When you want to get dressed up and go somewhere glitzy and your neighbourhood hangout just doesn't cut it, here are London's most beautiful restaurants, where you can enjoy a big night out.
Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus
224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP
Masala Zone is one of the most beautiful restaurants in London's theatre district, set in the historic Criterion Restaurant building, which was built in 1873 and lovingly restored for the Indian restaurant's opening.
Masala Zone are pioneers of Indian street food in London since 2001, and their menu here features a huge range of thalis, flavourful grills, regional curries and biryanis.
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Lilibet’s
Mayfair - 17 Bruton St, London W1J 6QB
A Sliding Doors moment was the inspiration for the look of new Mayfair seafood spot Lilibet’s - with designers trying to imagine the life that the late Queen (who was born at this address) would have led if she hadn’t become Queen at such an early age. From the cosy booths at the cocktail bar to the shellfish counter, it’s an over-the-top extravaganza that manages to be both cosy and stylish.
Town
Covent Garden - 26-29 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5RL
Much was made of the futuristic look and feel of this Covent Garden restaurant when it opened. With influences ranging from British brutalism through to seventies Apple style sheets, the dining room here is a vision that had Instagrammers’ pulses racing. The open kitchen is the star of the show with all eyes on the retro Star Trek pass.
Ambassadors Clubhouse
Mayfair - 25 Heddon St, London W1B 4BH
"Like a fever dream of a globe-trotting Punjabi merchant" is how the designers behind the Sethi family’s most recent opening described their look for the lower ground floor here. With gorgeous intricate designs, beautiful marquetry and original artworks commissioned for the restaurant and bar this Indian spot has been an instant hit since day one, attracting a slew of celebrities through its doors.
Shanghai Me
Mayfair - 22 Park Ln, London W1K 1BE
Boasting a particularly good vista over central London (including the King’s garden if you squint), this restaurant could have relied on those views to bring in the crowds. Instead, they’ve gone for an Art Deco 1930s Shanghai look that takes the restaurant to a whole new level. It really comes into its own in the evening when it’s full of equally glamorous diners.
Carbone
Mayfair - 30 Grosvenor Sq, London W1K 2LG
They encourage you to "dress for the occasion" at Carbone, and everyone does just that, making this newish addition to Mayfair instantly one of its more glamorous places to dine out. Perfect for a special occasion and with the equally dressy staff keen to look after you, it's one of W1's swankiest spots for a big night out.
MOI
Soho - 84 Wardour St, London W1F 0TQ
How do you turn a cavernous Soho space into a vibey sushi restaurant that succeeds in feeling both intimate and a scene? Turns out that you use a lot of natural materials, from cladding columns with tree bark, to felting the ceiling and then adding a poured concrete spiral staircase to link the ground floor dining room with the downstairs sushi kitchen and listening bar.
Twenty8 Nomad
Covent Garden - 28 Bow St, London WC2E 7AW
This triple-height dining space dominates the NoMad, making it an immediate Insta hit when it first opened and it's still a stunner following a small makeover in 2025. The glassed-off atrium makes it a particularly attractive lunchtime spot, although it's just as dramatic when those hanging lanterns are lit.
The Dover
33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
If dark corners illuminated by candles (or chandeliers) are your thing then securing a table at The Dover needs to be high on your to-do list. Milanese design company Quincoces-Dragò & Partners were behind the look here - this is the first restaurant they've ever done. Think 1970s Brooklyn meets Italian glamour, sprinkled with the stardust of its celebrity clientele.
Belvedere
Off Abbotsbury Road Holland Park, London W8 6LU
This Grade II listed building is now owned by restaurateurs George Bukhov and Ilya Demichev (who also run the current hotspot Lita). Here in Holland Park, they've lavished money tastefully giving this beautiful restaurant the interior look its architectural bones demanded.
Pollini at Ladbroke Hall
79 Barlby Rd, London W10 6AZ
Italian chef Emanuele Pollini runs the restaurant at this new arts and social club in West London. The food may be informed by his childhood in Italy but the design is very international art fair with original pieces by British painter Sir Christopher Le Brun and a showstopper chandelier by Spanish artist and designer Nacho Carbonell.
Scott’s Richmond
4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond TW9 1TH
Competing with the Mayfair original was always going to be a challenge, but this new riverside outpost of the Scott's empire has carved out a space for itself in London’s restaurant scene. With glorious views over the river and two dining rooms that go all out on glamour, it's been a hit since day one.
Sucre
47B Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JW
What’s better than one huge chandelier? A whole room full of them. Dinner is the time to fully appreciate the sparkling delights of Fernando Trocca’s Soho restaurant. More than a thousand cut glass decanters were used to create the many chandeliers hanging over the dining room, and the effect is quite splendid.
Mimi Mei Fair
55 Curzon St, London W1J 8PG
Taking inspiration from Beijing’s Forbidden Palace and 1920s Shanghai, Samyukta Nair’s Mayfair restaurant features a warren of rooms with one to compliment every outfit or mood. Downstairs there are the wood-panelled booths if you’re channelling an “I only travel by Orient Express” mood, while upstairs it’s all hand-painted silk wall coverings for more of an Empress salon vibe.
Bacchanalia
1-3 Mount St, London W1K 3NA
Is it possible to be too OTT when it comes to restaurant design? Richard Caring’s newly-opened Bacchanalia may skirt close to that tipping point but you can’t be too po-faced while sitting in a restaurant adorned with flying unicorns.
Amazonico
10 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6BR
From the private dining room covered floor to ceiling in peacock-feathered fabric to the sushi bar with its own huge fish tank backdrop, Amazonico’s Mayfair interiors are meant to dazzle. Diners will need to dress up so as not to blend into the wallpaper.
Beast
3 Chapel Pl, Marylebone, London W1G 0BG
If you’ve ever wondered what a Harry Potter movie set would look like as a London restaurant, then Beast answers that question. All wax-dripping candelabra and long oak tables make it look for the world like the dining room at Hogwarts.
Berners Tavern
10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP
Why have just one or two paintings on the wall when you can have hundreds? Ian Schrager’s London hotel has lined the walls of its huge Grade II listed dining room with paintings - making the diners a mere backdrop to the art collection.
Bob Bob Ricard
Soho and The City
Literally everything about BBR is extra, from its Tsarist train carriage decor to the much-copied "press for Champagne" button. The City branch is bigger and equally fabulous, recently having been made over to be much more like its Soho sibling. That City location is also the place to try some Armagnac made in the year you were born if you want the perfect birthday drink.
Brasserie Zedel
20 Sherwood St, Soho, London W1F 7ED
For when your tastes are Champagne but your budget is Cava this Corbin & King palace in Piccadilly is the place to go. Once part of The Regent Palace Hotel, which back in 1915 was the largest hotel in Europe when it opened, it’s still a place of wonder - not least because of how low the bill usually is.
Circolo Popolare
40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HX
Short of beaming yourself Star Trek-style to the shores of Sicily, stepping in off the Fitzrovia payment into Circolo’s magical interiors is the fastest way to transport yourself to a trattoria in Taormina without heading to the airport. Dishes are similarly OTT - don’t leave without trying the iceberg-sized lemon meringue pie.
Decimo
10 Argyle St, Kings Cross, London WC1H 8EG
From its sunken pit, macrame hangings and general 70s West Coast vibe to the views over London, the rooftop restaurant at the Standard London is a vision. Add to that live DJ sessions, a clientele that's very easy on the eye and tortilla topped with caviar and you have a restaurant that's 100% extra.
Maison Francois
36 Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6DF
Surrounded by hedge funds and art galleries, Maison Francois' St James locale means its natural clientele are both demanding in terms of both luxury and aesthetics. It's a good job then that this new brasserie looks like a total dream. Slide into one of the butter-soft leather banquettes and just hope you can reverse that action after you've called the dessert trolley over.
The Ned
27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
From its opening party which had Paloma Faith and Tiny Tempeh strutting the stage, The Ned set out to transform the City's nighttime and weekend scene. Even if you're not a member, you get to enjoy the live music and palpable buzz at one of the many ground-floor bars and restaurants. But for the real wow, head to the rooftop pool bar in the summer, or The Vault in the basement.
Park Chinois
17 Berkeley St, Mayfair, London W1J 8EA
Looking for the world like the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, this subterranean dining room evokes 1920s Shanghai with all its gold leaf and tassels. This is dinner and a floor show territory - enjoy your Cantonese style lobster noodles while a smoky-voiced chanteuse takes centre stage.
Petersham Nurseries
Church Lane, Off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7AG
Petersham Nurseries' cafe is a garden centre cafe about as much as The River Cafe is a workplace canteen. Festooned with flowers and with a bare earth flooring, this is the kind of effortlessly lovely dining space that only someone with exquisite taste and pots of money could put together. You'd feel a million miles away from London if it wasn't for all the other well-heeled Londoners around you.
The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9BR
You come to the Ritz for synchronised dome lifting, Gueridon table service, heavy-duty napery and an iron-clad dress code - oh, and all the gold! John Williams’ Michelin-star cooking helps elevate what could be merely old-fashioned into an old-world glamorous experience. One of the very few places in London that still demand a suit, you'll need to dress up to match the room.
Rules
35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LB
Everyone from the Downton cast to James Bond have been filmed dining at this, one of London's oldest restaurants. But while the history and decor could have made this Covent Garden institution rest on its laurels and settle for the tourist market, Rules is a genuine gem and one that every Londoner should make a booking at, at least once. The cocktail bar upstairs has legendary bartender Brian Silva in place making it yet another reason to go.
Seabird
14th Floor, 40 Blackfriars Rd, London SE1 8NY
Are you in South Beach or Southwark? If it weren't for the London vista laid out beneath you, the vibe of this rooftop hotel restaurant is way more Florida than "Sarf London". Obviously, the terrace is the big draw but the rest of the restaurant is so gorgeous you won't feel hard-pressed by dining indoors one bit. Order a flamboyant cocktail and a platter of oysters and live the high life.
Sessions Arts Club
Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Grn, London EC1R 0NA
The dining room at Sessions Arts Club used to be a private dining room for judges back when this was a courtroom. Now you don't have to wear a wig to enjoy one of the loveliest new restaurants in London. The double-height room with galleried section wears its shabby chic well and the lighting is especially flattering at dinner time.
Sketch
9 Conduit St, Mayfair, London W1S 2XG
The extra factor: Certainly London (and the UK’s) most extra three Michelin-starred restaurant - Mourad Mazouz’s Sketch has gone all-out with the design of its restaurants from the Accidentally Wes Anderson pink Gallery to its rainbow Fin de Siecle Library. But it’s the toilet pods that fall somewhere between Spinal Tap stage prop and cryogenic space units that are the main attraction.
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