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$$$$ | Mayfair |
One of only three three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester achieves the pinnacle of classical French haute cuisine in a surprisingly fun, lively, and unstuffy salon. Diners feast on a blizzard of beautifully choreographed dishes, including classic rum baba with Chantilly cream, sliced open and served in a silver domed tureen. Slick service is off-the-scale outstanding, while the sommelier is a brilliantly charming expert on all things vino.
53 Park La., London, Greater London, W1K 1QA, England
020-7629--8866-for reservations only
Known For
- Impeccable five-star service
- Surprisingly unstarchy vibe
- Signature sautéed lobster with chicken quenelles
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
Ask for a table in the dreamy, white blossom–filled conservatory at this warm, cozy, and seriously romantic Provençal country-style inn off Covent Garden. Once inside, you'll be won over by the old-fashioned but refined French cuisine. Options include Loire Valley rabbit ballotine, poached wild turbot, and Charolais beef cheeks with fine French beans. Lunch specials and pre-and post-theater prix fixe menus are an affordable way to experience the cuisine and celebratory atmosphere. With its warren of candlelit, oak-paneled rooms and open fires, Clos Maggiore never fails to enchant.
33 King St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8JD, England
Known For
- Regularly voted one of London's most romantic restaurants
- Warren of blossom-filled conservatories and candle-lit hideaways
- Lunch and pre- and post-theater meal deals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Notting Hill |
Currently the only British female chef with three Michelin stars, Clare Smyth fuses her classical French culinary training with a devotion to quality British produce. Must-try plates include her to-die-for signature dish of a baked potato delicately filled with dulse beurre blanc, herring, and trout roe. Watch the kitchen at work through a floor-to-ceiling glass partition as they conjure up their magic.
92 Kensington Park Rd., London, Greater London, W11 2PN, England
Known For
- Brilliant vegetable and fish dishes elevated to the highest levels
- Relaxed, smart, casual dining experience
- Three-course à la carte or seven-course tasting menus
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Mayfair |
The last days of the Raj are invoked here at one of London's finest Indian curry emporiums, where top choices include dosas with fennel-rich Chettinad duck and the famed suckling pig vindaloo. Diners admire the whirring ceiling fans, rattan chairs, and other decor inspired by the colonial-era gymkhana sporting clubs of yesteryear. Other goodies include all-India delights such as Tandoori Masala lamb chops and Lasooni wild tiger prawns. A £100 tasting menu is the most extravagant way to sample the range of the restaurant's delights.
42 Albemarle St., London, Greater London, W1S 4JH, England
Known For
- Unusual game curries
- Indian punches in the basement private dining booths
- Signature kid goat methi keema
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
There's a decadent Roaring Twenties vibe here at celeb magnet Louie, set in a glamorous town house that hides a warren of beautifully stylish dining rooms, cocktail lounges, and conservatory terraces. Exceptional Mississippi-inspired Creole delights include seafood gumbo, turbot with beurre blanc, and barbecued New Orleans lobster with Creole-spiced butter, but it's the slick cocktails and hedonistic vibes that make Louie such a blast.
13–15 West St., London, Greater London, WC2H 9HE, England
Known For
- Louisiana and Deep South–inspired Creole dishes
- Very hip atmosphere
- Impossibly cool music and live jazz sets on Tuesdays
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Clerkenwell |
This winning mix of modern Italian classics is made from the very best in British seasonal produce. Add to that the super-chic setting—from the art deco--esque dining salon to the marble-top bar and the stunning glass-walled conservatory—and this popular Clerkenwell haunt is very much a case of both style and substance. Dishes include cappelletti of potato and sage with seasonal mushrooms and cannon of Hebridean lamb with tema artichokes and bagna cauda.
88 St. John St., London, Greater London, EC1M 4EH, England
Known For
- Edgy Italian pastas
- Cool and glamorously designed brasserie
- To-die-for fluffy Parmesan fries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Chelsea |
Here chef Anna Haugh showcases the produce and food of her native Ireland while elevating its traditional cuisine to the level of fine dining. The small selection of dishes includes black pudding rolls wrapped in crispy potato strings with Irish black butter pearls and pearl barley, pecan, and Bramley apple puree; pan-fried duck breast served with mushroom puree and a duck fat potato waffle; and Irish Carlingford oysters. Service is attentive and it is clear the staff really cares about the food.
1a Langton St., London, Greater London, SW10 OJL, England
Known For
- Dishes higher on quality than quantity
- Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere
- Carefully sourced ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Soho |
Fans of top French food and fine wine flock to this gorgeous wood-paneled Georgian town house for masterful dishes like roast chicken with morel mushrooms and creamy vin jaune sauce alongside a marvelous 28-page French-focused wine list. Dark oak floors, soft brass lights, and cut-crystal glass decanters help guests bliss out on one of London's finest and surprisingly most accessible wine lists, with numerous rare gems available by the glass.
2 Greek St., London, Greater London, W1D 4NB, England
Known For
- Incredible French-heavy wine list
- Highly convivial and boisterous atmosphere
- Bargain £18 two-course set lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
One of London's most spectacular dining rooms is set in a soaring glass-ceilinged conservatory at the chic NoMad London hotel, located opposite Covent Garden's famed Royal Opera House. Don't miss the signature Creedy Carver roast chicken with foie gras and black truffle or the leisurely weekend brunch where you can enjoy eggs Benedict or chili avocado toast.
28 Bow St., London, Greater London, WC2E 7AW, England
Known For
- Historic former Bow Street Magistrates' Court building from 1740
- Glamorous atmosphere
- Exclusive nightlife scene with great cocktails in the Side Hustle bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Fitzrovia |
Consistently brilliant modern European fare in a low-key setting characterizes this Michelin-starred restaurant located just northeast of Oxford Circus. Marvel at the chef's brigade in the open kitchen busily turning the inventive seasonal produce–driven menu into delicious reality. Dishes feature superior British produce such as succulent Cornish cod served with a smoked eel rosti or smoked celeriac and whipped ricotta with apple, capers, and almonds. Desserts are always worth a second look; try the dark chocolate device with poached pear, coffee, and cashew.
113 Great Portland St., London, Greater London, W1W 6QQ, England
Known For
- Unpretentious fine dining
- Excellent wine list
- Good-value set lunch and tasting menus
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
Opened by Thomas Rule in 1798, London's oldest restaurant is still perhaps its most beautiful. The epitome of High Victorian design, overflowing with antique portraits, prints, cartoons, busts, and taxidermy, here you can indulge in traditional British fare like jugged hare, steak and kidney pie, or roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. For a taste of the 18th century, choose game from the restaurant's High Pennines estate, including roast grouse, mallard, or pheasant. Snag a table in one of the skylit rooms or the spot where the Victorian-era Prince of Wales had trysts with the famed beauty and actress Lillie Langtry.
35 Maiden La., London, Greater London, WC2E 7LB, England
Known For
- The oldest restaurant in London
- Traditional British game-based fare
- Famous diners from Charles Dickens to Evelyn Waugh
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
Trailblazing Australian chef Skye Gyngell worships the seasons at her pastel-hued dining destination in majestic Somerset House off the Strand. Housed in the building's 1865 neoclassical New Wing, Spring offers exquisite root-to-stem, produce-driven Italian dishes in an airy light-drenched dining salon. Expect everything from a tousled heap of biodynamic Fern Verrow Farm salad leaves to egg yolk–rich crab tagliolini. Free of single-use plastic, you'll find all the bread, butter, ice cream, cordials, vermouth, and tonics are made on-site. Also look for Spring's brilliant zero waste £30 "Scratch" menus, available in the early evening Tuesday through Saturday.
Lancaster Pl., London, Greater London, WC2R 1LA, England
Known For
- Highly seasonal, sustainable, and ingredient-driven dishes
- Eco-friendly and zero-waste ethos
- Biodynamic Fern Verrow Farm salads and ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Tues., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Victoria |
Downton Abbey meets The Crown at this quintessentially English, old-school dining salon located within an Edwardian-era hotel down the road from Buckingham Palace. A favorite with royalty and courtiers, here you can enjoy daily specials like traditional beef Wellington or antediluvian quirks such as Eggs Drumkilbo (a hard-boiled egg/lobster seafood cocktail with caviar)—a onetime favorite of the late Queen Mother.
Beeston Pl., London, Greater London, SW1W 0JW, England
Known For
- Plush salon designed by Viscount David Linley
- Glazed lobster omelet with duck fat chips
- Royal history and pedigree
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sat.
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$$$$ | Notting Hill |
Acclaimed Aussie chef Brett Graham and his team are known for modern European cuisine at its finest, and the sheer inventiveness and quality of the food on offer make for a very special night out. This relaxed, intimate restaurant now serves a range of six- and eight-course tasting menus with seasonal produce very much dictating what ends up on the menu, although classic Graham game staples, such as Berkshire muntjac, often make an appearance. Advance booking is essential.
127 Ledbury Rd., London, Greater London, W11 2AQ, England
Known For
- Creative vegetable dishes like white asparagus soup with lemon, grapes, and ricotta
- Charcuterie that comes from Graham's very own pig farm
- Signature brown sugar tart with stem ginger ice cream for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Mayfair |
A-listers head straight for 34, off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, simply because all the other celebrities seem to hang out here, too. It must be the plush Edwardian and art deco dining salon, the neat fish, game, and steak-focused menu, and the smooth Upper Manhattan–style service. Appetizers like Devon crab and shrimp cocktail face off against chunkier delights from the Argentine parrilla charcoal grill—think 28-day Scottish Bridge of Allan rib eyes, USDA New York strips, and Japanese Wagyu fillets. Top crowd-pleasers include a luxurious surf and turf and truffled lobster macaroni. When done with mains one can opt to see the dessert menu or the cigar menu—or even both.
34 Grosvenor Sq., London, Greater London, W1K 2HD, England
Known For
- An endless procession of Hollywood stars
- Impressive global meats off an Argentine-inspired grill
- Live jazz
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | St. James's |
A sophisticated crowd enjoys the clubhouse vibe at this classic brasserie at the back of the royal grocer, Fortnum & Mason. An old-school trolley trundles up table-side to serve Siberian Sturgeon caviar with scrambled eggs, baked new potatoes, and blinis, while creamy beef Stroganoff and whole duck with elderberry sauce get the full table-side-flambé treatment. Truffles that are shaved at the table are another specialty. The popular Welsh rarebit toasty has a punchy mustard kick, while nostalgic desserts include a fleet of alcoholic ice-cream floats.
45 Jermyn St., London, Greater London, SW1Y 6DN, England
Known For
- Unique caviar trolley
- Glamorous decor
- Collection of boozy ice-cream floats
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$$$ | Clerkenwell |
Mark Jarvis’s cool, unpretentious fine-dining establishment in the historic Hatton Garden jewelry quarter in Farringdon is focused on food that is both seasonal and ethically and locally produced. Five- or ten-course tasting menus are offered at lunch and dinner, with each dish as much a feast for your eyes as for your palate. Menu descriptions are kept consciously simple and understated but there's no disguising the symphony of flavors and textures that dishes deliver.
30 St. Cross St., London, Greater London, EC1N 8UH, England
Known For
- Well-priced tasting menus
- Signature beetroot-based desserts
- Cutting-edge inventive cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Fitzrovia |
All the cool cats swing by this grand brasserie at Ian Schrager's insanely trendy London Edition hotel near Tottenham Court Road. Enter the monumental Edwardian dining salon, where you might swoon over a Herdwick lamb rump with mashed potatoes and white onion purée. Exquisitely appointed with framed pictures, paintings, and Grand Central Terminal-style bronze chandeliers, the sheer elegance of the place will soon have you feeling like a million dollars, too.
10 Berners St., London, Greater London, W1T 3NP, England
Known For
- Knockout dining salon
- Cool backlit cocktail bar
- Legendary Buccleuch Estate steaks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Fitzrovia |
Variety is the spice of life, and it's also the modus operandi of this airy Charlotte Street eatery where an ever-changing roster of guest chefs from around the globe roll into town with their exquisite seven-course tasting menus. One week it might be Japanese trout roe with egg yolk and koshihikari rice, while the next week will feature skate wing bilbaina from the Basque country. Whatever the cuisine, the one constant is the sheer quality of the dishes on offer. Alternatively, there's also a wine bar that serves delicious tapas-style plates–don't miss the fried chicken with habanero and honey.
19–23 Charlotte St., London, Greater London, W1T 1RL, England
Known For
- Revolving door of guest chefs
- Impressive wine list
- Friendly, informal vibe
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Mayfair |
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
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
