The 42 restaurants listed below offer excellent, creative food in an informal setting – no fuss, usually no linen, and often not much elbow room either. They are relatively inexpensive, as good food goes – mostly under £80, including wine, for two people willing to eschew famous labels. These are restos for foodies: vibrant, sometimes noisy, though generally – blessedly — rock music free. But they are not places to take (say) non-foodie, traditionally-minded relatives celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary.
Prices are for two people, ordering sensibly and drinking sparingly. Many restaurants nowadays offer small plates ‘designed for sharing’. Prices given below assume about five such dishes between two people. It also means about half a litre of wine, perhaps ordered by the glass.
Remarkable
10 Greek Street, 10 Greek St. 7734 4677 (no booking evenings) Modern European 50
Tredwell’s, 4a Upper St Martin’s Lane, 3764 0840 Modern European 60
Barrafina at Quo Vadis, 26 Dean St, 7440 1456 Spanish Sun? 45
Barrafina, 10 Adelaide St, (no booking) Spanish Sun 45
Boca De Lupo, 12 Archer St, 7734 2223 Italian 55
The Barbary, 16 Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials (no booking) Israeli/Eastern Med 60
Eneko, One Aldwych, 7300 0300 Basque 100
Frenchie, 16 Henrietta St, 7836 4422 French 100
Test Kitchen, 54 Frith St, 7734 8487 Creative 100
Excellent
Veneta, 3 Norris St, 384 9100 Italian 65
Palomar, 34 Rupert St, W1, 7439 8777 Israeli/Eastern Med 60
The Ninth, 22 Charlotte St, 3019 0880 French/Med 70
10 Cases, 16 Endell St, 7836 6801 Eclectic European 60
Salt Yard, 54 Goodge St, 7637 0657 Spanish & Italian Sun 60
Opera Tavern, 23 Catherine St, 7836 3680 Spanish & Italian Sun 60
Ember Yard, 60 Berwick St, 7439 8057 Spanish & Italian Sun 60
Dehesa, 25 Ganton St, 7494 4170 (large outdoor area) Spanish & Italian Sun 60
Native, 3 Neal’s Yard, 3638 8214 Mod Brit Wild Food 95
Barrafina, 43 Drury Lane Spanish Sun 45
Blanchette, 9 D’Arblay St, 7439 8100; Table 11 good French 60
Terroir, 5 William IV Street, 7036 0660 French 50
Barrica, 62 Goodge St, 7436 9448 Spanish 55
Compagnie des Vins Surnaturel, Neals’ Yard, 7734 7737 French (ugh: loud music) 70
Lobos, 48 Frith St, 3019 5082 Spanish 60
Ducksoup, 41 Dean St, 7287 4599 (ugh: loud music) Modern European 60
Fumo, 37 St Martin’s Lane, 3778 0430 Italian 65
Hoppers, 49 Frith Street (no booking) Sri Lankan 50
Dishoom, 12 Upper St. Martin’s Lane, 7420 9320 (no booking?) Indian 45
Lima, 14 Garrick St (door Floral St), 7240 5778 Peruvian 70
Encant (ex-Duende), 16 Maiden Lane 7836 5635 Spanish/Japanese 70
Honey & Co, 25a Warren St, 7388 6175 Middle Eastern 45
Monmouth Kitchen, Monmouth St, 7845 8607 Italian Tapas 70
Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack, 22 Bateman St, 7287 6601 Fish/Seafood tapas 60
Very Good
Vico, 1 Cambridge Circus, 7279 0303 Italian Sun 40
Balans, 34 Old Compton St, 7439 3309 Eclectic 24/7 50
Polpetto, 11 Berwick St, 7439 8627 Italian Sun 50
Ceviche, 17 Frith St, 7292 2040 (loud, ‘studenty’) Peruvian 45
Café Murano, 36 Tavistock St, 7240 3654 Italian Sun 50
Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood St, 7734 4888 French 45
Café Monico, 39-45 Shaftesbury Avenue 3727 6161 French 55
Smoking Goat, 7 Denmark Street Fusion/Thai Barbecue 50
Great Queen Street, (at #36) 7242 0622 Modern British 45
Slightly Further Off, Excellent & not too Expensive
Honey & Smoke, 216 Great Portland St, 7388 6175 Israeli/Eastern Med 90
Anglo, 30 St Cross St, 7430 1503 Mod Brit, French twist 95
Portland, 113 Great Portland St, 7436 3261 French (sort of) 105
Picture, 110 Great Portland St, 7637 7892 Modern British 70
Clipstone, 5 Clipstone St, 7637 0871 French (sort of) 55
Donostia, 10 Seymour Place, W1, 3620 1845 Spanish/Basque 60
Lurra, 9 Seymour Pl, W1, 7724 4545 Spanish/Basque 80
Noble Rot, 51 Lambs Conduit St, 242 8963 French 60
Bonnie Gull, 21a Foley St, 7436 0921 Fish & seafood 60
Social Wine&Tapas 39 James St, 7993 3257 (ugh: loud music) Mod Europe 60
Foley’s, 23 Foley St, 3137 1302 (ugh: loud music evening) Eastern Mediterranean 60
The Other Naughty Piglet, 20 Palace St, 7592 0322 Creative 80
Cabotte, 48 Gresham St, 7600 1616 Modern French 90
FOODIE WILL 