelled place with plenty of character within its nooks and crannies. The ground-floor bar is a simple open space with tables and chairs and appealing dark corners. Draught offerings aren’t special – run-of-the-mill lager and cider prevails – though the spirits selection is rather more innovative. Often noisy and busy (it’s a DJ bar, after all), waiting times at the bar can be long, but the Big Chill House has undeniable appeal. Food (hamburgers, fried snacks) is also served.
Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL (020 7427 2540/www.bigchill.net) King’s Cross tube/rail.

Montgomery Place
Montgomery Place is a pleasingly intimate cocktail bar on a busy stretch of Ladbroke Grove. Alex Fitzsimmons and Matt Perovetz from sister bar Dusk (and other London and NYC mixers) have consulted on a cracking cocktail selection. Inspiration for the list comes from great bars of the twentieth century and the classic drinks created therein. Concoctions start at £8.50; you might fancy the Montgomery-style martini (Tanqueray, Noilly Prat, named after Field Marshall Montgomery). Dark walnut tables and low lighting set the tone, and though the place is small, it has a lovely array of seating options: on the street, at the bar, at one of the slide-in diner-style booths, or tucked at the back on a curved banquette. Tap water was provided without asking and the staff seemed to enjoy chatting with customers.
Montgomery Place, 31 Kensington Park Rd, W11 2EU (020 7792 3921/www.montgomeryplace.co.uk) Ladbroke Grove tube.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Traiteur

The Grocer on Elgin

WINNER
The Grocer on Elgin
Honestly – we wanted to give this award to some cute little no-name deli stuck out in Zone 6, but the fact is Ashley Sumner and Vivenne Hayward’s slick set-up is too damn good. You might flinch at the volume of packaging (a dish to feed six requires buying three or four packs rather than one big tray) and its corporate, please-roll-me-out-nationwide styling, but it affords the essential detail competitors miss: clear instructions for reheating that you can refer to when you’re back home. The Grocer (which is not really a grocer) also offers an unparalleled choice of dishes from the upright self-serve chiller cabinets lining the walls. Like curries? You’re well served here, with Thai green, vegetable and duck curries, orange lentil dhal, korma-style dishes, plus saffron rice and satay chicken kebabs.

Is French food more your thing? You could pair braised beef in red wine and thyme with truffle mash, slow-cooked carrots and/or little gem, peas and Alsace bacon. Unlike supermarket brand products, the dishes here don’t all seem to taste the same, either – the rich spicy flavours of our lamb and prune tagine were notably different from the Moroccan meatballs, though both dishes were inspired by North African cuisine. Desserts are something to look forward to with chef Frederic Flamme’s background as a pastry chef. Packaged options (which even include Eastern-style options such as mango and almond jelly) are expanded with an array of baked goods including beautifully blowsy meringues in exotic flavours, lamingtons and cheesecake. The problem isn’t finding, it’s choosing.
The Grocer on Elgin, 6 Elgin Crescent, W11 2HX (020 7221 3844/www.thegroceron.com) Ladbroke Grove tube.

RUNNERS-UP
Hand Made Food
You might not guess it from the genteel neighbourhood, modish menu or the buzz emanating from the semi-open kitchen, but Hand Made Food has a strong ethical stance. Chef-patron Fergus Clague and wife Vicky, who have been running this combined traiteur, deli, café and catering business for 12 years, support local producers, use free-range and organic meats, and – perhaps most unusually – employ several chefs full-time year-round to give the staff security of income. There is a wide range of dishes chalked up on the blackboard – paella, perhaps, studded with juicy chunks of chorizo and chicken, will stand alongside slow-roast pork with apricot and sage, plump homity tarts and bastilla dusted with icing sugar. Take one of the floppy plastic buckets to collect artisan groceries from the shelves, including Sharpham Park spelt cereals, French moscatel vinegar, Seggiano pasta and England Preserves’ London marmalade – made in Deptford, that really is local.
Hand Made Food, 40 Tranquil Vale, SE3 0BD (020 8297 9966/www.handmadefood.com) Blackheath rail.

Melrose and Morgan
When Ian James and Nick Selby first set up Melrose and Morgan, they thought it should be a high-quality grocer with kitchen attached. But they soon realised that local customers wanted ready-prepared foods, and tailored the operation accordingly. A huge table down the centre of the store groans with cakes and pastry-cased savouries; at the far end one of the in-house chefs may be crumbing joints of chicken or carving the organic, home-baked ham to serve with, say, a salad of lentils, vegetables and frisée. Turn to the chillers and choice explodes, with popular smoked haddock fish pie, potted shrimps, seasonal soups and delicious desserts such as Valrhona chocolate mousse, poached fruits and trifle. James and Selby have recently built a new off-site kitchen under the railway arches near Chalk Farm. Currently the deli’s in preservation mode: look out for sweet pickled white peaches, apricot kernel jam and pear and fennel chutney on the shop’s shelves soon.
Melrose and Morgan, 42 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JD (020 7722 0011/www.melroseandmorgan.com) Chalk Farm tube.

Tavola
Owned by acclaimed former chef Alastair Little and wife Sharon, this friendly shop is the only one of our shortlist not to have the benefit of café seats. Its success, therefore, really does rest on the output of the kitchen and the skill in sourcing covetable groceries that will make customers shop here and not at one of the other good food shops in the vicinity. Cleverly, this is not just a place to buy dinner: daily lunchbox options may include buffalo mozzarella salad or tandoori chicken. A central table displays large terracotta bowls of – perhaps – minted artichokes, mayo-free coleslaw, harissa-marinated chicken and poached peaches. Confident in their customers’ adventurous tastes, Tavola's chiller cabinet holds the likes of rabbit sauce for pasta and Vietnamese pho, as well as down-home classics like lasagne. Many of the cakes are bought-in, as are the Alba Gold ice creams, but these are first-rate lines from artisan producers.
Tavola, 155 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS (020 7229 0571) Westbourne Park or Bayswater tube.

Trinity Stores
The blackboard outside proclaims ‘Easy Supper @ Trinity’, and offers suggestions to locals walking home from the station. This friendly deli-café aims to ensure that people can take away supper for two for around a fiver. The choice of dishes is not extensive, but nearly everything we tried was utterly delicious. Juicy kebabs of chicken and peppers marinated in honey and mustard were paired with deceptively simple couscous salad – something with too many ingredients would have detracted from the main course. A self-serve chiller cabinet holds own-made seasonal soup (say, courgette, pepper and pea) and tubs of dippy-saucy-nibbly things such as rocket and ricotta pesto, tomato salsa, and celeriac remoulade, plus packs of La Tua fresh pasta, which is made in London. The chocolate mousse was good, but the lemon posset stunning. Trinity Stores is a great addition to Balham’s burgeoning food scene, and active in the community.
Trinity Stores, 5 & 6 Balham Station Rd, SW12 9SG (020 8673 3773) Balham tube/rail.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Best Coffee Bar

Fernandez & Wells

WINNER
Fernandez & Wells
Fernandez & Wells runs an interesting pair of operations round the corner from one another: a takeaway/ delicatessen in Lexington Street, specialising in highest-quality Spanish products and cooked dishes, and this café, offering a smaller, slightly different range. Here the emphasis is on sandwiches (made at the other store) and wonderful baked goods that are mostly bought in from first-class suppliers such as Melrose and Morgan and Flour Station. Grab some Valrhona chocolate mousse tart with raspberries if you can. There’s no slouching on the coffee either, made using the espresso blend from the Monmouth Coffee Company, and with textbook crema (foam) on top.

The light, bright, simply-decorated room has ample seating at tables and benches, and service is smiling and attentive; everyone working here seems to genuinely enjoy what they do. And they bring you, unasked, a glass of water to go with your espresso – always a sign of extra care. A delightful establishment in every respect.
Fernandez & Wells, 73 Beak St,W1F 9SR (020 7734 1546/www.fernandezandwells.com) Piccadilly Circus tube.

RUNNERS-UP
Bullet
To reach Bullet, you have to climb three flights of stairs in a most unexpected location: the Covent Garden branch of Snow + Rock. It’s worth the trek, even if you don’t have rock shoes or belays, as this little jewel of a café serves coffee and food of exemplary quality. The espresso is expertly made by Kiwi baristas using own-roasted Fairtrade organic beans (also available for sale). The usual milky variants include flat whites (see review below). Snacks are a cut above, too: wonderfully crisp pissaladière (thin onion tart on flaky pastry) and dreamily dense chocolate brownies. More substantial dishes, such as savoury pies, are all made in the small kitchen at the back.
Bullet, Third Floor, Snow & Rock, 4 Mercer St, WC2H 9QA (020 7836 4922) Covent Garden tube.

Flat White
Down Under, ‘flat white’ means coffee made with a large shot of espresso and a hefty dose of milk that’s frothed a bit less than in a cappuccino. The drink has also given its name to one of the buzziest coffee shops in London, the creation of an Antipodean partnership (one Aussie, one Kiwi). This tiny dark spot seems to be constantly crowded, with customers spilling out onto the pavement even when the weather’s less than Sydney-sunny. Most people order milky drinks, and they’re probably better off with that than with an espresso. Though expertly made using beans from Monmouth, it was just too intense for palates accustomed to Italian-style espresso.
Flat White, 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT (020 7734 4384/www.flat-white.co.uk) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Nordic Bakery
This large, high-ceilinged, exceptionally lovely room is decorated with impeccable and very contemporary Scandinavian good taste. You’ll find a small food offering (mostly baked goods and Scandi-style sandwiches) and good coffee. Order from the counter and you’ll be brought a tray at the table by notably charming staff. The espresso is good if not perfect, but perhaps it’s made in a style that Finns – the world’s largest consumers of coffee per capita – especially like. A perfect spot for leisurely perusal of the papers, a book, or even your laptop, if you must, Nordic Bakery is a quiet and contemplative experience, something that’s all too rare in bustling Soho.
Nordic Bakery, 14 Golden Square, W1F 9JF (020 3230 1077/www.nordicbakery.com) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Sacred Café
Keeping the espresso machine on a nineteenth-century Welsh wooden pulpit is just one of the religious motifs in this friendly haven. Sacred is set on two levels: a small, light and airy ground-floor room and a dark, attractive basement with plenty of seating and artworks for sale. The coffee beans are Fairtrade, and our espresso was perfect: lovely crema, beautifully balanced; it needed no sugar. The food was good, if not exceptional. A smoked salmon sandwich with mascarpone was excellent, but tasty lemon tart and cheesecake were let down by their soggy bases. Generous salads and some hot dishes are also available to satisfy the Carnaby Street shopping and office punters who should mark this spot down as a favourite.
Sacred Café, 13 Ganton St, W1F 9BL (020 7734 1415/www.sacredcafe.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube.

Leffe Best New Restaurant | Best Gastropub | Best British Restaurant | Best Family Restaurant | Best Local Restaurant | Best Cheap Eats | Best Bar | Best Design | Best Traiteur | Best Coffee Bar

Special thanks to Leffe, sponsors of the Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008, as well as the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards, and for supplying tasty speciality beer on the night. Also thanks to Xellent Swiss Vodka, Penfolds Wines, Perrier and Vittel for providing us with refreshing drinks for the awards, and the Wellcome Collection for lending us their impressive Medicine Now gallery.

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