Restaurants London

Eat in the ground floor bistro/wine bar or two floors below at 'Downstairs at Terroirs' where the menu is a little more substantial. Flavoursome French cooking, with extra Italian and Spanish influences. Thoughtfully compiled wine list.

Cooking which focuses on flavour continues to draw in the regulars at this warm and spirited Italian restaurant. Prices are keen when one considers the central location and service is brisk and confident.

First Soho, now Covent Garden gets a fun Venetian bacaro. The small plates are surprisingly filling, with delights such as pizzette of white anchovy vying with fennel and almond salad, fritto misto competing with spaghettini and meatballs.

Atmosphere, food and service are all best when sitting at the marble counter, watching the chefs at work. Specialities from across Italy come in large or small sizes and are full of flavour and vitality. Try also their Gelato shop opposite.

As popular as ever thanks to its congenial feel and lived-in looks but mostly because of the appealingly seasonal menu and the gutsy, bold cooking that delivers on flavour. No reservations so be prepared to wait at the bar.

Shares the same appealing concept of small plates of Spanish and Italian delicacies as its sisters, Salt Yard and Dehesa. All done in a smartly converted old boozer which dates from 1879; ground floor bar and upstairs dining room.

Come for authentic udon noodles, made with wheat kneaded by foot, at this sweetly run, simply adorned place. The dashi base stock is freshly made every day. Be respectful by slurping with abandon.

A recent makeover left this Thai restaurant on the edge of Soho with a simpler look that is more typical of a Bangkok eatery. The colourful mix of dishes is authentic and the set menus represent excellent value.

Centred around a counter with seating for 20, come here if you want authentic Spanish tapas served in a buzzy atmosphere. Seafood is a speciality and the Jabugo ham a must.

A fun and lively Venetian bacaro, with a stripped-down, faux-industrial look. The small plates, from arancini and prosciutto to fritto misto and Cotechino sausage, are so well priced that waiting for a table is worth it.

Repeats the success of its sister restaurant, Salt Yard, by offering tasty, good value Spanish and Italian tapas. Unhurried atmosphere in appealing corner location. Terrific drinks list too.

Aussie owners run a small, fun and very busy place in an unpromising location. The very well priced menu offers an appealing mix of gutsy, confident, no-nonsense food, with French and Italian influences.

The menu is a model of British understatement and is dictated by the seasons; the cooking, confident and satisfying with laudable prices and generous portions. Lively atmosphere and enthusiastic service.

Subterranean wine bar and informal restaurant, from the same owners as Texture. Robust, mostly French dishes accompany a thoughtfully assembled wine list, with much choice by the glass.

Baby sister to Semplice a few yards away, offering simpler, well-priced cooking in a relaxed and fun room. Specialities from a different region of Italy are featured each month. All-day menu in bar.

Ground floor bar and buzzy basement restaurant specialising in good value plates of tasty Italian and Spanish dishes, ideal for sharing; charcuterie a speciality. Super wine list.

An appreciative crowd of all ages come for the earthy, robust and seasonal British dishes which suit the relaxed environment of this pub so well. Staff are attentive and knowledgeable.

Buzzy restaurant; sister to Club Gascon. Rustic and satisfying specialities from the SW of France include wine, cheese, bread and especially duck. Further produce on display to take home.

A franchise of the celebrated Mumbai restaurant. Specialises in fish and seafood dishes; the rich Cornish brown crab with butter garlic is certainly a highlight. Bright surroundings allow the focus to stay on the food.

These large premises pay homage to Spain's food and culture. Punchy flavoured tapas in the ground floor bar; more intimate upstairs. Wander through the deli to appreciate the quality of ingredients.