London Restaurants - West London

Grand Union Canal, Sheldon Square, Central W2 6DS

Moored beside each other, this pair of barges on the canal at Paddington are hard to miss with their exterior painted by Sir Peter Blake. Their bottomless weekend brunches are particularly popular. For the menu, think Aussie-inspired dishes like tiramisu lamingtons and sweetcorn fritters with mashed avo. The nearby Bondi Green is also a good option from the same people.

13 Norfolk Pl, Tyburnia, London W2 1QJ

As the name suggests, this is the open-to-all all canteen for the private members club catering to journalists working in international affairs and particularly in conflicts. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner during the week serving up an international menu in a dining room filled with amazing Magnum photographs.

50 Connaught St, Tyburnia, London W2 2AA

If you’re after a traditional Indian meal in comfortable surroundings, then this elegant West London spot is just the ticket. From an extensive menu, the tandoor section is probably the best area to spend time on and it’s a particularly good spot to go if there’s a vegan or vegetarian in your group.

13 Sale Pl, Tyburnia, London W2 1PX

Any restaurant that’s managed to survive more than five decades in the frenetic London restaurant scene must be doing something right. Royalty and celebrities alike have been flocking to this Malaysian restaurant since the 1970s for dishes like the titular satay and laksa too. If you’ve managed to save room for dessert, the deep-fried banana is a must.

9 Sheldon Square, London W2 6HY

This modern Lebanese restaurant in the heart of Paddington is handy for commuters and office workers alike. If you’re here with a group, the set mezze menus are the easiest way to go, but they also do a line of what they term ‘massguettes’ - baguettes stuffed with lamb or chicken shawarma or falafel. You’ll find a decent selection of Lebanese wines on the wine list here.

153 Praed St, Tyburnia, London W2 1RL

Open all day from breakfast through to the early evening, the menu at Mihbaj focuses on dishes from Jordan and Palestine. It also boasts a hidden terrace which is a perfect little oasis from the hustle and bustle of Paddington. Start the day with shakshuka or French toast with rose and vanilla ice cream. If you’re here later in the day their upside-down maqluba dish of aubergines, tomatoes and lamb is unmissable.

12 Connaught St, St George's Fields, London W2 2AF

Spotting this bakery and cafe is easy - just look for the queue snaking its way down Connaught Street. A viral sensation, everyone is going crazy for La Maritxu’s burnt baked Basque cheesecake. Order a slice to have in, with a cup of coffee or get a full cheesecake to go.

14-16 Queensway, London W2 3RX

There’s really one main dish that you cross town to try at this Queensway Cantonese - the famous lobster noodles. They’re deservedly well-known, but there’s plenty more on this seafood-focused restaurant that you’re going to want to try from the Dover sole to the salt and pepper squid.

35-39 Inverness Terrace, London W2 3JS

As popular with visiting Malaysian tourists as it is with locals, this restaurant offers an extensive Malaysian menu with all the classics represented from roti canai to Hainanese chicken rice through to nasi lemak and beef rendang.

28 Chilworth St, London W2 6DT

Part of a boutique collection of pubs, a quick look at this popular gastropub’s menus shows that its food offering is a cut above the usual boozer. With plenty to please both vegetarians and meat eaters alike, the sustainable and seasonal offering makes this somewhere to return to again and again.

55-57 N Wharf Rd, London W2 1LA

Run by the same team as The Grand Duchess, this touring boat takes you on a two-and-a-half-hour cruise to Camden and back while serving up amazing food. There’s a strong focus on sustainable British seafood and that local theme extends to the drinks list too.

Unit 53, 5 Merchant Sq, London W2 1BQ

The Paddington branch of this boutique BBQ restaurant group serves up steak, tacos and more with a focus on using the whole animal. It also does a handy line in takeaway burgers at lunchtime and this was the group’s first restaurant to be fully halal.

202 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RH

Wild is a Mediterranean restaurant in Notting Hill that's something of a spin-off of the original Wild Tavern in Chelsea, offering a chic dining experience that suits the area very well. The menu features top-quality ingredients, such as red Sicilian prawns and Spanish bluefin tuna tartare alongside fresh pasta dishes. It's popular with west London celebs too, so you might spot an A-lister here.

14 Station Parade, Richmond TW9 3PZ

Hawthorn took over the prime place in Kew that used to be The Glasshouse. The menu comes from owner and chef Joshua Hunter, previously at Kitchen W8 and Murano. Here he's going for a modern European take with an extra focus on British game and wild food.

105-107 Talbot Road, London W11 2AT

Notting Hill's Dorian has become one of the most popular restaurants in the area and much of that is down to their head chef, Max Cohen, previously at Ikoyi and Kitchen Table. Owned by Chris D'Sylva (Notting Hill Fish + Meat Shop), and billed as a "bistro for locals" they have a seasonal British/European menu on offer and a notably great wine list.

46 Golborne Rd, London W10 5PR

Billed as a combo wine bar, restaurant and music venue, Caia comes from a duo that was behind popular Notting Hill restaurant Fiend. Alongside the wine, there's an open kitchen turning out an excellent menu of small plates and snacks - and some amazing garlic bread too.

79 Barlby Rd, London W10 6AZ

Set with the impressive arts and design collective Ladbroke Hall, Pollini is their seasonal Italian restaurant. It's led by chef Emanuele Pollini, who has worked at a host of Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy before this. The room is impressive, if a little cavernous, and Pollini's creative take on traditional Italian cuisine is proving popular.

5 Hillgate St, London W8 7SP

From the same people by Kuro Coffee, this is their restaurant which blends a Mediterranean and European menu with a minimalist decor. Expect an ever-changing menu of inventive food that also makes very good use of the attached bakery.

29 All Saints Road, London W11 1HE

Ria's in Notting Hill is a natural wine bar that also happens to serve up deep-dish Detroit-style pizzas. So, along with your Pet Nat, you can have one of their pizza pies that include toppings like roasted king prawns or potato, taleggio and lardons, drizzled with Parmesan cream.

45 All Saints Road, London W11 1HE

This pub has undergone many iterations over its long lifespan but the newest revival has been a big hit with foodies and critics alike. The cosy atmosphere provides a backdrop to the small plates menu with dishes showcasing the local produce; their link to the local neighbourhood increases with regular events such as movie nights and Pilates classes.

92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN

Clare Smyth once led Gordon Ramsay's signature London restaurant before going onto even bigger things and earning three Michelin stars here at Core. Expect fine dining (but in a relaxed atmosphere) with signature dishes like the Potato and Roe or he Core Apple not to be missed. If you can't get a reservation, the bar Whiskey and Seaweed (which also has bar snacks) is well worth a visit in itself.

31 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2EU

Jackson Boxer (also of Brunswick House) took inspiration from the Scottish islands and highlands for this West London seafood restaurant which has become one of Notting Hill's best. Dishes range from fried prawns to whole day-boat fish and sharing dishes like the Belted Galloway Rib with Bearnaise.

87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL

Harrods Dining Hall introduced four new restaurants to overhaul the offering. Options include Sushi by Masa, featuring three-Michelin-starred Chef Masayoshi Takayama's creations. Kinoya Ramen, by Chef Neha Mishra, makes its UK debut with diverse ramen broths and izakaya dishes. Assembly Mezze & Skewers, by Greek Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, offers mezze delights. Kerridge's Fish and Chips does just that, while Pasta Evangelists by Chef Giancarlo Perbellini elevates the pasta experience. Finally, The Grill, Harrods' own-label restaurant, showcases dry-aged beef.

157 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS

This comes from sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, the man behind Endo at the Rotunda. While that's a full omakase affair, this sushi bar in Notting Hill is a slightly more casual affair, which has gone down extremely well with West London folk. It remains easily one of the best sushi spots in town.

127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2AQ

One of London's legendary restaurants and one that's often raved about by foodies as among the very best in town. Fronted by Brett Graham, it's recently had a complete revamp, returning with a glammed-up redesign and perhaps something of a more high-end feel than before. That change was certainly for the better as it earned the restaurant its third Michelin star.

16 All Saints Road, London W11 1HH

This Notting Hill restaurant comes from Harneet Baweja, the man behind the very popular Gunpowder restaurants. Here, he's gone for something new - specifically a mix of Indian food and disco music, with a focus on the seventies music scene in India. Expect dishes like lamb shank dum biryani or fish chop rogan josh.

 65 Shepherd's Bush Green, London W12 8QE

Originally a pop-up at another Hoxton, Chet's is the permanent restaurant at the Hoxton Shepherd's Bush. Created by LA chef Kris Yenbamroong it mashes up Thai and American influences into the menu.

27 Uxbridge Street, London W8 7TQ

Akub is top Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan's restaurant in London that's billed as being a progressive take on Palestinian cuisine. The menu uses a combination of fair-trade Palestinean produce as well as local produce expect Middle Eastern flavours and lots of sharing dishes.

Holland Park, Abbotsbury Rd, London W8 6LU

Belvedere is a complete reinvention of a classic restaurant in Holland Park, relaunched by the people behind Wild Tavern after months of attention lavished on it. The glamorous interiors match a menu that has an Italian flavour.

91 Golborne Rd, London W10 5PR

While Thomas Straker occasionally gets into the press for the wrong reason, he still has a huge social media following and his Notting Hill restaurant remains a hit. Here, you can expect a menu centered around sustainability and seasonality and certainly get to try a few of the chef's famous butters too.