London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [114]
Fodor’s Choice | Hunan.
£££££ | CHINESE | There’s no menu at this quirky, top-rated family-run Chinese restaurant in Pimlico. Instead diners state their preferences to owner-chef Peng, or his son Michael, and sit back, relax, and plough through a succession of highly tasty items to share. A seasoned crowd might enjoy 14 to 18 unfailingly delicious dishes like Hunan water-fried dumplings, sliced duck, pork broth, crispy frogs’ legs, pig’s ears and tongues, and crab noodle soup. There’s no real logic to what you might receive, but portion sizes are generous, and the not knowing is all part of the fun. | 51 Pimlico Rd., Chelsea | SW1W 8NE | 020/7730–5712 | www.hunanlondon.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Closed Sun. | Sloane Sq.
Fodor’s Choice | The Orange.
££ | MODERN BRITISH | The handsome Orange gastropub in Pimlico gets everything right, which seems appropriate because most nights and weekends the place is full. It’s light and airy, with stripped wood, an ochra color–scheme, and mini-potted orange trees; service is noticeably smiley and well-mannered. Try the chicken liver parfait and wood-fired pizzas, or enjoy a leisurely Sunday roast like Castle of Mey beef, Kilravock pork, or chicken with sage and bacon, all served with duck-fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and braised red cabbage. | 37–39 Pimlico Rd., Chelsea | SW1W 8NE | 020/7881–9844 | www.theorange.co.uk | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Sloane Sq.
The Pig’s Ear.
££ | MODERN BRITISH | Heir to the throne Prince William once came with friends and split the bill in the first-floor dining room at this classic Sloaney boho-chic gastropub off the King’s Road. Elbow in for space at the crowded ground-floor pub area, or choose a more formal vibe in the dark wood-paneled salon upstairs. You’ll find creative dishes on a short menu, like pig’s ear, Cornish crab, wild mallard, lamb neck, veal and bone marrow and braised pork belly, which are all typical, and executed…royally. | 35 Old Church St., Chelsea | SW3 5BS | 020/7352–2908 | www.thepigsear.info | AE, MC, V | Sloane Sq.
Racine.
£££ | BRASSERIE | There’s an upscale buzz at this star of the Brompton Road dining scene, not far from the V&A museum, Harrods department store, and Holy Trinity Brompton church. This smooth-running chic French brasserie excels in doing simple things well—and not overcharging. Chef Henry Harris’s classics like melted Raclette cheese, roast partridge, paté-like Middlewhite pork rillette, and rack of lamb all hit the high notes. Many of the patrons are wealthy local regulars, and the £15–£17.50 set lunch or early evening dinners (6–7:30 pm) are deservedly popular. | 239 Brompton Rd., Chelsea | SW3 2EP | 020/7584–4477 | www.racine-restaurant.com | AE, MC, V | South Kensington
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
£££££ | FRENCH | Gordon Ramsay protégée and head chef Clare Smyth wins the highest accolades in London at this special occasion showpiece near Chelsea Embankment. It’s mighty hard to book a table, but if you do, you can splurge on the £120 seven-course tasting menu, where you’ll experience divine dishes like lobster ravioli with tomato chutney, Bresse pigeon with baby beetroot and date sauce, turbot with cep velouté foam, and a dessert of bitter chocolate and hazelnut cylinder with black current and ginger mousse. Service is neat and flawless, and the wine list goes on forever. | 68 Royal Hospital Rd., Chelsea | SW3 4HP | 020/7352–4441 | www.gordonramsay.com/royalhospitalroad | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed weekends | Sloane Sq.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Bar Boulud.
£££ | FRENCH | Star chef Daniel Boulud successfully mixes the best of French high-end brasserie fare with a dash of gourmet burgers and fries, at this popular ground-level haunt in the Mandarin Oriental. Small-board platters of the most delicate Gilles Verot charcuterie, or chunky Beaujolaise sausages with Lyonnaise mashed potatoes are followed by fist-sized New York hamburgers in a sesame seed bun with pommes frites on the side. The appealing