Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Southwest London
BELGRAVIA
Expensive
Amaya
INDIAN Theatrical, with its chefs working at the open kitchen and
charcoal grill; beautiful, with pink sandstone black granite worktops, chandeliers of
cascading crystals, and colorful modern art; and seductive, with its rosewood and red
bar—it's not surprising that Amaya is such a hit. And that's before you taste the food.
Chef Karunesh Khanna not only has a Michelin star, he also specializes in tapas-style
Indian food, so go in a group to share as many of the wonderful array of dishes as
possible. Try prawns with tomato and ginger; marinated leg of lamb; lamb seasoned
with cardamom, mace, and ginger cooked over charcoal; and a range of vegetarian
dishes like tandoor-cooked broccoli in yogurt sauce.
Halkin Arcade, Motcomb St., SW1.
&
020/7823-1166.
www.amaya.biz. Reservations required. Main
courses £11.50-£24; set-price lunch £19.50-£29, set-price dinner £38.50-£70. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat
12:30-2:15pm and 6:30-11:30pm; Sun 12:45-2:45pm and 6-10:30pm. Tube: Knightsbridge.
Palm
AMERICAN/STEAK Walk into the long buzzing bar and you'll find a
TV at one end showing North American sports. Two adjacent dining rooms follow the
decor of the other Palms in this American group: casual yet smart, with wooden floors
and walls covered in caricatures of famous or faithful customers. The menu goes
beyond the normal steakhouse, with classic Italian dishes (Palm's founders were Ital-
ian immigrants) like veal marsala, and fresh seafood and burgers, but steak is what
Palm is all about. It's expensive, but go for the Prime New York Strip—12 oz, for
£39.50. The welcome is as big as the portions; there's a good children's menu and a
reasonably priced wine list.
1 Pont St., SW1.
&
020/7201-0710.
www.thepalm.com/london. Reservations recommended. Main
courses £17-£49. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-9pm. Tube: Knightsbridge or Sloane Sq.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Very Expensive
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
TRADITIONAL BRITISH This restaurant
opened in 2011 by one of the world's great chefs, Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck
in Bray, was one of London's most eagerly expected openings in recent memory.
Dishes are based on Britain's culinary past, from savory porridge (c.1660) and broth
of lamb (c.1730) to powdered duck (c.1670) and beef royal (c.1720). Finish with a
sublime dessert—tipsy cake from 1810 perhaps? Don't worry; this is an extremely
serious, profoundly satisfying re-rendering of historic recipes with modern cooking
techniques. A unique experience in a crowded marketplace.
Inside Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1.
&
020/7201-3833.
www.dinnerbyheston.
com. Reservations required. Main courses £20-£32; 3-course set lunch Mon-Fri £28. Daily noon-
2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Knightsbridge.
Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley
FRENCH Diners at this claret-col-
ored, cosseting restaurant are treated to all the goodies expected from one of Lon-
don's top venues. Marcus Wareing began as a protégée of Gordon Ramsay but then
took over the restaurant independently and blossomed. The three-course, fixed-price
lunch menu at £38 is relatively inexpensive, but the dishes—wood pigeon with
tomato, black pudding, and lettuce followed by perhaps chicken with root vegeta-
bles—don't stretch the kitchen. So if you can, blow the budget and go a la carte. Start
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