London Restaurants - Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
This Peruvian restaurant is from Virgilio Martinez, former Executive Chef at Astrid y Gaston, listed on the San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list. It aims to "integrate Peruvian traditional cuisine with a modern and contemporary twist."
Critic reviews - total score 4.5 out of 10
This all-day restaurant will showcase every imaginable way you could cook a British, free-range chicken. As you’d expect there’s burgers, soups, casseroles and pies but also some more unusual creations such as ‘chicken crisps’ (crispy chicken skins), Vietnamese minced chicken salad, a pulled chicken bap, and harissa hot wings with caramelised orange.
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
This "informal" restaurant features former head chefs from both Arbutus and Wild Honey as Alan Christie and Colin Kelly go it alone. It's divided into a bar area at the front and more traditional dining down the back. Expect some excellent value on their special tasting menus too.
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
Most recently spotted down at The Filling Station in King's Cross, the new permanent Homeslice seats fifty people and make things very simple indeed - with pretty much everything priced the same, from a slice of pizza to a pint to a glass of wine.
Critic reviews - total score 8 out of 10
This restaurant comes from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, a husband and wife team that used to work at Ottolenghi and Nopi. The restaurant specialises in Middle Eastern cuisine and, as one of the best places to eat in the area, is always hard to get into.
Critic reviews - total score 6.5 out of 10
Critic reviews - total score 4 out of 10
This restaurant sees Jamie get into the burgers and hot dogs business with a restaurant perhaps more aimed at kids than many of the burger joints in Soho. It's billed as a pop-up, but it should be in place for about three years.
Critic reviews - total score 7.5 out of 10
This restaurant is from Jason Atherton and, to date, his only one in Soho. Expect a very British menu, with plenty of starters in jars too. As with all of Atherton's places, the bar is just as important - so make time to head upstairs for a cocktail or three.
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
Keith McNally, an English ex-pat, is big on the New York restaurant scene where Balthazar is a go-to place for both tourists and locals in the Village. He returned to the UK to open this, serving brasserie style food in a spectacular room.
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
Kitchen Table is the main event of the two-part restaurant from James Knappett and Sandia Chang (also including Bubbledogs). Here you can expect a new meal almost every visit as the menu evolves depending on the chef's preferences and the seasons. And all this in a setting that sees you seated around the open kitchen watching and interacting with the chefs.
Critic reviews - total score 8 out of 10
One of London's oldest restaurants, there has been a Rules serving food in and around this part of Covent Garden since 1798. Here is where you come if you're after history and classic British dishes, served well. The upstairs cocktail bar is legendary.
Critic reviews - total score 8 out of 10
Quo Vadis has Jeremy Lee in the kitchen and he's been cooking up a wonderfully British menu. Alas, the restaurant isn't quite what it used to be - with over two-thirds of the space given up to Barrafina. But the food is still great and if you're a member, there's an excellent upstairs restaurant too.
Critic reviews - total score 7.5 out of 10
The owners of Tsuru sushi have opened the doors on their new ramen bar in Soho. There will be three ramen dishes on offer: London Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen and Tokyo Spicy which has shredded pork and their home-made chilli oil. In addition to the ramen, there'll also be fresh, hand-made gyoza (dumplings) and a crab cream korokke (Japanese croquettes).
Critic reviews - total score 6.5 out of 10
This is the original Dishoom, the self-styled Bombay cafe that propelled them to success. You'll find small plates, inspired by Indian street food - not to mention bacon naans.
Critic reviews - total score 7.5 out of 10
Former Head Chef of critics' fave The Wapping Project, Cameron Emirali, teamed up with Luke Wilson for this restaurant in Soho which has become a perennial Soho favourite. Expect a daily-changing menu that will concentrate on seasonality and fresh ingredients. And on top of that, a particularly good wine list too.
Critic reviews - total score 5.5 out of 10
Bibigo is a popular restaurant chain in South Korea which set out to reinvent the bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables) as a fast-food meal. They've restaurants in Singapore, Beijing and Los Angeles and also sell sauces across the US. Now they've come to London with a restaurant and bar.
Critic reviews - total score 7.5 out of 10
This Ramen restaurant is from ex Nobu and Zuma chef Ross Shonhan. Expect ramen dishes that stray from the usual, including pipettes with which to drip pork fat into your ramen.
Critic reviews - total score 6.5 out of 10
They've already run a number of pop-up projects around London, now the people behind Bonnie Gull (Seafood Shack, Bonnie & Wild and Bonnie-on-sky) have opened their first permanent restaurant. As per their previous projects, the Seafood Shack will be featuring only responsibly sourced and 100% British produce.
Critic reviews - total score 6.5 out of 10
Honest Burgers were one of the first to help kick off the current burger craze with their home in Brixton Market. Now they've opened their second restaurant right in the heart of Soho with a burgers, beer and wine offering.
Critic reviews - total score 7.5 out of 10
The successful Goodge Street Spanish restaurant (and winner of Time Out's best Spanish restaurant in 2010) Barrica has expanded to the other side of Oxford Street. Expect a fully fledged tapas bar - all stools and standing space only with no bookings being taken.
Critic reviews - total score 6.5 out of 10
James Knappett and his wife Sandia Chang turned out to be a formidable double act when they opened a restaurant of two halves. This is the hot-dog half at the front of the restaurant, serving up gourmet hot dogs alongside grower champagnes and other sparkling wines.
Critic reviews - total score 5.5 out of 10
The Heliot Lounge Bar and Restaurant is on a balcony overlooking the revamped casino floor and is going for a West End brasserie vibe.
Critic reviews - total score 7 out of 10
Messrs Corbin & King's subterranean palace is a truly egalitarian establishment. The original hotel here aimed to "to make the luxuries usually available to the very rich open to the less well-off". In its current incarnation this huge restaurant does the same - offering starters at pre-decimalisation prices as well as one of the best prix fixe deals in town. Just off Piccadilly Circus, swanning down the stairs here always feels special - don't leave without ordering the singular Îles flottantes.
Critic reviews - total score 8 out of 10
It already has a branch north of Oxford Street in Marylebone, and now the popular wine bar has come into the heart of Soho. Expect a similar approach as their other two locations with a bar, dining room and wine shop across two levels.
Critic reviews - total score 8 out of 10
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King (The Wolseley, Zedel) are behind this huge restaurant, designed by the late David Collins. It's in a super position for pre and post theatre and the cafe at the front is handy as well.
Critic reviews - total score 6 out of 10
This is the first West End gastropub from Tom and Ed Martin, the brothers behind the Botanist and loads more throughout London. On St Martin's Lane, this has 60 covers spread over two floors, with the ground floor being a traditional pub whilst the first floor is an informal dining area, serving seasonal British produce.