London restaurant recommendation pls - very specific criteria!

[mixandmatch]

Hi - I live in London and know lots of restaurants but I'm looking for something quite specific for a special occasion meal which is a really nice restaurant (for me, DH, one teen, one tween). Happy to consider all sorts of cuisine, but what I care about most is the vibe. So needs to feel special and treaty but not unbearably cool and/or noisy and/or dark. So many good restaurants are one or all of these things now. I also don't want silent/unbearably stuffy and starched white tablecloths either. But just nice and relatively laid back, a bit special and not too loud or dark and small-platesy. Any ideas?

Thank you so much @OP for this thread, I am meeting a friend next week in London for dinner and she asked me to investigate a place to eat. I eat out perhaps twice a year so am totally out of date, but have now been able to suggest some lovely trendy places. I last went to Borough market about 18 months ago and love the look of the extension. So pleased it wasnt all knocked down. Many a happy memory from my 20's - 1st job - the Market Porter on a Friday night - mob scene!!

No love for Aberdeen Steakhouse?

Second this- lovely restaurant, service and great food. I think the tables upstairs give that special vibe .

Golden wedding anniversaries and big birthdays only.

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Portland
Story

Roka Canary Wharf
AKIRA at Japan House
Aqua Shard
Zedel
Ivy

Duck and Waffle - great food but it always feels rushed and crowded unless you manage to get a table by the window

Luca in Clerkenwell - chilled, good food and not dark

The ‘proper’ Ivy in west street . Rabbit in Chelsea is lovely . All my others have table cloths I’m afraid ( rules ; Petrus; no1 poultry ) as does the Ivy but they’re definitely not stuffy at the ivy - it’s still pretty and friendly in there. Last time I was there Alfie Allen was in .

I'm vegetarian but I have a weird longing to go to the Aberdeen Steakhouse. However nobody will go with me.

Never been to one either despite them (and Garfunkels) seemingly being on every West End street corner for a while. It's bit like wanting a pot noodle, you know its going to be dirty and taste like shit but you feel compelled to give it a go.

Thanks all! I don’t really mind white tablecloths and would much prefer them to dark/noisy/cool. I was just trying to say ‘not too stuffy’

I’ve been to some of these before but lots are new to me.

I’ve never been to an Aberdeen steakhouse tho! 😂

I went with my teen to Cigalon recently for a birthday celebration. It was really nice and great value as they did a preview on their tasting menu

ETA it was a nice balance of posh ie tasting menu, bright and airy room and also friendly service and no airs and graces. My teen was wearing jeans and a smart top

I know a couple of people have said they didn’t think service at Fallow was great, but we had a fab time on a busy Sunday lunch last year (it was London Marathon day so it was very busy with runners celebrating a successful finish but didn’t impact our service at all!). Excellent food and feels like a real treat.

Zedels is great fun but might be better for a more casual event, it’s not somewhere I’d go for a really special meal, more just a fun vibe with food that is perfectly acceptable.

I see someone up thread posted about Boucon Racine - have to say I thought that it was very mediocre and massively overpriced when I went, not somewhere I would go back to.

Would second this - my teens loved going up in the external glass elevator - times our meal for sunset so got day and night views of the skyline - also had drinks before and after on the sushi samba outside terrace with fire pit and fairy lights - very magical

I’ve not been yet but I always think The Belvedere within Holland Park looks extra special and somewhere quite different to most other restaurants in London

The Swan at the Globe Theatre

Saw a Facebook post about Bacchanalia, a Greek restaurant in Mayfair, very beautiful. I think any age would be impressed.

Grill off the Green at Kew Green. Cool but relaxed.

What about Joe Allen? Old school ( in a good way), feels special but not over bearing. we’ve had some lovely meals there including with our teens.

Gloria’s. 100%.

Lots of the central fine dining seem to struggle between ‘zoo’ and ‘stuffy’ in my experience.

Was going to say Luca. Brutto might be a bit loud for you but Luca is lovely.

St John but check the menu as it’s not for everyone.

Scott’s but can be a wee bit… gentlemen of a certain age and their younger dates.

Mountain in Soho and Trullo in Islington also very nice, Trullo you’ll want to be upstairs if you don’t like the dark.

Legado if you want a Spanish adventure, though it can get a bit clattery. Food is incredible.