When Rambutan first opened its doors two years ago, food critics – almost universally – could not get enough of it. Coventry-born chef, Cynthia Shanmugalingam, had transformed her take on Sri Lankan diaspora cooking onto the London restaurant scene. To be clear, the angle is definitively not Indian food and nor is it traditional Sri Lankan; rather it is a showcase for the island’s cuisine, but with a very British twist. As long as you like spice and don’t mind fruit in your curry, then Rambutan is the place to go.
Gastropub, Marylebone, Mayfair
Few may have heard of Thomas Cubitt, but many may have visited the mini pub chain that is named in his honour. For the unaware, the gentleman in question was a British master builder, renowned for developing much of the late Georgian and early Victorian architecture that defines London. Wind the clock on to the 21st Century and many of his buildings have been reincarnated as up-market pubs.
European, Notting Hill
The dove is often associated with peace and love. The backers of this newly opened on-trend Notting Hill venue perhaps hoped to inspire both with their restaurant. Your reviewer felt neither when visiting last week, even if its potential was evident.
Mediterranean, Mayfair
The first thing diners notice when they step into Silva is the light. There’s a feeling of tranquillity. Maybe it’s akin to being in a forest glade, which would not be accidental since ‘silva’ is the Latin word for forest. Readers should get the impression then that aesthetics are a big thing at Silva. The food isn’t at all shabby either. Think of this restaurant as a combination of the refined and the relaxed.
British, Gastropub, Mayfair
Step into the Guinea and the only reason you might know it is 2025 and not 1952 – when the venue first opened – are the prices on the menu. Beyond cost, everything about the Guinea is reassuringly old school. If it’s classic British nosh executed well, then this is the venue for you.
Fish, Soho
When your reviewer first moved to London in the late 90s, Randall & Aubin was one of the places to be. Located on the site of London’s first French butcher, with many of the original features still in place, R&A (as regulars refer to it) had just opened as a dedicated seafood restaurant. Sited on the corner of Brewer Street and Rupert Street, it hit the vibe perfectly for a Soho that was gentrifying from seedy to cool.
