Some of London’s best restaurants are located outside of central London and its bustling neighborhoods – but if you’re looking for a great dinner restaurant, it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s the definitive list of London’s best restaurants: our editors’ personal London restaurant recommendations that we’ve been reviewing (in no particular order).
Some are relatively new openings-hot ticket, queue-worthy spots that made an immediate splash and took their place on this list just months after lighting their tumblers on fire. Other restaurants are classics for a reason, and several of these London restaurants even rank among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2022 (read our reviews of winners Ikoyi and The Clove Club below). Whichever one you choose, they’re all pioneers when it comes to what it means to eat well in London – from boastful Indian flavors to kitchens that push the boundaries of sustainability, from blow-out tasting menus to cheap eats you’ll want to keep to yourself . Our team has reviewed all the restaurants for this list of London’s best restaurants. For more information, check out our favorite restaurants with gardens, pubs beer gardens and London rooftop bars. If you’re looking for the latest in London dining, check out our definitive guide to new restaurants in London, a list we update weekly.
How we choose the best restaurants in London
Each restaurant on this list was independently selected by our editors and written by Condé Nast Traveler journalists who know the destination and have eaten at the restaurant. When selecting restaurants, our editors consider both high-end and affordable restaurants to provide an authentic destination experience. We are always looking for outstanding cuisine, great locations and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new restaurants open and existing restaurants evolve.
1. The Clove Club, Shoreditch
Scotsman Isaac McHale opened this great restaurant in Shoreditch Town Hall in 2013. Since then, it has regularly featured on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (ranked 35th in the latest 2022 awards). Popular tapas, delicious cocktails, their own breads and delicatessen, and hearty and sophisticated plates of traditional pork, lobster or trout make this a charming and fascinating destination. This ambitious 95-seat restaurant and bar is loved by cool crowds and critics alike for good reason – and not at all overly so.
Price range: ££££
Address: The Clove Club, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC2
2. Chishuru, Brixton
Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare’s sold-out supper club is one of many restaurants (such as Zoe’s Ghanaian Kitchen and Lola Oduba-Vine’s Club Naija) that have recently catapulted West African cooking into the London lexicon. Joké’s Nigerian heritage is at the forefront of her home-style cooking, and it’s exciting – if not late – to see a black woman-run business thriving in Brixton’s competitive restaurant scene. The menu changes frequently (weekly snacks, larger plates depending on what ingredients look good) with a fiery rotation of succinct dishes such as bavette steak coated in yaji sauce (served with the requisite quartered tomatoes, as per usual, Rafal explains ) and ekuru with pumpkin seed pesto and scotch bonnet sauce. There’s nothing elegant about grilled shrimp “soup” (a spicy seafood broth) or potato-inspired tapioca fries, but that’s what a stack of napkins is for. Dubonnet Negroni comes with a succinct history lesson that’s more original than its aperitif, but it’s what we’re asking for again Naturally Fresh, even if it’s not on the menu.
Price range: £££
Address: Chishuru, Unit 9 Market Row, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LB
3. Silo, Hackney Wick
When chef Douglas McMaster opened Silo in Brighton in 2014, most people’s reaction to “zero waste” would have been “zero what?!” McMaster is known for his ideas based on a simple but rather trash-free concept. One look at the concise menu projected on the back wall (they don’t print food menus because they change frequently) and diners will notice McMaster’s unusual ingredient combinations. The menu features a range of exciting flavors that work well, right down to the puddings, which are equally creative and wild: sunny pumpkin ice cream, sour sea buckthorn snow and silky French sour cream. Get the daily tasting menu and try as many dishes as you can: each dish – all of them – is bold, daring and delicious. This is progressive food in approach and taste, and it will leave you in awe. Yes, it’s good for the planet – but it’s also very good.
Price range: ££££
Address: Silo, The White Building, Unit 7 Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN
4. The Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch
What was once the school’s bike shed has been around for some time. Owners Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson have been running the place since 2004 and have been business partners for more than 25 years. At Rochelle Canteen, they offer a menu that changes daily – it might be grilled round horns with cavolo nero or smoked fish. It’s unpretentious and honest cooking, served in a setting more like a country house than the East End. The wine list is delightful – whatever the season, feel free to order from the must-try menu and smugly discover this unassuming spot.
Price range: ££££
Address: Rochelle Canteen, 16 Playground Gardens, Shoreditch, London E2 7FA
5. Chet’s, Shepherd’s Bush
Hoxton’s latest bastard child – a shiny, just-opened hotel in Shepherd’s Bush – was a big success when Kris Yenbamroong was contracted to oversee the hotel’s restaurant. Yenbamroong is, of course, the man behind LA’s NIGHT + MARKET, the James Beard-nominated place where Thai and American flavors play off each other. For his first British outpost, Chet’s, Yenbamroong favors the Thai-American model that has served him so far so well in Hollywood, Venice Beach and Vegas. Metal table compartments are adorned with mirrors and pretty curtains for privacy, while a table in the center of the dining room gives you access to the open kitchen. Expect the plates to be hot, but there are plenty of surprises in store. The wedge salad is topped with garlic-infused nam jim, and the beef tartare is infused with Asian flavors like creamy spicy fish sauce, green onions and lemongrass. The menu includes noodles with green curry and pork chops, as well as burgers (with lots of chili, of course) and french fries. There’s a good wine list to suit all tastes (and budgets) and some short but well-thought-out cocktails that incorporate both Thai flavors and food; we like the Grey Goose, Rinquinquin, manzanilla sherry, lychee, Chet’s Super Sour and wakamomo made into a lychee martini. Best of all, the prices complement the extremely relaxed atmosphere of the place – no dish is more than £20 and a glass of wine starts at £5, which feels almost incredibly reasonable in London in 2023. Remember to order plenty of water for the tables to tamper with those strong spices.
Price: £
Address: Chet’s, 65 Shepherd’s Bush Green, London W12 8QE
6. Giacconi, Maribone
Sunny chef Ravinder Bhogal made his name at Michelin-starred Trishna before opening his own restaurant – a “no borders” kitchen that draws on Indian, African and European cooking styles to create its menu. . “We call ourselves a kitchen without borders because we feel that food is such a powerful language – a language that everyone can understand,” Bhogal tells us. The interior is decorated in a soft, candy-colored pattern, with orders of prawn toast scotch egg with banana ketchup and pickled cucumber, crisp fish tartlets with golden saffron, and artisanal scallops with porridge – really, everything is great. The short cocktail list leans toward Oriental spices, or, if you don’t drink, order one of the carefully selected teas. It’s a beautiful place to dine, serving food that will make you smile.
Price range: ££££
Address: Jikoni, 19-21 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DH
7. BiBi, Faye
Behind an unpretentious Georgian red brick facade, the wood-paneled ceilings, checkerboard floors and sleek dark wood countertops inside set BiBi apart from the traditional, slightly boring Mayfair stalwarts. BiBi’s blends neighborhood luxury tendencies with intoxicating Indian design with charming family influences, highlighting the point: a restaurant that blends naturally into its surroundings, while still being individual and modern. Chet Sharma’s career has taken him to some of Europe’s biggest restaurants – from Moor Hall in Lancashire and L’Enclume in Cumbria to Mugaritz in Spain’s Basque Country – but At BiBi, his training and experience blend with passion and family influences. Order a cheese crepe with a light, crunchy shrimp cracker, then an oyster pachadi. The khatti meethi cod also pairs perfectly with the sweet and sour tamarind sauce, and the goat chapli kebab is another exciting dish to add to your list. Combining high-end food, charming interiors and a zip code that’s hard to beat, with authentic family influences and traditional Indian cuisine, BiBi is well worth the wait.
Price range: ££££
Address: BiBi, 42 N Audley Street, London W1K 6ZP
8. Lyle, Shoreditch
Chef James Lowe’s resume includes shifts at Copenhagen’s Noma and London’s groundbreaking St John Bread and Wine. For this solo venture, it’s clear he drew inspiration from his previous work. It occupies what was once the Lipton Tea Factory, across from Shoreditch BoxPark – a space that is very white and bright thanks to the original warehouse windows. Lowe serves four cleverly paired dishes each evening, with a few light snacks. The menu varies, but might include perfect asparagus, grilled asparagus, sprinkled with walnuts and Spenwood cheese; fresh sashimi from the catch of the day seafood, or game from Yorkshire. Start with the delicate pink Eric Pfifferling from the Rhone Valley, then move on to the dry white Folle Blanche from the Loire, which goes particularly well with fish. The tasting menu in a prime Shoreditch location is actually worth the fanfare.
Price range: ££££
Address: Lyle’s, Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ
9. Paradise, Soho
“They don’t skimp on the chili or the acidity!” says Dom Fernando, a first-time restaurateur, of his childhood visit to Sri Lanka to see his family. His grandmother’s recipes were the inspiration for the menu led by Charith Priyadarshana, who moved here from Colombo 10 years ago. Everything at Paradise has a complex flavor profile, and most of the dishes have a certain excitement to them – it feels like you’re getting a real deal. Fried eggplant is served with coarse sugar moju (a traditional Sri Lankan pickle) and slow-roasted pork cheek with tamarind and a strong Sri Lankan stout. Laverstoke Park’s buffalo ice cream tops most ice cream parlors in London, covered in butterscotch and cashew crunch; the chili chocolate tart is more like a delicate Terry’s chocolate orange. The wine list highlights growers who focus on low-intervention brewing. What’s not to like?
Price range: £££
Address: Paradise, 61 Rupert Street, Soho, London W1D 7PW
10. Petersham Nurseries, Covent Garden
Petersham Nurseries Café isn’t really a café, but one of London’s most popular restaurants. This is their second eponymous location, filled with wrought iron tables and chairs (inside and out), huge vintage chandeliers, Murano glassware and simple fresh cut flowers. First up: colorful traditional radicchio dipped in spicy crab, or buffalo mozzarella with shelled fava beans, mint and chili peppers. Next: a perfect ricotta, nettle and marjoram green pasta wrap – all in a very tasty creamy sauce that you can eat by the spoonful; or saffron pasta lumps with Cornish mussels and a handful of spring flowers. Head next door to La Goccia Bar for its garden gin and tonic, with fresh pea flavors and basil tonic. Many people have heard of the delicious food at Petersham Nurseries, but few have actually been – this location in Covent Garden will change that. If you can find a table outside in the summer, go for it.
Price range: ££££
Address: Petersham Nurseries, Floral Court, London, WC2E 9FB
11. Akoko, Fitzrovia
London is slowly making waves with West African flavors right now. And it is Akoko that has been bubbling in the background. Its newest executive chef, Ayo Adeyemi, is adding fuel to the fire. Their tall, entrenched spin is immediately apparent upon entering the Berners Street space, where the walls are covered in clay terra cotta, the glassware on the wooden tables is beautifully leafy, and the work of Nigerian artist Niyi Olagunju uses pods of ekpiri seeds, a textural pop of black and gold. The five-course menu, developed over several months (Akoko means “time” in Yoruba), is a re-imagining of traditional Nigerian, Senegalese and Ghanaian dishes. The jollof rice comes with blue lobster tail and carrot clay pot, and the miyantaushe has pecan pumpkin, mackerel and honey. This is a well-deserved pioneer in bringing a new experience of West African cuisine to London.
Address: Akoko, 21 Berners Street, London W1T 3LP
12. Take cover, Phil
Londoners were wondering what Ollie Dabbous’ next move would be when his heavily booked restaurant Dabbous closed in 2017 with the promise of better service. In 2018, something better came in the form of HIDE – a three-story industrial-chic behemoth. At street level is GROUND, where the team serves British-sourced dishes, and an in-house bakery serving breakfast food (it’s one of the best brunches in London). Downstairs, BELOW is a dark cocktail bar and hidden wine cellar. But if you’re a true Dabbous fan and can sample the nine-course tasting menu, head down the wide staircase to ABOVE. Steamed ikejime turbot is cooked to a sparkling finish and served in a sauce made from bone; the best tail-to-gill cooking. Other highlights include king crab roasted in chamomile honey, slow-roasted goose in birch jus and roasted Herdwick lamb. Since HIDE claims to have the largest wine list in London, you can expect the careful attention of one of its 15 sommeliers. It’s cooking that focuses on big flavors-whether you want a simple dinner or something a little smarter.
Price range: ££££
Address: Hide, 85 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7NB
13. Bao Soho
It’s been a few years since London’s favourite Taiwanese bao bao house opened in Soho, and long queues still form outside the tiny space on Lexington Street. After that sensational opening, BAO also opened in Borough, Fitzrovia and King’s Cross stations. There’s a reason why the fluffy bread is so popular with the masses. Beginners should order the classic, juicy pork and peanuts in a furry pocket, or the indulgent fried chicken. If you have room for pudding, the fried Holliday ice cream bun is another option; the fried bun tastes a bit like a cannoli, while the ice cream is made from a creamy malt beverage. The classic Negroni is made with sake, while Old Fashioned uses the Japanese favorite milk tea. This tiny Soho location is still a favorite of our bag family – and well worth the line.
Price range: £££
Address: Bao, 53 Lexington Street, Carnaby, London W1F 9AS
14. Maru, Mayfair
You may have passed by Maru many times without realizing it existed, as it sits behind the discreet frontage of the small Dickens passage in Shepherd’s Market, leading to Ye Grapes Bar. The space has been reborn as Taiji’s personal project, an omakase joint serving up to 10 guests – the omakase is a surprise meal, with the chef choosing each piece for you. Sitting at the counter with the world outside, sushi-grade tuna sliced inches away, feels like the kind of experience we want right now. We think each of these 20 courses should be a surprise – follow along, keep an open mind (though nothing particularly challenging) and an empty stomach. There are three drink pairings to choose from, each elegantly poured and explained by the sommelier. Gourmet Close-Up Magic – If there was a four-letter word to describe amazing Japanese flavors, Maru would be it.
Price range: ££££
Address: Maru, 18 Shepherd Market, London W1J 7QH
15. The Barbary, Covent Garden
The owners of The Barbary (two former nightclub owners and two Israeli chefs) have created something rare – a group of London restaurants (The Palomar, The Barbary, The Barbary Next door) where the tables are now as good as they were on opening night Mouth-watering . While you wait for a seat at the Covent Garden outpost, order some puffy cigars stuffed with fish and a circle of lamb pita pockets that are as cozy as a pair of finger gloves in the winter. It’s hard to distinguish the standout dishes, but the charred octopus tentacles and pata negra pork neck are contenders. A talking point around the bar, the pistachio-filled “hash cake” has a satisfyingly joint-smoky finish. East London Liquor Company’s gin and tonic is paired with a slice of grapefruit, and the Zweigelt goes with almost every dish on the menu. It remains one of our favorite spots in London.
Price range: ££££
Address: The Barbary, 16 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2
