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$$$$ | Mayfair |
One of only three three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester achieves the pinnacle of classical French haute cuisine in a surprisingly fun, lively, and unstuffy salon. Diners feast on a blizzard of beautifully choreographed dishes, including classic rum baba with Chantilly cream, sliced open and served in a silver domed tureen. Slick service is off-the-scale outstanding, while the sommelier is a brilliantly charming expert on all things vino.
53 Park La., London, Greater London, W1K 1QA, England
020-7629--8866-for reservations only
Known For
- Impeccable five-star service
- Surprisingly unstarchy vibe
- Signature sautéed lobster with chicken quenelles
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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$$ | Soho |
Candlelit at night, with a haunting Dickensian vibe, Andrew Edmunds is a permanently packed, old-school Soho dining institution. Tucked away behind Carnaby Street in a charming 18th-century town house, it's a cozy favorite whose unpretentious and keenly priced dishes draw on the tastes of Ireland, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Desserts like warm treacle tart or bread-and-butter pudding offer few surprises, but the wine's superb and famously reasonable. It could be larger, less creaky underfoot, and its wooden church pew seats more forgiving, but it's a deeply romantic way to get a taste of what Soho was like in days gone by.
46 Lexington St., London, Greater London, W1F 0LP, England
Known For
- Deeply romantic, Georgian-era town house setting
- Unpretentious, daily-changing, handwritten menus
- Bargains galore on the acclaimed wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Covent Garden |
British restaurateur Keith McNally re-creates his famed New York–Parisian–style brasserie at this bustling corner spot off Covent Garden Piazza. The soaring grand café setting creates an enchanting white-tablecloth backdrop to enjoy the classic French brasserie menu, including dishes like duck and beef pie, moules marinière (mussels with cream and white wine), and ox cheek bourguignon (stew). Treat yourself to rock oysters and champagne while perusing the nearly all-French wine list, which carries everything from Chablis to Charmes-Chambertin, before polishing off a pile of profiteroles and chocolate sauce for dessert.
4–7 Russell St., London, Greater London, WC2B 5HZ, England
Known For
- Parisian-style grand café setting
- Handy prix fixe, weekend brunch, children's, and afternoon tea menus
- Vegan and vegetarian options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | Soho |
At this cult favorite Persian kebab hole-in-the-wall, it's best to sit at the raised counter overlooking the tandoor grill and clay oven and indulge in the expansive meze spreads, hot sesame breads, and richly flavored coal-cooked marinated lamb, chicken, and poussin kebabs. With exposed brick walls and a delightfully edgy atmosphere, you can sip non-alcoholic cocktails and sharbat cordials in cozy side booths or hide out in the green foliage backroom snug.
27 Romilly St., London, Greater London, W1D 5AL, England
Known For
- Copious celebrity sightings
- Popular £28 kebab meal deals for Friday lunch
- Sociable outdoor dining in spring and summer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$ | Soho |
This upscale Italian institution is always crowded and the tables are jammed too close together, but everyone still loves the glorious spread of regional Italian small plates here. Located off Theaterland's Shaftesbury Avenue, the famous trattoria offers magnificent peasant-based pasta, stews, fritti, salumi, and raw crudi, spanning regions from Lombardy to the Veneto. Try the deceptively fine Romani fried sage leaves with anchovy, the salt-baked fossil fish from Lazio, or roast suckling pig from northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna. Start with a refreshing Aperol spritz before enjoying the majestic all-Italian wine list, which weaves from Super Tuscans to ballsy Barolos.
12 Archer St., London, Greater London, W1D 7BB, England
Known For
- Open chef's counter serving a medley of rustic Italian small plates
- Majestic all-Italian wine list
- Crowd-pleasing Sicilian lobster and pappardelle pasta with rich venison ragù
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | Piccadilly Circus |
Enjoy the great value, prix-fixe menus of classic French dishes at Piccadilly's ever-bustling subterranean Parisian-style brasserie. Dripping with Beaux-Arts gilt mirrors and monumental marble pillars, you can enjoy satisfying French standards like steak haché, choucroute, Niçoise salad, and crème brûleé. Old-school waiters in dapper black uniforms glide across the vast parquet dining room floor, while the attached art deco-style Bar Américain cocktail lounge and late-night live cabaret provide wonderfully suave post-dinner shows.
20 Sherwood St., London, Greater London, W1F 7ED, England
Known For
- London's most spectacular Beaux-Arts brasserie
- Fantastically cheap set-meal deals
- Nightly live music, cabaret, comedy, and burlesque
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Fitzrovia |
Flavorful, inventive dishes elevate this hipster casual joint to the top rank of London's midrange gastro titans. With a focus on in-house curing, pickling, smoked meats, and heritage vegetables, expect a cavalcade of unlikely combinations and classic gastronomy specialties. The food is modern European, but with influences drawn from around the world—their beautifully delicate Cornish plaice with bok choy, trout roe, and Tosazu butter are a prime example.
5 Clipstone St., London, Greater London, W1W 6BB, England
Known For
- Fine dining without the fuss
- Lots of homemade, pickled, fermented, or cured extras
- Good-value set lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
Ask for a table in the dreamy, white blossom–filled conservatory at this warm, cozy, and seriously romantic Provençal country-style inn off Covent Garden. Once inside, you'll be won over by the old-fashioned but refined French cuisine. Options include Loire Valley rabbit ballotine, poached wild turbot, and Charolais beef cheeks with fine French beans. Lunch specials and pre-and post-theater prix fixe menus are an affordable way to experience the cuisine and celebratory atmosphere. With its warren of candlelit, oak-paneled rooms and open fires, Clos Maggiore never fails to enchant.
33 King St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8JD, England
Known For
- Regularly voted one of London's most romantic restaurants
- Warren of blossom-filled conservatories and candle-lit hideaways
- Lunch and pre- and post-theater meal deals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Covent Garden |
British comfort food like ham-and-cheese toasties, bubble 'n' squeak, and even the mighty potato chip are elevated into gastro showstoppers at this classy Covent Garden town house, just off the Piazza. Triple-cooked chips are squeezed, sliced, buttered, and deep-fried to perfection, while the famous crustless toasties are all succulent ham hock, Montgomery cheddar, and tangy house pickle. Understated jazz and blues music plays amid the elegant decor, from the antique table glasses and French-linen napkins to the tarnished mirrors and green-velvet banquettes.
30 Henrietta St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8NA, England
Known For
- Elegant decor and upmarket atmosphere
- Upgraded British comfort food classics
- Classy pre- and post-theater option
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun., 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 |
Open since 1896, this timelessly elegant seafood haven is a favorite with neighboring Theaterland's top stars and theater moguls. Dripping with vintage black-and-white photos of bygone West End actors and movie legends, J Sheekey charms with a ravishing menu of fresh Atlantic prawns, Arctic herrings, salmon burgers, and the famous Sheekey Fish Pie. Better yet, sip pink Billecart-Salmon champagne and shuck half a dozen Lindisfarne oysters at the chic 1930s mirrored oyster bar for the ultimate in true romance.
28–32 St. Martin's Ct., London, Greater London, WC2N 4AL, England
Known For
- Post-theater celebrity haunt
- Snappingly fresh British fish and shellfish menu
- Impossibly glamorous art deco oyster bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | Covent Garden |
Seemingly everyone involved in the West End theater world hangs out at this legendary subterranean spot for its ever-enchanting blend of New York comfort food, nightly jazz piano, and wall-to-wall signed theaterland memorabilia. Established in 1977, enduring classics include Joe's slow-braised smoked baby back ribs, New York strip steak, a not-so-secret off-menu hamburger, and a classic PB&J ice cream sandwich.
2 Burleigh St., London, Greater London, WC2E 7PX, England
Known For
- West End theaterland luminaries like Dame Judy Dench and Sir Ian McKellen
- Speakeasy cocktail bar vibe
- Nightly resident jazz pianists
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, No lunch Mon.
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$$$$ | Clerkenwell |
This winning mix of modern Italian classics is made from the very best in British seasonal produce. Add to that the super-chic setting—from the art deco--esque dining salon to the marble-top bar and the stunning glass-walled conservatory—and this popular Clerkenwell haunt is very much a case of both style and substance. Dishes include cappelletti of potato and sage with seasonal mushrooms and cannon of Hebridean lamb with tema artichokes and bagna cauda.
88 St. John St., London, Greater London, EC1M 4EH, England
Known For
- Edgy Italian pastas
- Cool and glamorously designed brasserie
- To-die-for fluffy Parmesan fries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$ | East End |
Globally acclaimed Brit chef and co-owner James Lowe forsakes heavy sauces and sorcery at this stripped-back, informal British dining mecca in Shoreditch. Stark but highly inventive locally sourced dishes may include house-cured cod with radiant nasturtium flowers or 24-hour Cornish Helford Estuary monkfish with wood sorrel and pick-your-own East Sussex greengages. A firm slice of treacle tart comes with a blob of raw double cream. All the sourdough bread, butter, charcuterie, pickles, and preserves are made in-house. Look for the Neal's Yard cheese plates (try Tymsboro and Stichleton). Dinner is served as a six-course set menu, while lunch is an à la carte small plates affair.
56 Shoreditch High St., London, Greater London, E1 6JJ, England
Known For
- Highly modern and airy dining space
- Serious new-wave British neo-bistronomy
- Excellent cheese plates and wines by the glass
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. bank holidays, Reservations essential
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$$$ | Bloomsbury |
There's an old Amsterdam coffeehouse vibe at this dark and creaky wine bar and restaurant on historic Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. Run by two wine buffs and cult wine magazine publishers, you'll find deceptively simple ingredient-driven British dishes like roast Yorkshire pheasant with bread sauce and quince. There's an ever-changing French and British cheese plate menu, fantastic focaccia, sourdough, and soda bread, and an ambrosial wine list.
51 Lamb's Conduit St., London, Greater London, WC1N 3NB, England
Known For
- Paradise for oenophiles
- Unpretentious seasonal British and French wine-friendly fare
- Excellent value two- and three-course set lunch menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Soho |
Fans of top French food and fine wine flock to this gorgeous wood-paneled Georgian town house for masterful dishes like roast chicken with morel mushrooms and creamy vin jaune sauce alongside a marvelous 28-page French-focused wine list. Dark oak floors, soft brass lights, and cut-crystal glass decanters help guests bliss out on one of London's finest and surprisingly most accessible wine lists, with numerous rare gems available by the glass.
2 Greek St., London, Greater London, W1D 4NB, England
Known For
- Incredible French-heavy wine list
- Highly convivial and boisterous atmosphere
- Bargain £18 two-course set lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Fitzrovia |
Consistently brilliant modern European fare in a low-key setting characterizes this Michelin-starred restaurant located just northeast of Oxford Circus. Marvel at the chef's brigade in the open kitchen busily turning the inventive seasonal produce–driven menu into delicious reality. Dishes feature superior British produce such as succulent Cornish cod served with a smoked eel rosti or smoked celeriac and whipped ricotta with apple, capers, and almonds. Desserts are always worth a second look; try the dark chocolate device with poached pear, coffee, and cashew.
113 Great Portland St., London, Greater London, W1W 6QQ, England
Known For
- Unpretentious fine dining
- Excellent wine list
- Good-value set lunch and tasting menus
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Notting Hill |
The ultimate neighborhood restaurant in west London's wealthy Holland Park section draws diners with its brilliant-but-understated French and Mediterranean classics, relaxed service, and interesting, mainly French wines. Treat yourself to bouillabaisse Provençale or ox cheek bourguignon with button mushrooms and pearl onions. With only 36 seats and a teeny bar, this is an intimate affair, which is highlighted by the white paper tablecloths and bentwood chairs. Service is friendly but not overly familiar, while wines are grower, boutique, or biodynamic. Traditional roasts served on Sundays.
6 Portland Rd., London, Greater London, W11 4LA, England
Known For
- Good value three-course set menu running Monday to Saturday
- Unpretentious but pitch-perfect service
- Winning boutique wine list
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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