Find and book great restaurants
Book with us & collect points to spend on fantastic rewards. It is that simple.Learn more »
Do you find listings for chains such as Pizza Express, Strada and Zizzi's useful when looking for a restaurant on squaremeal.co.uk?
London’s most comprehensive guide to restaurants and bars
I went to Yoshino for lunch the other day and I believe that it probably suits this time of the day better than in evening, seeing as it is a bit stiff. That said, that might change so who knows? I had some delicious sushi there and do not regret my visit. As in most good sushi places, however, the lack of a proper lunch set menu was slightly annoying. It’s easy ending up paying an arm and a leg only to have to resort to food hunting in the fridge a few hours later. That’s not a surprise for anyone though so I can’t really complain.In summary, it is a great sushi place, ideal for lunch meetings. I wouldn’t necessarily go there in the evening.
I went to Yoshino for lunch the other day and I believe that it probably suits this time of the day better than in evening, seeing as it is a bit stiff. That said, that might change so who knows? I had some delicious sushi there and do not regret my visit. As in most good sushi places, however, the lack of a proper lunch set menu was slightly annoying. It’s easy ending up paying an arm and a leg only to have to resort to food hunting in the fridge a few hours later. That’s not a surprise for anyone though so I can’t really complain.
In summary, it is a great sushi place, ideal for lunch meetings. I wouldn’t necessarily go there in the evening.
Was this review helpful to you?
I was happy to see another great pub-grub place opening in “my” area. I went there for dinner and a couple of pints on a Friday afternoon and really enjoyed it. The place very small so the atmosphere gets very intimate and cozy quite quickly. The food is not exceptional but still good. What strikes me is the prices compared to e.g. Duke of Wellington, my favourite. Here you can get a proper Shepherd's Pie for 8 pounds and share meat platter for 5 pounds pp. Great value and an excellent place to have around the corner!
Le Metro can't really claim to be anything extraordinary, but as far as lunch restaurants go in Knightsbridge, it'sdoing pretty well. Especially given the abundance of over-priced and pretentiuos places in the area. Since I work close by, I've visited Le Metro on several occassions and I'm rarely disappointed. The biggest plus is the service which has been very good at all times. The food is nothing to rave about, but it's definitely alright.At lunch the place is always fairly full, but unsurprisingly, the atomsphere is either quite business-like, or very Knightsbrige – which obviously doesn't necessarily mean anything negative.
Le Metro can't really claim to be anything extraordinary, but as far as lunch restaurants go in Knightsbridge, it'sdoing pretty well. Especially given the abundance of over-priced and pretentiuos places in the area. Since I work close by, I've visited Le Metro on several occassions and I'm rarely disappointed. The biggest plus is the service which has been very good at all times. The food is nothing to rave about, but it's definitely alright.
At lunch the place is always fairly full, but unsurprisingly, the atomsphere is either quite business-like, or very Knightsbrige – which obviously doesn't necessarily mean anything negative.
This must be such a cash-cow.. already when I moved to Marylebone in 2006 people were queueing to get in, and that has been constant over the three years since. The concept is very simple but it definitely works. You arrive and get asked how you like your meat and what you'd like to drink, and that's it. The salad and dressing starter is really straight-forward but good, and the same goes for the meat and fries you get with it. They do seem to take pride in their “secret sauce recipe” and so they should. A big bonus is the fact that you get seconds.As you've noticed, I'm a fan. This is the perfect place for a (smallish) group of friends with somewhere to go after, but who don't want to get there hungry. I don't mind the queue much, but if you have a problem with it, do make sure to go there on off-times.
This must be such a cash-cow.. already when I moved to Marylebone in 2006 people were queueing to get in, and that has been constant over the three years since. The concept is very simple but it definitely works. You arrive and get asked how you like your meat and what you'd like to drink, and that's it. The salad and dressing starter is really straight-forward but good, and the same goes for the meat and fries you get with it. They do seem to take pride in their “secret sauce recipe” and so they should. A big bonus is the fact that you get seconds.
As you've noticed, I'm a fan. This is the perfect place for a (smallish) group of friends with somewhere to go after, but who don't want to get there hungry. I don't mind the queue much, but if you have a problem with it, do make sure to go there on off-times.
I'm not really sure why there's only “drinks” to rate since I've had some really good food at La Fromagerie. I'm a huge cheese fanatic and living close to a place like this is just too good. The recently enlarged store section is excellently laid out, with bread, small pots of random jams and other French-style foods and bits and bobs all over the place. My favourite is obviously the Cheese Room. A whole wonderfully smelly room full of all kinds of cheeses. I'm always impressed by the helpfulness of the staff in choosing appropriate cheeses for whatever occassion or wine. If only the staff serving you at the table were as helpful, which is a bit of an issue.Another, probably inevitable, downside to the restaurant is that they don't take bookings. The queue can sometimes be very long and the fact that you're seeing the queue from where you're eating doesn't exactly relax you.. Otherwise, a really nice and quaint place for a weekday brunch.
I'm not really sure why there's only “drinks” to rate since I've had some really good food at La Fromagerie. I'm a huge cheese fanatic and living close to a place like this is just too good. The recently enlarged store section is excellently laid out, with bread, small pots of random jams and other French-style foods and bits and bobs all over the place. My favourite is obviously the Cheese Room. A whole wonderfully smelly room full of all kinds of cheeses. I'm always impressed by the helpfulness of the staff in choosing appropriate cheeses for whatever occassion or wine. If only the staff serving you at the table were as helpful, which is a bit of an issue.
Another, probably inevitable, downside to the restaurant is that they don't take bookings. The queue can sometimes be very long and the fact that you're seeing the queue from where you're eating doesn't exactly relax you.. Otherwise, a really nice and quaint place for a weekday brunch.
My local Turkish place! I must admit that I'm always a bit surprised that this place is half empty when I visit either to pick-up some take-away, or when I sit down for dinner. The food is really good, the service is friendly (although I suspect the fact that my girlfriend is Turkish definitely helps!), and most of all, the prices are really good for the quality you're getting.The atmosphere is a bit so-so given that the place isn't very full, but apart from that, a good restaurant that I'd happily recommend for my Marylebone friends. As often is the case though, I wouldn't say that this is worth travelling far from, IF you're not specifically craving some Turkish food.Ps. I would also recommend not sitting close to the door, there's a mean draft…
My local Turkish place! I must admit that I'm always a bit surprised that this place is half empty when I visit either to pick-up some take-away, or when I sit down for dinner. The food is really good, the service is friendly (although I suspect the fact that my girlfriend is Turkish definitely helps!), and most of all, the prices are really good for the quality you're getting.
The atmosphere is a bit so-so given that the place isn't very full, but apart from that, a good restaurant that I'd happily recommend for my Marylebone friends. As often is the case though, I wouldn't say that this is worth travelling far from, IF you're not specifically craving some Turkish food.
Ps. I would also recommend not sitting close to the door, there's a mean draft…
I must admit that I have a bit of a negative bias to Italian restaurants after a few too many of them trying so hard and charging even harder. After all, the Italian cuisine is rarely overly complicated, right?!Anyway, I had a pleasant experience at Il Convivio. I would have preferred to sit further in the restaurant, under the skylights, but it wasn't bad in the section before. The food was well presented and definitely delivered. I had a carpaccio for starter and a crab linguine as main. Apart from the pasta being a bit less warm than I would expect, it was very tasteful. I do react to paying almost 20 pounds for a dish that I probably could do quite well myself (wouldn't bet on it, but still). Finally, the service left nothing to complain about, very discreet and the sommelier was very quick to react to the unfortunate corked bottle of wine we nearly were served.All in all, nice place, but I think I prefer other Italians to this one.
I must admit that I have a bit of a negative bias to Italian restaurants after a few too many of them trying so hard and charging even harder. After all, the Italian cuisine is rarely overly complicated, right?!
Anyway, I had a pleasant experience at Il Convivio. I would have preferred to sit further in the restaurant, under the skylights, but it wasn't bad in the section before. The food was well presented and definitely delivered. I had a carpaccio for starter and a crab linguine as main. Apart from the pasta being a bit less warm than I would expect, it was very tasteful. I do react to paying almost 20 pounds for a dish that I probably could do quite well myself (wouldn't bet on it, but still). Finally, the service left nothing to complain about, very discreet and the sommelier was very quick to react to the unfortunate corked bottle of wine we nearly were served.
All in all, nice place, but I think I prefer other Italians to this one.
Great place to end up after having after-work drinks in one of the many places around Lancashire Court. Upstairs has a nice cocktail bar and the downstairs dining area is quite lively and usually crowded. The real selling point for Hush is the outdoor area which for obvious reasons only is useful around 1 month a year, but during that time it is a great place to spend Saturday afternoons drinking wine and eating tartar.The one thing that surprises me is the bill. The mains aren't really good enough to be worth up to 25 pounds.
Great place to end up after having after-work drinks in one of the many places around Lancashire Court. Upstairs has a nice cocktail bar and the downstairs dining area is quite lively and usually crowded. The real selling point for Hush is the outdoor area which for obvious reasons only is useful around 1 month a year, but during that time it is a great place to spend Saturday afternoons drinking wine and eating tartar.
The one thing that surprises me is the bill. The mains aren't really good enough to be worth up to 25 pounds.
I'm a big fan of the other Galvin around the corner from where I live and was very excited about trying this, the more upscale, version. Galvin at Windows is on the 28th floor (or 27th?) and the first thing that strikes you is quite unsurprisingly the gorgeous views. That alone is worth a lot in my eyes. Key here is to get a table by the window since I get the feeling that you wouldn't have the same experience in the middle area of the restaurant.Service is absolutely impeccable from the very first minute. The old “attentive but not intrusive” is very much applicable. We both went for fish dishes and were very satisfied, although I wouldn't accentuate the food too much here. It is very good, but I think some people would feel that they've had as good or better at lower prices. That said, you're definitely paying a bit for the fact that you can landmark-spot during dinner. Something I failed miserably at by the way.To conclude, having been here only twice I'm already happy to call this one of my favourites for finer dining. Sure, it isn't exactly cheap (£75 for the tasting menu, £110 with wine), but given the views, the service and the high quality food, it's definitely worth it.
I'm a big fan of the other Galvin around the corner from where I live and was very excited about trying this, the more upscale, version. Galvin at Windows is on the 28th floor (or 27th?) and the first thing that strikes you is quite unsurprisingly the gorgeous views. That alone is worth a lot in my eyes. Key here is to get a table by the window since I get the feeling that you wouldn't have the same experience in the middle area of the restaurant.
Service is absolutely impeccable from the very first minute. The old “attentive but not intrusive” is very much applicable. We both went for fish dishes and were very satisfied, although I wouldn't accentuate the food too much here. It is very good, but I think some people would feel that they've had as good or better at lower prices. That said, you're definitely paying a bit for the fact that you can landmark-spot during dinner. Something I failed miserably at by the way.
To conclude, having been here only twice I'm already happy to call this one of my favourites for finer dining. Sure, it isn't exactly cheap (£75 for the tasting menu, £110 with wine), but given the views, the service and the high quality food, it's definitely worth it.
Direct upon entering Kiku it feels like a genuine Japanese restaurant simply because you see a lot of Japanese clients dining. The food did in deed turn out to be a success. I had a fairly big lunch with edamame, salad, sashimi along with the normal sides. My friend and I were sat upstairs and like Squaremeal says, the place got really packed, really quickly so I would recommend booking. You can see that this is a very common place for business lunches, which obviously brings the atmosphere down slightly. The service was very accommodating and I really don’t have much to complain about.But there was one thing.. 35 pounds a head for a lunch, no wine, is quite a lot. Sure, it was good, but I’ve had as good sushi at much lower prices.
Direct upon entering Kiku it feels like a genuine Japanese restaurant simply because you see a lot of Japanese clients dining. The food did in deed turn out to be a success. I had a fairly big lunch with edamame, salad, sashimi along with the normal sides. My friend and I were sat upstairs and like Squaremeal says, the place got really packed, really quickly so I would recommend booking. You can see that this is a very common place for business lunches, which obviously brings the atmosphere down slightly. The service was very accommodating and I really don’t have much to complain about.
But there was one thing.. 35 pounds a head for a lunch, no wine, is quite a lot. Sure, it was good, but I’ve had as good sushi at much lower prices.
A few days ago I had my first dinner in a very long time at Electric. I must say I was left a bit unsure about the concept last time around. This time, luckily, it was different. I would dare to say that the place is almost the ideal start of a big night out. We were a group of 12, all guys, celebrating something and Electric delivered from the very start, with the drinks in the bar, to the food and the general atmosphere.I had tartar for starters and the steak frites for main. Both the dishes were good but nothing special or outstanding. That said, given the volume and the atmosphere, it would be a bit of waste to eat super-high-end food. You almost feel like you’re eating in the bar area, which obviously is good or bad, depending on your aim with the evening. I really enjoyed it.Unfortunately the service isn’t excellent, and they're pretty steep in price given the food quality. But that aside, a very good place for the right purpose and you can always justify the price by saying you're paying for the atmosphere.
A few days ago I had my first dinner in a very long time at Electric. I must say I was left a bit unsure about the concept last time around. This time, luckily, it was different. I would dare to say that the place is almost the ideal start of a big night out. We were a group of 12, all guys, celebrating something and Electric delivered from the very start, with the drinks in the bar, to the food and the general atmosphere.
I had tartar for starters and the steak frites for main. Both the dishes were good but nothing special or outstanding. That said, given the volume and the atmosphere, it would be a bit of waste to eat super-high-end food. You almost feel like you’re eating in the bar area, which obviously is good or bad, depending on your aim with the evening. I really enjoyed it.
Unfortunately the service isn’t excellent, and they're pretty steep in price given the food quality. But that aside, a very good place for the right purpose and you can always justify the price by saying you're paying for the atmosphere.
Monkey & me is another one of those places around the corner from me. I've been there a couple of times and one of the main take-aways is that it's not really a place to go and enjoy a night at, rather, it's almost better to make use of the take-out service. The reason is twofold; firstly, the decor and the general lay-out of the place seems almost clinicial and quite boring, and secondly, the staff is so friendly and eager to please that you'll find them literally hovering around your table, quickly grabbing anything that looks unused. I find that terribly annoying and personally prefer to have to wait some time for someone to come and pick up my finished plate. Having plates snatched under you nose reminds me of the US.But anyway.. the value is amazing. You pay 6 pounds for very good food so in that sense, it's very difficult to complain. But if you're after a nice evening with Thai food, I'd go for other places in London.
Monkey & me is another one of those places around the corner from me. I've been there a couple of times and one of the main take-aways is that it's not really a place to go and enjoy a night at, rather, it's almost better to make use of the take-out service. The reason is twofold; firstly, the decor and the general lay-out of the place seems almost clinicial and quite boring, and secondly, the staff is so friendly and eager to please that you'll find them literally hovering around your table, quickly grabbing anything that looks unused. I find that terribly annoying and personally prefer to have to wait some time for someone to come and pick up my finished plate. Having plates snatched under you nose reminds me of the US.
But anyway.. the value is amazing. You pay 6 pounds for very good food so in that sense, it's very difficult to complain. But if you're after a nice evening with Thai food, I'd go for other places in London.
Having Texture just a 5 minute walk from home is really a luxury. In spite of this, I’ve only managed to visit twice, but have been very pleased both times. The décor, the spacious feel and the general vibe really appealed to me from the start of my visits. A nice drink by the bar is a great way to start your dining experience, and I would recommend arriving a bit early to do just that.I have no complaints about the service and the sommelier was very obliging and informative without being intrusive, which really applied to all staff. The food is unsurprisingly focused on the sea, but I still went for a Wagyu beef main (again, not surprisingly) and the goat’s cheese and beetroot starter. Both were absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.The only negative point with Texture is that the prices are rather steep compared many other restaurants at similar levels (GBP 15-20 for starters and 30-35 for mains). But if that isn’t a problem, or if you have something to celebrate, then I would recommend this without a doubt.Ps. The pictures on this site need some updating, the place looks better than that!
Having Texture just a 5 minute walk from home is really a luxury. In spite of this, I’ve only managed to visit twice, but have been very pleased both times. The décor, the spacious feel and the general vibe really appealed to me from the start of my visits. A nice drink by the bar is a great way to start your dining experience, and I would recommend arriving a bit early to do just that.
I have no complaints about the service and the sommelier was very obliging and informative without being intrusive, which really applied to all staff. The food is unsurprisingly focused on the sea, but I still went for a Wagyu beef main (again, not surprisingly) and the goat’s cheese and beetroot starter. Both were absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.
The only negative point with Texture is that the prices are rather steep compared many other restaurants at similar levels (GBP 15-20 for starters and 30-35 for mains). But if that isn’t a problem, or if you have something to celebrate, then I would recommend this without a doubt.
Ps. The pictures on this site need some updating, the place looks better than that!
I could write this review quite short. Imagine a mediocre Strada, but multiply the bill by a factor of 3.For some reason my expectations differed wildly to reality. Having had a great visit to one of the sister restaurants some time ago, I thought Oliveto would at least justify the rather hefty price level. Truth is, it isn't even close. Apart from the dimmed lighting, this could have been part of any chain imaginable; Zizi, Strada, Pizza Express etc. The sad this was that the food actually was passable, but the problems were the poor service, the cheap chain-like decoration and the fast-food like atmosphere.The only reason I ended up here was the fact that we had drinks across the road at Thomas Cubitt. It's clear that we should've stayed there for dinner.
I could write this review quite short. Imagine a mediocre Strada, but multiply the bill by a factor of 3.
For some reason my expectations differed wildly to reality. Having had a great visit to one of the sister restaurants some time ago, I thought Oliveto would at least justify the rather hefty price level. Truth is, it isn't even close. Apart from the dimmed lighting, this could have been part of any chain imaginable; Zizi, Strada, Pizza Express etc. The sad this was that the food actually was passable, but the problems were the poor service, the cheap chain-like decoration and the fast-food like atmosphere.
The only reason I ended up here was the fact that we had drinks across the road at Thomas Cubitt. It's clear that we should've stayed there for dinner.
Ziani's has become somewhat of a favourite hang-out for many of my friends who seem to visit almost weekly. I finally went there a few days ago and I can really see why. I wouldn't maybe go here with my girlfriend, but with friends it's ideal. A very vibrant and buzzy atmosphere and the place was completely full through-out the evening.The service was in my view quite Italian, i.e. changing from family-like hugging and kissing, to completely ignoring you. I do definitely get the feeling that the regulars get treated well (things changed when my old-timer friends arrived), but it still decreases the score.The food was very good, and I tasted the asparagus, the saffron ravioli and the fried mozzarella as starters and the chicken filled with salami and spinach. It was all very well done and the wines we were recommended fitted nicely.To conclude; a great place to start, or to spend, an evening and eat well with good friends.
Ziani's has become somewhat of a favourite hang-out for many of my friends who seem to visit almost weekly. I finally went there a few days ago and I can really see why. I wouldn't maybe go here with my girlfriend, but with friends it's ideal. A very vibrant and buzzy atmosphere and the place was completely full through-out the evening.
The service was in my view quite Italian, i.e. changing from family-like hugging and kissing, to completely ignoring you. I do definitely get the feeling that the regulars get treated well (things changed when my old-timer friends arrived), but it still decreases the score.
The food was very good, and I tasted the asparagus, the saffron ravioli and the fried mozzarella as starters and the chicken filled with salami and spinach. It was all very well done and the wines we were recommended fitted nicely.
To conclude; a great place to start, or to spend, an evening and eat well with good friends.