44 of London’s best restaurants, area by area, from Tayyabs’ 1972 curry house to Ikoyi’s two Michelin stars and Core by Clare Smyth’s three, plus the city’s best steak, pasta, dumplings and Sunday roast along the way.
London is brimming with restaurants, some fabulous, others not so much. We’ve been steadily eating our way around London as long as we can remember, there have been highs, there have definitely been lows, but these are the spots we’re recommending right now.
This guide to the best restaurants in London features a mix of old favourites and brand new additions, each deserving of a special place in your little black book of great eats.
Best restaurants in London
Restaurants in Central London
Bob Bob Ricard
First things first, there’s a button at Bob Bob Ricard that says ‘press for champagne’, and does exactly as suggested.
It’s a great way to start, but it’s the food that really brings things home. A menu of British/Russian fusion may sound interesting, and it is. It’s also absolutely delicious.
The interior decor is suitably lavish with just a hint of kitsch. One of the restaurants to go to in London.
Address: 1 Upper James St, Soho, London W1F 9DF
Hutong at The Shard
We love Hutong at The Shard because it delivers both food and some of the best restaurant views in London.
Halfway up the Shard and inspired by the food of Northern China, this place is sure to impress. The presentation is on point and there are dishes for those who like things spicy, and options for all palates too.
Address: 33/The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
Hawksmoor Seven Dials
There’s a time and place for a dainty salad, but sometimes you just want to bite into a delicious, hearty steak.
For those times, Hawksmoor Seven Dials is one of those restaurants worth planning a meal around. The menu is a carnivore’s delight, with steaks cooked to perfection.
Hot tip: if you’re going for dinner, have a light lunch beforehand. The portions are seriously generous.
Address: 11 Langley St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JG
Barrafina
Probably the hottest tapas bar in London, you really can’t miss a meal at Barrafina if you’re looking for London’s best restaurants. Pretty much everything they serve up is worth ordering, but you won’t squeeze it all in with just one sitting.
Not surprisingly, people return to this place, or their other London locations, time and time again, and their Covent Garden branch holds a Michelin star.
Address: 43 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5AJ
Padella
Fancy food is great, but pasta is a seriously enduring classic. No matter how many top restaurants in London we try, we still can’t go past a perfectly prepared pasta dish.
Padella, tucked just outside Borough Market, does pasta just how we like it, nothing too fancy, just absolutely delicious, with generous parmesan on top.
Address: Borough Market, 6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ
Sessions Arts Club
Farringdon
The restaurant that’s been taking London by storm over the past few years is Sessions Arts Club.
Known for its warm, classy interior with peeling plaster walls and a menu focused on quality ingredients with simple delivery, getting a table here has been a constant thorn in the side of Londoners since it opened. One bite of the famous crab croquette and you’ll know why.
Address: Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Grn, London EC1R 0NA
Bao Soho
Soho
It took a little while, but Taiwanese street food arrived in Soho with a bang, in the form of Bao Soho.
This popular restaurant does a mean bao, or steamed bun, but the menu goes well beyond that. Dining here is laid back, the perfect place to pop in with friends.
Address: 53 Lexington St, Soho, London W1F 9AS
Blacklock Soho
Soho
For an experience that’s lavish in all the right ways, check out Blacklock Soho, one of the city’s top-rated steak restaurants.
The location is one of its main draws, set within what used to be a Soho brothel. Today, things are a little better behaved, and it’s a great spot to drop into before or after catching a show.
Address: 24 Great Windmill St, Soho, London W1D 7LG
Holborn Dining Room
Holborn
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that British cuisine is no good, if they try, send them to Holborn Dining Room for an education.
This popular brasserie serves up excellent British fare (the pies are genuinely worth it) in an elegant atmosphere. A favourite amongst both locals and visitors.
Address: 252 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Bocca di Lupo
Soho
This Soho institution is a favourite with plenty of celebrities too, and it’s easy to see why.
The Italian dishes at Bocca di Lupo are traditional, relying on fresh produce and real skill to make them tick. Don’t miss it.
Address: 12 Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7BB
Nopi
Soho
What started as a humble deli by Jerusalem-born chef Yotam Ottolenghi has turned into one of London’s most loved restaurants.
Nopi opened almost ten years after the deli, offering the same generous serving platters, balanced spices and fresh ingredients that made Ottolenghi’s name. The decor is beautiful, the service is great and the food is exceptional.
Address: 21-22 Warwick St, Soho, London W1B 5NE
Hoppers
Soho
Never had a hopper? You’re in for a treat. They’re delicious Sri Lankan pancakes, topped off with a fried egg, and no one does them better than Hoppers.
Fresh produce paired with just the right amount of spice, this one’s a genuine standout.
Address: 49 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 4SG
The Wolseley
Piccadilly
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and breakfasts don’t come much better than at The Wolseley.
They serve them late, so even after a few cocktails the night before, you can still make the famous brunch. It’s best to book.
Address: 160 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9EB
Kerridge’s Bar and Grill
Westminster
Proving that luxury dining doesn’t need a frosty atmosphere, Kerridge’s Bar and Grill has a warm, inviting feel, inside the Corinthia Hotel.
The menu is proudly British, using in-season ingredients and innovative approaches to classics.
Address: 10 Northumberland Ave, Westminster, London WC2N 5AE
Gymkhana
London loves a good Indian curry, but if you want the high-end version done properly, head for Gymkhana.
Traditional Indian cuisine with a high-end, inventive twist, and it holds a Michelin star to prove it.
Address: 42 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London W1S 4JH
Fallow
We’ve given you a full rundown of Fallow here, but the short version: we genuinely love this restaurant.
Sustainably sourced ingredients, a cool room, dish names kept deliberately simple, and everything on the plate is excellent.
Address: 10 Heddon St, London W1B 4BX
Temper
Covent Garden
Neil Rankin’s cocktail-fuelled smokehouse tucked into Kingly Court does proper live-fire steak alongside a menu that leans hard into smoke and spice. It’s a genuinely good pick for a livelier group dinner rather than a quiet date.
Address: 25 Broadwick St, Kingly Court, London W1F 9QA
Bombay Bustle
Mayfair
Regional Indian classics and inventive cocktails on Maddox Street, from the JKS group. A proper step up from the usual curry house, worth booking ahead for.
Address: 29 Maddox St, Mayfair, London W1S 2PA
Fatt Pundit
Covent Garden
Indo-Chinese food doesn’t get much attention in London, and Fatt Pundit is the reason it should. Momo-style dumplings, Hakka noodles and properly spiced curries in a lively Covent Garden room.
Address: 88-90 St Martin’s Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4AZ
Ikoyi
Strand
One of the most significant restaurants in London right now and a genuine omission from any serious list: Ikoyi holds two Michelin stars for its West African-inspired tasting menu, built around bold spicing and British produce. Not cheap, but a properly singular experience.
Address: 180 Strand, London WC2R 1EA
Kiln
Soho
Fire-cooked Thai food with an open kitchen and a queue most nights, Kiln has been one of Soho’s most consistently excellent restaurants for years and belongs on this list.
Address: 58 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9TL
Best restaurants in East London
St John
Farringdon and Smithfield
For over twenty years, St John’s has been on a mission to revolutionise British food, and it’s still delivering it.
Amazing takes on old classics, dishes you recognise with exceptional twists that you don’t, and a genuinely good wine list to match.
Address: 26 John Street, London EC1M 4AY
Gloria
Hackney
Any restaurant described as “vivacious” is one worth checking out, and Gloria doesn’t disappoint. Amongst a sea of good restaurants in London, Gloria stands out for its fun approach to Italian food, right down to the portion sizes.
Address: 54-56 Great Eastern St, Hackney, London EC2A 3QR
Manteca
Shoreditch
King of the London pasta world, Manteca offers a nose-to-tail menu of small plates and pasta, in the same category as Padella and Bancone in doing pasta close to cost rather than overcharging.
The open kitchen and pared-back interior make this one of the more stylish places to eat in London right now.
Address: 49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT
Brat
Shoreditch
Tomos Parry’s live-fire restaurant on Redchurch Street, built around Basque cooking and a whole turbot cooked over coals that’s become genuinely famous. Holds a Michelin star and deserves the reputation.
Address: 4 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, London E2 7DP
Duck & Waffle
Delicious European cuisine, 40 storeys into the air, at any time of day or night, courtesy of Duck & Waffle.
A fun approach to British cuisine with elements borrowed from our European neighbours. It’s open 24/7, so whenever the craving hits, it’s open.
Address: Level 40 of the Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
SushiSamba
City of London (also Covent Garden)
At first glance, Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian may seem an odd choice for fusion cuisine, but SushiSamba makes the case from the first mouthful.
Innovative and exciting, with genuinely staggering views from the 38th floor of the Heron Tower.
Address: 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
Tayyabs
Whitechapel
Proving you don’t need a flashy interior to succeed in London, there’s Tayyabs.
The decor may be humble, but the Punjabi-inspired dishes are astronomically good, and have been since the doors opened back in 1972.
Address: 83-89 Fieldgate St, Whitechapel, London E1 1JU
Gunpowder
Spitalfields
For some of the best Indian food in London, try Gunpowder, not far from Brick Lane.
Head chef Nirmal Save uses authentic recipes with a dash of creativity to build a genuinely excellent menu, in a welcoming room.
Address: 11 White’s Row, Spitalfields, London E1 7NF
The Smoking Goat
Shoreditch
Some restaurants are all about subtlety. Then there’s The Smoking Goat, an unashamedly in-your-face Thai barbecue and bar.
The combination of bold flavours, laid-back atmosphere and friendly service makes this one of our regular recommendations. The deep-fried prawns, eaten shell and all, are a highlight.
Address: 64 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6JJ
Songbird
We reviewed Songbird properly and gave it four stars: a British menu built around crumpets and caviar, an eight-ounce Wagyu burger, and a room that used to be theatre-only. Only the cheesecake let the side down.
Address: 2 Cartier Circle, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HF
Best restaurants in West London
Dinner by Heston
Knightsbridge
Heston Blumenthal is one of the country’s most famous chefs, so his restaurant earning a place here is no surprise.
Known for his innovative approach, he’s inspired by the past at Dinner, weaving Victorian-era cooking together with genuinely creative new ideas.
Worth knowing before you book: this one is closing in January 2027 after 16 years, so this is very much a “go now” entry rather than one to save for later.
Address: Within the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
River Cafe
Hammersmith
Fabulous food in a genuinely gorgeous location. River Cafe, an Italian restaurant open since 1987, owes plenty of its ongoing success to its riverside setting.
It’s also a launchpad, having hired celebrity chefs in the making, including Jamie Oliver and Ben O’Donoghue.
Address: Thames Wharf, Rainville Rd, Hammersmith, London W6 9HA
Core by Clare Smyth
Notting Hill
Three Michelin stars and widely considered one of the best restaurants in the country, Clare Smyth’s Notting Hill flagship is a genuine omission from any credible best-of list. Expect to book well in advance.
Address: 92 Kensington Park Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2PN
Best restaurants in North London
The Quality Chop House
Farringdon
The Quality Chop House has been serving since 2012, but the building’s been a restaurant since 1869.
It started as a seriously gritty place for local workmen. The current iteration has kept some of that character while turning the food (steaks and more) way up.
Address: 88-94 Farringdon Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 3EA
Dishoom
Various locations, Kensington, Shoreditch, King’s Cross, Carnaby and Covent Garden
A chain restaurant wouldn’t normally seem like the place for an amazing meal, but Dishoom is no ordinary chain. Wherever you are, there’s usually one not too far away.
Inspired by Iranian cafes once found in Bombay, Dishoom offers excellent food in a warm setting, and is consistently ranked among the best restaurants in London.
Address: Various
Hot Stone
Angel
Courtesy of Chef Padam Raj Rai, Hot Stone is a Japanese restaurant serving tender beef cooked on hot stone, sushi and high quality seafood.
For an authentic touch, guests can opt for ishiyaki and cook their own meat. The sake list will leave even seasoned drinkers a little red in the cheeks.
Address: 9 Chapel Market, The Angel, London N1 9EZ
Best restaurants in South London
40 Maltby Street
Bermondsey
Tucked under the railway arches along Maltby Street, 40 Maltby Street serves fresh, ingredient-led cooking that we love. As much food as possible comes from the nearby produce market on the day.
They don’t take bookings, so you might struggle for a table, but there’s plenty to eat at Maltby Street Food Market while you wait. Housed in the warehouse of a wine merchant, the drinks list won’t disappoint either.
Address: 40 Maltby St, London SE1 3PG
Flour & Grape
Bermondsey
Never trust a restaurant with too many things on the menu, and Flour & Grape keeps things simple.
The emphasis here is on delicious Italian pasta, paired with delicious Italian wine. A winning combination.
Address: 214 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3TQ
Nandine
Camberwell
The best food doesn’t just have great flavours and ingredients, but real heart, and that’s certainly the case at Nandine, opened by a family displaced by war in the 1990s.
Excellent food, including scrumptious baklava and to-die-for mezze platters. Now has a second site on Camberwell Church Street as well as the original on Vestry Road.
Address: 82 Vestry Rd, Camberwell, London SE5 8PQ
Levan
A newer addition to the London restaurant scene when it opened, Levan restaurant in Peckham has wasted no time building itself a real reputation.
Organic wine paired with cuisine inspired by the great cities of the world, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and London itself.
Address: 12-16 Blenheim Grove, Peckham, London SE15 4QL
Jose
Head chef Jose Pizarro has created an excellent Spanish-style tapas bar that’s worthy of carrying his name.
Jump into this little Bermondsey spot and you might just think you’ve ended up down the alleyways of Madrid. The best thing about the tapas is sharing a bunch of small plates, so you can taste plenty of flavours.
Address: 104 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB
Kricket
Brixton
Coming from humble beginnings in Brixton, this Indian restaurant has established itself as one of the most exciting in London, with several branches now.
Small plates mean you can sample plenty of the menu rather than committing to just one dish. Make sure the butter crab makes your shortlist at Kricket.
Address: 41-43 Atlantic Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8JL
The London x London Take: Ikoyi and Core by Clare Smyth are the two bookings to prioritise here, both are among the very best restaurants in the entire country, not just this list, and both reward planning weeks ahead. For something less of a splurge, Tayyabs has been getting Punjabi food right since 1972 and remains one of the best value nights out in the city. If you want one meal that captures the range on this list, book Ikoyi for the ambition and Padella for the pasta, and you’ve got London’s food scene in two sittings.
