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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.
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.
Lines form daily to get a prized seat at this no-reservations eatery from a team of Taiwanese steamed bao bun obsessives. The gloriously plump milk-based, rice flour bao buns—meticulously crammed with Cornish confit pork, peanut powder, and fermented greens—are the undisputed stars of the show. The palm-size bao buns also come with fried chicken, crumbed daikon, or lamb with soy-pickled chilis and garlicky mayo. Kick off with soy-cured, egg yoke--topped pig's blood on rice and finish with a fried bao bun stuffed with Horlicks ice cream for dessert.
New York–based French superchef Daniel Boulud combines French brasserie classics like escargot, salade nicoise, and poule au pot with American-style gourmet burgers at this sophisticated but casual restaurant located within the Mandarin Oriental. The excellent grazing menu has something for everyone, and the professional but informal waitstaff enhances the convivial vibe. Platters of delicate charcuterie and luxury seafood compete with the signature foie gras/beef/short rib burgers on black onion or sesame-seed buns. The two-course prix-fixe deals from noon until 6:30 are good value.
Every night feels as bustling as downtown Tel Aviv at Exmouth Market's superb and hip shawarma bar. Enjoy challah toast with tahini-rich meze before delving into slow-cooked, harissa-heavy lamb shawarmas and the best mejadera (rice with lentils and onions) this side of the Middle East. Be sure to leave room for malabi, a delicious Israeli milk pudding, for dessert. Twists on popular cocktails , such as a Berber Negroni, are also offered.
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 aubergine puree and tomato and harissa fondue. 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.
You'll need some help finding this East End fashionista headquarters located down a side alley in happening Bethnal Green. Once inside, check out the striking loft dining space and bar in their postindustrial chic setting, before polishing off light French and English dishes. Choices range from steak tartare and Croque Madame to cod and clams and Longhorn beef with red wine sauce. Be sure to catch the resident pianist at weekend brunch, camping up everything from Katy Perry to Girls Aloud on the baby grand. The Cockatoo is the downstairs performance space, serving up the same menu as the main restaurant along with cabaret.
Set in a former basement brothel, this Soho meatopia cranks out £26 platters of chargrilled beef, lamb, and pork skinny chops and juice-soaked flatbread, all served on antique pearlware. Supplied by Philip Warren butchers from the Cornish moors, Blacklock's killer chops sizzle on the grill under heavy Blacklock cast irons from Tennessee. All-in platters include starters of crispbread topped with egg and anchovy and punchy sides like the 10-hour ash roasted sweet potato. Enjoy zippy '80s tunes, wine on tap, and a hearty tableside serving of white chocolate cheesecake for dessert.
French tapas may sound sacrilegious, but Gallic gem Blanchette hits the spot at this family-run hipster bistro where jazzy French sounds complement the charming bare-brick and oak table candlelit interior. Visually feast on the eclectic Paris flea market bric-a-brac and then order a host of smaller plates to share, like the crispy frogs' legs and truffle saucisson (sausage) or baked scallops with Café de Paris sauce. The cramped tables can be a touch intimate, but desserts like chocolate tart, tonka bean syrup, and macerated cherries are a fitting Left Bank finale.
There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options at this joyous Middle Eastern extravaganza on the northern reaches of Soho. Go all in with the "Bubala Knows Best" spread to experience a cavalcade of laffa bread hummus dips, smoked Jerusalem artichokes, seared Chinese cabbage skewers, and slow-roasted celeriac, tahini, and Musakhan onion. The herb and spice count is high—with a profusion of sumac, za'atar, Aleppo chili, and ras el hanout—but happily, the sour labneh strained yogurt and epic challah and warm pita breads and raw crudités help smooth the way.
Chef Angela Hartnett's low-key Italian café is an excellent value eatery perfect for pre-and-post theater meals. Set off Covent Garden piazza, you'll find classics like chicken Milanese or veal osso buco as well as fine cicchetti, crudo, risottos, gnocchis, and handmade pastas. Bargain three-course set lunch and theater meals are £30, and the portions, flavors, and general atmosphere are all on the warm and generous side.
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 pickled cucumber and Scotch bonnet honey.
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.
Top-notch French and Mediterranean cuisine, faultless service, and a winning wine list make this one of London's all-star favorite restaurants. At this cozy haunt overlooking Wandsworth Common, prepare for unfussy grown-up gastro wonders ranging from homemade charcuterie to lighter, simply grilled fish dishes. Expect plates like chateaubriand, venison loin, and roasted cod with truffle mash all to be effortlessly conceived. Desserts like prune and Armagnac tart are packed with flavor, and the sommelier's a hoot.
A largely corporate crowd comes here for the Manhattanesque views of The City and chef Jason Atherton's masterful but straightforward cuisine. Impressed diners look out from Level 24 of Tower 42 on a majestic panorama that takes in illustrious buildings like the Gherkin and the Walkie Talkie. Dinner options include sea bass and Jerusalem artichoke or a generous hunk of beef "Josper cooked" on the grill. The soufflé is a total winner for dessert, while the service—like City Social itself—is stratospheric.
The kind of smooth-running, welcoming all-day brasserie that is difficult to find in Paris these days, Colbert offers well-prepared bistro favorites like croque monsieur, escargot, and steak haché, along with bigger plates like pan-roasted sea trout with samphire and seaweed or confit duck. The service is professional but friendly and the atmosphere is stylish but comfortable. Although a neighborhood favorite, it's a swanky neighborhood, which is reflected in the prices, but a prix-fixe menu (two courses for £24.75 and three courses for £29.95) offers good value.
Everyone feels a zillion times more glamorous just stepping inside this candlelit restaurant attached to the swank Georgian-era hotel of the same name. Straightforward but endlessly fun retro British favorites include classic English pea and ham soup, primary school-style mince and potatoes, smoked haddock soufflé, and sticky toffee pudding. You'll also find quaint English scones and crumpets for afternoon tea and nostalgic 1970s-style fish finger sandwiches for traditional early evening high tea.
Medieval English cuisine meets molecular gastronomy in this reassuringly luxurious Blumenthal flagship, with two Michelin stars, within the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Try the signature "Meat Fruit" appetizer (last popular in the 16th century, it's a ball of ultrasmooth chicken liver parfait encased in a citrus-flavored gel "peel") or the much-more-appetizing-than-it-sounds "Rice and Flesh," a 15th-century dish of yellow saffron rice with beef cheeks and red wine. For dessert, don't miss the signature Tipsy Cake (circa 1810)—brioche soaked in Sauternes, brandy, and vanilla cream, with slices of pineapple slowly roasted on the restaurant's open-fire spit. A three-course set lunch (£59) offers good value, relatively speaking.
Chef Philip Howard is committed to seasonality, bringing together well-matched ingredients in this relaxed, loftlike space that leans toward the modernist and minimalist. The deeply flavored, accomplished dishes have earned the restaurant a Michelin star (their vegetarian game is especially strong).
Despite a Michelin star and a co-owner who's also the chef at one of Britain's (and indeed the world's) top restaurants, this is a relaxed neighborhood gastropub with an unusually fine kitchen. It specializes in British produce, wild food, and especially game, with dishes like roast monkfish cheek with butternut squash or venison in an ale and prune sauce, all served via set menus only (£50 for two courses, £65 for three). Sunday roasts are especially popular.
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 artlike 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. Set lunch and dinner menus are great value.
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.
The first London restaurant from two Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sá Pessoa offers views over the landmark Battersea Power Station from its 15th floor perch and explores the flavors of his native Portugal with excursions farther afield into Catalonia. Unsurprisingly, tapas like patatas bravas, Iberico croquetas, or a hand-dived scallop with chorizo, fennel, and celeriac puree feature prominently, while big plates like suckling pig and arroz de marisco come from the Josper oven. You pay for the glamorous art deco atmosphere and the views, but a three-course set menu on weekends (£45) offers better value.
Tom Kerridge made his name earning Michelin stars at rural gastropubs, and there's still a sense of pub grub about the menu here, at his first London restaurant, despite the glamorous high-ceilinged dining room, flawless service, and rather steep prices. That's no bad thing, however, when you've got a chef as skilled as Kerridge—think rich, meat-focused dishes served alongside unusual twists, such as gherkin ketchup or black cabbage purée.
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.
This addition to the National Theatre's restaurant roster (it's named after the building's architect) puts the emphasis on fresh British ingredients, whether Dorset crab on a warm saffron bun or Carlingford oysters from the seafood bar, a Tamworth pork and guinea fowl terrine with burnt pear chutney, or a grilled whole plaice for sharing (the brown butter honey custard tart is much in demand for dessert). Theatergoers will appreciate the two-course (£40) or three-course (£45) pretheater menu.
This long-standing favorite specializes in French haute cuisine done right, with an emphasis on luxurious dishes like caviar, oysters, lobster, and Dover sole (served meunière) along with bistro classics like rabbit with mustard and steak frites. Standards, like the prices, remain high, and the swanky dining room takes inspiration from the art deco liner SS Normandie. Weather permitting, grab a table on the terrace to make the most of the wonderful views of the Thames, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. A weekday lunch/early-bird dinner set menu (two courses for £30; three courses for £35) lets you sample this expense-account favorite with minimal damage to your wallet.
This consistently popular, family-run, taverna-style restaurant has been serving local families and celebrities alike in its large, vine-decked premises for more than 40 years. Besides a large selection of Greek Cypriot small-dish meze dips, hot breads, and starters, there are rustic mains like moussaka or slow-baked kleftiko lamb in lemon as well as assorted grilled fish. Expect friendly Greek service and hospitality, plus an airy atrium in the back. Generous meze menus for two or more people are £36.75, and bargain weekday set lunches are £18.50.
Dazzling classic French dishes mark out Les 110 de Taillevent as the city's top French brasserie de luxe. Housed in a chic former Coutts bank on Cavendish Square, diners and oenophiles delight in the exquisite cuisine and accompanying master list of 110 fine wines by the glass. Indulge from Château Latour to rarely seen Rieslings, and be sure to pair wisely with the restaurant's flawless desserts. The six-course-tasting menu is relatively good value at £125 per person, with an option to add wine pairings.
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 puree.
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