Restaurants
WC2B 5JS
London
Covent Garden
27 Catherine Street,
Late in 2009 the news broke that Toyko had overtaken Paris as the city with the most three Michelin starred restaurants. Some pay no attention to the guide released every year, but for many chefs it’s the ultimate recognition of their work. During a brief visit to Toyko I witnessed for myself the Japanese appreciation of perfection, in every part of their lives, but especially in their food.
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As you step out of Lancaster Gate tube station, you could be forgiven for walking past the Island Restaurant, not because it’s an unassuming place, but more because of its surprisingly close proximity to the underground. A purple glow lights up this restaurant, which is sleek enough to lure in the suited and booted after work. When we walked in, the bar was buzzing with a healthy after-work crowd, and the restaurant wasn’t short on atmosphere either.
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SW3
London
126 Draycott Avenue
Previously named Joe’s Café, the fashion label Joseph-owned restaurant on Chelsea’s Draycott Avenue is now known simply as ‘JOE’S’. With Executive Chef Maria Elia at the helm since May of this year, the new-look JOE’S is a smart but relaxed affair, with comfortable leather chairs, mocha and brown hues, and smart black and white portrait photography adorning the walls.
Given the chic neighbourhood and the fashion connection, one might expect this to be a slightly uptight establishment full of head-to-toe-in-black fashionistas consuming little more than lettuce and black coffee.
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W1K 2QU
London
65 South Audley Street
Kai, one of London’s most expensive restaurants, sits comfortably alongside the designer boutiques and members only clubs of Mayfair. Earlier this year the restaurant received it’s first Michelin star, fifteen years after opening. So I decided to head down to South Audley Street and see what all the fuss was about.
It’s an intimate restaurant, with a whisper of plush décor. The kind of place that’s popular with the suited and loaded during the day and then by night, the lights dim and couples rendezvous in corners – not in any rude sense mind you.
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W14 0AX
London
Richmond Way
K West Hotel & Spa
Known for luring in spa fans, and playing host to the odd music industry bash, K West Hotel sits back from the hubbub of Shepherd's Bush on Richmond Way. With its clientele falling somewhere between rock star and spa junkie, it seems fitting that K West's restaurant Kanteen, has launched a Saints & Sinners menu. If you're feeling defiantly decadent, the sinners menu delivers with indulgent dishes such as fried Camembert, chicken liver parfait and triple decker club sandwiches.
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W9 2PX
London
5 Warwick Place
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As far as new restaurants go, Kateh is a real find. Tucked away on Warwick Place, you’d be forgiven for walking past it on this mostly residential stretch. You do get the sense, as you walk through the door of this Persian restaurant, that you’re being let in on a little culinary secret.
We visited on a mid-week evening, and there were only two other tables occupied as we took our seats.
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Owner and head chef Sara Adams has transformed this former Italian restaurant into a chic little hideaway off Kensington High Street. Without the chaos of Kensington’s main drag, this little find is the perfect way to escape the traffic, shoppers and fashionistas.
The feel of the place has been heavily influenced by Adams’ own experience of Sydney and California. The walls are dressed in paired down tones, and there’s a stylish but relaxed atmosphere to the restaurant, which is open for all day dining, closing up between five and six in the evening.
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W1D 5HP
London
29 Romilly Street
Kettners
A legendary venue in the 19th Century, Kettners was frequented by the dandy likes of Oscar Wilde and Edward VII. Having gone through several transformations in its life, including a pizza parlour, Kettners has now re-established its intimation of a past era with chic brasserie style décor and food. The venue is what it’s all about. Situated in the heart of Soho, Kettners sprawls across three floors and several rooms including a champagne bar, members’ bar and a number of private dining rooms.
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WC2 9LX
London
41 Earlham Street
Covent Garden
The advertisement in the cramped lift at Covent Garden tube, gave me a clue as to the dining experience I was about to embark upon. Kitchen Italia is the newly opened baby sister to the, now one-year-old restaurant based at Westfield shopping centre, Shepherds Bush, London. The Covent Garden basement version is a bright white and clean lines affair, with long bench tables of diners.
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