It’s time for another update of my London Guide! If you are new to my blog, I used to live in Boston and now I have lived in London for ten years. I have a great Boston Guide which I update regularly with my trips home and I also update my London Guide monthly. Both guides are completely free and all are places I have personally visited, with my honest feedback. If this little old blog ever gets big enough to enjoy a comped meal, I’ll make sure to disclose it.
Now that we have covered that housekeeping, let’s get into the good stuff. Namely – five new restaurants on my London Guide, including Megan’s at the Battersea Power Station, No 32 The Old Town in Clapham, Oriole, The Barbary Notting Hill, and The Ivy Tower Bridge. Let’s dig in!
Megan’s At Battersea Power Station
I’ve actually been to Megan’s quite a few times. It’s a great all day restaurant serving numerous occasions from brunch, to snacks, lunch, dinner, and drinks. On this occasion, we had been at the adjacent Battersea Power Station and went for a casual dinner. The interior was so dreamy and dare I say, romantic, with the fairy lights. We had calamari which wasn’t my favorite (I’ve had better) but I did love the hummus with flatbread, pomegranate and seeds – so many great flavors. For my main, I had a chicken shawarma which was lovely.
Megan’s at Battersea Power Station is located at 27 Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8NN. Find out more information on their website.
No 32 The Old Town in Clapham
I popped in here spontaneously for a Sunday brunch and really enjoyed it. We sat at the bar because the restaurant was so busy and ordered poached eggs with avocado on sourdough. It came with some chilis on which was a nice extra kick of flavor. We ordered roasted mushrooms on the side and the cappuccino was excellent. Simply, yummy, brunch pleasures.
No 32 The Old Town is located at 32 The Pavement, London SW4 0JE in Clapham. For more information, check out their website.
Oriole
We had such a fun girl’s night here! We went on a Saturday evening and sat downstairs where there was live music. Note: they do have a 12 GBP surcharge per person for the live music (it’s as though the customers pay for the band!). I enjoyed a roasted trout which was good but basic. However, the star of the show was the pumpkin starter I ordered as a side dish. With pumpkin, green curry ice cream, tamarind, and peanut sambal, it had so many incredible flavors. I could easily come back and order a few more to turn it into a main dish! Bonus: the spicy margarita was nice too. File this under a good option for a girl’s night or date night.
Oriole is located at 7-9 Slingsby Pl, London WC2E 9AB in Covent Garden. For more information, visit their website.
The Barbary Notting Hill
I first fell in love with The Barbary after dining at their original location in Neal’s Yard. I have since been to The Barbary Next Door (also excellent), so I was thrilled to hear that another location was opening in Notting Hill. This location feels a bit more upscale, with lovely bar seating like its other two restaurants, but where the Notting Hill location differs is that they have a lot of regular seating.
For our meal, we had the coffee rubbed chicken thigh, the pork chop, the cauliflower. My friend really loves the pork but it’s not my favorite (I think it’s a bit expensive for what it is to be honest). However, I LOVE the coffee rubbed chicken thigh and the cauliflower. Both are excellent and full of flavor. I’ve already been twice since The Barbary Notting Hill opened and I know I’ll be back again!
The Barbary Notting Hill is located at 112 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RU. For more information, visit their website.
The Ivy Tower Bridge
While The Ivy is not new to my London Guide, I wanted to specially call out the Tower Bridge location. I went here for the pre-fixe lunch special when a friend was visiting from the USA and it was a lovely experience. Note: The Ivy restaurants all have the same menus but I like the location of this restaurant next to Tower Bridge. It’s great if you’re meeting someone who is staying in the area or you want to enjoy a nice walk after along the Thames River after your meal.
We both had the pumpkin soup and the Shepherd’s Pie which was hearty and delicious. Then, we decided to splurge and have dessert – I enjoyed a sticky toffee pudding and my friend the berries with lemon sorbet. The presentation makes it feel special and I always find The Ivy to be a good all-rounder with a range of menu options for everyone. Plus, the prices are reasonable. The interiors are so beautiful so it feels like a special experience – yet one that won’t be too expensive.
The Ivy Tower Bridge is located at One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2AA. For more information, visit their website.
Hungry For More?
Planning a trip to London? Looking for new ideas of restaurants to try in London? Check out my London Guide here. And, if you have a favorite restaurant, sharing is caring, so please leave a comment and let me know.
To see more footage of the restaurants featured, check out my latest London vlog from the 15 minute timestamp.
Jessica Gioglio is founded the travel and lifestyle blog, The SavvyBostonian and is the co-author of The Laws of Brand Storytelling and The Power of Visual Storytelling. Professionally, Jessica has led innovative marketing and public relations programs for Dunkin’, TripAdvisor, Sprinklr, and more. Today, Jessica is a keynote speaker (book her here) and founder of With Savvy Media & Marketing, a strategic branding, storytelling, and content strategy consultancy.
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