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...
Courtesy Pierre MonettaRead MoreAlain Ducasse at The Dorchester
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester is one of the city’s gourmet treasures. The food, service and surroundings are sublime, and there is a welcome serenity and understated quality to the experience that seems in tune with the times. (Yes, it...
Read MoreAmaya
One of the rare Indian restaurants to win a Michelin star, Amaya has been one of the city’s hot spots for spicy food in sexy surroundings since it opened in 2004. With its entrance off of a courtyard arcade off...
Photo by Jérôme Galland, courtesy Big Mamma GroupRead MoreAve Mario
Part of the Big Mamma restaurant group (Jacuzzi, Gloria, Circolo Popolare), this Covent Garden hot spot is a cross between a Tuscan osteria and an Italian Riviera night club, making it quite the place for a big night out on...
Read MoreBarrafina
This Spanish brainchild of restaurateurs Sam and Eddie Hart is perfect for a glass of sherry or cava before or after a show. Grab a seat at the marble-topped bar to watch the chefs prepare their superlative tapas: golden ham...
Read MoreBenares
There is heated debate about whether Amaya or Benares serves the best Indian food in London, but neither place will disappoint in their sophisticated takes on traditional dishes from the subcontinent. Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar appears regularly on British food...
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 MoreBrat
The hidden, second-floor Shoreditch restaurant comes from Chef Tomos Parry of Kitty Fisher’s and serves a Basque-inspired menu of wood-fired small plates, fish and meat entrées, but the eatery is known for its seafood (the speciality is a delicious grilled...
Read MoreCafe Murano
Angela Hartnett opened the little sister to her Michelin-starred Murano in 2013, in with the aim of it being the sort of relaxed restaurant you can drop into every day and feel at home. Here you’ll find her signature gutsy...
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 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...
Photo by Michael Donald, courtesy Darjeeling ExpressRead MoreDarjeeling Express
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Darjeeling Express has returned to Kingly Court, in Soho, and guarantees the same authentic homestyle Bengali and Mughal cooking that pays homage to chef Asma Khan’s royal Mughlai ancestry in Calcutta: Platters of slow-cooked beef tamatar...
Read MoreDonostia
The Basque region has long been associated with excellent cuisine, and this Marble Arch–area spot makes no exception to the rule.
Read MoreDuck and Waffle
Housed at the top of the Heron Tower, a commercial skyscraper in the financial district, Britain’s highest restaurant is a favorite amongst the city’s foodies—as much for the 360-degree views as for the inventive cuisine. The pan-European menu emphasizes local,...
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...
Courtesy Alessandra SpairaniRead MoreFranco Manca
The Hackney outpost of London’s beloved pizza joint, Franco Manca, is their sixth and most inviting restaurant, and the dominant eatery on a trendy street lined with drinking and dining options. Every evening, you’ll find a queue of local creatives...
Read MoreFrenchie
Notorious as one of the hardest reservations to get in Paris, Frenchie expanded across the English Channel in 2009 and was an immediate success due to its quintessential Parisian cuisine with each dish exquisitely crafted using the finest ingredients. The restaurant’s second location in Covent Garden echoes its...
Read MoreHakkasan
This Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant located in a glamorous, moody Christian Liaigre–designed basement is especially yummy at lunch, where the emphasis is on dim sum. The prawn and Peking dumplings, duck spring rolls and scallops are delectable. And the desserts are...
Read MoreHakkasan Mayfair
Lovers of dim sum and Cantonese cuisine must pay a visit to this restaurant on Bruton Street. As the second location in London to open after the original on Hanway Place, the food is just as memorable. Elegant and innovative, yet...
Photo by Patricia Niven, courtesy Honey & Co.Read MoreHoney & Co.
After a decade on Warren Street, the homey new light- (and plant-filled) Bloomsbury flagship of Honey & Co. has relocated to Lamb’s Conduit Street. We could eat every meal of the day here—starting with delicious Shakshuka eggs or cheesy bureka...
Courtesy David LoftusRead MoreHoppers
The Sethi family’s Indian restaurant in Mayfair, Gymkhana, boasts a Michelin star and is one of London's hottest eateries. This, their more low-key, 36-seater Sri Lankan restaurant on Soho’s Frith Street, is no slouch, either. Hoppers’ namesake dish —a Sri Lankan street...
Photo by Nacho Rivera, courtesy Big Mamma GroupRead MoreJacuzzi
This White Lotus-worthy trattoria on Kensington High Street is part of the Big Mamma Restaurant Group (Ave Mario, Gloria, Circolo Popolare) and guarantees a circus maximus, if that’s what you’re after. Part of a new wave of Italian- and Med-inspired...
Courtesy JamavarRead MoreJamavar
It’s no secret that, outside of India itself, London has some of the best Indian food in the world—and Jamavar is no exception. Located in the heart of Mayfair this contemporary take on Indian food is served in a space...
Courtesy Alex Maguire PhotographyRead MoreKitty Fishers
Shepherd Market in Mayfair is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it maze of charming cobblestoned alleyways, just minutes from the buzz of Bond Street. Here lies Kitty Fisher’s, a youthful addition to the Mayfair dining scene, which can be a touch formal. Chef-of-the-moment Tomos...
Courtesy Paul ClarkeRead MoreKurobuta Fitzrovia
Helmed by ex-Nobu chef Scott Hallsworth, Kurobuto serves tapas-style Japanese fusion dishes. Forgoing a fussy scene like that at many white-tablecloth establishments, Hallsworth opted for funky music, dim lighting with neon hues and casual dining tables, some of which are...
Read MoreLima
London is having a Peruvian moment. First came the low-key, late-night Ceviche (17 Frith St.; 44-20-7292-2040), now the more grown-up gastronomic Lima, and Coya. Lima was started by a renowned team including Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez (who has had stints...
Read MoreLittle Social
Chef Jason Atherton’s second restaurant in London is this cozier spot, located across the street from Pollen Street Social. All three of Atherton’s bistros are informal yet stylish, hip and feature sublime food. The menu features such options as braised...
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...
Courtesy Xavier Girard LachaineRead MoreLyle’s
British chef James Lowe, previously one half of the wildly innovative Young Turks pop-up dining collective alongside Isaac McHale (now at The Clove Club, another hot-ticket eatery in Shoreditch) and before that, head chef at Fergus Henderson’s St John helms this...
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...
Read MoreMorito
Husband-and-wife team Sam and Sam Clark ignited London’s love affair with Spanish cuisine at Moro in Exmouth Market. In spring 2016, the duo opened its little sister restaurant, Morito, on a buzzy stretch of Hackney Road. This new outpost puts...
Read MoreNOPI
Beloved Ottolenghi’s deli first foray into the restaurant world puts an accent on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. The chic eatery serves a variety of healthy dishes with loads of flavor; it’s a not-to-be-missed spot on London’s restaurant scene.
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 MorePollen Street Social
This spot was the first of British chef Jason Atherton’s beloved trio of London restaurants. All three bistros are informal yet stylish, hip and feature sublime food, and Pollen Street Social was awarded a Michelin star.
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 MoreRuby Violet
This charming north London ice cream parlour has taken frozen delights to a new level. For the children there are cones and sundaes with hot chocolate or salted caramel sauce; adults are offered very grown-up treats: chocolate ginger, chocolate chilli,...
Courtesy David GriffenRead MoreSexy Fish
From Richard Caring of Caprice Holdings, Sexy Fish was one of the most talked-about—and polarizing—restaurants to open in London in years. There is nothing fashionably pared-back or understated about this lavishly decorated and ludicrously named bunker (formerly a bank branch)....
Courtesy SoccaRead MoreSocca
Lyon-born (Michelin two-star) chef Claude Bosi and entrepreneur Samyukta Nair have teamed up at Socca and choreographed a sophisticated menu with French Riveria favorites and a Med-style soundtrack to match. Which means you’ll find crowd pleasers like salade Nicoise, lobster...
Read MoreSocial Eating House
The third iteration of Jason Atherton’s trio of London restaurants, this uber-hip spot is set in Soho. The restaurant is stylish, hip and features sublime food. The Blind Pig, the bar upstairs serves cocktails like ‘Cereal Killer’ and ‘Buck Stops...
Read MoreSom Saa
From its humble pop-up origins in a railway arch, Som Saa established a permanent base in 2016 in an airy, inviting converted warehouse in Spitalfields Market. Som Saa’s chefs aren’t native Thais (Mark Dobbie is Australian and Andy Oliver, a...
Read MoreSt. John Bread & Wine
The sister restaurant of acclaimed St. John in Clerkenwell, this all-day restaurant opened across the street from the Spitalfields Market in 2003. The dining room has whitewashed walls and specials written up on a chalk board, and the open kitchen...
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...
