London Restaurants - Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden
1 Upper James Street, Soho, London W1F 9DF
Bob Bob Ricard remains one of our personal favourite spots in town. We don't know whether it's the fantastically blingy design, the rich food with just a hint of Eastern European in there, the "press for champagne" button or... who are we kidding, it's definitely the Press For Champagne button.
26-29 Dean Street, London, W1D 3LL
Quo Vadis has Jeremy Lee in the kitchen and he's been cooking up a wonderfully British menu. The restaurant has recently had a revamp, bringing it back to former glory and it now fits in twice as many diners as before. The food serves some of the best British/European dining in town, and the pies and smoked eel sandwich are a must.
15 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DL
People may complain about the sharp table-turning at this subterranean Chinese restaurant - Alan Yau's follow-up to Hakkkasan, but you'll never hear a bad word about the dim sum. If it's something sweet you're after, head for the street-level patisserie and tea shop.
15 Maiden Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7NG
Condesa is a small tapas restaurant in Covent Garden with dishes inspired by both Spain and Latin America. Here you'll find a combination of Spanish tapas like jamon Iberico next to beef cheek tacos and ceviche along with plenty of cava and sherry, of course.
17-18 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QH
Flat Iron are known for bringing affordable steak dinners to the masses, but without losing the quality. You can get a really good steak and chips here without breaking the bank, all thanks to mainly serving up the affordable flat iron cut. Be prepared for a wait for a table at peak times, it's very popular.
1A Earlham St, London WC2H 9LL
Originally set up in Haggerston, this fried chicken restaurant is a collaboration between Carl Clarke and David Wolanski. As well as serving excellent fried chicken - tenders, wings and burgers, they also do a mean line in sour cocktails. Not to mention the amazing Szechuan Aubergine, one of our favourite London dishes.
19-21 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DD
Mon Plaisir is billed as London's "oldest French restaurant" - with its current owners keeping it in the family since the 1940s. As you might imagine from such a traditional establishment this does the classic dishes very well.
4-6 Russell Street, London WC2B 5HZ
Keith McNally has been big on the New York restaurant scene for years where Balthazar is a go-to place for both tourists and locals in the Village. This is the London version, just off the Covent Garden piazza, serving brasserie style food in an impressive dining room. It's worth popping into the bakery here if you're just passing.
39 William IV Street, London, WC2N 4DD
Bancone's main event is its freshly cooked pasta and as it's also a great place for counter dining (bancone translated means "counter"). The "silk hankerchiefs" being a huge draw but expect the menu to change with the seasons.
4 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9FA
This is from the same people as the original Le Bab - but it's a restaurant of two halves. Upstairs you'll find their next-level kebabs which are inspired by and are paying homage to great kebab houses. And downstairs is the hidden counter dining restaurant Kebab queen. This is a different beast altogether, offering a kebab tasting menu like no other.
45 Great Queen St, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5AA
This high-end Italian restaurant in Covent Garden has a strong focus on service and it's one of the smartest Italian restaurants in the area.
43 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5AJ
The ever-popular Barrafina's Drury Lane outpost has a lovely wraparound terrace, making it one of the best in the group for alfresco dining. As with the other branches, it's one of London's best restaurants for tapas, with the tortilla being unmissable.
5 Mercer Walk Mercers Yard, London WC2H 9FA
The Temper restaurant in Covent Garden is where cooking over fire is a big thing and you can get some of the best tacos, steak and meats in town.
36 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PB
This is the Covent Garden outpost of Angela Hertnett's Cafe Murano restaurant group. Expect an Italian menu with a focus on fresh pasta. And if you just fancy a drink, there's a cafe/wine bar/shop next door where you can also buy fresh pasta to take home.
14 Garrick Street (Floral Street entrance), Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9BJ
This is the second restaurant from Virgilio Martinez whose original in Fitzrovia was a big hit. This Covent Garden restaurant is perhaps a little more mid-range than the original, delivering a Peruvian menu that's designed for sharing (alongside Peruvian snacks in their bar).
30-32 Foubert's Place, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS
Zahter comes from chef Esra Muslu, previously at Ottolenghi, and is pitched as a 'love letter' to Turkey with a contemporary take on Turkish cuisine. They also have a space upstairs called The Loft for private events.
5 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8PT
The hugely popular Taiwanese dumpling restaurant arrived in London to serve up their famous steamed soup dumplings and lots more. The queues around the blocks may have gone, but the consistency is still there.
15 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8QG
Ave Mario is from the people behind Gloria and Circolo Poplare, and once again it's another hit for them. Expect no holds barred on the design and BIG food, like the enormous ice cream cake that they wheel about the room. Specialities here include a caviar section, massive cocktails and a veal milanese that's twice as big as your head.
8-10 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP
This wine bar comes from the same people behind the hugely popular Experimental Cocktail Club and this bar's sister site in Paris. Expect the wines to steer clear of the mainstream and the food to be a mix of seasonal British and French cuisine.
16 Endell Street, London WC2H 9BD
Just near Covent Garden, this bistro offers a "small but ever changing wine list" and a menu that changes every day to match the list.
23 Catherine Street, London WC2
From the same stable as Salt Yard and Dehesa, this serves tapas-style dishes in a refurbished pub setting. Their teeny Iberico pork and foie gras burgers are worthy of the trip here alone.
11 Langley St, London WC2H 9JG
Located in the old Watney-Combe brewery, complete with original vaulted brick ceiling, this Hawskmoor restaurant looks as though it's been down this narrow Covent Garden street forever. As with all their restaurants, it's the place to go for an excellent steak and there's a pretty big bar here too if you fancy popping in for one of their renowned cocktails.
35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LB
One of London's oldest restaurants, there has been a Rules serving food in and around this part of Covent Garden since 1798. Here is where you come if you're after history and classic British dishes, served well. The upstairs cocktail bar is legendary.
28-34 St. Martin's Court, London WC2N 4AL
Often seen as both the theatregoers and the actors' port of call post-theatre, Sheekeys is a London institution. Best known for its seafood, including an incredible fish pie. A must-visit for every Londoner.
The Ivy, 1-5 West Street, London WC2H 9NQ
One of London's great, classic restaurants, the Ivy had a major revamp not too long ago. The changes brought in a new central bar area with plenty of counter dining spaces. The menu has a mix of classic Ivy dishes like the Shepherd's Pie and more contemporary fare.
9 Russell Street, London WC2B 5HZ
The people behind New York's infamous Pac Man dumplings have made it to London. The menu here is a modern take on Chinese dim sum with a few NYC influences too.
19-23 Charlotte St, London W1T 1RL
This Fitzrovia loction is the second iteration of Carousel, which moved from its original Marylebone home. It continues to host regularly changing residencies, often previewing restaurants that are due to open in London. In addition, they also have a permanent wine bar up front with their own, seasonally changing menu.
3 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2HY
Having worked for the likes of Tsukiji, Nobu and Zuma, this is Chef Padam Raj Rai's second Hot Stone. It's a steak and sushi bar - so there's all manner of top drawer sushi, lots of it with innovative sauces and toppings, and then a section of steak and seafood to be cooked on the titular hot stones.
21A Foley St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6DS
The original Cin Cin in Brighton started life as a van before becoming a big hit as a restaurant (also winning a Michelin Bib Gourmand). This is their second restaurant and the first time they've opened in London. Expect classic, seasonal Italian fare alongside "good old-fashioned Italian hospitality."
19 Kingly Street, Soho, London, W1B 5PY
Crispin is a huge hit in Spitalfields, and this is their Soho wine bar spin-off. Primarily all about the wine, the list takes the same approach to its selection as the original Crispin - so that's old-world primarily and small producers. Alongside that, there's an all-day snack menu and they also have monthly wine events, including tastings, food pairings and more.
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