Must-see restaurants in London

  • Clove Club

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    From humble origins as a supper club in a London flat, the Clove Club has transformed into this impressive Michelin-starred restaurant, named one of the…

  • Rabbit

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Three brothers grew up on a farm. One became a farmer, another a butcher, while the third worked in hospitality. So they pooled their skills and came up…

  • The discreet entrance to Hawksmoor, famed for its high quality steaks

    Hawksmoor Spitalfields

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    You could easily miss Hawksmoor, discreetly signed and clad in black brick, but dedicated carnivores will find it worth seeking out. The dark wood and…

  • Koi Ramen Bar in Pop Brixton

    Koi Ramen Bar

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    Blink-and-you'll-miss-it Koi has a secret weapon to alert passers-by: the ever-enticing aroma of noodles and a chirpy band of staff. There's a thin –…

  • The outside of Padella, a bistro near Borough Market

    Padella

    South Bank

    Come hungry for the best pasta this side of Italy. Padella is a small, energetic bistro specialising in handmade noodles, inspired by the owners’…

  • Outside the Michelin-starred Ledbury in Notting Hill

    Ledbury

    Notting Hill & West London

    With two Michelin stars, Brett Graham’s elegant award-winning French restaurant attracts well-heeled diners in jeans with designer jackets. Artful dishes…

  • Ruby Violet

    North London

    Ruby Violet takes ice cream to the next level: flavours are wonderfully original (masala chai, raspberry and sweet potato) and toppings and hot sauces are…

  • Marcella

    Greenwich

    If you avoid pasta restaurants because you think you can make it just as easily at home, Marcella is here to prove you wrong. Perfect house-made pasta…

  • Silo

    East London

    Brighton's Silo, the world's first zero-waste restaurant, has moved to Hackney Wick. Here, trailblazing chef Doug McMaster fashions lesser-loved…

  • Petersham Nurseries Cafe

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    In a greenhouse at the back of the fabulously located Petersham Nurseries is this award-winning cafe straight out of the pages of The Secret Garden. The…

  • Bar Shu

    The West End

    You might think Bar Shu – adorned with slatted blinds, latticed woodwork and tasselled lanterns – was a sweet-and-sour honeytrap for Soho tourists; but…

  • Barge East

    East London

    Moored along the River Lee in Hackney Wick is the De Hoop, a 100-tonne barge that sailed from Holland to offer seasonal fare and delicious drinks with…

  • Palomar

    The West End

    Packed and praised from the day it opened, Palomar is a wonderful Israeli/Levantine restaurant with the look of a 1930s diner and the constant theatre of…

  • Portrait

    The West End

    This stunningly located restaurant above the National Portrait Gallery offers dramatic views over Trafalgar Sq and down to the Houses of Parliament and…

  • Smoking Goat

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Trotting in on one of London's fleeting flavours of the week, Smoking Goat's modern Thai menu is top notch. The industrial-chic look of exposed brick,…

  • Glasshouse

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    A day at Kew Gardens finds a perfect conclusion at this Michelin-starred gastronomic highlight. The glass-fronted exterior envelops a delicately lit, low…

  • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    With two Michelin stars, sumptuously presented Dinner is a gastronomic tour de force, taking diners on a journey through British culinary history (with…

  • Temple of Seitan

    East London

    Vegans, hail seitan – devilishly good meat-free alternatives are cleverly composed into belt-busting fried Chick'n at this Hackney hole-in-the-wall. Pick…

  • Cub

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    It's no surprise that the brains behind Cub's ‘cocktail-led tasting menu' is Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, who's won more bartending awards than we…

  • Hook Camden Town

    North London

    In addition to working entirely with sustainable small fisheries and local suppliers, Hook makes all its sauces on-site and wraps its fish in recycled…

  • Breddos Tacos

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Started in an East London car park in 2011, Breddos found its first permanent home in Clerkenwell, dishing out some of London's best Mexican grub. Grab…

  • Gordon Ramsay

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    One of Britain’s finest restaurants and London’s longest-running with three Michelin stars (held since 2001), this is hallowed turf for those who worship…

  • City Social

    London

    City Social pairs sublime skyscraper views from its 24th-floor digs with delicate Michelin-starred cuisine. The interior is all art deco–inspired low-lit…

  • Chin Chin Labs

    North London

    This is food chemistry at its absolute best. Chefs prepare the ice-cream mixture and freeze it on the spot by adding liquid nitrogen. Flavours change…

  • Foyer & Reading Room at Claridge's

    The West End

    Refreshing the better sort of West End shopper since 1856, the jaw-dropping Foyer and Reading Room at Claridge's, refulgent with art-deco mirrors and a…

  • Smoke & Salt

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    Smoke & Salt works wonders with simple ingredients and back-to-basics techniques of smoking, curing and preserving in a wood-lined shipping container, and…

  • Vanilla Black

    London

    Down a curious side street off Chancery Lane is one of the City's most-intriguing dining experiences. The ever-changing menu of imaginative, deconstructed…

  • Skylon

    South Bank

    Named after the original structure in this location for the 1951 Festival of Britain, Skylon brings the 1950s into the modern era, with retro-futuristic…

  • Kudu

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    Northeast of Peckham's core, this family-run neighbourhood restaurant is worth the venture. Decorated with dusky pink and exposed-brick walls and blue…

  • Anchor & Hope

    South Bank

    Started by former chefs from nose-to-tail pioneer St John, the Anchor & Hope is a quintessential gastropub: elegant but not formal, serving utterly…

  • Spring

    The West End

    White walls, ball chandeliers and columns are offset by the odd blossom in this restored Victorian drawing room in Somerset House. Award-winning…

  • Yuu Kitchen

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Manga images pout on the walls and birdcages dangle from the ceiling at this fun, relaxed place. Dishes are either bite-sized or designed to be shared,…

  • Club Gascon

    London

    Marble walls, white linen and exceedingly professional staff lend an old-fashioned gentlemen's-club feel to this Michelin-starred restaurant. Dishes from…

  • Launceston Place

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    This exceptionally handsome, superchic Michelin-starred restaurant is almost anonymous on a picture-postcard Kensington street of Edwardian houses…

  • Kanada-Ya

    The West End

    In the debate over London's best ramen, we're still voting for this one. With no reservations taken, queues can get impressive outside this tiny and…

  • Berber & Q

    East London

    A mouth-watering barbecue smell greets you as you enter under the railway arches into this very cool Berber-style grill house. Lamb shawarma (kebab) is…

  • Chez Bruce

    Brixton, Peckham & South London

    Far off the usual tourist track, the phenomenal Chez Bruce, opposite leafy Wandsworth Common, has been in business for more than two decades. Despite its…

  • St John

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Around the corner from London's last remaining meat market, St John is the standard-bearer for nose-to-tail cuisine. With whitewashed brick walls, high…

  • Duck & Waffle

    London

    London tends to have an early bedtime, but Duck and Waffle is the best restaurant that's ready to party all night. Survey the kingdom from the highest…

  • Trullo

    North London

    Trullo's daily homemade pasta is delicious (pappardelle, fettuccine), but the main attraction here is the charcoal grill, which churns out the likes of…

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