Destination
Type of Restaurant
Type of Meal
Editors Pick
Courtesy David LoftusRead More45 Jermyn Street
Fortnum & Mason’s triumphant flagship restaurant, 45 Jermyn St., ushers visitors into its glamorous, old-school interiors, with terracotta-red leather banquettes, rosewood tables and parquet flooring. The menu, meanwhile, is pure contemporary European, populated with the likes of game consommé and...
Read MoreAmerican Bar
The American Bar at the centrally located Savoy is a great spot for a cocktail.
Read MoreAndrew Edmunds
Andrew Edmunds is a long way from the sleek and style conscious restaurants that populate central London but perfect if you want to sidestep the beaten path for a cozy evening of honest, good food. Beloved by couples and theater...
Read MoreBalthazar London
It is no surprise that the London outpost of New York institution Balthazar has been packed to the rafters since it opened in the heart of Theatreland, Covent Garden Piazza, in 2013. It boasts the same formula used by Keith...
Read MoreBellamy’s
Much of the former staff of mainstay club Annabel’s runs Bellamy’s, which opened in 2004. Purported to be one of the few London restaurant where the Queen has in fact dined, it features French cuisine and a chic, brasserie-style décor.
Read MoreBentley’s
This hot spot places such an emphasis on their raw bar; the owners boast that they shuck more than 1,000 oysters each day.
Read MoreBerners Tavern
Berners Tavern became an instant hot spot when it opened in Ian Schrager's London Edition hotel. The dining room manages to mix historical bones (a fabulous plasterwork ceiling) and traditions (a veritable gallery of paintings—211 to be exact) with modern...
Read MoreBlacklock City
The original Blacklock in Soho was an instant hit with its mix of excellent chops and creative cocktails for £5—the only snag was the 90-minute queue around the corner. They’ve since opened in blessedly larger premises in the City, bringing...
Read MoreCafé at Café Royal Hotel
Evelyn Stern, the Argentine-born wife of architect Sir David Chipperfield, says the inspiration behind this lovely café inside the Café Royal Hotel was the chic pasticceria of Italy, where she lived for several years. The elegant room is lined with...
Courtesy Tim ClinchRead MoreChiltern Firehouse
Even before André Balazs (of Chateau Marmont and Mercer fame) officially opened his first London hotel in Marylebone, its restaurant had become the must-have reservation in the city. Set in a flamboyant Victorian firehouse, the brasserie-style restaurant serves delicious American...
Courtesy Steven JoyceRead MoreClaude Bosi at Bibendum
When Sir Terence Conran and Paul Hamlyn first opened Bibendum in 1987, with chef Simon Hopkinson in the kitchen, it redefined modern British luxury and revolutionized London’s dining scene. Then, after a comprehensive shake-up behind closed doors, this South Kensington...
Read MoreColbert
Restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the duo behind the Wolseley, Delaunay and Brasserie Zedel took over the space of Oriel, a tired café that still drew a following for its central location. The casual, brasserie–style Colbert is in the...
Read MoreCompagnie des Vins Surnaturels
A wine bar first and foremost, this divine spot set in a charming yard in Covent Garden has also made various ‘best new restaurant’ lists. Its small but perfectly formed menu is devoted to charcuterie and cheese and spiced up...
Courtesy Rhubarb HospitalityRead MoreFenchurch
When it opened in early 2015, Fenchurch quickly earned a reputation for inventive seafood served in sumptuous surroundings atop the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building, London’s newest landmark skyscraper at the time. The airport-grade security as you enter on the ground floor...
Read MoreFlat Iron, Covent Garden
The brainchild of Charlie Carroll (formerly of hit Mexican franchise Wahaca) aims to serve excellent steak at affordable prices. This was achieved by pouncing on a hitherto underrated cut: flat iron, a well-marbled, juicy slice of goodness priced at a...
Read MoreJ. Sheekey
J. Sheekey in Covent Garden has been a British institution since 1896 when it first started catering to the after-theater crowd. It regained glamour when it was taken over by the owners of the Ivy more than a decade ago....
Courtesy Cristian BarnettRead MoreKerridge’s Bar & Grill
Housed inside the palatial Corinthia Hotel, this handsome restaurant from the Michelin-starred English chef Tom Kerridge offers à la carte dining at lunch and dinner, as well as a set lunch menu and pre- and post-theater menus of two or three...
Read MoreLa Petite Maison Mayfair
Nice’s fashionable hot spot, whose regulars include Elton John, Bono and Rod Stewart, spread its Gallic wings into London’s Mayfair in June 2007 and became one of the area’s perennially chic eateries. Tucked away in a backstreet mews near Bond...
Read MoreLaunceston Place
Princess Di’s old Kensington hangout was given a new lease on life by the owners of D&D London. The food is delicious and original: Spring salad with chick pea puree, pickled carrots, parsley and chervil tubers with a honey reduction;...
Read MoreLe Colombier
Le Colombier brings a dash of French charm and elegance to London's Chelsea neighborhood. The brasserie serves classic dishes and comfort foods that emphasize fresh ingredients, simple preparation and high-quality service. Menu highlights include escargot in garlic cream sauce, steak...
Read MoreLuca
The second offering from the Clove Club boys (chef Isaac McHale with Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis front of house) is a glamorous, grown-up delight, combining an Italian menu with the best of British produce in an intoxicatingly beautiful Clerkenwell...
Read MoreMarcus
Chef Marcus Wareing’s calling card is comforting, clever British creations that appear deceptively familiar on the menu yet prove a revelation on the plate. At his eponymous restaurant in The Berkeley, marine blue and green interiors exude an air of...
Courtesy Cristian BarnettRead MoreMere
Hot young New Zealand chef Monica Galetti worked under big names from Gordon Ramsay to Angela Hartnett before landing as senior sous chef at Le Gavroche and stealing the show as Michel Roux Jr’s sidekick on UK MasterChef. She opened...
Courtesy of Helene SandbergRead MorePetersham Nurseries
For residents of West London, a trip to Richmond to dine at Petersham Nurseries is what summer weekends are made for. A historic, impossibly picturesque garden center with a Michelin-starred restaurant, it’s well worth the trip west for some bucolic...
Read MoreQuo Vadis
Sam and Eddie Hart, the owners of popular Fino and Barrafina, have revamped this iconic Soho eatery into a private members’ club and restaurant. In its past life, Quo Vadis was both a brothel and a home to Karl Marx. In...
Read MoreRiver Café
The tranquil setting of this restaurant, on the banks of the Thames, is outdone only by the quality of its contemporary Italian dishes, where “fresh and seasonal” is the kitchen mantra. Opened in 1987, by Ruthie Rogers and Rosie Gray,...
Read MoreRules
The oldest restaurant in London (founded in 1798), Rules is a reliable stop for dinner or drinks pre- or post-theater.
Read MoreScott’s
Plenty of hedge fund bonuses have been spent at this Mayfair restaurant, which became the “it” spot under owner Richard Caring, a fashion magnate who also owns the Ivy and J. Sheekey. Sit at the oval-shaped oyster bar, the see-and-be-seen...
Courtesy Sessions Art ClubRead MoreSessions Art Club
Located in the former judge's quarters of the landmark 1782 Middlesex Sessions House court building, Sessions Art Club is one of London’s most refined hot spots. While the unique, minimalist menu curated by Chef Florence Knight satisfies every craving (favorites...
Read MoreTamarind
This Michelin-starred classic has served some of the best Indian cuisine in London since opening in the early 2000s. Although its décor is subtle and understated, the restaurant’s dishes are anything but. Trust your server if you aren’t sure of...
Read MoreTayyabs
Don’t expect anything fancy and be prepared for a wait without (or even with) a reservation. This Punjabi grill is popular and for good reason: it serves incredibly flavorful Indian food—juicy, spicy, messy—in a loud, busy setting. Service is fast,...
Read MoreTemper
For a good old-fashioned British meat feast, look no further than Smokestak chef Neil Rankin’s fabulous restaurant in Soho. Put yourself center stage in this underground smoky den by sitting at the counter around the open kitchen, where tacos are...
Courtesy Paul Winch FurnessRead MoreThe Culpeper
Occupying a corner facing Petticoat Lane in Spitalfields, the ground floor of the Culpeper is a traditional British bar, but the first-floor restaurant is an elegant, parquet-floored dining room with teal-hued banquet seating and industrial-chic lighting. Chef Sandy Jarvis was...
Read MoreThe Delaunay
From Corbin and King, the duo behind the well-loved Wolseley, The Delaunay opened to rave reviews. Styled in the Grand European tradition, the all-day, chic eatery takes central Europe as its inspiration with sections of the menu entitled ‘Wieners’ and...
Courtesy Paul Winch-FurnessRead MoreThe Ivy Café
A true neighborhood restaurant, The Ivy Café offers relaxed all-day dining in the heart of Marylebone. This casual spot encourages walk-ins—it holds back many tables for drop-in diners—and exudes a warm and welcoming vibe, thanks in part to its antique...
© Chris TubbsRead MoreThe Ivy London
Many beloved institutions tire or become trite but the Ivy has been the place to see and be seen in London for decades. Opened in 1917, the Covent Garden restaurant has been a hit with actors from its inception. (A...
Read MoreWolseley
Housed in a former bank building, the Wolseley was transformed by starchitect David Collins into the quintessential European grand café in 2003 and has been the place for high-powered breakfasts and see-and-be seen lunches ever since. The imposing room with...
