We have a lot of time for Time Out thanks to their relatable, unpretentious style of review, but they don’t ever mention disabled access. So when we saw the Time Out list of the top 10 restaurants in London we wondered where we would rank them all, within that ten, if we took into account how accessible (or otherwise) they are. We checked our previous reviews and contacted the final two restaurants – which were the only ones not yet rated in BBS – and then gave all ten our own ranking, considering accessibility first and style as the tiebreaker for equally accessible venues. This is Time Out’s list with the position we give them when disabled access is taken into account
10. The Dairy
Time Out said: “A food-led but very approachable and contemporary little bar and bistro, in Clapham, with dishes that surprise and delight.”
We said: “We headed to The Dairy in Clapham for a wonderful lunch of superb, innovative, little treats. The restaurant has an unasssuming, friendly feel to it, but the food is up there with anything you’ll find at a fussier fine dining establishment. Head chef Robin Gill has distinguished experience, having worked at Noma and alongside Raymond Blanc and brings all of that to The Dairy.
“There’s no adapted toilet for less able customers. There are also two steps in the restaurant – one at the entrance and another further along. They’re not huge steps but they would certainly require some expert manoeuvring. We asked them about the access while we were there and they said that they could open the double doors at the entrance”
We loved the food but the access meant it was only worth 1.5 BBS Ticks.
BBS position- 8th
9. Lyle’s
Time Out said: “Great formula: sweet staff who know their food, relaxed setting, a leisurely pace at dinner, and brilliant food from one of the most talented cooks in town.”
We say: James Lowe’s restaurant is a perfect fit in Shoreditch – it’s cool, quality, slightly different and slightly (OK, possibly very) pretentious. The leisurely speed of dinner is a nice touch – while other restaurants have zigged towards no longer taking reservations, Lyle’s zagged and gives a completely different experience (handy for disabled people who rely on planning ahead!). There’s a long list of fantastic dishes; the problem is you can’t choose which you want – you get them all.
This is a new one for Blue Badge Style so we’ve had a look into their accessibility and it is all reassuring. The entrance is step free and the restaurant is all on the ground floor. It’s a beautiful, wide open space with a polished concrete floor which should be easy for wheelchair users (though potentially slippery for others). They have a disabled toilet as well so we give them a provisional 2.5 BBS Ticks.
BBS position – 3rd
8. Gymkhana
Time Out said: “Gallop to Mayfair for modern Indian cooking (and punches served in medicine bottles) in a wood-panelled room that looks and feels like an Indian colonial club.”
We said: “Another award winning restaurant without a disabled toilet! Gymkhana a high class, Michelin starred Indian restaurant which opened just over a year ago in Mayfair. Nine months after they opened for business the restaurant was voted No 1 in the National Restaurant awards.
“Clearly the food is stratospherically good, but Gymkhana rather lets itself down when it comes to access and facilities for less able customers. On the positive side, they do have a portable ramp which can be put down at the entrance where there are a couple of steps. However, inside they do not have an adapted toilet. They say the ladies toilet is on the ground floor if that helps, but we tend to find that for people looking for a toilet with grab rails etc it doesn’t help much at all.”
We were not best pleased and Gymkhana earned 1.5 BBS Ticks.
BBS position – 9th
7. Palomar
Time Out said: “Fantastic modern-Israeli food, pulse-quickening dance music and a warm family atmosphere at the West End’s most unlikely bar-restaurant of the moment.”
We say: This is the only other restaurant on Time Out’s list that we needed to check out. It’s between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square and faces across the road from the dreaded Trocadero – these days pretty much the ultimate venue in anti-style – but manages to escape from the stink of the surrounding tackiness and really excel as a stylish spot. The Palomar serves the food of modern day Jerusalem in an excellent menu and the restaurant manages to be both intimate and loudly bonkers at the same time.
There is a slight step into the restaurant but inside it is step free. To get to the main seating area you pass through a long narrow bar which may be something of a squeeze but there is a disabled toilet in the restaurant which you can use (as long as it’s not being used for storage). They play music in there at unreasonable volumes for a dinnertime, so that might be something to consider. We give Palomar a provisional 2 BBS Ticks.
BBS position – 6th
6. Barnyard
Time Out said: “As dirty little sisters go, they don’t get much dirtier than Barnyard (and we mean that in a good way). It’s perfect for an impromptu bite with chums: the four-person booths are thigh-slappingly fine.”
We said: “The food was excellent – quite basic on paper but absolutely fantastically flavoured and brilliant value too. Best were the chicken wings and the homemade ice cream with popcorn and fudge sauce and at £30 a head even with plenty of alcohol, it’s extremely reasonable.
“Although the food was very good, the access was less so. I found that it was a little bit small. There were also two large steps to get to the outside seating, which was essential to do as all the inside seating was at high bar stools and tables (this seems to be a trend with places where you just turn up, though I don’t understand why). No accessible toilet either but fortunately the Charlotte Street Hotel is just opposite and customers at the Barnyard can use theirs.”
It’s delicious and really good value – we gave it a generous 2 BBS Ticks.
BBS position – 7th
5. Berners Tavern
Time Out said: “Another hit from Jason Atherton, a vast and glamorous dining room in Fitzrovia with ornate plasterwork ceiling and some fabulous cooking at prices to match.”
We said: “Egg, Ham and Peas’, which is a deep fried duck egg with mushy peas and crispy ham, was brilliant and only surpassed by the Chocolate filled Donut with cinnamon sugar and almond sorbet. Served warm it’s filled with molten chocolate which sounds over indulgent but was so light and tasty I nearly didn’t give my companion a taste. A super meal, great service and the accessible toilet is good (in the Hotel’s lift lobby so not too far away; maybe a stretch if walking with sticks). So Berners Tavern gets its own 3 BBS Ticks.”
BBS position – 2nd
4. Artusi
Time Out said: “This low-key place place is so minimal there’s not even a name above the door, but excellent service, drinks and food place it firmly on the Peckham map.”
We said: “The restaurant represents a perfect example of the kind of food and restaurant design that is at the height of popularity right now. The trendy, stripped back style which has moved from Shoreditch to Peckham and influenced other areas throughout London is at its finest here. The menu (which changes frequently) is simple and low on description but very high on quality.
“The entrance is completely step free and the restaurant is situated in one long and step free room. The shape of the room can present a problem at times, especially during the busy evening periods when the room is full and the aisle between the tables becomes more cramped. This might be awkward as the disabled toilet (which is fully equipped with grab rails and emergency cord) is at the back of the room”
We gave it 2.5 BBS Ticks – sounds so good we wish we could move nearer to Peckham.
BBS Position – 3rd
3. Social Eating House
Time Out said: “Under the gifted guidance of Paul Hood, one of Jason Atheron’s talented team, imaginative modern cooking from a kitchen brigade at the top of its game.”
We said: Actually on this one one of our readers got in touch to tell us all about the access and said…
““The Social Eating House is very disabled friendly with no steps or carpet on the ground floor and a lovely disabled toilet at the back. BUT it is very noisy and trendy and full of young Soho things. Prepare to shout for conversation. Not for the hard of hearing!”
Another Jason Atherton restaurant in the Top Ten! We gave it 2.5 BBS Ticks.
BBS position – 4th
2. Ember Yard
Time Out said: “The latest in a mini-chain of four of London’s most enjoyable new-style tapas bars: every flavour combination a winner, and bar snacks are among Soho’s best.”
We said: “Ember Yard is a seriously sophisticated tapas bar in an off the beaten track part of Soho (in as far as it’s ever possible to get off the beaten track a stones throw away from Oxford Street). The restaurant comes from the same people who brought London Dehesa, Salt Yard and Opera Tavern and serves delicious small Italian-Iberian dishes cooked over smoky coals.
“Ember Yard’s toilets are all downstairs from the entrance and none of them have been adapted for disabled users (it may be possible to use nearby facilities, but this is hardly convenient). On a more positive note they do have a portable ramp which can be put in place for anyone who needs it when entering the building. The high recommendation from Londoners earns it a provisional 1.5 BBS Ticks.”
BBS position – 10th
1. Chiltern Firehouse
Time Out said: “One of London’s hottest (and hardest to book) restaurants, with culinary fireworks exploding in every trend-conscious but wonderful dish.”
We said: “The chef is Nuno Mendes previously of Viajante and el Bulli; I’ve always wanted to eat his food, even though it meant I may bump into celebs like Rod Stewart or even worse Kelly Hoppen of Dragon’s Den. I needn’t have worried, no celebs were evident yet the staff treated us as if we were. The food was really good, especially the Strawberry Sundae Dessert.
“The access was good and the ‘greeting’ staff ,who helped me out of the taxi, knew exactly how to get me inside with a minimum of fuss. The entrance is completely flat, even the exterior pavement, there was just a small downward incline in the floor as you entered the restaurant. There are rugs/runners in the corridors but they seem well attached to the wooden floor.The disabled toilet is downstairs via a lift and is excellent
“A definite 3 BBS Ticks – highly recommended but take a fat wallet, it’s not cheap but well worth the money for a great experience.”
BBS position – 1st (still)
Well done to Chiltern Firehouse for being Time Out and BBS number one for style and access! Only half of the Time Out top 10 received a BBS rating of 2.5 ticks or higher and those that didn’t would never be allowed near our top 10- it goes to show that there is still a lot of education needed to show people how important access is!