14 Gambia St, London SE1 0XH

This long time Bankside tapas joint has survived the test of time. The owners pride themselves on their close links to producers in Spain and, in addition to the tapas menu, there are always some interesting specials to check out.

56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP

Trinidad and Tobago-born Chef-Owner Sham Mahabir serves up a menu of home-style Caribbean cooking at this restaurant and beach club on the South Bank. Treats include the Trinidadian street food snack of doubles.

22 Leake St, London SE1 7NN

For a taste of Philadephia without having to cross the Atlantic, this American dive bar underneath the arches in Waterloo is the place to go. The Philly cheesestakes are a speciality but there's plenty of options on the menu. It's also a good place to catch NFL and NCAA games.

County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB

Riverside steakhouse Gillray's with its views over the river and London Eye goes big on its British heritage with all its meats sourced from South West London butcher Browne's.

Barge House St, London SE1 9PH

This longstanding London riverside establishment still has the wow factor, not least down to its amazing views across the City. The brasserie is the more casual dining space while the restaurant offers a more elevated menu focusing on British produce.

Arch 25, Old Union Yard Arches, 229 Union St, London SE1 0LR

With a menu billed as a modern twist on Israeli cooking, this Southwark spot aims to transport London diners to Tel Aviv. Chef Eran Tibi serves up a range of sharing plates in a lively atmosphere.

53 The Cut, London SE1 8LF

This little corner of Spain in Waterloo is a family-run, longtime London institution. Inspired by the tapas bars of Madrid it serves up a classic menu of Spanish dishes with a range of changing specials by chef Christian.

137 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE

This self-styled 'quirky' wine bar is run by a pair who met up while working at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. They're super keen on making wine accessible and the food menu is a good mix of interesting small and large plates.

14th Floor, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Rd, London SE1 8NY

Perched on the top of The Hoxton in Southwark, Seabird is a great rooftop restaurant focusing on seafood with a Spanish influence. They go big on oysters, with one of London's largest oyster lists, and weekend brunches are big here too.

National Theatre, Upper Ground London SE1 9PX

They started out as a rooftop in Peckham and for their second restaurant, Forza Wine took over one of the restaurants at The National Theatre. It has a great view of the Thames and on a good day, you'll definitely want to grab a table on the extensive terrace. As for the food, expect Italian small plates and a natural wine list that's pretty good value for the area.

National Theatre, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX

The National Theatre brought in a powerhouse team to be in charge of its main restaurant - the people behind Hackney's hugely popular pub, The Marksman. On the South Bank the restaurant makes good use of the Brutalist architecture while serving up a brasserie-style menu that features many of the hits from their pub, including a truly great pie.

1 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL

After success in Soho, this is the second Berenjak in London, once again focused on Persian-style cuisine. As before, the charcoal-grilled kababs are a big draw and this location adds bigger family-style dishes to the menu.

43 Borough Market, London SE1 9AH

Turnips greengrocer has been a Borough Market institution for over 30 years. In 2020 they decided to open an evening supper club by chef Tomas Lidakevicius in the space. It became so popular that it's now a permanent affair. Expect hyper seasonal food - a lot will come from the grocer themselves - in a tasting menu or small plates experience.

66 Great Suffolk St, London SE1 0BL

This Southwark restaurant is from chef and restaurateur Akwasi Brenya-Mensa who started it as a supperclub before bringing a permanent version to the Africa Centre. Here, the menu covers dishes and techniques from across the African continent, with some focus on his own Ghanaian roots.

5 Canvey St, London SE1 9AN

Boiler & Co is half cocktail bar and half chef's table with Great British Menu finalist Kerth Gumbs. There are sharing plates in the bar but the main event is a special tasting menu that marries his experience in fine dining with Caribbean cuisine.

152 Tooley St, London SE1 2TU

This is a small two storey restaurant with a modern take on traditional Mexican from food husband and wife team Edson and Natalie Diaz-Fuentes. Here you'll find a menu which mixes what you know about Mexican cooking with more unfamiliar dishes.

153-157 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 3LW

Coming from Robin Gill, this is The Dairy Mk II in everything but name. The same team, the same seasonal menus, great wine and cocktail list - just in a different location.

Belvedere Road, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX

Spiritland's new Festival Hall digs gives as much importance to what's playing and how it sounds as what's being served up. Oh, and it's open very late too.

Borough Market, 11 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD

The Borough Market Wright Brothers is where the seafood restaurant company first started and it's still a big draw in the area. They serve up some of the best seafood in town all around an open kitchen. If you love oysters, a visit here is a must.

One Tower Bridge, 4 Crown Square, London SE1 2SE

The team behind Gunpowder bring their latest Indian restaurant to Tower Bridge. And there will be a bakery/wine bar too.