Whether it was all meticulously planned or just the beneficiary of good fortune and blessed timing, it feels like Nine Elms’ time is now.
Let’s zoom out a little though; Nine Elms was already making a name for itself as one of London’s most up and coming culinary hotspots, even before the new and (arguably) improved Battersea Power Station came along and changed everything south of the river.
With the six-years-in-the-making extension of the Northern Line finally opening back in late 2021 to incorporate those two new stops, aiming to serve a rapidly expanding area that now includes New Covent Garden, an ever growing American Embassy, an army of nearly 2000 Apple employees and, of course, 2022’s makeover of the power station, it feels as if this corner of South London is suddenly the capital’s place to be. If you’re of a certain shiny, glossy persuasion, that is…
The grand reopening of Battersea Power Station in October 2022 marked a significant milestone in the area’s transformation. This iconic building, originally constructed in the 1930s but decommissioned in 1983, has been meticulously restored, all at some serious cost. A £9 billion redevelopment project has brought with it over 100 shops, many of which remain curiously empty of custom, as well as a whole host of new bars and restaurants. Office spaces and residential units now occupy the space, too, but many remain unoccupied. Indeed, though the four chimneys no longer crank out the coal, the power station still feels like it’s choking the area. Studio flats here start at £560’000.
But in amongst the oligarch investors shopping for £4250 bottles of wine in the corner shop and the yanks yelling about extraterritoriality and exequaturs, there are some genuinely good places to eat in this neck of the woods, both inside the colossus that is Battersea Power Station and out on the street in the wider Nine Elms area.
With that in mind, and with a stomach that needs filling, fast, here’s our roundup of the best places to eat in Nine Elms.
Archway
Ideal for Italian cooking of prowess and precision…
Alight at Battersea Park station, not one of the new two Northern Line stops, but the area’s long standing overground. Note the power station’s proud four chimneys bearing down on you from above. Register your proximity both to the famous Dogs and Cats Home and the sprawling Battersea Park, but know that no amount of cute puppies or ‘nature’ will distract you from a prodding, insistent hunger.
Instead, make for the railway arches under the bridge, seeking solace not in heroin but in the light, bright, straightforward and sustainable Italian cooking at Archway.
A restaurant set up by ex-River Cafe alumna that takes its ingredients very seriously but keeps the price point a zero or two south of that Hammersmith institution… What could possibly go wrong? Not very much, it turns out.
Surprisingly for a space that’s found a home in the sometimes dingy, increasingly ubiquitous railway arch genre, Archway’s dining room is a classy looking thing, all fresh, bright interiors featuring cloudy marble tables, mirror-lined walls, and soft off-white paneling. An intimate space, it employs clever use of an open bar and kitchen to create an illusion of airiness.
There’s also an elevated chef’s table at the far end of the room, overlooking that kitchen, which, for such a tight unit, is properly appointed and well-primed for this kind of ingredients-first food – there’s a charcoal grill, portable pizza oven and single tank pasta boiler all slotted neatly into the space. The scene is set, then, for a fine meal, and so Archway delivers on that establishing shot. And then some.
Head chef and Verona native Lorenzo Nigro is at the stoves here, his expertise and light touch earning the restaurant a spot in the Michelin Guide just months after opening. The seasonal menu is something of a paean to simplicity; just four or five starters focused on focaccia and flatbread, four pasta and risotto dishes, and four protein-led larger plates, a couple of vegetable sides, plus a round of sweets to finish. We never liked the paralysing paradox of choice anyway…
Those flat breads (call them pizzette, if you wish) are excellent, with a properly pillowy canotto that leaps back up at you when prodded, and thoughtful, delicate toppings that never number more than three. A recent burrata, mortadella and pistachio number was lovely, the nutty, piquant dressing getting caught in the wisps and folds of the salume to gorgeous effect.
There’s a keen sense of both balance and restraint in the food here, with every ingredient having a purpose and place, whether it’s in the ice-cold stracciatella that soothes and cleanses a spicy, sharp bowl of mezzi ziti and nduja ragú, or in the smattering of skinned and deseeded datterinis that lighten and lift picture-perfect salt cod tortelli and their butter emulsion. Both dishes are available as primo or secondi, for £16 or £24 respectively.
If you’re in the throes of a really tedious diet or, you know, a coeliac, there are larger plates that needn’t feature bread or pasta. A beautifully butterflied mackerel (at its absolute best in this late summer slot) is served blistered, with any fear of bitterness positively drowned out by butter sauce. British cucumbers offer a fresh counterpoint, and a few roast potatoes crushed with the back of your fork into that sauce is all you need for a fully realised plate.
Whichever way you play it, you’ll want to end with the signature Italian doughnut, bombolini. Proved inhouse daily and fried to order, the faintly obscene, oozing filling changes seasonally. We’ve enjoyed a simple vanilla custard and rhubarb on a previous visit, but right now, it’s a blackberry cream. Yours for £10 and worth every damn penny.
Somewhat remarkably for such a popular, already acclaimed restaurant, Archway has several bottles of wine clocking it at under £30, as well as a few 175ml glasses for under a tenner. On our visit, an admittedly extravagant £19 glass of 2022 Chablis from Domaine Corinne Perchaud in Burgundy was just the ticket with those rich, buttery sauces, its crisp minerality and gentle acidity providing the perfect cut through.
Yes indeed, Archway is without doubt one of the best places in the Nine Elms neighbourhood, and you won’t need to go anywhere near the power station, if you don’t want to. What’s not to love?
Website: archwaybattersea.co.uk
Address: Arch 65 Queen’s Circus, Nine Elms, London SW8 4NE
Evernight
Ideal for a British/Japanese concept that’s delivered with satisfying clarity…
The work of former Clove Club and Two Lights’ chef Chase Lovecky (who has now moved on to Dovetale) and the Laughing Heart’s Lynus Lim (who remains, and is the owner), Evernight brings the spirit of a traditional Japanese izakaya to Nine Elms’ Embassy Gardens, at least according to all the press when the place opened in 2022, merging British ingredients with Japanese culinary techniques in the process.
The latter part is certainly true – the ingredients here are spanking – but can we really call Evernight an ‘izakaya’, even a British interpretation of one? It’s more formal than that, we think, more conscientiously stylish and deliberately stripped back – a space where hushed tones reign supreme. For all the careful sourcing and delicacy on the plate, a little reverence actually feels appropriate, for once.
On a recent visit, highlights included an okonomiyaki-adjacent potato cake with Kewpie mayo and trout roe, a remarkable dish of of scallop-stuffed, tempura-coasted courgette flower, and an obscenely buttery serving of A5 wagyu for dessert. Premium, cloudy Nigori sake served at just the right temperature (as in, gently chilled) sealed the deal on a premium but perfectly put together concept.
You can read our full review of Evernight here.
Website: evernightlondon.co.uk
Address: Unit 1A, 3 Ravine Way Embassy Gardens, London SW11 7BH
Darby’s
Ideal for oysters, bagels, Guinness, and so much more…
Perhaps the only better dessert than A5 Wagyu is a properly poured pint of Guinness, so we’re sticking around in Embassy Gardens (not lurking in the bushes, mind; that might have you shot) and heading to Darby’s next, chef Robin Gill’s sprawling New York-inspired oyster bar, grill and bakery.
Sitting in the shadow of the new American embassy and absolutely heaving with employees of the place, the sheer scale and ambition of Darby’s means you’d be forgiven for fearing a restaurant that plays it safe and phones things in, all with an eye on the balance sheet and the bottom line. Not so here; the sourcing is impeccable, the produce premium, and the cooking absolutely on point.
It shouldn’t come as a massive surprise if you’re at all familiar with Gill’s previous work, with time spent at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Marco Pierre White’s Oak Room, and a string of other excellent restaurants under his stewardship, including Clapham’s the Dairy (RIP) and Sorella, as well as Bottle + Rye in Brixton.
Transforming a portion of the ground floor of Embassy Gardens Towers, which arrived in Nine Elms in 2015, Gill opened Darby’s in early 2019 with a view to offering space where you’d be just as comfortable dropping in for a pint and a dozen oysters as you would a steak dinner or a multi-course blowout.
Mission very much accomplished; Darby’s is already one of London’s most cherished restaurants, packed to the rafters with a diverse crowd of punters pretty much every day, right from opening at 9am until close at 10pm (except Mondays, when the team have a well deserved rest).
On the plate, Gill draws inspiration from his Irish roots and his father’s (who lived in and toured 1950’s playing the trumpet) love of New York City’s classic oyster bars, with an expansive countertop, Grand Central-style, just perfect for leaning on, sipping a stout, and chucking back a few natives.
Beyond the bivalve, the restaurant combines the best of those American and Irish influences in crowdpleasing dishes like the Devon crab slider (one is never enough), crispy beef nuggets with mustard and pickles, a gorgeous slab of British Bluefin tuna steak done in the au poivre style (as in, black pepper crusted and served with a cognac-infused cream sauce), and the now iconic brasied beef shin and bone marrow pie.
As well as being a weekday staple, that pie is available as part of the Sunday lunch menu, a meal sees Darby’s even more packed out than usual – a favourite of hungover South Londoners, the city’s Irish contingent, and any lucky hospitality workers who get the Sunday off. It’s become a huge service for the restaurant and, speaking of huge, the massively generous ‘Holy Trinity’ of beef rump, pork belly and lamb shoulder, plus all the trimmings, is just £35 a head here, and only served on the Lord’s Day. Cor, it’s good, and the atmosphere is boisterous. The live music on Sunday afternoons certainly helps things tick along.
In keeping with the whole Americana thing, there’s an onsite bakery, too, serving bagels until 3pm – a lifeline to those working at the nearby American embassy in need of a fix, no doubt. If you’re in before 11:30am, go for the ‘morning bagel’ of sausage, egg and cheese for £8.50. It’s a winner, as are the freshly baked pastries. The pain au chocolat is particularly good.
Indeed, Darby pulls off a trick not many modern London restaurants are able to, of being all things to all people, and then some. Elegant but exuberant, lively and laid back, and fast when it needs to be, Darby’s is pretty much flawless.
Website: darbys-london.com
Address: 3 Viaduct Gdns, Nine Elms, London SW11 7AY
Read: The best places to eat oysters in London
Battersea Power Station
Ideal for choice, choice and more reliable choice…
We’ve done enough lurking around the peripheries of the big, power station-shaped elephant in the room by now. It’s time to tackle the food options in Battersea Power Station proper (recently named as one of National Geographic’s 20 cultural hotspots for 2024, incidentally), because there are some genuinely great places to eat inside. Big deep breath then, it’s time to enter the behemoth…
Arcade Food Hall
It remains to be seen whether the restaurant group JKS’s ubiquity is having a positive impact on London’s culinary scene, with a certain kind of cosplaying, tribute-act restaurant now feeling like a cheap shortcut to claims of authenticity, and everything ending up a touch toned down and standardised as a result.
That said, their restaurants are generally reliable, at times fairly priced, and quite often pretty delicious. JKS’s collection of projects under the Arcade umbrella, then, on the venue’s first floor, is a good place to start if you’re looking for an easy, decent meal in Battersea Power Station.
The 24,000 square foot space, accommodating up to 500 diners, brings together 13 different cuisines all under one roof, including Thai, Cantonese, Nepalese and more. The Manna smashburger (£9) and the Mexa lamb birria (£7.50) are probably our two favourite things to eat here, and the joy is that you can order both at once, to the same table, via an app and all without having to speak to a single server. It feels kind of chaotic, illicit and definitely antisocial, but that’s all part of the fun I suppose.
Arcade Food Hall is a good place to get pissed, to be fair. It’s lowlit and loud, even during the day, giving off the vibe of being at a casino, with no natural light, no clocks on the wall, and no sense of the correct way to do things leading to some odd choices being made. With two bars, a 36-beer Tap Room, and ABC Bar, which takes care of the cocktails, and everything ordered by an app, it can be easy to get carried away here and spend quite a lot. For something a little more cohesive, consider heading next door to Solis…
Solis
Anyway, the only proper ‘restaurants’ within this section of the power station and connected to the Arcade brand are Solis and BAO. Both offer a more satisfying experience as a result, the other operations here feeling like cooking-by-numbers, petri-dish concept-trialling rather than anything fully fledged and realised.
Solis pays homage to the 16th-century explorer Juan Díaz de Solis, known for being the first European to set foot in modern-day Uruguay, aiming to draw inspiration from both sides of the voyage, with influence from Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and Argentina all present in a menu that celebrates a kind of streetside grill cooking that’s beautiful in its simplicity.
At the helm are esteemed chefs Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng, who were also the creative minds behind TĀ TĀ Eatery and TOU, and are one of the most celebrated chef duos in the city. Their half spatchcocked chicken, grilled and served with smoked aji-aji oil, is a beautiful thing, the bird served still on the bone but chopped into bite sized chunks for picking up and gnawing, its spicy dressing bringing both colour and kick. It shares a plate with crisp, skinny fries dusting with a secret seasoning that calls to mind Monster Much, quite frankly. An asador salad of sliced raw onion and tomato rounds things off, refreshing and cleansing the saltier side of the spread.
A flat iron steak, with a pronounced crust and blushing centre, comes with the same sides but is liberally doused in a piquant green peppercorn sauce for good measure. It’s refined simplicity at its best.
At lunch, we’ve heard good things about the bocadillos, and don’t miss the hyped torta queso, which is served with its apex close to collapsing, just as it should be, and comes with a blueberry sauce. This all calls for sangria, which is available in three styles by the glass (£7.50) or the jug (£28.50).
Website: batterseapowerstation.co.uk
Address: First Floor, Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms, London SW11 8AL
BAO Noodle Shop Battersea Power Station
What is there left to say about BAO that hasn’t already been said, read, written or eaten? It’s still damn good, and saturation, remarkably, hasn’t affected its quality. The classic bao is as moreish as ever, the selection of xiao chi never seems to miss, and the signature noodles, made onsite with imported Taiwanese flour, are deeply nourishing, regardless of whether you go for a rich or light style broth.
The dining room in this Battersea iteration of BAO features a wrap-around counter that offers a sense of intimacy; it’s a great spot for taking cover a while, especially if you’re dining solo.
For those in a larger group and loosened up by a few glasses of the house BAO weeping sake, the ‘control room’ Karaoke room, inspired by the power station and the Jacques Tati’s film Playtime, is ready to receive you and your admittedly excellent rendition of Careless Whisper.
Website: baolondon.com
Address: Hall A, Battersea Power Station, Level 1, Turbine, London SW11 8DD
Roti King Battersea
Back outside now, but still with our feet on the Battersea Power Station complex, we’re heading to Roti King, the ever expanding Malaysian street food joint that feels like it’s getting slicker and slicker with every new branch.
Sure, real ones might recall, misty-eyed and nostalgic, queuing for hours outside the original Euston branch of Roti King, but let’s be honest; it’s quite nice to enjoy this gold-standard roti canai and salty but satisfying curries in a venue that’s a little less rammed. Familiarity and ubiquity has slightly dampened demand here, and you can usually rock up and straight into Roti King Battersea, its expansive opening hours, larger dining room and outdoor seating more accommodating than the OG spot.
If you’re lucky, the Roti King himself, Sugen Gopal, might be at the flat top, slapping roti with impressive dexterity and grilling them to order. They’re still bloody good, and the dhal kari is still fragrant, nuanced and possesing a decent kick. A little splash of tamarind water lightens the whole thing up. As ever, you’ll be dragging your roti through every last remnant of the sauce.
Website: rotiking.com
Address: Battersea Power Station, 16 Arches Ln, Nine Elms, London SW11 8AB
Tapas Brindisa Battersea
Sure, it’s another outpost of an increasingly ubiquitous London mid-level mini-chain, but the Battersea Power Station version of Brindisa has actually been doing its thing here for a while, opening in 2018 as part of a different development project.
As a result, this reliably excellent tapas restaurant feels more fully realised than some of its peers that arrived as part of the 2022 power station opening, its massive 120 seater restaurant and small terrace area overlooking the Thames a little distanced from ground zero of the project, and all the better for it.
On a sunny day, the terrace is a lovely spot to pitch up and order a few rounds of boquerones, croquettes and the rest, all exemplary versions and all delivered with no fuss or frippery. With the restaurant open from midday until midnight every day of the week, there are few more pleasant places to pitch up as day fades into evening, sunglasses on and an El Bandarra Rojo over ice in hand.
Website: brindisatapas.com
Address: 25 Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8EZ
There are plenty of other notable places to eat in Battersea Power Station, including a branch of enjoyable taqueria El Pastor, the creative curry house Cinnamon Kitchen, and the ever-present Dishoom. We’re in danger of repeating ourselves about mini-chains and them still being a safe, decent bet for dinner though, so we’ll probably exit stage left and head for the street…
Brunswick House
Ideal for idiosyncratic charm and generosity, both in the room and on the plate…
Let’s be honest; it feels like a weight has been lifted as you leave Battersea Power Station, your bank balance still hopefully in the black and your spirit not in the blue. You’ve been through a sort of soulless, synthesised joy back there, and you need somewhere a little more idiosyncratic to sink into. What better place for a spot of solace than Vauxhall’s Brunswick House?
If a better place exists, we certainly haven’t found it. Sure, it may not actually be in Nine Elms, nestled, as it is, on the edge of the Vauxhall gyration, but it’s well worth risking the ire of the pedants to finish up a long article of eating here. In this Georgian mansion. Under these chandeliers. In amongst this foliage, with this chessboard tiling under foot and a ricocheting, riotous ambience in the room. Where you can still hear your dining partner’s bawdier whispers quite clearly, but not so clearly that neighbouring diners catch on.
God the acoustics are good in here. Whether’s that’s down to the carefully orchestrated clutter of the space absorbing the sound just right, or simply that we’re after being in an reverberant swimming pool for the last few entries, we don’t know. But we do know that we never want to leave.
Originally built in the mid-seventeenth century and subsequently extended in 1758, this grand edifice has weathered centuries of history, including a significant fire in 1850. Once the home to historical figures like Friedrich Wilhelm, the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and the Reverend Henry Williams Baker, the building has since evolved from private residence to railway offices, and eventually, to its current iteration as a restaurant, bar, terrace and event space under the ownership of the London Architectural Salvage Supply Company (LASSCO). Its rich architectural elements, including a vaulted cellar dating back to its earliest days (and now hosting live jazz every Tuesday evening) evocatively juxtapose London’s rapidly modernising skyline.
Today, the kitchen at Brunswick House is run by the celebrated chef Jackson Boxer, who brings a lineage steeped in culinary excellence. Hailing from a distinguished family with deep roots in the food industry, Boxer manages to bring a little contemporary flair to his plates, whilst keeping things rooted in tradition and tekkers. It’s a fine mix indeed, and one that’s so often overpromised and underdelivered in the capital.
Not so here, with crowdpleasers like a thick chunk of roast cod served bathing in a friggitelli-based sauce, or woodfired Belted Galloway wing rib with beer mustard, both rubbing shoulders with more esoteric dishes like smoked pork jowl in a thick smoked maple tare glaze, served with lettuce leaves and almond mole alongside for ssambap style dipping and wrapping.
There’s also a set lunch deal that’s such good value in this economy that you almost feel guilty ordering it. Right now, it’s just £23 for two courses. Add a pud for an extra fiver. Good value abounds on the wine list too, with a whole page dedicated to ‘special pours by the glass’ and many wines from the larger, tome-like wine list also available by the glass, in some cases for as little as £6. The perfect excuse, we think, to order a second.
You know what, we think we might just stay here a little while…
Website: brunswickhouse.london
Address: 30 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2LG
If, implausibly, you’re still hungry, then join us as we head a few minutes down the road, and check out the best places to eat on Battsersea’s Northcote Road. Hope you like Italian!