From Mayfair to Surbiton

Saturday, December 20th , 2025

Bonheur is the much-anticipated restaurant opening on the site of the late, lamented Le Gavroche. Matt Abe has a fine culinary track record, and the food was good, while the service was of an unusually high standard. The drawback is the stiff pricing, particularly of the wine list, which is one of the most marked-up lists I have ever encountered. This is a pity, as the rest of the experience was good.

Koyal continues to deliver the best Indian food in and around London. Dishes such as the wild boar vindaloo are spectacular, and even humble dishes like mustard potatoes and vegetable bhajias are elevated to an impressively high level. With sufficient notice, and not on weekends, you can pre-order (for a supplement) the ultra-high-quality Arnaud Tauzin chicken, which can be made into dishes like chicken tikka and methi chicken. This bird has a very special flavour, but even without this extra elevation, the dishes here are very special indeed.