It might seem strange for Belgravia to be described as a hub for fine dining. Its white stucco buildings cut a more peaceful figure than neighbours Chelsea and Mayfair – and little wonder, as this area is mostly residential. However, you’ll still find some of London’s best restaurants here – from Tom Aikens’ triumphant mews house takeover to Claude Bosi’s Brooklands on the top floor of Peninsula London. So, without further ado, here’s our Quintessentially-approved list of where to dine.
abc kitchens at The Emory
Best for: all-day dining in an art-filled room.
With over 60 restaurants worldwide, it’s safe to say Jean-Georges Vongerichten knows a thing or two about turning dining into an art form. So, it’s only fitting that he’s not the only one showing off his (brush)stroke of genius – the space is splashed with Damien Hirst’s canvases and a golden sculpture of Medusa’s severed head. And this UK outpost of the NYC concept serves his signature truffle pizza alongside chargrilled, doughy octopus painted in paprika crème fraîche.
abckitchens.com
Old Barrack Yd, SW1X 7NP
19 Motcomb Street
Best for: three drinking and dining destinations rolled into one.
All good things come in threes – like the trio inside Belgravia’s former Pantechnicon building (now known as 19 Motcomb Street), all under one stucco-fronted roof. This five-storey favourite is home to LUUM, a low-lit, late-night lounge in the vaults; SACHI, a much-loved Japanese restaurant; and Amélie, a pretty, Provençal-inspired spot that’s all charm and chilled rosé on the building’s ground floor and mezzanine level.
pantechnicon.com
19 Motcomb St, SW1X 8LB
Alfie’s at The Alfred Tennyson
Best for: French-inspired food.
A restaurant above a Belgravia boozer? Now that’s worth raising a glass to. After scurrying upstairs, you’ll find white tablecloths, candlelit corners, and a menu that means business. As you’d expect from this postcode, this gorgeous Georgian townhouse isn't plating up your average pub grub. Think hand-dived scallops served on the shell and bathed in wild garlic butter, or Hereford beef tartare tossed tableside.
alfies.com
10 Motcomb St, SW1X 8LA
Cornus
Best for: lobster and langoustine lovers.
In case the tinkling piano music, art collection, and white tablecloths didn’t give it away: this is a fine-dining restaurant through and through. It’s the sophomore opening from Medlar’s David O’Connor and Joe Mercer Nairne, who’ve joined forces with ex-Angler chef Gary Foulkes to create an ingredient-led, langoustine-heavy menu served in an elegant dining room atop a former ice factory. Start with the indulgent lobster spaghetti (hand-rolled and topped with a generous blob of caviar) before moving on to buttery roast chicken with langoustines, and a comforting finale of cherry-topped rice pudding.
cornus.com
27c Eccleston Pl, SW1W 9NF
Canton Blue
Best for: classic Cantonese cuisine.
Dark blue, moodily lit, marble-topped: Canton Blue is the kind of super-flash restaurant that could only exist in The Peninsula London (one of London’s latest super-flash hotels). It’s certainly a dramatic backdrop for chef Dicky To’s Cantonese cooking, which features all the staples you’d expect: xiao long bao, Peking duck served either deep- or wok-fried, char sui-drenched barbecued pork… Do yourself a favour and order a bit of it all – and chase it with a cup of Peninsula tea in the adjacent lounge.
cantonblue.com
1 Grosvenor Pl, SW1X 7HJ
Muse by Tom Aikens
Best for: an intimate tasting menu experience.
If you were to step inside Tom Aikens’ brain, you’d be immersed in a world of Pyrenees lamb, Jersey Royal potatoes, and gooseberry-flavoured lobster. Well, that’s what you’ll discover when you step inside Muse, anyway – Aikens’s counter restaurant that’s, fittingly, located in a mews townhouse just around the corner from Grosvenor Place. The entire tasting menu is inspired by memorable moments and dishes from his childhood, with each course accompanied by a personal musing or memory from the chef himself.
muse.com
38 Groom Pl, SW1X 7BA
Brooklands by Claude Bosi
Best for: flavours fuelled by French finesse.
Does Claude Bosi ever take a day off? Apparently not, as – as well as being the brains behind Bibendum and Josephine Bouchon – he’s also taken the reins at Brooklands, The Peninsula’s triumphant rooftop restaurant. And yes, it is named after (and takes style cues from) the Surrey racing circuit. Bosi’s cooking here takes a ‘best of Britain but with French techniques’ approach, resulting in dishes like devilled Dorset snails and Exmoor caviar with duck jelly. In a rush? Try the speedy new Concorde menu – three courses served in under an hour.
brooklands.com
The Peninsula, 1 Grosvenor Pl, SW1X 7HJ
Salloos
Best for: authentic Pakistani cooking.
It’s (sadly) a rarity nowadays to step into a restaurant and be personally greeted by the owner. But not at Salloos. When you arrive here, you’ll likely be met by Salloo himself – Muhammed Salahuddin, who’s owned this Mughalai spot since it opened in 1976. It’s a warm, comfortable place where you’ll be fed traditional Pakistani dishes that burst with flavour – like the signature tandoori chops or chicken karahi. Heading here for a big family celebration? Pre-order the raan masala – a slow-roasted leg of lamb fit for up to six people.
salloos.com
62–64 Kinnerton St, SW1X 8ER
Pétrus by Gordon Ramsey
Best for: picture-perfect plates and pours.
Wine buffs will know Pétrus as the Pomerol wine estate in Bordeaux – and fine wine is certainly a huge part of Gordon Ramsey’s Belgravia outpost. There are over 700 bins kept in the striking glass-walled wine store at the centre of the room – including several bottles dating back to 1948. Wines aside, the menu also impresses with seasonal, French-leaning dishes that show off head chef Orson Vergnaud’s creativity – try the Prestige menu to get a feel for his style.
petrus.com
Kinnerton St, SW1X 8EA
La Poule au Pot
Best for: a romantic and rustic bistro.
Is this Belgravia’s most romantic restaurant? It’s certainly in the running, what with its bunches of dried flowers, candle-topped tables, and classic French menu – which has served many of the same dishes (we’re looking at you, cassoulet) since it opened in 1962. In recent years, a few more plant-based dishes have snuck onto the menu (including a meat-free version of the aforementioned cassoulet), and it also has a wonderful terrace where you can watch the world go by over a glass of French red.
lapouleaupot.com
231 Ebury St, SW1W 8UT
Wild by Tart
Best for: a Mediterranean-influenced brasserie.
There’s a lot going on at Wild by Tart. The vast, plant-filled former power station and coal store has a restaurant, bar, events space, photography studio, and a cute little shop selling chic homewares. Its restaurant, though, is the main reason to come here. Most ingredients are sourced from the owners’ family farms in Somerset and Northumberland, meaning that the menu is – understandably – seasonal (although flavours are plucked from across the UK, Mediterranean, and Middle East). Try the lamb ragu, if it’s on, with a side of crispy Ratte potatoes.
wildbytart.com
3-4, Eccleston Yards, SW1W 9AZ
Boisdale of Belgravia
Best for: long lunches and live music.
We don’t often we talk about Scottish restaurants in London – and, frankly, that’s because there just aren’t that many of them. But luckily, this crimson-splashed townhouse exists – and it’s a joyful jaunt into the world of Scottish cooking. The expected haggis, neeps, and tatties are all present, as are Shetland mussels, Isle of Uist scallops, and smoked salmon from the Outer Hebrides. That’s not all. It also has a secret cigar terrace, a stacked whisky bar, and live jazz performances every evening – in case you fancy a knees-up on the tartan carpet.
boisdalebelgravia.com
15 Eccleston St, SW1W 9LX
Hunan
Best for: an ever-changing secret menu.
Don’t expect to spend any time browsing the menu at Hunan: it doesn’t have one. Instead, chef YS Peng and his son, Michael, have adopted an entirely bespoke approach; you simply tell the staff how much you want to eat (and signal your spice tolerance), and they’ll bring you a personalised tasting menu of refined Cantonese classics. All that and it still feels like a relaxed, blink-and-you-might-miss-it neighbourhood joint – despite being one of the best Chinese restaurants in Belgravia (if not the whole of London).
hunanlondon.com
51 Pimlico Rd, SW1W 8NE
Olivomare
Best for: a seafood-only, Sardinian-inspired spread.
This one’s for all the seafood lovers out there. Poised on Belgravia’s southeast corner, Olivomare serves a (mostly) fish-only menu, with even the burrata arriving sprinkled with grey mullet roe. Dishes and ingredients are mostly fished from Sardinia, featuring the likes of spicy baby octopus strew, sea bream with couscous salad, and handmade pasta topped with seafood pesto. You’ll be thrilled to learn this ethos does not extend to the dessert menu, though, which includes tiramisu, Sardinian cheese fritters, and a selection of homemade frozen yoghurts.
olivomare.com
