Guidebook for Greater London
Food Scene
Chef Blumenthal is best known for the Fat Duck, where you may wait months for a table and a meal costs 220 pounds plus drinks and service. Dinner by Heston serves more accessible food at less elevated prices, but it’s still not cheap. Most mains cost 30 pounds to 40 pounds. The set lunch is 38 pounds for three courses but isn’t very exciting—although it includes the restaurant’s signature “wow,” the Meatfruit (a liver parfait in a mandarin gel).
21 recommandé par les habitants
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
66 KnightsbridgeChef Blumenthal is best known for the Fat Duck, where you may wait months for a table and a meal costs 220 pounds plus drinks and service. Dinner by Heston serves more accessible food at less elevated prices, but it’s still not cheap. Most mains cost 30 pounds to 40 pounds. The set lunch is 38 pounds for three courses but isn’t very exciting—although it includes the restaurant’s signature “wow,” the Meatfruit (a liver parfait in a mandarin gel).
The low-key Indian restaurant is the London outpost of a chain that started life in Nairobi in 1991. You can watch Haandi’s chefs at work in an open kitchen that turns out dishes whose flavor volume is set to maximum, channeling the flavors of East Africa with interesting, contemporary twists. There are vegetarian, meat, and seafood set lunches costing about 15 pounds to 17 pounds. The Chandni Chowk Ka Keema (minced lamb with peas) is particularly good, as is the Dhaba chicken with black lentils
Haandi
7 Cheval PlThe low-key Indian restaurant is the London outpost of a chain that started life in Nairobi in 1991. You can watch Haandi’s chefs at work in an open kitchen that turns out dishes whose flavor volume is set to maximum, channeling the flavors of East Africa with interesting, contemporary twists. There are vegetarian, meat, and seafood set lunches costing about 15 pounds to 17 pounds. The Chandni Chowk Ka Keema (minced lamb with peas) is particularly good, as is the Dhaba chicken with black lentils
Hawksmoor singlehandedly raised the standard of steak restaurants in London when it opened in Spitalfields in 2006. The new Knightsbridge outlet has similarly top-notch meat, along with fried oysters and a lobster roll with sriracha mayonnaise and yuzu. The attention to detail in the menu and the design means Hawksmoor is still a winner, although it can still be expensive. The Porterhouse steak is great, at 9 pounds per 100 grams. Try it at lunchtime, when the set lunch is 24 pounds for two courses and 27 pounds for three.
24 recommandé par les habitants
Hawksmoor Knightsbridge
3 Yeoman's RowHawksmoor singlehandedly raised the standard of steak restaurants in London when it opened in Spitalfields in 2006. The new Knightsbridge outlet has similarly top-notch meat, along with fried oysters and a lobster roll with sriracha mayonnaise and yuzu. The attention to detail in the menu and the design means Hawksmoor is still a winner, although it can still be expensive. The Porterhouse steak is great, at 9 pounds per 100 grams. Try it at lunchtime, when the set lunch is 24 pounds for two courses and 27 pounds for three.
This casual-ish spot in the Mandarin Oriental is better than the original in New York. The service is friendly and the prices are reasonable. It’s a great place to go for cocktails or for a burger and beer. The set lunch is 17 pounds for two courses and 19 pounds for three, including a glass of wine and coffee. It’s a French brasserie menu, with particularly good charcuterie. But the specialty at Bar Boulud is a range of burgers that are among the best in London. Having trouble choosing? Pick all three for 54 pounds ($82), including what looks almost like a bucket of fries.
16 recommandé par les habitants
Bar Boulud
66 KnightsbridgeThis casual-ish spot in the Mandarin Oriental is better than the original in New York. The service is friendly and the prices are reasonable. It’s a great place to go for cocktails or for a burger and beer. The set lunch is 17 pounds for two courses and 19 pounds for three, including a glass of wine and coffee. It’s a French brasserie menu, with particularly good charcuterie. But the specialty at Bar Boulud is a range of burgers that are among the best in London. Having trouble choosing? Pick all three for 54 pounds ($82), including what looks almost like a bucket of fries.
Marcus Wareing was a protégé of Gordon Ramsay, who formerly owned a two-Michelin-star restaurant in this space, Petrus. Wareing has loosened up a little since those days, and after a 2014 makeover the room is now lighter and brighter. I had my doubts about whether the basics would be much different until I dined there last month. The service at the new Marcus is friendly and less formal, while the food is as good as ever. More accessible even. There’s a lunch menu for 49 pounds, though it’s worth splashing out on a la carte for dishes such as venison, chestnut, Muscat, and black pudding.
8 recommandé par les habitants
Marcus
Wilton PlaceMarcus Wareing was a protégé of Gordon Ramsay, who formerly owned a two-Michelin-star restaurant in this space, Petrus. Wareing has loosened up a little since those days, and after a 2014 makeover the room is now lighter and brighter. I had my doubts about whether the basics would be much different until I dined there last month. The service at the new Marcus is friendly and less formal, while the food is as good as ever. More accessible even. There’s a lunch menu for 49 pounds, though it’s worth splashing out on a la carte for dishes such as venison, chestnut, Muscat, and black pudding.
Rivea is tucked away in the basement of the Bulgari Hotel. It’s easy to miss and worth seeking out. It’s an Alain Ducasse restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. The dishes are fresh, colorful, and vibrant. The place should be packed but is usually quiet at lunchtime, when a selection of dishes from the a la carte menu costs 35 pounds, with water and coffee. Two dishes not to miss are the Rivea salad wrapped in a socca (crepe), and potato/sage/Parmesan gnocchi.
Rivea London
171 KnightsbridgeRivea is tucked away in the basement of the Bulgari Hotel. It’s easy to miss and worth seeking out. It’s an Alain Ducasse restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. The dishes are fresh, colorful, and vibrant. The place should be packed but is usually quiet at lunchtime, when a selection of dishes from the a la carte menu costs 35 pounds, with water and coffee. Two dishes not to miss are the Rivea salad wrapped in a socca (crepe), and potato/sage/Parmesan gnocchi.
Drinks & Nightlife
The Sake Bar and Lounge is located within Zuma in Knightsbridge and serves up over 40 different varieties of sake and an impressive list of tasty cocktails to match. The drinks are made with a blend of fresh fruit juice, Japanese spirits and sake, which are sure to get your taste buds tingling. The simple but elegant decor is complementary to the menu, creating a relaxing ambience for the guests to enjoy whilst at the Sake Bar and Lounge at Zuma.
83 recommandé par les habitants
Zuma London
5 Raphael StThe Sake Bar and Lounge is located within Zuma in Knightsbridge and serves up over 40 different varieties of sake and an impressive list of tasty cocktails to match. The drinks are made with a blend of fresh fruit juice, Japanese spirits and sake, which are sure to get your taste buds tingling. The simple but elegant decor is complementary to the menu, creating a relaxing ambience for the guests to enjoy whilst at the Sake Bar and Lounge at Zuma.
Found at the ever dashing Berkeley Hotel, Blue Bar is a divine spot just a short stroll from the heart of Knightsbridge. A premium hang-out for many celebrity faces, serne tones make for a markedly grand environment where bespoke bottles of champagne, slickly dressed bartenders and an extensive whisky selection reign supreme.
8 recommandé par les habitants
The Blue Bar
Wilton PlaceFound at the ever dashing Berkeley Hotel, Blue Bar is a divine spot just a short stroll from the heart of Knightsbridge. A premium hang-out for many celebrity faces, serne tones make for a markedly grand environment where bespoke bottles of champagne, slickly dressed bartenders and an extensive whisky selection reign supreme.
It is hard to imagine a more polished and refined bar than Bulgari Bar at Bulgari Hotel in London. The sumptuous interior of Bulgari Bar consists of mirrored surfaces, an arctic cold-like stainless steal bar and charcoal coloured seating areas.
10 recommandé par les habitants
Bulgari Hotel London
171 KnightsbridgeIt is hard to imagine a more polished and refined bar than Bulgari Bar at Bulgari Hotel in London. The sumptuous interior of Bulgari Bar consists of mirrored surfaces, an arctic cold-like stainless steal bar and charcoal coloured seating areas.