Ibai

London's finest 

King crab rice

Yes another Ibai post, it is now my no 1 London restaurant alongside The Ledbury. What I love about Ibai is the casual vibe and top-notch open fire cooking. This is a place that wants you to pay attention, not to be impressed by tricks. The Basque influence is clear but not shouted. It is present in the restraint, in the respect for ingredients, in the way fire and salt seem to be treated as tools rather than signatures. The menu reads with clarity. It does not try to do everything. It makes choices and stands by them. You sense that the kitchen is more interested in depth than range, and that confidence is reassuring. The below covers my 16th and 17th visits.

Bonheur by Matt Abé

 Another legend in the making?

Celeriac, Royale Oscietra caviar, allium, hazelnut

Bonheur by Matt Abé arrives in Mayfair with the quiet confidence of someone who has spent nearly two decades learning how to make the exceptional look effortless. Housed at 43 Upper Brook Street in the very building that once sheltered Le Gavroche, the restaurant signals both a respect for British fine-dining heritage and a desire to start a new chapter.  Bonheur opened in early November 2025 as Matt Abé’s first solo venture after a long career under Gordon Ramsay and others, and the project is backed by Ramsay himself, who secured a long lease on the premises — a level of institutional support that helps explain the impeccably choreographed service and the resources poured into the dining room.

The Cocochine

The finest British ingredient showcase

Ceylon King Crab Salad, Consommé, Apple

Walking into The Cocochine in Mayfair feels less like entering a restaurant and more like stepping into a carefully composed mood. The room is calm, softly lit, and has a 'very Mayfair' club vibe. Co-owned by chef Larry Jayasekaram, the cooking respects tradition without being trapped by it and embraces refinement without losing warmth, thanks to Larry's light touch of his Sri Lankan roots. It appeals to diners who value craft and comfort in equal measure. Reason being it has access directly in the food supply chain, as another co-owner has an Island in Scotland for seafood and a farm in Northamptonshire for meat and vegetables. It has recently replaced its ALC offering with a tasting menu, which I feel is the right approach that enables Larry to be more playful in his cooking.

74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy

Chef Ben's new gig in London

Lobster, pumpkin, yuzu

74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy arrives in Fitzrovia with an easy confidence: a soft, deliberately understated dining room downstairs and a street-level bar that’s already being talked about as somewhere to linger. The site wears its history lightly; it’s the space that once housed Mere, so it is easy to compare, since both trade as modern European fine dining restaurants. On the menu, Ben Murphy’s food sits in that same register: classically trained technique steered toward accessible flavours, with a few playful flourishes to catch your eye.

Camille

 Down-to-earth French bistro

Puffed Pig’s Skin, Smoked Eel & Tarragon

Camille sits just off the noise of London Bridge, close enough to feel the pulse of the area but tucked away enough to offer a sense of escape once you’re inside. The food at Camille is rooted firmly in French technique, but it isn’t trapped by it. The menu reads like it was written by someone who loves classic French cooking but lives firmly in modern London. Dishes feel familiar without being predictable, and there’s a quiet restraint at work that lets ingredients speak rather than drowning them in unnecessary flourish, such as tripe stew and shallot tart.