Recommended Restaurants in the Greater London Area

Dine Online - the UK Restaurant guide
Review archive

Please note, some of our earlier recommended Asian and Oriental restaurants are grouped in their own category.

Recommended Restaurants in the Capital:
L'Autre Pied - A stone’s throw away from the chaos of Oxford Street
a.k.a. Holly Acland goes groovy over this new hotspot for trendy foodies
Alloro This smart Mayfair Italian combines style with a user friendly ambience
l'Anis A super new Mod-Brit-Med in Kensington - NB Now Zaika
Assaggi Lisa Teoh loves this earthy Notting Hill Italian
Aquasia at Chelsea Harbour Top notch Pacific Rim cuisine at sensible prices
Aubergine Chef William Drabble keeps the flag flying over Fulham 
Axis The restaurant at 1 Aldwych (10/98)

Bank, London WC2 - lively company and good contemporary cuisine
Bar M Modern Italian bar food Putney Bridge SW15
Barra A new restaurant bar (1999) with great food just off Carnaby Street, W1
Belair House Holly Acland dines in 18th Century splendour in Dulwich
Belgo Centraal Moules with everything! Adam Kingl managed to keep his notes dry amidst the voracious throng in Covent Garden
Bice in Mayfair Dine Online had a lively evening out!
The Blue Elephant one of London's most popular Thai destinations * 1998/9 award
Blue Lagoon Holly Acland mixes shopping with eating at this Kensington High Street Thai
The Boardwalk * Michael Hepworth takes along a Southern Belle for her expert opinion!
The BridgeHolly Acland reviews the new restaurant overlooking the swinging Millennium Footbridge
Bulloch's at 166 Modern International Piccadilly W1
Updated October 1997
1837 at Brown's Famous dining room off Piccadilly got a 1998 makeover and fabulous wines. Haute Cuisine 

Café Med Modern Mediterranean Chelsea
Cactus Blue SW US in the Fulham Road
Cannizaro House Modern British Wimbledon Common, SW19 old review
Cantina Vinopolis The Modern Med restaurant at Vinopolis, City of Wine
Carluccio's Smithfield Charles Pelham was impressed by such great value
Claridge's W1 (Illustration above) * 1997 Top Award, now Gordon Ramsay
Dine Online went Interactive at Claridge's! (1999)
The Coat and Badge * Gastropub in Putney Dec 1998
County Hall, SE1 The South Bank's most prestigious location?
The Crescent Restaurant at the Montcalm Hotel is still one of our favourites
The Crown SW3 Clifford Mould liked this Chelsea gastro-pub (Oct 98)

Diverso Italian Posh but friendly Ristorante in Piccadilly W1
Down Mexico Way! Lisa Teoh ate cactus leaves with her salsa and fajitas!

Eco Pizzeria Clapham, SW4
Embassy in Mayfair is just the place for a girl like our Louise Elgin
L'Escargot's new chefs * We revisit this famous Soho dining room

The First Floor We found some nifty cooking at this stylish Notting Hill diner

New Gaucho Grills open East and West - Canary Wharf and Draycott Gardens
Restaurante Gaudi True Spanish Clerkenwell EC1 * 1997 Award
The Greenhouse Modern BritishMayfair W1 * 1996 Award old review
The Grill Room at the Dorchester Grand Hotel dining par excellence!
Gresslin's Modern Euro Hampstead NW3
Grissini Modern Italian Haute Cuisine, Belgravia SW1 * 1997 Award. New review July 1998

Havana Capitalist Cuba in Hanover Square
Hush Whisper who dares? Holly Acland found much to shout about at this smart new Mayfair dining room

Il Convivio A hint of Italian Paradiso  in Belgravia
Il Forno Another good modern Italian that won't break the bank!
I-Thai Lisa Teoh goes wild over the Hempel temple of style!

Jamies A chain of City bars that does good food and even better wines
Just St James Holly Acland laughed all the way to the bank

Kitchen@10Covent Garden where you choose your sauce to match your mood

Lam's A neighbourhood Chiswick Chinese that's worth making into a destination
The Lanesborough Hotel's Conservatory Restaurant Modern International & vegetarian, SW1 * 1996 Award, 1998 review

L'Incontro The youngsters take over the helm at this revamped and famous Pimlico Italian

The Lindsay House Modern Irish from Richard Corrigan Soho W1 * 1997 Award
Livebait Modern seafood Waterloo, SE1 old review
The Loft Clifford Mould found some excellent cooking a stone's throw from the Tate Modern
Locanda Locatelli  Giorgio's new restaurant opened on Valentine's night

Maison Novelli Clifford Mould on the Novelli experience
La Mancha Spanish Tapas and Restaurant Putney SW15 old review
Masala Zone is Veeraswamy and Chutney Mary's latest baby. Deepak Sharma was suitably impressed!
Marsdens A very English sounding Moroccan in Islington's restaurant row
Maxwell's Susie Rowbottom checks out this popular American diner
Le Metro Modern bar restaurant Knightsbridge SW3

Navajo Joe's SW American Bar-diner Covent Garden
Nobu W1 Adam Kingl at the temple of Japanese American fusion
Novelli EC1 French Provincial Clerkenwell EC1 * 1997 Award

Restaurant Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room Piccadilly W1
One-O-One * Pascal Proyart's brilliant Knightsbridge restaurant with the accent on fish the French way
The OXO Tower Modern International Brasserie and Restaurant South Bank SE1

Pasha Marrakesh meets Gloucester Road!
The People's Palace Modern British Royal Festival Hall, South Bank SE1 old review, but still good food
La Peche French fish in an unlikely corner of NW1
Perc%nto A Modern Italian to soften City hearts
Pied a Terre Adam Kingl's wallet took a severe battering - was it worth it, we ask?
The Polygon Bar & Grill Modern Eclectic Clapham Old Town, SW4
Porters of Covent Garden Great traditional British Pies and Puddings
Pug Louise Elgin found a new place in Chiswick to woof about!
Putney Bridge Our third visit, the best yet! February 2000 Putney SW15

The Salisbury Tavern Excellent cooking in this neighbourhood Fulham gastropub
Santini An extravagant Italian dining experience in London's Belgravia
The Savoy Grill Dine Online went in search of the definitive grouse (revamped May 2003 with Marcus Wearing at the helm)
Six Degrees Holly Acland gives this Soho venue the third degree - now only a bar

Quilon a beautiful new South Indian restaurant in SW1

Randall and Aubin Louise Elgin enjoyed the ambience and the food and this former Soho butcher's shop
The Rainforest Café Mega jungle theme - US kids grub, Piccadilly Circus W1
The Rib Room Our verdict on the relaunch of a great traditional London dining room, December 1999
Riviera Lisa Teoh liked the cooking and the summer South Bank river views
Riviera Docklands Louise Elgin inspected another new dining room on the waterfront
Rhodes in the Square SW1 Gary Rhodes' new Pimlico diner

Saigon, Frith Street W1 Adam Kingl was not impressed
The Salt House Louise Elgin at the St John's Wood gastro-pub from the Brackenbury stable
Sarastro Michael Hepworth eats out in an Opera Box!
Thai Square in the City Charles Pelham, our expert on Oriental dining, was delighted
T he Savoy Hotel River Restaurant Modern Haute Cuisine The Strand WC2
The Savoy Hotel "Upstairs Bar" Modern British The Strand WC2 * 1996 Award, revised 1998
Simpson's-in-the-Strand the classic English dining room
Scott's The Mayfair restaurant and Oyster Bar (10/98)
Signor Zilli One of Soho's most popular Italian destinations
Spighetta Modern Italian off Baker Street W1
Sticky Fingers Who says we never review rock diners?
Strada Battersea Rise Holly Acland's quest for the perfect pizza!

"10" for serious foodie types in the City (Oct 98)
10 Restaurant and Bar Holly Acland discovers a London City cocktail bar where you can relax and hear your friends speak!
Teca A new Modern Italian in Mayfair, July 98
The Tenth More than just a pretty view at this fine Kensington dining room Sept 99
Tiger Tiger is the virtie's trendy haunt
Tuttons Richard D. Carreño reports on an ambitious Covent Garden brasserie

Utah Modern cuisine at its best in Wimbledon Village

The Vale Louise Elgin feels very much at home in Maida Vale W9
Villandry Foodstore & Restaurant Louise Elgin dines out in Fitzrovia

The Well Too rowdy for Adam Kingl, but the fast crowd were there

Yellow River Café TV Chef Ken Hom sets up in Chiswick, Jan 2000

Zafferano Modern Italian, Knightsbridge,SW1 * 1996 Dine Online Award, and even trendier in 2000!
Zinc Bar & Grill Modern British off Regent Street W1
Zilli Fish Modern Italian Pescatoria Soho W1 * 1997 Award
Zuccato modish Italian in the Finchley Road O2 Centre

Features:

Eating out in St James's
Frith Street, Soho W1
Where to eat within two minutes walk from South Ken Tube -old 1996/7