The best restaurants in Victoria

Wildflowers feels like a barn; all flagstone floors, exposed brick and a warmly-lit open kitchen, lined with bookshelves and adorned with a huge vase of fresh flowers. It is Quite Lovely. In the kitchen is Aaron Potter, heading up his first solo project following stints as executive chef at west London Italian Maria G’s and head chef at the Michelin-starred Elystan Street. Despite the country cottage-core look of the place, the food is decidedly European, with a casual, non-denominational Mediterranean thing going on, and while Wildflowers might look winsome and coy, but there’s a serious, studied intent coming from the kitchen. 

Andrew Wong’s big-hitting but pared-back Pimlico Chinese restaurant offers elevated cuisine such as preserved duck egg with marinated tofu, chilli and soy or poached razor clam with sea cucumber, vinegar tapioca and wind-dried sausage. Take a trip round China with the spectacular evening tasting menu or simply park up at the bar-counter and nibble away at your leisure. Incredible stuff. 

It’s hard to understate how insanely Gallic La Poule au Pot truly is. The whole place has been festooned with peasanty baskets of dried foliage, wax-covered candlesticks and rickety brasserie furniture. That said, it’s atmospheric as hell.

When only a filthy-good US-style burger made with rare-breed dry-aged beef will do, Bleecker’s first bricks-and-mortar outlet comes up trumps. The oozing bacon cheeseburger is a carnivore’s dream – load it with ketchup and mustard, and order a side of ‘angry fries’ drizzled in blue cheese and hot sauce, too. Our advice? Come hungry, eat fast and don’t linger – this place is quick and dirty.

Skip down a magical mews to discover this elegant 23-cover restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens. Serving up a sensational tasting menu inspired by his childhood in Norfolk and esteemed career to date, expect accomplished cuisine and stories with every course, which are explained with grace and skill by dedicated, genuinely interested servers. The seasonal, 10-course menu is £180 per head, but it's memory-making stuff. 

Elegant enough for mature sloanes, stylish enough for yuppies and a no-brainer for business entertaining, Lorne is the restaurant of Pimlico’s dreams – and a bookmark if you’re around Victoria station. The swishly turned-out dining room is a perfect fit for the kitchen’s good-looking but unfussy modern cooking, which yields dishes such as grilled plaice with garganelli, ’nduja, white crab, peas, celery and samphire. There are excellent Sunday roasts, too, and tip-top wines to match the food.

This outpost of Searcy’s brands itself as a ‘blend of rich history with contemporary dining’, and with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey within just a five minute walk, few London restaurants are better positioned to claim that tagline. Dining here feels appropriately formal: there’ll be official-looking people perched with briefcases sipping a glass of wine, well-dressed waiters and lots of crushed velvet, but with three courses from the set menu on offer for £35, it’s unexpectedly reasonable. Must-orders include a glass of Searcy’s Classic Cuvée Brut and the fillet of cod.

A fabulous foodie complex at Terminus Place. What was an Edwardian shopping arcade is now a vibrant, opulent space complete with bars, a coffee shop, eight kitchens and a 100-seater roof terrace. It’s a vibey sort of place and gets pretty noisy at peak times, but the food traders are excellent – Black Bear Burger, Gopal’s Corner, Butchie’s, Le Bab – with lots of big names alongside hopeful young contenders.

Entering the Peninsula Hotel in Hyde Park is one of London’s most psychedelically disorientating experiences. Welcome to Canton Blue. JG Ballard could never. If you’re of the opinion that a £130 peking duck cannot be justified or encouraged, probably stop reading. Canton Blue is expensive. How expensive? It has lighting that can legally only be described as ‘sexy’, silver chopstick holders which look pricier than anything in my house and lush carpeting that clearly gets shampoo’d regularly with bespoke emollients. It’s an Orientalist fever dream, dreamed up by someone who owns more than one Italian sports car. The food, naturally, is incredible. If you can afford it.

Come here for pretty damn perfect Portuguese piri-piri. From that addictive chicken to pork croquettes and garlic prawns as well as the classic pudding that is the Pastéis de Nata, Casa Do Frango is a classy mini-chain to rival, well... that other piri-piri chicken chain. You can also find branches in London Bridge, and Mayfair.

The airy younger sibling of Fitzrovia’s Riding House Café, this all-day café and diner in Victoria’s Nova development is a friendly, social hangout full of interesting design quirks and trendy detailing. The food is a bit of a mixed bag, although you’ll have a nice time if you stick to the Anglo-US stuff rather than veering off into Latin or Asian territory – the reuben sandwiches and caesar salad are brilliant. Staff are full of smiles.    

Midway between Victoria and Pimlico, Dragon Inn Club tries to be all things to all people. The menu covers a lot of Chinese territory but stick to the Sichuan dishes if you’re looking for the authentic stuff – magnificent chilled appetisers and punchy chilli-laced specialities with hints of sweetness and deep-rich saltiness. You’re encouraged to eat in the basement – a low-lit, atmospheric space done out like a beach bar, with log booths and a soundtrack of monotonous beats.

Slotted into Nova’s foodie hub, Timmy Green (part of the Daisy Green Collection) is a stylish and spacious all-day Aussie diner spread over two floors, with snazzy Art Deco touches and a cute baby grand in one corner. Bondi-style bottomless brunch brings in the punters, but there are all sorts of goodies on offer, from trendy small plates and fresh salads to grilled grass-fed meats. To drink, you’ll find craft beers, Aussie natural wines and innovative cocktails.

This opulent Ottoman grill has been a Pimlico mainstay since 2002 – a polished, atmospheric spot complete with carved screens, glowing lanterns and flower-topped tables. Expect to pay a little more your nosh, but in return you’ll get creative mezze plates, prettily presented kebabs, full-flavoured regional specialities (the Albanian-style calf’s liver is a must-order) and a few resolutely un-Ottoman offerings (but stick to the Middle Eastern classics).