With dozens of international cuisines represented across a dining scene that boasts over 80 MICHELIN-Starred establishments and 40+ Bib Gourmands, London is quite simply one of the best places to eat around the globe. With new London restaurants constantly opening and familiar favourites always evolving, here are the Inspectors’ latest additions to The MICHELIN Guide.
With the London dining scene as exciting and fast-paced as ever, six restaurants have joined The MICHELIN Guide’s selection in the capital this month. Spread across the city, they range from an Indian restaurant in Clapham to Korean bites in Stoke Newington, via an old-fashioned grill room in one of Mayfair’s most famous hotels.
Don’t Tell Dad, Queen’s Park
British ContemporaryAny residents of Queen’s Park will surely be delighted to see this lovely new spot opening up in their neighbourhood. Operating as both a bakery and a restaurant, it’s sweetly run by an efficient team and offers hearty, boldly flavoured dishes based around fine British produce. The name is a reference to the owner’s childhood mischief with his late sister and the restaurant was created in her memory.
Eel Sushi, Notting Hill
JapaneseChris D’Sylva, the restaurateur and businessman behind many go-to spots for Notting Hill’s food lovers (including Dorian, Notting Hill Fish + Meat and the Supermarket of Dreams), has another winner on his hands with this small sushi bar where the quality of the seafood is front and centre. Be it chūtoro, hamachi, lobster or squid, the individually priced nigiri and sashimi show off some beautiful produce.
Il Gatto Pardo, Mayfair
ItalianSeeming totally at home in Mayfair, Il Gatto Pardo is a smart, refined Italian restaurant for those who like stylish dining rooms and premium ingredients. It keeps things simple in the best possible way, serving a classic-after-classic menu that nails the Italian ethos of flavourful, produce-led cooking. Look out for early-evening L’Aperitivo time, when the cocktails are a little cheaper and go down a little easier.
Lai Rai, Peckham
VietnameseBlink and you’ll miss the diminutive frontage of this terrific Vietnamese restaurant; so keep your eyes peeled, as that would be a crying shame. At lunch, you can pop in for bánh mì and a coffee, but we recommend coming at dinner to see the kitchen’s talents on full display – from the betel leaf beef to the simple but delicious fried coconut sticky rice. Sincere and engaging service adds to the joy.
Myrtos, South Kensington
GreekAfter several years as Executive Chef at Pied à Terre, Asimakis Chaniotis decided to set up his own restaurant drawing on his Greek heritage. The result is Myrtos, a lovely operation that feels like it’s transported you to the Mediterranean. The menu lends itself to sharing, from the stand-out bread and dips to larger dishes like salt-baked Kefalonian sea bass. Greek wines provide the ideal accompaniment.
Pippin’s, Earl’s Court
Modern BritishIn an area of London relatively light on top-quality restaurants, Pippin’s is a breath of fresh air just round the corner from Earl’s Court Tube station. Situated inside a recently renovated hotel (with a lovely mature garden and terraces), it’s the kind of appealing neighbourhood spot that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but provides quality British produce in assured, satisfying combinations. Day-boat fish cooked on the grill is a particularly appealing option.
Rogues, Hackney
Modern BritishThe ever-evolving and exciting Hackney dining scene has another hit in the form of this relaxed restaurant run by two chefs who used to work together for the Galvin brothers. Here, they’re cooking up intriguing, satisfyingly flavoured dishes using an ever-changing roster of seasonal British produce. Start with the potato and thyme sourdough served with Bovril butter and pickled walnuts.
The Chalk Freehouse, Chelsea
Modern BritishIf you love a high-end pub, then there’s a good chance you could quickly become a regular at The Chalk Freehouse. The latest London project from Tom Kerridge, on the site of his former Butcher’s Tap & Grill, is the kind of place you’ll find the likes of confit duck leg, premium steaks with bone marrow and girolle butter, or an elevated take on the Chelsea bun. That it still looks and feels like a pub makes it all the better.
TOWN, Covent Garden
Modern BritishChef and restaurateur Stevie Parle has returned to the London dining scene with a fun, buzzing operation that seems destined to be one of the city’s trendiest restaurants. The room thrums with energy, its chic design combining a theatrical open kitchen, modern stylings and just a hint of ’60s kitsch. The cooking puts great British ingredients front and centre, including in an appealing grill section.
Other London restaurants added to The MICHELIN Guide this year are:
Aqua Shard, Southwark
Modern Cuisine
Bar Valette, Shoreditch
European
Calong, Stoke Newington
Korean
Canteen, Notting Hill
Italian
Chapel Market Kitchen Oyster Bar & Grill, Islington
Mediterranean Cuisine
Claro, St James's
Mediterranean Cuisine
Dear Jackie, Soho
Italian
Dove, Notting Hill
Modern Cuisine
Duchy, Shoreditch
European Contemporary
FOWL, St James's
Chicken Specialities
Goodbye Horses, Islington
Traditional British
HIMI, Soho
Japanese
Krokodilos, Kensington
Greek
La Palombe, Kensington
French
Locatelli at the National Gallery, St James's
Italian
Long Chim, Soho [now closed]
Thai
One Club Row, Shoreditch
Modern British
Pinna, Mayfair
Italian
Ploussard, Clapham
Modern Cuisine
Prince Arthur, Belgravia
Basque
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High, City of London
Modern Cuisine
Silva, Mayfair
Modern Cuisine
Supawan, King's Cross
Southern Thai
Tamila, Clapham
Indian
The Connaught Grill, Mayfair
Meats and Grills
The Lavery, South Kensington
Mediterranean Cuisine
The Waterman’s Arms, Barnes
Modern British
Toklas, Strand
Mediterranean Cuisine
Tom Brown at The Capital, Knightsbridge
Seafood
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Hero Image: Don't Tell Dad, one of The MICHELIN Guide's New London restaurants. © MH
