LONDON RESTAURANTS THAT MAKE YOU FORGET YOU'RE IN LONDON
- Maisie Daniels
- Aug 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 19
WORDS RACHEL EDWARDS
Summer might be coming to an end (I felt queasy when I saw the word Christmas appear in an email the other day), but even if you don't have your next getaway planned, you can always treat London like it's a holiday. Read on to find out our top restaurant picks that "make you feel like you're not in London"... which is always the goal, right?
When the going gets tough, the tough rewatch whole series of Gossip Girl back-to-back and pretend they're living in the Upper East Side with the only dilemma being whether to marry a literal French prince or Chuck Bass. I was over the moon, then, when I had the chance to extend my Blair Waldorf fantasy to real life, in the form of lunch at SILVA restaurant in Mayfair. Top tip: arrive between 12pm-3pm to catch the sun on the terrace. If it's not raining, don't worry, the inside is just as beautiful.
In my opinion, not enough bread eaters are adding honey to their butter. Paired with the salmon tartare, it was gone faster than you can say 'crispy fried egg', which is what my friend opted for, and devoured just as quickly. Ever tried Monk's beard? Neither had we, and I was relieved to find that there was no holy hair in sight, and instead it was a vegetable (which does look slightly strand-y), and as it happens pairs perfectly with halibut. Since Chuck Bass wasn't actually there I settled for trying the sea-bass... which I've been thinking about ever since.
In terms of pudding, the rum soaked pineapple will have you feeling tipsy, meaning you'll just have to order the burnt cheesecake to sober you up... To top it all off, our waiter brought out a polaroid camera so that we could capture my friend's birthday in the form of a take-home polaroid. It might be called silva, but it gets a gold rating from us.
Nestled in the heart of Kensington, Como Garden is a culinary escape that transports you straight from a busy London high street to a romantic Lake Como grotto. Think fairy-lit greenery, a real olive tree shading intimate booths, and rustic Renaissance sculptures that make you feel like you're in a hidden garden.
Here, Italian cuisine meets tapas-style sharing: you're recommended to choose approximately three plates per person to sample dishes spanning antipasti, handmade pastas, seafood, and mains. Unlike Joey from Friends, I like sharing food. I'm far too indecisive to pick one thing, and usually I end up wishing I'd got whatever the person opposite me chose. So what were the highlights? The fried zucchini and dip, the sea bass, and the Sicilian orange salad. The tuna carpaccio was good too, if cut slightly thicker than I would have preferred. Everything feels incredibly fresh and light, which was perfect seeing as the day we visited it was one of those 35degree heat London days which has the whole city melting into puddles on the Central line.
For afters, try the Torta Di Mandorle & Pistachio Gelato. Washed down by their signature Como Fizz, you're left feeling full of energy, rather than bloated or sluggish.Como Garden is a whole sensory feast, perfect for date nights, celebratory get-togethers, or anyone craving a trip to the Mediterranean without leaving London.
Latin American meets Mediterranean restaurant Zuaya has such beautifully designed plates that it feels wrong to cover them in food. There's something about sitting outside on their terrace, tucked away on a back street in Kensington, that, in the words of Charli XCX, makes you feel like "everything is romantic". When we arrived I was hungry – the type of hungry that has you trying and failing to not fill up on bread before the meal, which was especially hard in Zuaya because the garlic butter is the best I've ever had in a restaurant (big claim I know).
In terms of mains, both the octopus la brava and the lemon chicken were delicious. We paired it with the broccoli and the cassava chips (if I'm honest, I would skip the chips and continue with the bread and butter to pair it with). The Malbec was perfect, and no matter how full you are, do not leave without trying the chocolate fondu! The atmosphere shifts effortlessly from romantic to lively, making it just as suited to date nights as it is a night with friends, and with its generous portions, attentive service, and striking decor, Zuaya is the perfect London 'getaway'.
Big Mamma's latest creation, Barbarella, has landed in Canary Wharf, and, in keeping with the theme of its siblings, more is more. Nestled in Canary Wharf's YY Building and consisting of two floors of pure cinematic dreamscape, think jungle-painted dining rooms, chandeliers and... large marble cats? When I was young, the most fun thing to do was to imagine having sleepovers in buildings after their closing time - IKEA was the mainstream choice, but my fantasy extended to cinemas, clothes shops – even Sainsbury's felt like a fun option. What I'm trying to say is that had I experienced Barbarella at the age of eight, you can bet your bottom dollar I'd be hiding behind the marble panther on the second floor when it was time to leave.
After eventually managing to prize my eyes away from the mirror above me, I focused my eyes on the menu. The Raviolne Bicolore starter was so good that I could have eaten it as a main, and if, like most of the world, you're a truffle lover, then you should probbaly try the Spaghettone al Tartufo. The steak was perfect, and I only wish I'd had room for pizza because judging from the reaction of the table next to us, it's a winner. Try the Il Tigramisù for dessert, and don't skip the cocktail menu. Whether you come for the spectacle, the food, or simply to live out your childhood “locked-in-a-palace” fantasy, Barbarella is proof that Big Mamma still knows how to turn dinner into pure theatre.
