Dining in Battersea delivers a satisfying, soulful experience that’s trendy but unpretentious. Here are the best restaurants in this buzzy, up-and-coming district. Few areas in London have changed quite so dramatically as Battersea over the past few years. This post-industrial Wandsworth district has become one of the hottest foodie destinations in the city, welcoming dozens of new cafes, bars and restaurants through exciting new developments like Battersea Power Station.
List of Top Restaurants in Battersea
Today, Battersea presents a fascinating mix of the old and the new, where it’s just as easy to find a lavish oyster bar as it is to find a greasy spoon. While the hospitality landscapes of other London districts like Chelsea and Marylebone glisten under the Michelin stars, Battersea offers something a little more substantial: quality food that’s well presented and above all, locally loved.
Santa Maria del Sur
Chimichurrific is one word that’s used to describe this quaint, gorgeous Argentine restaurant on Queenstown Road. Founded in 2006, Santa Maria del Sur is a hidden gem that has earned a local reputation for serving the best parilla meats in the city, most notably – dripping, juicy sirloin and ribeye steaks. This authentic Latin American restaurant has a small but satisfying menu where the best offerings include churrasco or bife de chorizo steaks paired with a dark, full-bodied glass of Mendozan Malbec. Tuck into a generous serving of sweetbreads, grilled pardón peppers and fresh garlic mushrooms to whet your appetite while waiting for the main dish.
The wine list at Santa Maria thoughtfully complements the sizzling meat selection with grapes from Patagonia, Chile and most abundantly, Mendoza. If you have a special bottle at home you’ve been waiting to pop open, Santa Maria has a bring-your-own-bottle policy on Sundays with no corkage charge. Although this restaurant is located on a less fashionable street in Battersea, it’s attracted a fiercely loyal customer base over the past eighteen years, which is a testament to its quality and authenticity.
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The Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers are true connoisseurs of seafood in London and have been supplying the city’s best restaurants with oysters, lobsters and fresh daily catches for two decades. The company now has a stunning riverside seafood restaurant located in the iconic Battersea Power Station, where it serves the best fish and shellfish caught in and around the UK, Jersey and France.
Menu standouts are the whole Brixham Dover sole meunière, alongside the aquanaria sea bass ceviche. Oyster lovers will have a very merry time at this Battersea restaurant, which offers an unparalleled selection for a city location. Enjoy Scottish Cumbrae oysters on the half shell with hogwash, or some New Orleans-style cooked oysters deep-fried with tartare sauce, for the more American palate.
Dishes at The Wright Brothers pair perfectly with the venue’s inventive cocktail list, such as the Wright Brothers Bloody Mary, which uses rosemary-infused vodka, shichimi peppers and oyster.
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Bababoom
When it comes to delivering big flavours on big plates, Bababoom in Battersea gets it right. This Middle Eastern restaurant serves authentic Arabic cuisine tailored perfectly to the British palate in the form of the nation’s most beloved street food: the humble kebab. Bababoom’s kebabs are miles apart from the highly-processed doner meats that mark the sobering end of a night on the town. The beef brisket kofta is a plateful of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, garnished with harissa sauce, pomegranate seeds and apple slaw. For vegetarians, the crispy super green falafel is a crowd-pleaser, as is the chargrilled halloumi kebab. For a tasty dish that’s a little lighter on the stomach, try Bababoom’s fresh pomegranate-dressed fattoush salad, which comes topped with perfectly crunchy fried bread.
In terms of atmosphere, this restaurant is teeming with chatter, character and feel-good music, and it’s the perfect spot for a casual, filling lunch. Bababoom also delivers, if you want to sink your teeth into a juicy kebab from the comfort of your home.
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Hatched
For a more refined dining experience that's on par with the best eateries in Chelsea and Marylebone, Hatched is well worth a visit. This intimate, minimalist restaurant is the perfect spot for those who value exceptional food above all else. When you first enter Hatched, the cool grey interiors can feel a little cold and intimidating, but the bustle of the open-kitchen and richness of the food quickly make up for it. Expect a small but substantial European menu with items like monkfish with braised chicory and orange, Wagyu t-bone steaks, and burnt mackerel in soy lime dressing. Other delectable flavours and textures to delight in here include spiced hazelnut honey, smoked apple purée and creamy confit egg yolks.
Located unsuspectingly between Clapham Junction and Wandsworth town, Hatched is a local favourite, and it makes an excellent spot for a tasteful, quiet date night. This SW11 restaurant also serves up a gorgeous Sunday Roast every other week, which comes with spiced cauliflower cheese, seasonal vegetables, and a generous pouring of red wine gravy. You’ll want to book your table at Hatched well in advance, as the roast is only served for two hours every other week.
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Soif
Soif is a French bistrot and wine bar that oozes with both Parisian charm and local character. This Battersea eatery serves a mix of tapas-style small plates, sharing dishes and charcuterie boards sourced from local butchers and producers. Enjoy some salty Don Bocarte anchovies served with French butter, toast and shallots, or a juicy rotisserie chicken that’s roasted fresh to order, if you don’t mind the wait. The food at Soif is expertly prepared and carefully sourced, but what really invites people back for a second, third or fourth visit, is the wine.
Soif – meaning thirst, or lust, in French – sources most of its wines from small artisanal winemakers who use traditional methods to ensure every grape is carefully selected (think, horses instead of tractors; hands instead of machines). A rare treat in London, this lovely Battersea bistrot has a surprising selection of amber wines on its list.
Amber or orange wines are popular in wine-producing regions like Georgia, and they are made from white grapes that are fermented with the skin on. The flavour profile of amber wines vary, but they often impart a fruity, tannin-rich flavour that’s unexpectedly full-bodied for a white grape. Soif maintains a monthly wine calendar, so you can try a new variety every time you visit. It’s easy to see why Soif is recommended by the Michelin guide.
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Mien Tay
Mien Tay on Lavender Hill may not look like much from the outside, but inside you’ll find the most authentic Vietnamese food in Battersea. There are four branches of this charming restaurant in London, each run by different family members under the guidance of the original founders, Mrs My Le and Chef Mr Su Tran.
The Battersea site has been hugely popular among locals and visitors for years, who flock back time and time again for the richly-flavoured pho, clay curries and addictive spring rolls. You can also find plenty of traditional foods in Mien Tay, such as goat with peppery galangal or chargrilled quail with honey, which is as fragrant and fresh as it is in Hanoi. In terms of drinks, sip on some traditional jasmine tea or Vietnamese drip coffee, or indulge in a bottle of wine to make a night of it.
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Final Take
What was once an industrial district with a relatively quiet food scene has quickly blossomed into a foodie hotspot. Interestingly, despite the influx of new, trendy cafes, bars and restaurants into Battersea, local spots remain busy and favoured, having garnered a loyal customer base over the years. Whether you want to sip on some rare artisanal amber wine with friends at Soif, or tuck into a hearty kebab on your lunch break at Bababoom, dining in Battersea is always a satisfying, memorable affair.
