London Restaurants

British food hasn't always had the best reputation, but nowhere in the country is that reputation being completely upturned more than in London. The city has zoomed up the global gastro charts, and can now seriously compete with the world’s top culinary heavyweights. The truth is that no other city—barring New York—has the immense range of global cuisines that London has to offer. Standards have rocketed at all price points, and every year it seems like the London restaurant scene is better than ever.

Feel like eating the most-tender Kagoshima Wagyu beef on planet Earth? It can be yours for £150 at CUT at 45 Park Lane. Want to try old English gastronomy from the time of Henry VIII with an ultramodern twist? Ashley Palmer-Watts is your man at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Do you only eat Sri Lankan hoppers? No worries, we’ve got just the thing: Hoppers in Soho will give you a taste of the Sri Lankan pancake, for £4.50 a pop. Can’t stand any more snobby culinary nonsense? The low-key British wild game is so good at The Harwood Arms in Fulham that they’ve earned London’s first gastro-pub-based Michelin star.

To appreciate how far London has risen in the food game, just look back to the days of Somerset Maugham, who was once justified in warning, "To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day." Change was slow after World War II, when it was understood that the British ate to live, while the French lived to eat. When people thought of British cuisine, fish-and-chips—a greasy grab-and-gulp dish that tasted best wrapped in yesterday's newspaper—first came to mind. Then there was always shepherd's pie, ubiquitously found in smoke-filled pubs, though not made, according to Sweeney Todd, "with real shepherd in it."

These days, standards are miles higher and shepherd’s pie has been largely replaced by the city's unofficial dish, Indian curry. London’s restaurant revolution is built on its extraordinary ethnic diversity, and you’ll find the quality of other global cuisines has grown immeasurably in recent years, with London becoming known for its Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Spanish, Italian, French, Peruvian, and west African restaurants. Thankfully, pride in the best of British food—local, seasonal, wild, and foraged—is enjoying quite the renaissance, too.

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  • 1. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

    $$$$ | Mayfair | French

    One of only three three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester achieves the pinnacle of classical French haute cuisine in a surprisingly fun, lively, and unstuffy salon. Diners feast on a blizzard of beautifully choreographed dishes, including classic rum baba with Chantilly cream, sliced open and served in a silver domed tureen. Slick service is off-the-scale outstanding, while the sommelier is a brilliantly charming expert on all things vino.

    53 Park La., London, Greater London, W1K 1QA, England
    020-7629--8866-for reservations only

    Known For

    • Impeccable five-star service
    • Surprisingly unstarchy vibe
    • Signature sautéed lobster with chicken quenelles

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
  • 2. Gymkhana

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    The last days of the Raj are invoked here at one of London's finest Indian curry emporiums, where top choices include dosas with fennel-rich Chettinad duck and the famed suckling pig vindaloo. Diners admire the whirring ceiling fans, rattan chairs, and other decor inspired by the colonial-era gymkhana sporting clubs of yesteryear. Other goodies include all-India delights such as Tandoori Masala lamb chops and Lasooni wild tiger prawns. A £100 tasting menu is the most extravagant way to sample the range of the restaurant's delights. 

    42 Albemarle St., London, Greater London, W1S 4JH, England
    020-3011–5900

    Known For

    • Unusual game curries
    • Indian punches in the basement private dining booths
    • Signature kid goat methi keema

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 3. 34

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    A-listers head straight for 34, off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, simply because all the other celebrities seem to hang out here, too. It must be the plush Edwardian and art deco dining salon, the neat fish, game, and steak-focused menu, and the smooth Upper Manhattan–style service. Appetizers like Devon crab and shrimp cocktail face off against chunkier delights from the Argentine parrilla charcoal grill—think 28-day Scottish Bridge of Allan rib eyes, USDA New York strips, and Japanese Wagyu fillets. Top crowd-pleasers include a luxurious surf and turf and truffled lobster macaroni. When done with mains one can opt to see the dessert menu or the cigar menu—or even both.

    34 Grosvenor Sq., London, Greater London, W1K 2HD, England
    020-3350–3434

    Known For

    • An endless procession of Hollywood stars
    • Impressive global meats off an Argentine-inspired grill
    • Live jazz

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 4. Cecconi's

    $$$$ | Mayfair | Coffee

    Revel with the A-listers in the glamorous buzz at this upscale Italian brasserie wedged between Cork Street, Savile Row, and the Royal Academy of Arts. It's perfect for a pit stop during a West End shopping spree or after browsing the nearby Mayfair galleries and auction houses, with diners spilling out onto pavement tables for breakfast, brunch, and cicchetti (Italian tapas)—and then returning later in the day for something more substantial. The luxe green-and-brown interior is a tony backdrop for classics like red mullet carpaccio, veal Milanese, and tagliatelle bolognese, and don't forget the pick-me-up tiramisù.

    5A Burlington Gardens, London, Greater London, W1S 3EP, England
    020-7434–1500

    Known For

    • Favorite of nearby Vogue House staff and Sotheby's clientele
    • Popular veal Milanese
    • All-day jet-setter hangout

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 5. Crussh

    $ | Mayfair

    This successful chain serves up delicious juices and smoothies, as well as sandwiches, soups, and wraps.

    1 Curzon St.
    - 020 - 7629–2554

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed weekends
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  • 6. CUT at 45 Park Lane

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    Austrian-born star chef Wolfgang Puck amps up the stakes at this ultraexpensive steak house on Park Lane. Set against a luxe backdrop of Damien Hirst artwork and globe lights, carnivores go crazy for the pricey prime cuts from England, Australia, Japan, and the United States. Options include impeccable 35-day Creekstone filet mignon, Black Angus New York sirloins, and an 8-ounce rib eye of pure Kagoshima Wagyu beef from Kyushu in Japan. Add bone marrow, French fries, chimichurri, or creamed spinach with a fried egg on top for the whole nine yards.

    45 Park La., London, Greater London, W1K 1PN, England
    020-7493–4545-for reservations only

    Known For

    • Rare Kagoshima Wagyu beef steaks
    • Celebrity chef hot spot
    • Art gallery–like interior

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 7. Goodman

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    This Manhattan-themed, Russian-owned swanky steak house, named after Chicago jazz legend Benny Goodman, has everyone in agreement: these truly are some of the best steaks in town. USDA-certified, 150-day corn-fed, and on-site dry-aged Black Angus T-bones, rib eye, porterhouse, and New York bone-in sirloins compete for taste and tenderness with heavily marbled grass-fed prime cuts from Scotland and the Lake District. There's also grilled cauliflower steaks, tuna tartare, and a superb burger, but everyone at this sultry mecca has only one thing on their minds: the sizzling 250 g–400 g Josper chargrilled steaks, which come with truffle chips and creamed spinach, plus Béarnaise, pepper, or Stilton sauce.

    24–26 Maddox St., London, Greater London, W1S 1QH, England
    020-7499–3776

    Known For

    • Truly impressive steaks
    • Specially imported Josper oven for smoky charcoal cooking
    • Long list of classy Coravin-extracted red wines by the glass

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
  • 8. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    The city's wealthy flock to French virtuoso Hélène Darroze's restaurant at The Connaught for her dazzling regional French haute cuisine, served up in a stylish Edwardian wood-paneled dining salon. Taking inspiration from the Les Landes region in southwestern France, Darroze sallies forth with a procession of magnificent dishes like lobster with carrot, coriander, and tandoori spices. A beautiful venison Wellington is served with hispi cabbage and quince.

    Carlos Pl., London, Greater London, W1K 2AL, England
    020-3147–7200-for reservations only

    Known For

    • Sumptuous dining salon
    • Classy French haute dishes
    • Relatively affordable three-course set lunch

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential, Jacket required
  • 9. HIDE

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    Mayfair is home to more than its share of fussy fine-dining restaurants, so HIDE is a welcome alternative, charming with experimental dishes that make the new-Nordic, produce-focused modern European menu shine. Look out for art-like dishes strewn with wildflowers on the seasonal eight-course tasting menus served in a fairy-tale setting. There's also an in-house bakery, and a menu that includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and cocktails; be sure to explore the 6,500-bottle strong wine list, one of London's finest.

    85 Piccadilly, London, Greater London, W1J 7NB, England
    020-3146–8666

    Known For

    • Intimate basement bar for cocktails and dining
    • Vast wine collection is the largest of any restaurant in the country
    • Bespoke interiors, including a gorgeous oak spiral staircase
  • 10. Jamavar

    $$$ | Mayfair

    There is no finer fish dish in town than the Malai stone bass tikka at this upmarket Indian restaurant. The food and spices here are so authentic that it regularly buzzes with Bollywood stars, wealthy Mayfair moguls, and the entire well-heeled Indian diaspora. Inspired by the Viceroy's House in New Delhi and oozing with Lutyens-style furniture, this spot is perfect for luxuriating in mini dosas, coconut spiced lobster, or Old Delhi butter chicken.

    8 Mount St., London, Greater London, W1K 3NF, England
    020-7499–1800

    Known For

    • Stunning interior of dark wood, marble, and Indian artwork
    • Unmissable Malai stone bass tikka
    • Glossy, luxurious Indian crowd
  • 11. Kitty Fisher's

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    Named after an infamous 18th-century courtesan, Kitty Fisher's is situated in a tiny, creaky Georgian town house in Mayfair’s Shepherd Market. Crammed with antique prints, portraits, and silver candelabras, here you can sample some of the finest wood-grill and smokehouse fare around. Options on the changing menu include to-die-for Highland beef and luxurious Wagyu steaks.

    10 Shepherd Market, London, Greater London, W1J 7QF, England
    020-3302–1661

    Known For

    • Cozy and candlelit town-house setting
    • Incredible steaks from the grill
    • High-end showbiz and politico diners

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 12. La Petite Maison (LPM)

    $$$$ | Mayfair | Coffee

    With the legend Tous Célèbres Ici ("All Famous Here") boldly etched on the front doors, the delightful LPM boasts an impressively well-sourced and balanced French Mediterranean, Ligurian, and Provençal menu based on the relaxed Riviera style of the original La Petite Maison in Nice. Try the soft Burrata cheese with a sweet Datterini tomato–and–basil spread or aromatic baked turbot with artichokes, chorizo, five spices, and white wine sauce. Dishes come to the table as soon as they're ready, and the très jolie and informal waitstaff make for a convivial rosé party vibe.

    53–54 Brook's Mews, London, Greater London, W1K 4EG, England
    020-7495–4774

    Known For

    • Light French Riviera–inspired dining
    • Excellent selection of rosé wines
    • Whole roast black leg chicken

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
  • 13. Little Social

    $$$ | Mayfair | Modern British

    Part of Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton's dining dynasty, Little Social backs its elegant, modernist dining room with a menu of adventurous dishes celebrating the joy of British produce. Expect to find a range of prime cuts straight from the Josper grill, and pay special attention to the maple-glazed pork rib eye with charred cabbage and pomme purée.

    5 Pollen St., London, Greater London, W1S 1NE, England
    020-7870–3730

    Known For

    • Relaxed mid-century modern setting
    • Great value set menu
    • Chic cocktail bar

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 14. Ormer Mayfair

    $$$$ | Mayfair

    Hidden away in the depths of a Mayfair hotel, Ormer delivers modern British cooking at its finest. In the art deco–inspired basement haven, you can indulge in elegant dishes from executive chef Sofian Msetfi, which celebrate the seasonal and the foraged. You'll find options from roast anjou pigeon to warm Iberico ham jelly. The wide-ranging wine list features an excellent selection of English fizz. At £85 a head, the tasting menu is exceptionally reasonable for the quality you receive.

    7--12 Half Moon St., London, Greater London, W1J 7BH, England
    020-7016–5601-for reservations only

    Known For

    • Range of tasting menus
    • Excellent wine selection with sharp focus on British fizz
    • Great vegetarian and vegan fine-dining options

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 15. Pollen Street Social

    $$$$ | Mayfair | Coffee

    Gastro god Jason Atherton may not man the stoves here anymore, but his flagship in a cute Dickensian alleyway off Regent Street still knocks the London dining scene for a loop. Fans can enjoy refined small and large dishes ranging from a "Fruite of the Sea" appetizer to sublime braised neck of lamb with neeps, tatties, and a haggis sauce.

    8–10 Pollen St., London, Greater London, W1S 1NQ, England
    020-7290–7600

    Known For

    • Michelin-star riffs on classic British dishes
    • Focus on locally sourced ingredients
    • Vegan and vegetarian tasting menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 16. Scott's

    $$$$ | Mayfair | Coffee

    Imposing doormen in bowler hats greet visitors with a wee nod at this ever-fashionable seafood haven on Mount Street in Mayfair. Originally founded in 1851 in the Haymarket, and a former haunt of James Bond author Ian Fleming (he apparently enjoyed the potted shrimps), Scott's draws the wealthiest of London, who come for the fresh Lindisfarne oysters, Dover sole, and tasty shrimp burgers. Prices could make a Saudi sheikh blanch, but that's the price to pay for what many consider the hottest table in town.

    20 Mount St., London, Greater London, W1K 2HE, England
    020-7495–7309-for reservations only

    Known For

    • Possibly London's most magnificent crustacean bar
    • Huge platters of fresh fruits de mer
    • Extravagant prices

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 17. The Colony Grill Room

    $$$$ | Mayfair | Coffee

    Glide past the parked royal-blue Armstrong Siddeley, through the foyer of the five-star hotel The Beaumont, and into the swank art deco--inspired dining salon of The Colony grill room. Fans of 1920s New York will admire the throwback decor before digging into classics like steak tartare, Caesar salad, and bananas Foster. There's also fine shrimp cocktail, pancakes at brunch, and Suffolk Wagyu beef from the grill. The exemplary service is, naturally, from a gilded age.

    8 Balderton St., London, Greater London, W1K 6TF, England
    020-7499--9499

    Known For

    • Evocative American 1920s panache and glamour
    • Bespoke sundae menu
    • Outstanding service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 18. The RA Grand Café

    $ | Mayfair | Café

    With its walls covered in Gilbert Spencer murals, the Royal Academy's café is almost as beautiful as the art hanging in the galleries. The accent is on variety, with hearty dishes like fish pie, cold cuts, and upscale salads and sandwiches. It's open daily 10:30–5:30.

    Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, Greater London, W1J 0BD, England
    020-7300–5608
  • 19. Hibiscus

    $$$$ | Mayfair
    Closed Permanently

    Burly two-star French chef/patron Claude Bosi bosses the scene at this understated Mayfair epicurean hide-out, with nouvelle Modern French dishes like carpaccio of hand-dived Isle of Skye scallops with blobs of truffle and pickled black radish, salted roast duck with winter tardivo (radicchio), or Cornish John Dory with Morteau sausage and girolles. The desserts are as complex as his mains, with an unlikely sounding but wickedly flavorful sweet cep tart standing out. The brilliant wine list features an ever-growing 30-odd selection of rare but top-rank biodynamic, organic, or heirloom-variety wines. Note that in the evening, the tasting menu is the only option available.

    29 Maddox St., London, Greater London, W1S 2PA, England
    020-7629–2999

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues. and Wed., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
  • 20. Indian Accent

    $$$ | Mayfair
    Closed Permanently

    The bar for high-end Indian food in London has been raised at this praised New Delhi import. Unusual but homey Indian cuisine is presented in a modern, decidedly non-Indian fashion, from mini-naan stuffed with black pudding to spiced ghee roast lamb served Peking-duck style.

    16 Albemarle St., London, Greater London, W1S 4HW, England
    020-7629–9802

    Known For

    • Mid-century Rajput palace setting
    • Adventurous and experimental Indian fusion cuisine
    • Playful dishes like Bombay minced soya keema with quail eggs

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