Restaurants in London
Dine in Chelsea in Michelin-starred style at Gordon Ramsay. Join the Chinatown bustle for dim sum in Soho and head west to Edgware Road for Lebanese. In the East End, Hackney is great for Turkish and Brick Lane for Bangladeshi curries. Sông Quê Café in Kingsland Road in Hoxton serves cheap Vietnamese noodle soup. Last orders are usually 11pm, although 24-hour Soho stays open later. Service, at 12.5%, is generally included but check the bill.
The River Café
Italian by the Thames
Hammersmith promises fine quality and accordingly priced Italian food at The
River Café. The outside dining area overlooks a sunken lawn, favoured by a
mixed crowd who take their dining seriously, choosing seasonal dishes of
antipasti, primi and secondi. Inside, chefs work behind the long open
bar.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Lunch: Mon-Fri 12.30pm-2.15pm; Sat 12.30pm-2.30pm; Sun 12pm-3pmDinner: Mon-Thu 7pm-9pm; Fri & Sat 7pm-9.15pm
Address
Thames Wharf, Rainville Rd, London W6 9HA
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7386 4200
Hakkasan
Michelin-starred Chinese
A Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Hakkasan hides down a dark back alley
in Fitzrovia. The low lighting creates an intimate yet sleek environment. A
jet-set crowd chooses specials like lunchtime dim sum at the bar, or Peking
duck with royal Beluga caviar for an extravagant dinner. Book ahead.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Lunch: Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm; Sun 12pm-4.30pm Dinner: Mon-Sat 6pm-12am; Sun 6pm-11.30pm
Address
8, Hanway Place, London W1T 1HD
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7927 7000
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Gourmet experience
Three Michelin stars take Gordon Ramsay's flagship eatery, Restaurant Gordon
Ramsay, to another level of dining. Its location in Chelsea and the deluxe
white and cream interior prepare the upper end of London society for a
serious gourmet experience. A sommelier advises on the wine list.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-2.30pm, 6.30pm-11pm
Address
68, Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4HP
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7352 4441
Scott's
Seafood and glamour
From its beginnings as an oyster warehouse in the 1800s, Scott's became a
glamorous seafood restaurant and oyster bar with many of London's well-known
faces as regulars. The Mayfair restaurant serves classically British fish
and seafood dishes in a plush oak-panelled dining room, with burgundy
leather banquettes.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12pm-10.30pm; Sun 12pm-10pm
Address
20, Mount St, London W1K 2HE
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7495 7309
Chez Bruce
Classic French cooking
Classic and regional French cooking of exceptional quality earnt Chez Bruce
in Wandsworth its Michelin star. Dishes such as stuffed quail with salad
paysanne are followed by the recommended cheese board. The fixed-price menus
are more than reasonable, and the smart yet simple interior is
unpretentious.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-2pm (until 2.30pm Fri Jan-Nov) & 6.30pm-10pm (until 10.30pm Fri); Sat 12pm-3pm & 6.30pm-10.30pm; Sun 12pm-3pm & 7pm-9.30pm
Address
2, Bellevue Rd, London SW17 7EG
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 8672 0114
Cambio de Tercio
Traditional Spanish flavours
Cambio de Tercio wears the Spanish crown in South Kensington for its honest,
traditional cuisine. Colourful paintings of bullfights dot the walls and
hordes from Hispanic London, alongside curious Brits, are attracted by the
reasonable prices. Try the typical Burgos-style suckling pig as a main
course.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-2.30pm (until 3pm Sat & Sun) & 7pm-11.30pm (until 11pm Sun)
Address
163, Old Brompton Rd, London SW5 OLJ
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7244 8970
The Wolseley
Viennese-style brasserie
The Wolseley, a grand Viennese-style café brasserie on Piccadilly, bustles
with waiters amid noisy diners. The varied Northern European cuisine is
favoured by the theatre crowd throughout the day. Pop in to this spectacular
building for coffee and cake or linger over a lavish dinner.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 7am-12am; Sat 8am-12am; Sun 8am-11pm
Address
160, Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7499 6996
Moro
North African innovation
Moro has put Moorish food on London's culinary map. Located in lively Exmouth
Market, the restaurant has a relaxed Mediterranean feel. An arty/media crowd
enjoy the outside seating in summertime. Tapas is served at the bar
throughout the day, with its clear view through to the open kitchen.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12.30pm-2.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm; Tapas served all day
Address
34-36, Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7833 8336
St John Bread & Wine
British classics
The acclaimed St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields, on the fringe of
The City, has an understated, simple take on British dining. The restaurant
merges the finest ingredients, old British classics and a tapas-style dining
experience. Expect some unusual options, such as pigs' trotters.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-11pm; Sat 10am-11pm; Sun 10am-10.30pm
Address
94-96, Commercial St, London E1 6LZ
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7251 0848
Sông Quê Café
Cheap and filling
Cheap and filling pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) is devoured in the
busiest Vietnamese restaurant in Hoxton, the bright-green Sông Quê. Trendy
locals and many of London's Vietnamese are packed in tightly and served
quickly in a lively atmosphere. The short wait is definitely worth it.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm; Sun 12pm-11pm
Address
134, Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DY
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7613 3222
Transport
Old Street Tube
The Windmill
Award-winning pies
Nicknamed "The Institute of Pie Excellence", The Windmill in Mill Street is
the place to come for a national championship-winning steak and
kidney pie served with creamy mash, English mustard and tangy watercress. A
real find, this restaurant above The Windmill pub serves up reliably good
British food at reasonable prices.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-9.30pm; Sat 12pm-3.30pm
Address
6/8, Mill Street, London W1S 2AZ
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7491 8050
Transport
Oxford Circus Tube
Bar Italia
24-hour London institution
The queen of café culture in Soho since 1949, Bar Italia is a 24-hour London
institution. Patrons enjoy freshly-ground, quality coffee and tasty toasted
paninis in front of a large screen showing loud Italian football matches.
Join the noisy Bar Italia Scooter Club on Sunday evenings.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Open 24 hrs
Address
22, Frith St, London W1D 4RP
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7437 4520
Leon
Fresh and healthy
Eat to your heart's content and still feel virtuous at Leon, brainchild of
chef extraordinaire, Allegra McEvedy. Healthy, tasty meals are served up in
colourful surroundings - and vegetarians will be pleased by the choice on
offer. If Central London is too hectic for you, try any of the other
branches dotted around the capital.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 8am-10pm; Sat 9.30am-10pm; Sun 10am-6pm
Address
35, Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7JE
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7437 5280
Buen Ayre
Argentine steak
Buen Ayre's success lies in its simplicity. Classic cuts of quality Argentine
steak and parrilladas to share are the specialities. Try the tasty meat
empanadas for a typical starter. Wooden tables and small candles make the
restaurant cosy and relaxed for the trendy Broadway Market clientele. Book
ahead.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 6pm-10.30pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-5pm & 6pm-10.30pm
Address
50, Broadway Market, London E8 4QJ
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7275 9900
Lahore Kebab House
Sizzling Pakistani delicacies
In a dead-end street in deepest, darkest Whitechapel, diners feast on Punjabi
curries in the Lahore Kebab House. Locals and those in-the-know frequent the
busy Pakistani restaurant for traditional cooking at astonishingly cheap
prices. Diners must take their own alcohol if they want to drink.
E-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-12am
Address
2-4, Umberston St, London E1 1PY
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7481 9737
