6 Best Restaurants in Marylebone, London

It can be quite tricky to get into Chiltern Firehouse, but if you do snag a table, you're in for a treat. Set inside a sensationally converted 1888 redbrick fire station, this place sets the bar for glamour-chic dining. Sit at the raised open-kitchen counter and watch the chefs plate up, while taking in the buzzy buttermilk-hued decor that's part mid-'70s Parisian brasserie and part industrial heritage–chic splendor (including a firefighter's pole). Pick winners from the knock-out menu—like slider-style crabmeat "donuts," charred octopus with cep mushrooms, or red prawns in almond milk—and get down to the serious business of major league celeb spotting.

It almost feels like Sigmund Freud or Gustav Klimt might doff their Homburg hats and shuffle into a dark leather banquette at this evocative, early-20th-century–style Viennese neighborhood café on Marylebone High Street. Savor the antique light fittings and distressed wallpaper before diving into a rye brötchen (bread roll) sandwich with chopped chicken livers and dill. Expect top service from staff in natty Trachten-style Tyrolean green waistcoats and dark green ties.

You'll land some of the best fish-and-chips in town at this British chippy in a retro 1914 art deco café. Marylebone locals and satisfied tourists alike hunker down for the neatly prepared and decidedly nongreasy deep-fried or steamed battered cod, haddock, and plaice; the classic hand-cut Maris Piper chips; and the traditional mushy peas and homemade tartar sauce. Homemade cod fishcakes, skate wings, feta cheese fritters, and breaded scampi tails are on the menu, too.

As the name suggests, The Monocle Café isn't quite a restaurant, but thanks to its sheer weight of personality, it still lends itself as an important Marylebone food stop. Salads, bagels, open sandwiches, and breakfasts represent a diverse menu of international bites that can always be accompanied by something from the drink menu, whether that's artisan coffee or something stronger like the yuzu gin and tonic. As one would expect from Monocle magazine's very own drinking and dining spot, both the interior and exterior are impeccably tasteful, making for the ideal place to pause and soak up the Marylebone neighborhood.

Bringing the outside in, this café and restaurant is in the Wallace Collection's glass-roofed courtyard. It's open (daily 10–4:30) for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea, and for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings (last seating is at 9:30 pm). The menu includes lamb rump, pan-roasted lemon sole, and other tasty offerings. If you don't want to strain your budget too much, you can just linger over coffee in the gorgeous surroundings.