London restaurants - Chelsea, Kensington

9 Duke of York Square, Chelsea, London SW3 4LY

Housed in an architecturally eye-catching pavilion on Duke of York Square, Vardo is the Caravan Group's Chelsea outpost. The menu takes a more global approach to suit the area's international audience but you can obviously enjoy a top-tier coffee here too.

The Courtyard, 151 Sydney St, London SW3 6NT

Budget and Chelsea don’t appear in the same sentence very often but this perennially popular Vietnamese spot with a slightly eye-catching name has long been a good place to grab a bowl of tasty noodles in the area. Everything is made from scratch and the laksa is also worth a try.

112 Draycott Ave, London SW3 3AE

Richard Caring’s South Ken Italian has been in operation since the Sixties and has been serving classic, seasonal Italian dishes to the well-heeled SW3 residents since then. The conservatory is the perfect Insta-friendly backdrop and the terrace tables are much-coveted.

50 Cheyne Walk, London SW3 5LR

A Chelsea stalwart, No Fifty Cheyne sits in a picturesque position on the river, serving up a modern British menu which plunders the UK’s larder for seasonal inspiration. Brunch is a particularly big thing here.

277 Kensington High St, London W8 6NA

Billed as London’s oldest family-run restaurant, Il Portico is run by siblings James and Francesca Chiavarini and specialises in Italian specialities from Emilia Romagna. Much of the produce comes from the family's farm in Kent.

86 Fulham Road, London SW3 6HR

Sourcing from top quality suppliers, the aim of this South Ken pub is to make you feel like you’re in a country pub in the heart of the city. But this is SW3 so obviously there’s caviar on the menu alongside chicken and leek pithiviers.

6 Old Ct Pl, London W8 4PL

For decades Maggie Jones has been a favourite spot for a first date, now it’s just as likely to be thronged with social media types who go crazy for its ‘more is more’ aesthetic. Dishes are as old school and classic as the place itself.

55 Exhibition Rd, London SW7 2PG

Set across the ground floor of the Polish Hearth Club on Museum Mile in South Ken, this popular family restaurant serves up classic Eastern European staples with brio alongside flavoured vodkas and more. The terrace at the back is one of London’s loveliest alfresco spaces.

Lennox Gardens Mews, London SW3 2JH

A glossy take on the Japanese izakaya, this Chelsea restaurant uses the very best of British ingredients for their amazing sushi dishes. It’s a real fusion of taste, technique and influence between Japan and Europe.

25 Elystan St, London SW3 3NT

Founder Roaya was inspired by childhood summers on her family’s farm in Bahrain to set up a restaurant celebrating the produce and food of that area. Expect to find a modern marriage of gulf state dishes finessed for a London audience.

151 Sydney St, London SW3 6NT

Inspired by the vibes and produce to be found in an English country garden this Chelsea restaurant focus is on its alfresco courtyard. The mix of owner Hugh Stanley’s social connections and MasterChef The Professionals contestant chef Olivia Burt means it’s always humming.

Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 6RD

Top French chef Claude Bosi's main London restaurant is at the classic Bibendum building. Being in the Michelin building seems a very good fit for Bosi whose fine-dining French style has already won him two stars. He's also in charge of the downstairs seafood restaurant.

11-13 Abingdon Road, London W8 6AH

This is a joint venture between top chef Philip Howard, best known for Elystan Street, and his business partner Rebecca Mascarenhas. The chef here is Mark Kempson, who worked with Howard at The Square. This has slowly become a Kensington institution, a laid-back neighbourhood restaurant, but one that has a Michelin star.

The Park Tower Knightsbridge, 101 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RN

This is the London outpost of Salt Bae, the internet sensation best known for his special flourishes with salt to finish off the steak. If you are fully bought in to the Salt Bae hype train, this will be the place for you (particularly if the chef is in town). It is fiendishly expensive alongside all that, with the £600+ gold covered steak being, shall we say, a little on the ostentatious side..

75 Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 9SG

From Shoreditch to Sloane Street, Adam Handling's rise has been meteoric. At their English countryside hotel Le Manoir Belmond picked Raymond Blanc, now they've put all their resources behind Handling at their flagship Knightsbridge hotel. He's in charge of all the food, including bar, restaurant, afternoon tea and even the room service food.

101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA

Former Engawa chef Akira Shimizu is opening his own robatayaki and sushi restaurant in Japan's new cultural centre, Japan House on Kensington High Street.

27-31 Basil St, Knightsbridge, London SW3 1BB

Caprice Holdings have a pretty good hit rate in London and they're winning again with this Knightsbridge opening. This time around, it's a loosely 50's/60's Italian themed bar and restaurant with its own terrace. It's based on Harry's Bar - but you don't need a membership for this restaurant. Expect casual Italian dining.

The Barkers Building, Derry Street,London W8 5HR

Already a huge success wherever they open, this sees Dishoom opening in Kensington. Expect a large array of Indian small plates and expect a queue to get in at peak times.

2A Kensington High Street, London W8 4PT

Central London's legendary nightclub Mahiki is getting a sister venue in Kensington, with a Polynesian-themed restaurant inside called Pufferfish. Its tableside-seared salmon, champagne-topped treasure chests and tropical cocktails should reel in the celebs like its Mayfair branch.

25 Elystan St, Chelsea, London SW3 3NT

After a successful first opening in her home country, Bahraini chef Roaya have opened here in London. Step in for a breakfast flatbread with homemade yoghurt in their terracotta-lined courtyard, try a plum cocktail on the al fresco terrace or order far too much from their Mezzeh sharing plates menu.

4 Sydney Street, Chelsea, London SW3 6PP

The original Zheng in Oxford has been a big hit, and now they've opened a second restaurant in Chelsea. Expect pan-Asian cuisine with a particular focus on Malaysian cooking.

264 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 2AS

This is the next restaurant from Tom Sellers, who's behind the very popular Restaurant Story. He's joined up with Daniel Phippard for this restaurant hidden behind Brompton Road which will have classic and contemporary influences. And a great big tree in the middle of it too. Expect a buzzing bar.

279-283 Brompton Road, London SW3 2DY

The Hour Glass pub has two new owners - Luke Mackay and David Turcan, who run Brompton Food Market. Expect a regularly changing menu with lots of products from artisan producers.

Walton House, Walton Street, London SW3 2JH

This new Italian is taking over a classic building in Knightsbridge and is being consulted by the legendary Silvano Giraldin, best known for his exemplary service when he was General Manager at Le Gavroche. Expect classic Italian and there's a separate bar and courtyard too.

4 Sydney Street, London SW3 6PP

This Chelsea brasserie has a lot of respected restaurant folk behind it who have worked at Brasserie St Jacques, The Greenhouse, Brown’s Hotel, The Ritz Hotel, Harry’s Bar and The Arch. Expect classic French brasserie dishes with a lot of trolley service too.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Heston's only London gaff is still hugely popular. The dishes that captured everyone's attention when it opened - the Meat Fruit (chicken liver parfait shaped like a mandarin) and the Tipsy Cake are still on the menu and are must-order dishes if you haven't got round to trying them yet. Keep an eye out for A-list diners, the hotel is a well-known celebrity haunt. 

20 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4EP

By day, this restaurant will look for the world to be a basic hot dog kiosk serving up one classic Yankee dog (served with yellow mustard, red ketchup and spring onions). At night a hidden door to the restaurant downstairs is opened, where they'll be serving up an extended hot dog list and also the 'bones' part of the menu (Boston ribeye steak and more) plus what looks to be a great cocktail list.

100 Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AD

The team at Bo lang include Head Chef and Dim Sum Master Kai Wang, who has over 10 years experience as a dim sum chef with his previous London places of employment including Novikov and Grand Imperial at Grosvenor House. The menu features a mix of traditional and modern dim sum.

11 Cadogan Gardens, London, SW3 2RJ

This modern European restaurant boasts a chef, Manuel Oliveri, who has worked at Gauthier as sous chef and management who have worked at Galvin at Windows, Le Gavroche and Rousillon among other places and promises and affordable menu for the area. All this is supported with its own on-site wine cellar.

343 Kensington High Street London W8 6NW

Ex-lawyer turned chef Guglielmo Arnulfo has opened this new Italian restaurant specialising in dishes from Liguria. The menu includes stuffed courgette blossoms, Troffie al Pesto – a Ligurian speciality pasta with just flour and water, and Cuttlefish in Zimino – Tuscan cuttlefish stew. There will also be a luxury wine cellar with private dining on the lower ground floor, seating up to 15.