Best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2019

Here is my list of best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2019.

Best Restaurant(s) in London :  The Square , The Clove Club , Bibendum ,  The Ledbury, Kitchen Table , Greenhouse , The Ritz , Portland , Mao's and Pied a Terre

Best Sourcing and Ingredients :   The Square , The Greenhouse and The Clove Club

Best Restaurant Wine Lists :  Chez Bruce  , The Greenhouse , Noble Rot , Hunan , Trivet and Taillevent 110

Best New Openings :  Trivet , Bob Bob Cite , Yeni , Dulwich Lyceum Norma and The Wild Tavern

Best Argentinian : Zoilo

Best Italian Restaurant (Southern) :  Gola

Best Italian ( Sardinian) Olivo Group and Edera

Best Italian Restaurant (Northern) :  Novikov , Locanda Locatelli

Best Pan Italian :  , River Café  ,  Boca di Lupo , (Francesco Mazzei 's) Sartoria and L'Amorosa

Best Trattoria : Mele e Pere  , Radici and L'Amorosa

Best Indian : Jamvar , Gymkhana and Roti Chai/Chai Ki

Best Casual Indian :  Chai Ki , Darjeeling Express

Best Indian delivery : Motu

Best Indian (Modern) : Roti Chai and Gymkhana

Best Pakistani :  Saloos 

Best Chinese : Hunan , Kai , Silk Road and A Wong

Best Dim Sum :  A Wong  and Royal China (Baker St)

Best Thai :   Som Sa , The Heron

Best Fusion : Novikov 

Best Japanese : The Araki and Umu

Best Vietnamese : head to Paris or Vietnam

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia  Knightsbridge

Best Greek :  Opsos , Meraki and Horvada

Best "Politiki Kouzina " Peckham Bazaar  andDulwich Lyceum

Best Turkish : Gökyüzü and Yeni 

Best Iranian/Persian : Kateh and Berenjak

Best Sushi : The Araki and Endo at the Rotunda

Best French :  Gauthier Soho , Club Gascon, The Square , and Bibendum

Best Vegan : Gauthier Soho

Best Modern British/European : The Ledbury , Kitchen Table , Core , Portland and The Clove Club

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio  and  Pizarro 

Best Tapas : Tendido Cedro , Barrafina , José

Best English : St John's , The Guinea Grill , Parlour and Quality Chop House

Best Fish/Seafood : Noble Rot ,  Parsons , Bonnie Gull , The Sea The Sea and Bentley's

Best Oysters : Noble Rot , Wright Bros , The French House  and Bentley's

Best Gastro Pubs : Parlour , Harwood Arms , Anchor and Hope and Eagle

Best Service : Galvin's Windows, Noble Rot and Cambio de Tercio

Best Sandwich : Kappacasein's , Cheese Toastie

Best Pub : The Guinea and The Cleveland Arms

Best Selection of Craft Beer :  The Rake 

Best Wine Bar : 40 Maltby St , Antidote Wine Bar, 10 Cases and Noble Rot

Best Brasserie : Bob Bob Ricard and Bob Bob Cite

Best Neighbourhood Restaurants : L'Amorosa , Peckham Baazar and Chez Bruce

Best Mavericks : The French House, Portland , Mao's  and 40 Maltby St

Best French Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking :  Casse Croûte  

Best Burger :  Zoilo

Best "joint" Burger :  Patty and Bun and Meat Liquor 

Best Chain Burger : Patty and Bun

Best Steak : Guinea Grill , Zelman Meats and Goodman

Best Steak Restaurants : Zelman Meats ,  Hawksmoor , Flatiron ,and Goodman

Best Pizza :  Santa Maria and Pizzicotto

Best Italian Deli : Prezzemolo e Vitale 

Best Street Food : Mr Falafel ( Shepherds Bush )

Best Value for money Wine List : Noble Rot, The Wild Tavern , Hunan and Andrew Edmunds

Best Value for Money Restaurants : Koya Bar ,  Flatiron and Peckham Bazaar

Best Breakfast : Koya Bar and The Guinea

My best meals in London 2019 . Hedone . The Square ,  The Clove Club , Portland and Peckham Bazaar.

My best meal outside London in 2019 :  The Crown Burchetts Green  and Joro , Sheffield

My best meals outside the UK in 2019 : Chez L'Ami Jean, Paris , Table , Paris ,  Alliance , Paris , Le Clarence , Paris, L'Arpege , Paris  Bastible , Dublin and Grano Dublin.

Best Bakery/Bread :  Hedone Bakery

Best  Chocolatier : William Curley

Best Patisserie :  Hedone Bakery and William Curley

Best Coffee : Prufrock Coffee and Parcafe 

Best Coffee Roaster : Difference Coffee and Square Mile

Best Tea : Lalani and Co

Best Viennoiserie : Arome , Hedone Bakery and Pophams

Best Gelato :  Oddono's 

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green and

Best Fish and Seafood Wholesale : Pesky Fish

Best Butchers : O'Shea's  and Provenance 

Best Greengrocer : Andreas Veg , Chelsea .

Best Cheese Shops : La Fromagerie , Mons, Buchanans and Neal's Yard 

Best Purveyor of French Charcuterie  : The Ham and Cheese Company

Best Purveyors of Italian Salumi : The Ham and Cheese Company 

Best Purveyor of British Charcuterie : Cannon and Cannon

Best Wine Merchants Retail :  Hedonism , Hansen Hayes and Clark , Nysa , Lea and Sandeman and Handford

Best Wine Merchants Wholesale : Flint , Fortyfive 10 ,  and Fields, Morris and Verdin

Best of London 2013 : Best Restaurants and Food and Wine Shops in London 2013

Here is my list of best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2013.

Best Restaurant(s) in London : Hedone , Dinner , Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road , The Greenhouse and The Ledbury

Best Sourcing and Ingredients : Hedone

Best Argentinian : Zoilo

Best Italian Restaurant (Southern) : L'Anima 

Best Italian Restaurant (Northern) : Alloro , Novikov , Locanda Locatelli

Best Pan Italian : Aspleys , River Cafe  , Tinello 

Best Trattoria : Mele e Pere

Best Casual Indian : Roti Chai

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares and Rasoi

Best Pakistani : Shezan & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan , Kai and Hutong

Best Dim Sum :  A Wong  and Royal China (Baker St)

Best Thai :  Heron

Best Fusion : Apero , Zuma and Moro

Best Japanese : Umu and Sake No Hana

Best Vietnamese : head to Paris or Vietnam

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia , Knightsbridge and Meza , Tooting

Best Greek : None are rated

Best "Politiki Kouzina " Peckham Bazaar and Kazan

Best Turkish : Mangal Ocakbasi (Stoke Newington)

Best Sushi : Sushi Tetsu , Yashin Sushi

Best French : Hibiscus , Gauthier Soho , Club Gascon and The Greenhouse

Best Modern British/European : The Ledbury , Kitchen Table and The Clove Club

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio , Fino , Pizarro and Iberica

Best Tapas : Tendido Cedro , Barrafina and José

Best English : St John's 

Best Fish/Seafood : One - O - One , Knightsbridge 

Best Gastro Pub : Harwood Arms , Anchor and Hope , Great Queen St

Best Service : Galvin's Windows , Goodman Maddox St , Hedone , Fino , Bar Boulud and Cambio de Tercio

Best Sandwich : Fernandez and Wells and Kappacasein

Best Pub : The Ship (Wandsworth) , Hampshire Hog and Black Friar

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : 40 Maltby St

Best Brasserie : Bob Bob Ricard , Brasserie Chavot 

Best Mavericks : Giaconda Dining Room , Brunswick House Café , Dock Kitchen and 40 Maltby St

Best French Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Brasserie Chavot , Racine , Bistro Bruno and Koffmann's

Best Burger :  Burger and Lobster , Goodman and  Elliot's

Best "joint" Burger :  Meat Market , Meat Liquor and Patty & Bun

Best Chain Burger : Byron

Best Steak : Gillrays and Goodman

Best Steak Restaurants : Gillrays, Hawksmoor , Sophie's and Goodman

Best Grill : The Dorchester Grill

Best Pizza : Franco Manca (Brixton) and Santa Maria

Best Street Food : Mr Falafel ( Shepherds Bush )

Best Value for money Wine List : Bob Bob Ricard

Best Value for Money Restaurants : Koya , Sophie's ,  Franco Manca and Mangal Ocakbasi

Best Newcomers in London 2013 : Bird of Smithfield , Five Fields , The Dairy , Aquashard , Hutong , A Wong , Peckham Bazaar , Casse Croûte , The Clove Club and Gymkhana

Best Bakery/Bread :  Hedone

Best Patisserie and Chocolatier : William Curley

Best Coffee : Prufork Coffee

Best Coffee Roaster : Square Mile

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Gelato :  Oddono's and La Gelatiera

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Greengrocer : Andreas Veg , Chelsea

Best Cheese Shops : La Fromagerie , Rippon , Neal's Yard , Paxton & Whitfield and Beillevaire

Best Purveyor of French Charcuterie  : The Ham and Cheese Company

Best Purveyors of Italian Salumi : The ham and Cheese Company and L'Emporio Fine Foods

Best Purveyor of British Chacuterie : Cannon and Cannon

Best Wine Merchants Retail : Lea and Sandeman, Philglas and Swiggot , Market Row Wines  and Handford

Best Wine Merchants Wholesale : Liberty , Fortyfive 10  and Bibendum

Best in London 2010

Here is my list of best of London food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2010 and you can compare with 2009 ,2008 here 2007 here and 2006 here


Best Italian Restaurant (Southern) : L'Anima , Mennula

Best Italian Restaurant (Northern) : Alloro , Zafferano & Locanda Locatelli

Best Pan Italian : River Cafe

Best Indian : The Painted Heron

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares , Rasoi

Best Pakistani : Shezan & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan , Kai

Best Dim Sum : Pearl Liang and Royal China (Baker St)

Best Thai : Nahm

Best Japanese : Umu and Sake No Hana

Best Vietnamese : Mien Tay , Battersea

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia , Knightsbridge

Best Greek : none in London are rated.

Best Turkish : Mangal Ocakbasi (Stoke Newington)

Best Sushi : Sushi - Hiro (Ealing)

Best French : Hibiscus , Gauthier Soho , Club Gascon , Alain Ducasse (Dorchester)

Best Modern British/European : The Ledbury , Petersham Nurseries , Pied a Terre ( with an Antipodean twist)

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Barrafina , Barrica

Best English : St John's

Best Fish/Seafood : One - O - One , Knightsbridge

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope , Great Queen St

Best Sandwich : Fernandez and Wells , Kappacasein

Best Pub : The Ship (Wandsworth) , Drafthouse (Westbridge)

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : 28-50

Best Brasserie : Le Cafe Anglais & Bob Bob Ricard

Best French Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Chabrot Bistro D'Amis , Racine , Bistro Bruno

Best Burger : Hawksmoor , Goodman , Byron Big D (limited edition special)

Best Mid Range Burger : Byron

Best joint Burger : The Meatwagon ,Grazing (Tower Hill)

Best Steak : Côte de Boeuf at Racine

Best Steak Restaurant : Hawksmoor , Goodman , The Rib Room

Best Grill : The Rib Room & The Dorchester Grill

Best Pizza : Franco Manca

Best Street Food : Mr Falafel and The Meatwagon

Best Value for money Wine List : Bob Bob Ricard

Best Value for Money Restaurant : Polpo & Mangal Ocakbasi

Best Newcomers in London 2010 : 101 Pimlico Road , The Dock Kitchen ,Texture and Goodman (City)

Best Italian Deli : none in London are rated.

Best Butcher : Oshea's of Knightbridge

Best Bakery : St John's Bread , Franco Manca , Poilane

Best Patisserie & Chocolatier : William Curley

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Gelato : Cocorino

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie , Rippon and Beillevaire

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , Bibendum Wines

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou (Turnham Green Terrace)

Best of 2009 in London

Here is my list of best food shops , restaurants and wine establishments for 2009 and you can compare with 2008 here 2007 here and 2006 here

Best Italian Restaurant : L'Anima

Best Indian : Bombay Palace

Best Indian (Modern) : Benares

Best Pakistani : New Tayyabs & Saloos

Best Chinese : Hunan

Best Thai : Nahm

Best Japanese : Umu

Best Vietnamese : Mien Tay , Hackney and Battersea

Best Lebanese/Syrian : Ishbilia

Best Sushi : Sushi - Hiro

Best French : The Square , Hibiscus and Le Gavroche

Best Spanish : Cambio de Tercio

Best Tapas : Fino ; Barfina

Best English : St John's

Best Fish/Seafood : J Sheekey

Best Gastro Pub : Anchor & Hope , Great Queen St & Harwood Arms

Best Selection of Beer : Draft House and The Rake

Best Wine Bar : Vinoteca

Best Brasserie : Le Cafe Anglais

Best Bistro/Bourgeois Cooking : Racine , Knightsbridge

Best Burger : Hawksmoor

Best Steak : Cote de Boeuf at Racine

Best Steak Restaurant : Hawksmoor ,& Goodmans

Best mid range Burger : Byron Burger

Best Pizza : Franco Manca

Best Value for money Wine List : Andrew Edmunds

Best Value for Money Restaurant : Giaconda Dinning Room

Best Italian Deli : Speck

Most over rated : The Wolseley , River Cafe and Sketch

Best Butcher : Oshea's Knightbridge

Best Bakery : St John's Bread , Franco Manca & K&S Bakery (German breads only)

Best Patisserie : William Curley

Best Cakes and Brownies : Bea's of Bloomsbury

Best Fishmonger : The Chelsea Fishmonger (Rex Goldsmith), Chelsea Green

Best Cheese Shop : La Fromagerie

Best Wine Merchants : Berry Brothers & Rudd , Bibendum Wines

Best Fruit & Veg : Andreas Georghiou , Turnham Green Terrace

The Saviour of Ice Cream in London

When the Owners of La Bottega del Gelato in Bayswater retired six months ago I knew that Londoners who savour real Italian home made ice cream would be in serious trouble.

The outlet has allegedly been passed on to a relative; however what is being served is clearly industrial.

Some may remember a similar affair with the retirement of the owner and ice cream maker at Benigra on Tottenham Court Road some 8-10 years ago.

Thankfully Christian O'donno and a friend who were students in London and could not satisfy their taste for the Ice Cream of their homeland saw a gap in the market. After undergoing on the job training back in Italy they opened a superb Ice Cream Parlour in South Kensington that also supplies some notable restaurants. The sorbets and Ice Creams are really outstanding!

O'donno, 14 Bute Street, South Kensington, London SW7