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The best restaurants in London

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This is our restaurant guide you could give to anyone arriving in London to give them the perfect snapshot of how to explore the best of what London's restaurant scene has to offer.

The best restaurants

Clerkenwell - 66 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BP

Bouchon Racine saw the resurrection of Henry Harris' classic French restaurant, this time above The Three Compasses pub in Farringdon. A huge hit from day one, they serve up an 'unashamedly French' menu that changes daily, written only on a blackboard. The Creme Caramel is unmissable if it's on and even if you can't get a table upstairs, the snacks in the pub downstairs are also well worth a look. 

More about Bouchon Racine

 

Soho - 16-18 Beak St, London W1F 9RD

Tomos Parry's second restaurant, following on from Brat and its alfresco spin-off, has been a huge hit for him in Soho - perhaps even bigger than his debut restaurant. Here Parry takes his influences from both Spain and Wales, with a big eye on local sourcing and both cheese and bread made in-house. Expect top sharing plates like lobster caldereta, grilled meats and some excellent small plates too.

More about Mountain

 

Bermondsey - 40 Maltby St London SE1 3PA

Here, chef Steve Williams (ex-Ledbury and Harwood Arms) is quietly turning out extraordinary dishes that have fellow chefs and restaurateurs regularly citing this as one of their favourite places in town. And it's not just the food that's good, given that it's owned by Gergovie Wines, you can expect a very decent wine list here too.

More about 40 Maltby Street

 

Fitzrovia - 21 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LP

This West African-inspired restaurant was opened by restaurateur Aji Akokomi in 2020 and last year he brought in head chef Ayo Adeyemi to run the kitchen. Born in the UK and with Nigerian roots, Aji's taken the live-fire restaurant to new heights. Think the best of British produce with a strong African accent, so Lake District beef comes with jollof rice.

More about Akoko

 

Stratford - 20 International Way, London E20 1FD

Patrick Powell’s restaurant in the Manhattan Loft Gardens tower in Stratford has built a reputation that matches its high-rise status. Menus are regularly overhauled to make the most of seasonal bounties and the daily tasting menu is the preferred option if you want to see what this kitchen can really do.

More about Allegra

Also try - Midland Grand Dining Room which the chef has opened in King's Cross 

 

Victoria - 70 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1DE

Legions of London foodies can't be wrong. Andrew Wong took over his parent's traditional Chinese restaurant in Victoria back in 2013 and proceeded to shake up the SW1 dining scene in no uncertain way, and it now has two Michelin stars. The tasting menu in the evening takes inspiration from Chinese history, but what you really want to do is come here for the lunchtime dim sum menu.

More about A Wong

 

Mayfair - 11-15 Swallow St, London W1B 4DG

For over 100 years this Piccadilly institution has been serving up oysters and other seafood to London's well-heeled clientele. Nowadays it's a more egalitarian establishment, presided over by chef-patron Richard Corrigan who has run things here for more than a decade. And while oysters are still very much the thing - with an annual shucking contest to mark the beginning of the natives season - everything else is given just as much care and attention. They even smoke their own salmon up on the rooftop.

More about Bentley's

Also try - Daffodil Mulligan the chef's restaurant near Old Street 

 

Islington - 156 Canonbury Road, London N1 2UP

The restaurant formerly known as Black Axe Mangal returned post-pandemic with a different format. They now offer a tasting menu-only approach that allows chef Lee Tiernan and his team to double down on the creative dishes they can turn out from a wood-fired oven and a teeny kitchen. The amazing squid ink flatbread still pops up from time to time though. 

More about FKABAM

 

Mayfair - 42 North Audley Street, London W1K 6ZR

Chef Chet Sharma's journey to opening Bibi for the JKS group took him via Mugaritz and Moor Hall, so this contemporary Indian restaurant just off Oxford Street is a very modern affair. It draws influences from the chef's travels across India and his heritage while making the most of the UK's great produce - and you get this right from the get-go if you order the amazing Wookey Hole cheese papad.

More about Bibi

 

Shoreditch - 4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL

Tomos Parry presides over the fire here in Shoreditch. This upstairs dining room (you'll find it above Smoking Goat) looks like it's been on this spot since Dickensian London, but the vibe couldn't be more of the moment. The turbot is very much the signature dish, but expect to find all manner of meat too thrown on the wood-fired grill plus a top wine list from Noble Rot's Keeling Andrew & Co. Who needs a trip to Etxebarri when we have our own homegrown take on Basque food culture right here in London?

More about Brat

Also try: Brat x Climpsons Arch, their alfresco spinoff

 

Hackney - 49 Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG

Many people in the food world have a real fondness for Brawn. Food writer Diana Henry declared, "Brawn and QCH. I'd eat in them both every week if I could." Owned and run by Ed Wilson, it's the archetypal neighbourhood restaurant, serving up a super seasonal and regularly changing menu - their pasta is particularly great.

More about Brawn

 

Clerkenwell - 36-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BN

Russell Norman's triumphant return to the London restaurant scene is a love letter to Florence, tucked down a side street a stone's throw from Smithfield Market. It's always hard to get a reservation and the award of a Michelin Bib Gourmand didn't help that any, although there are always a few walk-in spots at the bar if you fancy trying your luck. 

More about Brutto

 

Hackney - Canal Place, 32 Andrews Rd, London E8 4RL

Most Broadway Market spots don't get write-ups in Vogue and the New York Times, but Cafe Cecilia has been a mould-breaker since the day it opened. Chef Patron Max Rocha is a scion of the Rocha fashion family and that connecting thread is seen right through to the staff outfits his sister Simone has designed. "Simple but really interesting" is how Max describes his food - and that fits it perfectly.

More about Cafe Cecilia

 

Hoxton - 172 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JL

The only restaurant on our list that actually floats on water, Caravel sees brothers Lorcan and Finn Spiteri running not one but two barges side by side on the Regents Canal in Islington. The first, Bruno, is a bar, the second is this - a showcase for chef Lorcan's fabulous seasonal food. There are a few signature dishes that are always-on - don't miss the potato rosti with caviar (pictured).

More about Caravel

 

Wandsworth - 2 Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common, London SW17 7EG

Chez Bruce celebrated its 25th birthday in 2020 and this longstanding restaurant is top of many a restaurant critic's all-time favourites list. Co-owner Bruce Poole and his head chef Matt Christmas set out their stall thus: "We are not particularly into gadgets and tricks in the kitchen and there are doubtless some who view our food as slightly old fashioned in this regard. We take this as a compliment!" Back when Marina O'Loughlin was at the Guardian she declared her meal there as one which "encourages you to wallow in sheer, sybaritic pleasure".

More about Chez Bruce

 

Kensington - Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, London SW3 6RD 

Claude Bosi's two-Michelin-starred restaurant is in the actual Michelin building and certainly feels like it's at the pinnacle of fine dining in London. Expect the finest English and French produce to be given a dazzling twist by Bosi in this most beautiful of dining rooms. 

More about Claude Bosi at Bibendum

Also try: The Oyster bar downstairs is a more affordable opportunity to try Bosi's food.

 

Shoreditch - Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT

One of the best restaurants in town and one of the few to make it onto the World's 50 Best (as well as earn two Michelin stars), The Clove Club is now a London institution and on the must-try lists of all good gastro tourists. Head into the main restaurant for a regularly changing set menu which is at the heart of things here - or to the bar for excellent cocktails and small plates.

More about The Clove Club

Also try: They also run the Italian restaurant Luca in Clerkenwell.

 

Notting Hill - 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN

One of London's rare three-Michelin-starred restaurants, Clare Smyth's Notting Hill restaurant is one of the very best in town. Expert superlative cooking in a more relaxed setting than the fine dining palaces of old. There are no starched tablecloths (or indeed any tablecloths at all) to be found here, just food that looks exquisite and tastes fantastic.

More about Core by Clare Smyt

 

Carnaby - Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1B 5PW

Asma Khan's restaurant returns to where it all began, in Carnaby's Kingly Court. Now the restaurant is much more of an open affair, showcasing the kitchen. The menu still serves up some of the best Indian food in London, as well as their much-loved biryanis. it's also a great place for star spotting - the Marvel actors in particular seem to have a particular love for the restaurant.

More about Darjeeling Express

 

Bethnal Green - Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, London E2 9NF

Rafael Cagali runs this restaurant that showcases his Italian and Brazilian background on a menu that's also influenced by his work in the UK. It's the kind of international melting pot story that makes London's restaurant scene so great. Michelin clearly agrees - they gave it a star in its first year and a second two years later. There's a notably strong tasting menu here, making a trip to Bethnal Green to try Da Terra's inspired dishes a must.

More about Da Terra

Also try: In the same hotel, Cagali runs another restaurant, Elis.

 

White City - 8th Floor, The Helios, 101 Wood Ln, London W12 7FR

With just ten seats at the hinoki wood counter restaurant at Television Centre, anyone sitting down for a meal at Endo at the Rotunda is going to get a birds-eye view of the work that goes into world-class sushi. Chef Endo Kazutoshi's attention to detail is legendary from the perfectly sourced rice from the Fukuoka Prefecture to the best Dorset clams. It's an omakase menu so submit to this sushi master's ministrations - you're in excellent hands.

More about Endo at Rotunda

See also - If you can't get into Endo, then try his Notting Hill sushi restaurant Sumi

 

St James - 2 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4RP

As beloved by other chefs as it is by its legions of fans (it's even going great guns on TikTok) Fallow is the restaurant that seems to capture the essence of London right now. Sustainability has always been at its core - the move to St James allowed it to introduce elements like its mushroom wall. A regularly changing menu, focusing on excellent seasonal produce, with creative flourishes is what has propelled this restaurant to stardom. 

More about Fallow

 

Mayfair - 42 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JH

Gymkhana is certainly one of London's top (if not the top) Indian restaurants and has carved out quite a niche with the celebrity circuit too (Ed Sheeran and David Beckham are both huge fans). After a recent-ish refurb it looks set to continue to be a huge London hit. The kid goat methi keema and muntjac biryani are unmissable dishes. 

More about Gymkhana

 

Bloomsbury - 54 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3LW

This restaurant is run by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer (Sarit was previously at Nopi and Ottolenghi) and it still has the feel of a neighbourhood restaurant in the middle of London, even in its new larger location. It's much loved for its deceptively simple Middle-Eastern cooking and also for being one of the friendliest places to eat in London. This couple were at the forefront of Levantine cooking just as it became a trend and they continue to lead the field. 

More about Honey & Co

Also try: Honey and Smoke for the team's Middle Eastern grill.

 

Strand - 180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA

This two-Michelin-starred restaurant by Iré Hassan-Odukale and Chef Jeremy Chan has moved from its original St James's Market location to a much bigger space. Expect a mix of seasonal British ingredients with a West African-inspired menu, creating something unique in London in the process. The menu changes regularly as a result, but you'll see classics like their smoked Jollof rice and an amazing plantain dish on there regularly.

More about Ikoyi

 

Soho - 1 St. James’s Market, London SW1Y 4AH

One of London's properly iconic restaurants, Sheeky's has been serving up seafood to Londoners for over 100 years. The setting, tucked in an unassuming passageway linking Charing Cross Road to St Martin's Lane, means it's always been popular with London's theatre folk, popping in here post-performance, as well as other A-listers. Here's where you'll find local thespians enjoying the restaurant's classic fish pie and oyster platters.

More about J Sheekey

 

Soho - 58 Brewer St, London W1F 9TL

Kiln is from the same people behind The Smoking Goat and is focused around simple, yet sophisticated, Thai cooking. It's built up a devoted following, with a predominantly counter dining offering, and was voted best restaurant in the country at the National Restaurant Awards a few years back. It packs a big punch for its size.

More about Kiln

 

Marylebone - 9 Seymour Street, London W1H 5BT

Inspired by Mexico but taking Britain’s geographical larder as its jumping-off point, Santiago Lastra’s Marylebone restaurant took Mexican cooking to the next level. South East cheesemakers supply his Oaxacan-style cheese while langoustine tacos come with foraged sea buckthorn. Save time for a trip downstairs to the amazing mezcaleria too.

More about Kol

 

Fitzrovia - 30 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NG

Londoners fancying a hit of Portuguese flare and flavour have a lot less further to travel, now that Nuno Mendes’ has this restaurant on Charlotte Street. Across three floors, Nuno and his team send out dishes like Goan-spiced pork pies and the love-it or leave-it dessert of Abade de Priscos that sum up the chef’s love letter to Lisbon.

More about Lisboeta

 

Shoreditch - Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ 

James Lowe's restaurant is currently one of only two UK restaurants on the World's 50 Best list. In this ultra-pared-back Shoreditch restaurant, Lowe has full rein to showcase his talents with a modern ever-changing menu. Come for lunch if you fancy dipping in for a plate off the a la carte or treat yourself at dinner to the full tasting menu experience.

More about Lyle's

 

Dalston - 4 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XN

This family-run Dalston ocakbasi was transformed into one of London's most exciting restaurants when ownership passed to the original owners' sons. Now you can expect thrilling modern Turkish food through an East London lens courtesy of brothers Ferhat and Sertaç Dirik.

More about Mangal 2

 

Shoreditch - 49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT

From pop-up to permanent, Manteca’s journey saw them leap to number 11 in the 2022 National Restaurant Awards. The dream team behind it are Smokestak's David Carter and chef Chris Leach who have honed the perfect Shoreditch menu of fresh pasta, charcuterie made on-site and wood-roasted fish and meat.

More about Manteca

 

Holborn - 182 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8EW

Want to be looked after within an inch of your life? This is the restaurant you come to. Properly old-school French, Otto's has carved out a niche for itself because of a serious bit of kit called the duck press. This dish sees the breast sliced, then the rest of the duck (bar the legs) pressed in the special screw press giving a juice to which Cognac and duck liver are added before it's poured over the rare slices which finish cooking in the sauce. Both very rich and quite pricey but like nothing else in town.

More about Otto's

 

Stoke Newington - 1-3 Green Lanes, Newington Green, London N16 9BS

A perfect example of a neighbourhood restaurant that's 100% worth crossing town for. Running the kitchen are Ben Marks, who used to be at The Square, and Matt Emmerson, who's ex-Polpo. The dinner menu changes daily meaning there's always something to entice back locals or other regulars. Plant-led dishes are particularly inventive.

More about Perilla

 

Clerkenwell - 92–94 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3EA  

Quality Chop House, which has been open since 1869, at one point looked in danger of disappearing forever before it was lovingly restored by co-owners Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau. Now it's both a restaurant and wine bar featuring menus that are created in the morning based on what's been delivered. Come for the very best of British cooking, or just as easily pop in for charcuterie or wine or to pick something (like London's best-ever pork pies) up from the adjoining butcher and deli.

More about Quality Chop House 

Also try: Quality Wines next door, and their very highly rated restaurants north of Oxford Street - Portland and Clipstone.

 

Hammersmith - Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA 

It may have originally been the canteen to Ruth Rogers' rather well-known architect husband's company, but this is now about as far from a works canteen as it's possible to get. Set down a leafy residential street, with gardens stretching down to the Thames, the River Cafe turns out beautiful Italian food with the best produce at an eye-watering price. You get what you pay for - it's just a question of whether you can afford the price tag.

More about The River Café

 

Shoreditch - 16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA

Rochelle Canteen is in a converted bike shed, in the old playground of an East London school that only the committed foodie would ever find (look for the buzzer on the wall by the gate on Rochelle Street). But once in, particularly on a clement day when you can sit outside in the walled garden, Rochelle Canteen proves worthy of the quest. Margot Henderson (wife of St John's Fergus) owns the place with Melanie Arnold, and while the menu descriptions are sparing - e.g. Grilled Lamb, Swiss Chard & Turnips - the food that appears is generous and delicious.

More about Rochelle Canteen

 

Mayfair - 35 Heddon St, London W1B 4BP

Mere days after it opened on Heddon Street, it was clear that London was in possession of an instant classic. Run by the perfect double act of chef Nieves Barragán and GM Josè Etura it's the kind of restaurant everyone wants to try. It's a restaurant of two halves (if you ignore the stand-up bar section) with the (bookable) Asador on the upper level and counter dining by the open kitchen on the ground floor. Obviously, you're going to want the croquetas, but everything else will be great as well.

More about Sabor

 

Holloway - 171 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX

Mandy Yin’s Holloway Road restaurant showcases the chef/owner’s Malaysian roots - she grew up in KL and now delivers her own take on that cuisine to Londoners who love her laksas. There isn’t much that can’t be cured with a bowl of what she serves up here.

More about Sambal Shiok 

 

Leyton - 593 High Rd Leytonstone, London E11 4PA

How a small, family-run Thai spot in Leytonstone became one of the city's best restaurants is a great London story. Because people seriously love Singburi, from its regularly changing specials board and friendly, chaotic service to its legendarily-good moo krob. Genuinely worth crossing to the furthest regions of North East London from wherever you live.

More about Singiburi

 

Shoreditch - 64 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ

This always-humming Shoreditch restaurant seems to have found the perfect combination to draw in Londoners - the city's love of Thai food and live fire cooking. Chef Ben Chapman and his team draw inspiration from the late-night drinking and dining dens of Bangkok for a menu that hits all the right spots. 

More about Smoking Goat

 

Soho - 64 Dean Street, London W1D 4QQ

Chef patron Victor Garvey has found his true groove, celebrating Californian cuisine at his Michelin-starred Soho restaurant. There’s more inspiration derived from his time in Japan too and plenty of tableside service flourishes to make this a very special place to dine out.

More about SOLA 

 

Borough - 8 Melior St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3QP

Husband and wife team Woongchul Park (ex-Ledbury) and Bomee Ki (former pastry chef at The Arts Club) turn out to be a dream restaurant duo at this, their first independent venture. We were blown away by the inventive food and warm service at this Bermondsey spot.

More about Sollip 

 

Smithfield - 26 St John Street, London EC1M 4AY 

St John seems to be an unofficial finishing school for some of London's top chefs - so many of them have worked in the original or at Bread and Wine. But Fergus Henderson's original is seen by many as one of the very best restaurants in London and a perfect example of nose-to-tail British cuisine. It's also well worth popping into the bar for Eccles cakes and Madeira and to try some of the separate bar menu dishes if you want a taste of the place without paying the full price tag.

More about St John

Also try: St John Bread and Wine is also a classic in the Shoreditch area

 

Clerkenwell - 12 Jerusalem Passage, London EC1V 4JP

Hands-down one of London’s best places for sushi - if only you can get a reservation. The room may be tiny, but the talent is huge. Toru Takahashi and his wife, Harumi run the show and, obviously, counter dining is the best place to enjoy Toru’s food (and skills). 

More about Sushi Tetsu 

 

Islington - 300 - 302 St Paul's Road, London N1 2LH

The OG sibling to its pasta joint Padella, Trullo opened in 2010 with chef Tim Siadatan on the stove (it's now run by Chef Owner Conor Gadd). It quickly became an Islington institution, drawing folk from near and far for its 'Britalian' take on dishes. The beef shin ragu is legendary for a reason, so if it's on, be sure to order it.

More about Trullo

Also try: Padella from the same team is one of the best fresh pasta restaurants in London

 

34 Drayton Park, London N5 1PB

With the bifold doors flung open and pre-dinner drinks out on the terrace, the team who also run Primeur and Jolene have turned this unlovely former laundry by the Emirates Stadium into a little slice of foodie paradise. Enjoy snacks and a glass of Vermouth under the olive tree and feel like you're far away from North London. It also happens to be one of Dua Lipa's favourite restaurants in London. 

More about Westerns Laundry

Also try: Either Jolene or Primeur from the same team in Stoke Newington

 

The best restaurant groups

London hosts some restaurant groups that started out as classic solo restaurants before branching out. But they've managed to keep something special about every venue they open. Here are some notable restaurants with a few locations that should be on your radar. 

Soho, Shoreditch, Marylebone, King's Cross, Borough

Originally starting out as street food, Bao then hit Soho in a big way. A seat at the small restaurant quickly became - and remains - one of the best spots in town even though they've expanded elsewhere. Their signature bao buns are always good and each of their restaurants features unique specialisations, like noodles in Shoreditch or dumplings in Marylebone. 

More about Bao 

 

King's Cross, Soho, Covent Garden, Knightsbridge, Canary Wharf

How to explain the very special place that Dishoom has in Londoners' hearts? Is it the deep-running passion for their bacon naan and black daal that made us form queues outside every one of their restaurants? Or the clever interior design that transports us to the cafes of Bombay? Or perhaps it's the way they make everyone in our city feel at home there. 

More about Dishoom

 

Spitalfields, Borough, Seven Dials, Canary Wharf, Guildhall, Knightsbridge

While steak clearly is a BIG thing at Hawksmoor, in many respects eating at one of their restaurants is much more than a carnivore's delight. From the cocktails (the Full-Fat Old Fashioned is one of our favourites in London) to the steaks and some amazing desserts - the salted caramel "rolos" are unmissable - Hawksmoor is the very epitome of the excellent all-rounder. You can be sure of a good time at any of their London establishments (particularly the newest that's floating on water).

More about Hawksmoor

 

Soho, Bank, Hackney

It's hard to believe that Koya is over 10 years old. Head Chef and co-founder Shuko Oda has, together with John Devitt, created one of those pitch-perfect London restaurants. The cold udon noodle dishes are probably the biggest draw, but we have a special fondness for the onsen tamago. 

More about Koya

 

Soho, Holborn, Mayfair

Noble Rot now has three truly excellent restaurants to its name. The original is much beloved, the Soho restaurant revived the iconic Gay Hussar building and the newest Mayfair restaurant continues their success. The Sportsman's Stephen Harris consults on the menu and they've attracted some great chefs in to all of their restaurants. Their set menus are one of the great deals in London. 

More about Noble Rot

 

Fitzrovia, Battersea, Waterloo

The original Roti King doesn't do reservations, so to enjoy the best roti canai in London along with peerless laksa and next-level Nasi Goreng you're just going to have to queue along with everyone else. They now have shiny new places in Battersea and Waterloo but for longstanding fans, their other restaurant around the back of Euston station is the OG and the best.

More about Roti King

 

4/12/23 - Added to the list: Mountain, Bouchon Racine

London's best restaurants, mapped 

  

 

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