Restaurant Reviews

4 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9FA

This is from the same people as the original Le Bab - but it's a restaurant of two halves. Upstairs you'll find their next-level kebabs which are inspired by and are paying homage to great kebab houses. And downstairs is the hidden counter dining restaurant Kebab queen. This is a different beast altogether, offering a kebab tasting menu like no other.

6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB

Kolae comes from Som Saa's Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver in Borough Market and showcases a modern Thai grill concept. The three-story restaurant has a menu which features Southern Thailand-inspired dishes, like their Kolae chicken bamboo skewers, and it's well worth checking out the cocktail section and the well-thought-out wine list.

15 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8QG

Ave Mario is from the people behind Gloria and Circolo Poplare, and once again it's another hit for them. Expect no holds barred on the design and BIG food, like the enormous ice cream cake that they wheel about the room. Specialities here include a caviar section, massive cocktails and a veal milanese that's twice as big as your head. 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Taking over The Mandarin Oriental's lower ground floor, this Japanese izakaya is a warren of opulently designed dining rooms and cocktail bars. Expect to try a range of top-drawer sushi and Japanese dishes with the focus firmly on the cocktail list.