Just a stone’s throw from the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street, Fire & Wine by Boxcar is somewhere to remember when you’ve finished shopping and want a break. But it’s worthy of being a destination restaurant too, one where you can meet with friends, share food and wine and relax.
Dishoom at The Yards in Covent Garden
I regularly zip down St Martin’s Lane in Covent Garden. I might be seeing a play at one of the many theatres in the neighbourhood, catching some opera at the ENO’s Coliseum Theatre or getting a bite to eat at somewhere like Dishoom.
Harry’s Kings Cross
Bang in the heart of King’s Cross’s glossy new quarter, just a suitcase’s roll from the station, Harry’s has flung open its doors this summer with all the swagger of a place that knows it’s being watched. You can’t miss it. The terrace is a riot of greenery and blooms, brimming with diners who look as if they’ve dressed for the occasion. Beneath grand green umbrellas, uniformed staff swirl between tables, women in sleek, figure-hugging emerald dresses, men in striped forest green blazers, cream waistcoats, and bow ties, offering a warm, old-school welcome that borders on theatrical. It’s the kind of entrance that makes you sit up straight and order a spritz before you’ve even seen the menu.
Barbarella – Canary Wharf – Restaurant of the Month
Parisian restaurant group Big Mamma has opened another of its enjoyably OTT Italian trattorias, this time in Canary Wharf. It’s hard to believe that Gloria – the group’s first venture into the London scene – only opened in 2019. Since then, others have followed, each with its own signature look and ever-more instagrammable dishes.
Barbarella is the latest addition to the Big Mamma stable, and it’s London Unattached’s Restaurant of the Month for July.
Thecha – Maharashtrian Indian in Poplar
Walking from Canary Wharf to the Lansbury Heritage Hotel is like a speed trip through history – from the high-rise Docklands offices across a foot bridge over the river, round the back of New City College, and then past a bowling green and an old Library until the Lansbury appears. Once the home of Labour MP George Lansbury, it’s now a rather grand and beautifully restored hotel, with Thecha, an authentic Maharashtra and Mumbai restaurant, nestling in the back of the hotel.
Adeline at The Memoir Club
For those like me with a love of Woolf’s writing, it was a special treat to be invited to lunch at Adeline. The restaurant is part of the recent refurbishment of a hotel that has stood on this spot since 1908. Previously known as The Ambassadors, The Memoir Club is now open, and while Adeline is the in-house restaurant, it is also available to the public for lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.
Wine tasting lunch at Spring Restaurant
Wine-tasting lunch at Spring Restaurant, London, showcasing wines from the Rueda region in Northwestern Spain. This lesser-known wine region is situated on a high plateau
Brilliant Gastro by Dipna Anand
Just a five‑minute walk from the old restaurant, within Southall’s Green Quarter redevelopment, Dipna Anand has launched Brilliant Gastro. This gastropub-style venture carries the family’s culinary legacy into new territory.
Santa Maria Pizzeria, Kew
Two Neapolitan chaps, Angelo and Pasquale, veterans of the London pizzeria scene, opened the first Santa Maria pizzeria in Ealing on Valentine’s Day 2010 with a wood-fired oven imported from Italy. My eldest daughter was living in Ealing at the time and kept raving to me about this great local pizza restaurant that she regularly visited. Since then, the group has expanded with openings in Paddington, Islington, Fulham, Fitzrovia and Kew, where we have been invited to review.
Kanpai Classic Japanese in Soho
Tucked in on Soho’s Wardour Street, Kanpai Classic is one of London’s top destinations for high-end Japanese yakiniku. At first glance, the space reads more like a sleek members’ lounge than a restaurant. Exposed brick, dim lighting, and brushed metal surfaces set an industrial-chic mood—but look closely: embedded into each stone-topped table is a concealed charcoal grill, hidden beneath a matte black cover, ready to transform the dining experience into a theatrical showcase of fire and flavour.