The Ledbury

World-class standard

Truffle and mackerel canapes

Yes, another Ledbury post, what can I say, it is my no1 Fine Dining restaurant in the UK and I try to at least visit once a year. Under the creative eye of chef‐patron Brett Graham (working with head chef Tom Spenceley), The Ledbury has reinvented itself in recent years, especially following its two-year closure during the pandemic. It reopened in 2022, recharged, refreshed, but without surrendering its soul. What makes The Ledbury exceptional is how its food navigates the tension between technical precision and bold flavours. Below captures my 26th visit.

Restaurant St. Barts

Great British essence in a fine dining manner

British wagyu and crab toast

Set in Smithfield, Restaurant St. Barts overlooks St Bartholomew the Great church; floor-to-ceiling windows frame the ancient architecture, giving a breathing space to the urban surroundings. The interior leans Scandinavian in its aesthetic sensibilities—clean lines, warm woods. Restaurant St. Barts delivers a deeply considered, hyper-seasonal modern British tasting-menu experience. Executive Chef Johnnie Crowe and his team build plates around the minimalism of concept: usually only two or three ingredients per dish, each flourishing in its own right. 

Frog by Adam Handling

Playful British creativity takes on tasting menu

Canapes of chicken, crab, eel, mussels and cheese

Stepping into the single Michelin-starred Frog by Adam Handling in the heart of Covent Garden is an invitation to experience modern British fine dining with a theatrical twist. The open-kitchen layout means you're not just seated in a restaurant—you’re part of the show. At the heart of the experience is chef-owner Adam Handling’s philosophy of “fine dining without the stuffiness” paired with rigorous technique. One caveat: the price tag reflects the aspiration. With tasting menus from around £195 and optional supplements and wine pairings... it is not a cheap affair.

Portland

 Modern upmarket British template

Canapes of scallop, mushroom and liver

Stepping into Portland on Great Portland Street in Fitzrovia, you first notice how the space quietly declares its intentions: no pomp, but precision; no grand gestures, but thoughtful design. The food at Portland is modern British with a strong seasonal bent, rooted in high-quality produce and technique. The menu changes frequently—ingredients and dishes rotate in response to what’s fresh, what’s at its best. This is my 4th visit, and once again I opted for the private dining room experience with a special menu for a special celebration.

Michael Caines at The Stafford

The return of old school fine French

Orkney Scallop Ceviche, Oscietra caviar

Michael Caines at The Stafford is an eagerly awaited addition to London’s fine-dining scene, bringing together timeless elegance, a celebrated chef’s pedigree, and a renewed culinary vision steeped in British terroir. Located in St. James’s, the restaurant has taken over from the former Game Bird, under the stewardship of Michael Caines as culinary strategist. If you are a foodie, Michael shouldn't be an unfamiliar name as he is a true legend in the game, who held 2 Michelin stars in the past with his classic French cooking in Devon. His restaurant at TheStafford is his first London gig, and I was so looking forward to it. 

Moi

One-of-a-kind Japanese 

Bluefin Tuna Tataki, Karashi Miso, Grapefruit

A new Japanese-themed restaurant similar to the spirit of Roka and Zuma, the design is bold, heavily featured fine woods with atmospheric lighting, and yet it never feels overly theatrical. The heart of MOI lies in its cuisine: Japanese-inspired, yes, but deeply rooted in British produce and executed with fire, finesse and flavour. The kitchen is led by Andy Cook and head chef Nick Tannett, combining Japanese technique with British sourcing. Part of the charm is the dual nature of the space: the ground-level grill and sushi counter buzz with energy and the aroma of firewood.

Cloth

Wine and dine, proper British style  

Duck liver, soda bread

Tucked away on a quiet lane just behind the bustle of the City, Cloth brings an understated but dramatic twist to modern British cooking. While the focus here is on the wine and food, the way the restaurant is set up enhances the experience: Cloth is housed in a Grade II listed building on Cloth Fair, and the dining room is described as cosy with low ceilings, wood floorboards, antique wall lights and marble tables.

Luso

The new but not so new Portuguese in town

Clams, garlic, coriander

Luso is a brand new Portuguese restaurant that used to be the hit joint Lisboeta. After a total rebranding by the same people behind it, it has become more casual and simple. The décor carries forward much of the character from its predecessor: wood tones, soft lighting, prints of sea life, the sort of furnishings that feel refined without being overbearing. Under the new consultant executive chef, Leandro Carreira, the kitchen draws heavily on the Iberian Atlantic coastline, nodding to Portuguese coastal flavours.

Brutto

 High energy vibe, less on the food

Vitello tonnato

Walking into Brutto, nestled at 35-37 Greenhill Rents in Clerkenwell, London, you are greeted by the kind of energy that suggests a trattoria in full swing rather than a formal white tablecloth venue. The red-and-white gingham tablecloths, the vintage wall art, the faint hum of conversation, and the clinking of cutlery all combine to create a warm but lively environment. The restaurant is a rustic homage to Florence via London, with a meat-forward (no fish!), Tuscan-inspired menu and a friendly, casual approach.

Town

Not the Town I was hoping for

Cornish crab, tomato and trout roe salad

Covent Garden has never been short on showmanship, and Town, Stevie Parle’s newest creation on Drury Lane, leans heavily into theatre. The design alone is a performance: chrome curves, burgundy walls, lime-lit open kitchen, and a retro-futuristic dining room that feels like a 1970s nightclub. The menu is dotted with names familiar to London’s food-savvy crowd: Wildfarmed bread, Goods Shed vegetables, Irish cheeses and lobster from the Welsh waters, all carrying a sense of story and provenance. On paper it’s an irresistible mix: beautiful setting, traceable ingredients, a chef with pedigree, and the promise of something memorable.

Wild Flowers

The kind of Mediterranean restaurant that London just needs 

Cuttlefish ‘Arroz al Horno’, crisp pork jowl

Located in Newson’s Yard, Belgravia. From the moment you set foot into Wildflowers, you sense that this is no ordinary Mediterranean restaurant. I am a fan and this is my 3rd visit, so why am I returning? Well, it is a thoroughly accomplished restaurant: it combines striking design, skilled and daring cooking, and the kind of ambience that works whether you’re there for a casual dinner with friends or a special evening. Wildflowers delivers a menu anchored in Mediterranean traditions but adapted and refined with local, seasonal produce and live-fire or charcoal inspiration, and it is what makes this place special for me.

Brat

OG fire temple of London 

Grilled Bread with Anchovy

Located in Shoreditch, Brat is a Basque-inspired grillhouse reimagined in East London, anchored around the fire that sits at its heart. That fire, visible and omnipresent, sets the tone for the entire experience—it is Brat’s identity, its cooking philosophy, and its main act rolled into one. It transforms the space into something elemental, a reminder that good food is not just about ingredients but about what happens when you apply heat, time, and skill in the most exacting way. This is my 4th visit, and I found the food enjoyable yet a touch too expensive, especially since the decor is so casual with tables crammed so close together.

La Palombe

 Underrated West London gem

Chargrilled octopus, smoked beetroot purée, pickled carrots & capers

West London is no stranger to excellent dining, but every so often, a place comes along that quietly raises the bar. La Palombe is one of those places. Tucked away on a calm street, this restaurant blends French culinary tradition with a polished, contemporary touch, ALC style. The reason I give this place a visit is down to the head chef here, Jake Leach, who was head chef at my beloved fine dining restaurant Ledbury and the greatest food-led pub in London aka The Harwood Arms. He alone warrants a visit, as I have eaten some amazing meals over the years at those sites.

Osteria Angelina

 Fusion fun but far from perfect

Sicilian Red Prawns, Tentsuyu & Crispy Rice

Stepping into Osteria Angelina feels like entering a sleek warehouse-loft that has been tenderly reworked as a high-end “osteria” on the edge of the City and Shoreditch. On the plate, the menu at Osteria Angelina unabashedly brings together Italian traditions and Japanese technique: “itameshi” fusion. I have visited once already, and I felt the quality warranted a return.

Legado

Regional Spanish food in the City

Skate Wing Tortilla, Mojo Verde

Legado in Shoreditch is a brand new  Spanish restaurant from chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, who already has a Michelin-starred outlet, Sabor in central London. What makes Legado truly compelling is its menu: a journey through lesser-known and regionally specific Spanish flavours and techniques, which delights both the Spanish food aficionado and the curious Londoner. There’s a sense that Barragán Mohacho has taken what she learned in her years at Barrafina and Sabor, and aimed here not simply for repetition but expansion: of scale, of repertoire, of ambition.

Atla

 Open fire Spanish concept 

Mushroom Fideos

Entering ALTA on Kingly Court in Soho is less about stepping into a typical Spanish-restaurant façade and more akin to being welcomed into a ritual of fire and flavour. The space revolves around a glowing hearth—an open wood-fire grill, a Josper oven, embers and coals at the heart of the kitchen. Alta isn’t about quick tapas or cliched Spanish-mood décor. The kitchen’s ambition is clear: take the frameworks of Northern Spanish cooking—escabeches, grill, seafood from the Cantabrian/Bay of Biscay region, Basque influences—and reinterpret them with British-sourced produce.

Ibai

Daily special

 

Roasted scallops with paprika

This is my 14th visit, Ibai sits on a quiet street near St Paul’s and carries itself with a kind of calm confidence that you notice the moment you walk through the door. The dining room is compact but thoughtfully arranged, with a warehouse vibe, packed with high-energy tones and soft lighting. If you have been a few times like me, you really should start exploring its daily special offering, as there are some very special dishes on there, ranging from small pintxos-sized dishes to mains.