Don't Tell Dad — Restaurant in London

Went as part of the soft launch on a busy Saturday night.

Was greeted upon entry by the owner who could not have been more friendly or welcoming. Lovely low-lit atmosphere in the main restaurant, then some counter seating at the bar with a couple of booths behind. We sat at the counter - a great spot for watching the chefs work and making friends with the excellent bartender Ed.

Drinks menu offers a small but wide-ranging selection of wine by the glass, carafe or bottle. The cocktails on offer all looked wonderful and we will have to return to try the signature DTD martini.

Food menu offered a solid amount of choice and I expect will change seasonally. It is evident they use only top-quality produce here. We had a few nibbles to start (amazing truffle croquettes and duck crumpets), followed by curried cod cheeks with cauliflower puree and then lamb rump and wild sea bass for the main course. The pommes Anna were a particular highlight (we ordered a second portion). Everything was really well cooked, seasoned, prepared and presented. The flavours were refined and either subtle or punchy in all the right places. Didn't think we had room for dessert but when we saw madeleines on the menu we changed our minds. Thanks to the in-house bakery (we saw them being prepared) they were light, fluffy and accompanied by a delicious zesty orange sauce.

Service was attentive and we felt very well looked after. The staff were chatty and friendly despite it being a very busy service. It meant a lot that the owner went to so much effort to talk about his background and explain his ideas behind the restaurant concept. As a Queens Park local I completely identified with his desire to establish a cool spot where local people just want to hang out.

My only criticism is that, due it being a particularly busy evening, there were periodically quite a few dirty glasses around the bar area close to where we were sat. The bartender was aware of this issue so I have no doubt it will be addressed in the future.

Overall experience was excellent and I very much look forward to returning and supporting a new local restaurant which does what it does brilliantly. We will also be back to try the coffee...

Went to Don't Tell Dad last night for dinner during their soft launch week and we left feeling happy after the meal. First of all, the restaurant decor is visually appealing. The setting definitely felt romantic with dimly lit lights and candles. The service was great - both the servers and Manager checked in on us several times throughout the meal. We ordered the ox croquets, truffle beignets, pommes anna (probably the best I've had), the lamb dish (the meat was so tender) and greens (brussel sprouts and leafy greens with chilli butter and garlic - I could eat this dish on its own), and the radicchio salad. For dessert, we shared the madeleines which were fresh so takes about 15 mins to prep but these were the best madeleines I've ever had with a side of orange creme fraische. I would go back just for this dessert.

My only note would be to have more dressing for the radicchio salad.

I am not surprised the quality of the produce used and the taste given that there are renowned names by Don't Tell Dad (i.e. Noble Rot, Spring, Forza Wine, and Layla - the bakery in Notting Hill). We will definitely be...

Super lovely evening in a gorgeous spot in Queen’s Park. We were looked after from the moment we arrived, placed in a great spot (and tbf, the whole restaurant is gorgeous) and looked after attentively, but not micromanaged, for the whole evening. The menu is interesting - short, to the point and you might find that there are no obvious ‘safe’ crowd pleasers but literally everything we had from the beignets, fish, salad and a trio of deserts, was thought out, super satisfying and good value for money. Even the house wine, often a signifier of how the restaurant views you, was fairly priced and delicious. At many more expensive, centre of town restaurants, we’ve had good service in a lovely setting but with the food being the weakest point. Don’t Tell Dad genuinely had it all, along with lovely staff and a great vibe. This is certainly somewhere I’d return to with pleasure, even if only to have the house white and a million beignets, all while stroking the plush green...