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$$$ | Soho |
There may only be 28 table seats and nine counter stools at this stripped-back Modern European Soho eatery, but the consistently great and unpretentious food, cheap wine, affable prices, and tremendous service more than make up for it. Once seated, expect deceptively simple starters and punchy Modern European mains like butternut ravioli with sage, slow-braised beef ribs, or slip sole with lemon butter. Flavors are big, bold, and brassy and sway gently with the seasons, while thoughtful desserts are only £9 a pop.
10 Greek St., London, Greater London, W1D 4DH, England
Known For
- Buzzed-up foodie atmosphere in a pared-back dining space
- Speciality slow roasts and gutsy seasonal Modern European mains
- Generous platters of house-cured charcuterie and gravlax
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$ | 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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$$$ | Bermondsey |
This bistro on Bermondsey Street near the Fashion and Textile Museum is as French as a pack of Gauloises, from the yellow walls and red-and-white checked tablecloths to the perfectly executed classics like lapin à la moutarde (rabbit in a creamy mustard sauce), suprême de volaille aux mousserons (chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms), escargots, and île flottant (meringue on a vanilla custard base). The daily changing menu offers three reasonably priced options per course, and the wine list (French, of course) goes off the beaten path with discoveries from small local producers. The limited amount of space means that diners are in close proximity, but everyone is usually too busy scarfing down the excellent food to notice.
109 Bermondsey St., London, Greater London, SE1 3XB, England
Known For
- Beautifully prepared bistro classics
- Authentic French atmosphere in tight quarters
- Reservations necessary for dinner
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | 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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$$$ | Covent Garden |
British comfort food like ham-and-cheese toasties, bubble 'n' squeak, and even the mighty potato chip are elevated into gastro showstoppers at this classy Covent Garden town house, just off the Piazza. Triple-cooked chips are squeezed, sliced, buttered, and deep-fried to perfection, while the famous crustless toasties are all succulent ham hock, Montgomery cheddar, and tangy house pickle. Understated jazz and blues music plays amid the elegant decor, from the antique table glasses and French-linen napkins to the tarnished mirrors and green-velvet banquettes.
30 Henrietta St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8NA, England
Known For
- Elegant decor and upmarket atmosphere
- Upgraded British comfort food classics
- Classy pre- and post-theater option
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | City of London |
Zoom up to the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate and head straight for the cult signature dish of confit duck leg, Belgium waffle, fried duck egg, and mustard maple syrup for a taste of foodie bliss. Open 24/7, with spectacular panoramas of The City, you might satisfy the munchies with a foie gras breakfast, served all day, alongside streaky bacon and homemade Nutella or an Elvis PB&J waffle with banana brûlée. Look, too, for the bag of spiced pigs ears and the big-as-tennis-balls spicy ox cheek doughnuts dusted with smoked paprika sugar. There's always a party vibe and you'll often find live music in the dining room.
110 Bishopsgate, London, Greater London, EC2N 4AY, England
Known For
- Rare-to-London 24-hour service
- Awe-inspiring panoramas of London's skyline
- Eponymous duck-and-waffle dish
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Soho |
Hidden beneath The Blue Posts pub in Chinatown, you'll find an intimate speakeasy vibe at Evelyn's Table, specializing in set tasting menus based on top British produce, Japanese technique, Scandinavian flair, and classical French training. A secret door with a peephole reveals a small but passionate chef's kitchen counter where chefs serve dishes like barbecued monkfish dashi or hand-dived Devon scallop sashimi. Enjoy friendly chats with the chefs, quality tunes, great wines, and a prime spread of south London Peckham-produced craft sake.
28 Rupert St., London, Greater London, W1D 6DJ, England
Known For
- Secret and cozy beer cellar venue
- Wonderfully fresh Cornish day-boat fish and bivalves
- Superb soundtracks curated by ex-DJ and current co-owner Layo Paskin
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$ | 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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$$$ | Bloomsbury |
There's an old Amsterdam coffeehouse vibe at this dark and creaky wine bar and restaurant on historic Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. Run by two wine buffs and cult wine magazine publishers, you'll find deceptively simple ingredient-driven British dishes like roast Yorkshire pheasant with bread sauce and quince. There's an ever-changing French and British cheese plate menu, fantastic focaccia, sourdough, and soda bread, and an ambrosial wine list.
51 Lamb's Conduit St., London, Greater London, WC1N 3NB, England
Known For
- Paradise for oenophiles
- Unpretentious seasonal British and French wine-friendly fare
- Excellent value two- and three-course set lunch menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | Soho |
Co-owner Missy Flynn and chef Gabe Pryce bring a joyous and playful spirit to Modern American dining to this spot on Soho's gastro-central Lexington Street. Sit at cute raised tables or the red-leather booths and enjoy densely flavored Americana like hearty baby shrimp boil, spicy chicken wings, or corn-crusted turbot with macha pico salsa. The wines are all organic, low intervention, or biodynamic, and you can't go wrong by kicking off dinner with a gorgeous gilda martini.
49 Lexington St., London, Greater London, W1F 9AP, England
Known For
- Renowned cocktails and natural wine list
- Eclectic Modern American dishes like grilled lobster with drawn butter
- Malted milk pudding with poached blueberries for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Notting Hill |
The ultimate neighborhood restaurant in west London's wealthy Holland Park section draws diners with its brilliant-but-understated French and Mediterranean classics, relaxed service, and interesting, mainly French wines. Treat yourself to bouillabaisse Provençale or ox cheek bourguignon with button mushrooms and pearl onions. With only 36 seats and a teeny bar, this is an intimate affair, which is highlighted by the white paper tablecloths and bentwood chairs. Service is friendly but not overly familiar, while wines are grower, boutique, or biodynamic. Traditional roasts served on Sundays.
6 Portland Rd., London, Greater London, W11 4LA, England
Known For
- Good value three-course set menu running Monday to Saturday
- Unpretentious but pitch-perfect service
- Winning boutique wine list
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$$$ | Clerkenwell |
Global foodie fanatics join Clerkenwell locals for the pioneering nose-to-tail cuisine at this high-ceilinged, converted smokehouse near Smithfield Market. Here the chef uses all scraps of a carcass—from tongue and cheeks to tail and trotters—so brace for radically stark signatures like bone-marrow-and-parsley salad. One appetizer is grilled lamb's heart with beetroot and pickled walnuts, while elsewhere on the menu you'll find crispy pig tongue, calf's liver, tripe and onions, and a pig's head and potato pie. Plunder the outstanding wine list (mainly French and Italian) and finish with traditional Eccles cakes with Lancashire cheese or half a dozen golden madeleines.
26 St. John St., London, Greater London, EC1M 4AY, England
Known For
- Ground zero of influential Modern British nose-to-tail dining
- Great wine list
- Buzzy, friendly vibe
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Holborn |
It's all fin de siècle Vienna at this evocative art deco–style grand café on Aldwych near Covent Garden. Dishes on the majestic Middle European menu would do the Austro-Hungarian Empire proud—think Wiener schnitzel, Hungarian goulash, beef Stroganoff, and wonderful würstchen (frankfurters and hot dogs) served with sauerkraut and onions. Savor other goodies like borscht, kedgeree and lamb shank sauerbraten, while desserts include a sinfully indulgent Sacher torte.
55 Aldwych, London, Greater London, WC2B 4BB, England
Known For
- Elegant old-world Austro-Hungarian vibe
- Proper Holstein schnitzel and frankfurters
- Excellent wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Soho |
Striking black-and-white photos of legendary regulars like artists Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud beam down at this disarmingly charming old-school hangout that was the former unofficial London headquarters for the Free French in exile during World War II. Set on the first floor of the famous pub of the same name and run by a former cabaret artist, you can sip Ricard pastis or bargains from the all-French wine list before embracing superb French bistro classics like salt cod beignets, calves brain with brown butter, or braised navarin of lamb with cheesy aligot mashed potato.
49 Dean St., London, Greater London, W1D 5BG, England
Known For
- Storied home to Soho's artists, writers, and bohemians
- French bistro classics like whole roast garlic bulb on toast
- No music, no phones, and no laptops policy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner Sat., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Covent Garden |
London's onetime most famous celebrity haunt and West End landmark is still so popular it receives more than a thousand calls a day. Established as an Italian café in 1917, today it's still a top destination to dine on deep-fried haddock and chips, Thai baked sea bass, and evergreen English classics like shepherd's pie and baked Alaska. Madonna famously once ate sticky toffee pudding with Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and British playwright Harold Pinter here back in the day. Perch at the coral onyx dining bar in pink mohair-backed seats, kick back with an Old Fashioned, and enjoy some of the best free theater and people-watching in town.
1–5 West St., London, Greater London, WC2H 9NQ, England
Known For
- Celebrity-filled history dating back to 1917
- Famed house staples like grilled calf's liver and Dover sole
- Charming service and wonderful West End people-watching
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Soho |
It's Palestine meets Jerusalem meets Beirut at this funky Arab-Israeli spot off Chinatown. Sit at the zinc open-kitchen counter and down shots of arak while trading quips with the brilliant Middle Eastern chefs, who offer an exuberant medley of Levantine delights, including Yemeni Jewish kubaneh (a light, fluffy pull-apart bread), Palestinian steak tartare, Jerusalem truffled mushroom polenta, and paprika-rich pork belly tajine with Israeli couscous. Look, too, for the lavish Kurdish-style mussels inspired by the head chef's beloved grandmother.
34 Rupert St., London, Greater London, W1D 6DN, England
Known For
- Middle Eastern party atmosphere and free arak shots
- Lively chefs at the open-kitchen counter
- Popular Persian oxtail stew and sumac-rich fattoush salad
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Shoreditch |
Welsh chef Tomos Parry brings his signature wood-grilled, whole roast Cornish turbot to this Basque-inspired hipster restaurant. Expect other live-fire smashes like aged Jersey beef chops and seared leeks. Even the grilled bread is something special.
4 Redchurch St., London, Greater London, E1 6JL, England
Known For
- Meat-heavy dishes grilled in a variety of ways
- Noisy hipster atmosphere
- Heritage Welsh grain flour breads
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$$$ | Shoreditch |
This unpretentious neighborhood restaurant serves inventive modern European cuisine—think rabbit, pork, and pistachio terrine or brill, mussels, and fennel in a bouillabaisse sauce. Enjoy your meal with some of the best natural wines you'll find in London.
49 Columbia Rd., London, Greater London, E2 7RG, England
Known For
- Welcoming vibe
- Industrial look
- Orange wines by the glass
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Mon.
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$$$ | Battersea |
Top-notch French and Mediterranean cuisine, faultless service, and a winning wine list make this one of London's all-star favorite restaurants. At this cozy haunt overlooking Wandsworth Common, prepare for unfussy grown-up gastro wonders ranging from homemade charcuterie to lighter, simply grilled fish dishes. Pot-roast pigs' cheeks with polenta, roasted cod with truffle mash, and monkfish with scallops are all effortlessly conceived. Desserts like prune and Armagnac tart are packed with flavor, and the sommelier's a hoot.
2 Bellevue Rd., London, Greater London, SW17 7EG, England
Known For
- Elegant neighborhood salon
- Luxe classics like lobster and scallop ravioli
- Impressive sommelier
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | King's Cross |
Styled as a collaboration between star designer Tom Dixon and chef/entrepreneur Assaf Granit, this delightful restaurant is full of infectious joie de vivre and, most important, to-die-for food. With a mix of shared plates and main courses, the menu is a playful celebration of Israeli cuisine, with dishes from the most delicious cured trout to shawarma with tender bavette and bone marrow. Leave room for the tahini ice cream.
2 Bagley Walk, London, Greater London, N1C 4PQ, England
Known For
- Bar seating where the chefs often give tasting samples
- Ancient Levantine bread with za'atar and olive oil
- Grilled lamb, chicken, and beef
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Wed.
