The Horses Clerkenwell

A Proper Pub with a Seafood Ambition

Smoked mackerel

There is something reassuring about a good British pub, particularly one that understands that its appeal should extend beyond a decent pint and a bowl of crisps. The best examples manage to combine the warmth and informality of a traditional boozer with food that is genuinely worth making a trip for. The Horses in Clerkenwell is an interesting new addition to this category, arriving with a rather more ambitious proposition than your average neighbourhood local: a pub with a serious focus on British seafood, cooked with a distinctly classical sensibility. Seafood is the main attraction, with oysters, shellfish, smoked fish and whole fish taking centre stage, supported by familiar pub dishes and a handful of meat and vegetable options. The kitchen also works with independent suppliers and draws on produce from the group's own market garden in the Cotswolds, reinforcing its emphasis on sourcing. It is a proposition that makes considerable sense in an area with a strong culinary heritage and a discerning local crowd. Britain's seafood deserves more attention, and a pub that celebrates it through simple, confident cooking is a welcome idea.

Kid

 Turkish Fire, Big Flavours and a Promising New Arrival

Courgette flower, goats cheese, honey 

Kid is one of the more intriguing new arrivals on London's dining scene, bringing together the traditions of Turkish cooking, the drama of live-fire grilling and a contemporary Soho sensibility. The restaurant opened in September 2026, joining forces between chef Sertaç Dirik, formerly of the celebrated Dalston restaurant Mangal II, and restaurateur David Carter, whose portfolio includes Smokestak, Manteca, Oma and Agora. Kid, however, is not simply an attempt to transplant the Mangal II experience from Dalston into the West End. Its culinary ambition is broader, drawing on the food of Central Anatolia, the region connected to Dirik's family heritage, and presenting it through a more contemporary, ingredient-led approach. The menu brings together meze, freshly baked pide, grilled meats, seafood and larger sharing dishes, with the charcoal grill providing the restaurant's beating heart. There is a strong emphasis on the familiar rhythms of Turkish dining: ordering several dishes for the table, passing plates around, tearing bread and using dips and sauces to bring everything together.

74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy

 Old-School Elegance with a Modern Touch

Lobster, Carrot, Lemongrass, Lime

Opened in October 2025, 74 Charlotte Street represents an important new chapter for chef owner Ben Murphy, a chef whose career has been shaped by some of the most demanding kitchens in Europe and America. His experience includes working at Épicure at Le Bristol in Paris, Les Prés d'Eugénie in southwest France, Per Se and Eleven Madison Park in New York, as well as spending four formative years working with the legendary Pierre Koffmann at The Berkeley in London. The location itself previously housed Mere, the restaurant associated with chef Monica Galetti, and the transformation has given the address a fresh identity. Rather than leaning into the dark, heavily decorated aesthetic often associated with traditional luxury restaurants, the interiors feel bright, clean and contemporary, with warm wood, soft tones, carefully chosen furniture and an elegant bar. Murphy's cooking incorporates contemporary combinations and playful details, allowing familiar ingredients to take on a different dimension without sacrificing clarity of flavour. The result is a restaurant that understands the traditions of fine dining but is not interested in making the diner feel that they must observe a strict code of behaviour to enjoy it.

Bocca di Lupo

 My no 1 Italian in London

Ox tongue tonnato with tuna & anchovy sauce

There are restaurants in London that arrive with a great deal of noise, enjoy a few years in the spotlight and then gradually begin to feel like relics of another dining era. Bocca di Lupo is not one of them. Despite having been part of Soho's dining landscape for many years, it still feels remarkably fresh, relevant and genuinely interesting. That is no small achievement in a city where restaurants open and close at an extraordinary pace, and where even successful establishments can begin to feel predictable. Bocca di Lupo has managed to avoid that trap by staying true to its original idea while continually giving diners a reason to come back. The restaurant's focus is Italian food, but importantly, it is Italian food in all its regional variety rather than a generic interpretation of the country's most familiar dishes. The menu moves around Italy, drawing on different traditions, ingredients and styles, with smaller plates sitting alongside more substantial dishes and plenty of opportunities to build a meal according to your appetite.

Noble Rot Soho

 French-Inspired Cooking, Great Wine and a Very Good Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken, Morels & Vin Jaune, Riz au Pilaf

Noble Rot is one of those London restaurant names that carries a certain amount of credibility before you even walk through the door. What started life in 2013 as an independent magazine dedicated to wine, food and the creative arts has gradually evolved into one of the capital's most respected restaurant groups, built around an infectious passion for good cooking, interesting wines and a relaxed approach to dining. The formula proved successful enough to expand, with the Soho restaurant opening in 2020. The food concept is similarly straightforward, although the cooking is anything but ordinary. The kitchen draws on classical French techniques and broader European influences, with a particular affection for rich sauces, seasonal ingredients, quality meat and seafood. Having visited the group's Mayfair restaurant previously, which remains my favourite of the three, I was interested to see how Soho compared, as it has been 3 years since I last dined at the Soho site.