Lorraine Pascale has a wonderfully eclectic CV that includes being a supermodel and a car mechanic. But it was following a year-long course at Leiths School of Food & Wine that she fell in love with cooking, going on to work in a number of London restaurants, open a cupcake business, and become a successful cookery writer and television personality. She has recently pivoted career again, studying a psychology masters and becoming a midlife coach. Here, Lorraine shares her favourite London restaurants.Â
Lorraine Pascale’s favourite London restaurants
Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche is my favourite restaurant in the world, it’s beautiful. I always go for the Menu Exceptionnel, the tasting menu of seven courses and matching wines – the cheese soufflé cooked in double cream to start is the best you could find anywhere.Â
Cheese is my guilty pleasure – I can’t resist it – particularly soft, blue cheese; the stronger, the better. They also make amazing bread, the fish is cooked to perfection and the tarte tatin is out of this world. Michel Roux Jr has two Michelin stars and Le Gavroche has the best service I’ve ever experienced – I call it telepathic service because they know exactly when you need them and when you don’t; and they anticipate what you want before you ask. It’s just perfect.Â
43 Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 7QR
le-gavroche.co.uk
Dorian
This is a new local restaurant in Notting Hill from Chris D’Sylva, owner of the Notting Hill Fish Shop and the Supermarket of Dreams. It opened over lockdown as a curated collection of food from all the local places people were missing out on. It’s really fun and buzzy.Â
I don’t eat steak so much, but Dorian does it best and they cook it all in front of you, just perfectly. They have a sharing ribeye or bone-in sirloin, these big hunks of meat, and I love watching them cook over this huge flame. I turned 50 last November and I didn’t want to make a fuss, so I had my birthday dinner here and it was just very chilled.Â
105-107 Talbot Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2AT
dorianrestaurant.com
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
My husband Dennis loves a soufflé and they do a very good one at the two Michelin-starred Claude Bosi at Bibendum, including a 100% chocolate soufflé with Madagascan vanilla ice cream. And the bread basket is the best – I always have to eat the whole lot because they do all these lovely warm breads with different butters.Â
It’s very quiet in the dining room, but the tables are really spaced apart so it feels private. I get recognised a lot in restaurants, but no one has ever felt daunted to serve me food here. These fellas are way more experienced than me.Â
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London SW3 6RD
claudebosi.com
Scott’s Mayfair
I like to sit at the tables outside the front of the restaurant under the heaters and watch all the passers-by dressed head to toe in Louis Vuitton. I always start with the goujons of Cornish sole with tartare sauce, and then I’ll go for the blackened miso salmon with bok choi and pickled enoki mushrooms and dashi. I’ll have it with some fries and a bottle of crisp Puligny Montrachet.Â
20 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 2HE
scotts-mayfair.com
Locanda Locatelli
This Michelin-starred Italian restaurant is another stable favourite of mine – I’ve been going to Locanda Locatelli since it first opened in 2002. They do amazing antipasti and the pasta is incredible. One of the stand-out dishes for me is the spaghetti alle vongole and also the roasted monkfish, which comes with a walnut and caper sauce, rocket and samphire, is delicious. All the dishes are so fresh and well presented. The wine list is also exceptional.
8 Seymour Street, Marylebone, London W1H 7JZ
locandalocatelli.com
Zuma
Zuma – which offers a modern twist on the traditional Japanese izakaya style of dining – is awesome. I love the crispy fried squid with green chilli lime and my favourite dish is the usuzukuri [sliced yellowtail with green chilli relish, ponzu and picked garlic]. I mostly like sitting at the bar, and I do love their cocktails, like the Rubaba which is rhubarb infused sake with vodka, passionfruit and lemon. The staff here are impeccable, it’s really excellent service.Â
5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DL
zumarestaurant.com
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lorrainepascale.com
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