Cookies & Privacy
This website uses cookies or similar techonoglies to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalized recommendations. By contrinuing to use our website, you agree... Cookie Policy
Fine dining & Night Bites
The 20 Best Restaurants in London: Our Expert Guide to Iconic Flavors, Locations, and Must-Try Dishes Based on Reviews
WorldClubDirectory • Editorial Feature
London’s 20 Best Restaurants — Definitive Guide to Locations, Hours, Prices & Insider Tips
By WorldClubDirectory Team • Updated for 2025
London’s dining scene is a thrilling tapestry of global influences and British ingenuity — from polished tasting rooms to steamy market stalls. This is our original, curated roadmap to the 20 best restaurants in London, blending acclaim, consistency, cultural impact and that elusive “this is it” magic. You’ll find exact locations, typical hours, price ranges, signature dishes and practical tips to dine like a Londoner.
Why London Leads
With 18,000+ places to eat and a riot of 300+ cuisines, London rewards curiosity: neighbourhood wine bars, produce-obsessed kitchens, Indian fine dining, new-Nordic foraging, and Sunday roasts that would make your nan proud. Handy resources: VisitLondon — Food & Drink, OpenTable UK, and TheFork.
The 20 Best Restaurants in London
1) Core by Clare Smyth — Notting Hill Modern British
Location: 92 Kensington Park Rd, W11 2PN
Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: tasting ~£185–£225
Signature: Potato & roe; impeccable seasonal plates.
Book months ahead; request the kitchen-view table.
2) Restaurant Gordon Ramsay — Chelsea
Location: 68 Royal Hospital Rd, SW3 4HP
Hours: Lunch & Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: ~£175–£235
Signature: Lobster ravioli; classic service theatre.
Jackets recommended; lunch tasting is calmer and great value.
3) Hélène Darroze at The Connaught — Mayfair
Location: The Connaught, Carlos Pl, W1K 2AL
Hours: Lunch & Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: ~£165–£230
Signature: Duck foie gras variations; sensational trolley service.
Pair with a martini at The Connaught Bar pre-meal.
4) The Ledbury — Notting Hill
Location: 127 Ledbury Rd, W11 2AQ
Hours: Lunch Sat–Sun • Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: ~£185–£215
Signature: Game & British terroir, ultra-refined.
Counter seats for kitchen action; book far in advance.
5) Ikoyi — St James’s
Location: 1 St James’s Market, SW1Y 4AH
Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: tasting ~£160–£195
Signature: West African spice profiles on British produce.
Spice levels can be assertive — alert the team to preferences.
6) The Clove Club — Shoreditch
Location: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old St, EC1V 9LT
Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: ~£155 tasting
Signature: Cured & foraged British ingredients, modernist touch.
Book counter for the most intimate experience.
7) St. JOHN — Smithfield
Location: 26 St John St, EC1M 4AY
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £45–£90
Signature: Nose-to-tail classics; roast bone marrow & parsley salad.
Bakery next door for morning buns if you’re nearby early.
8) Gymkhana — Mayfair
Location: 42 Albemarle St, W1S 4JH
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £55–£120
Signature: Tandoori chops, game-inspired curries, superb chutneys.
Go for the game menu when in season; book downstairs booths.
9) Brat — Shoreditch
Location: 4 Redchurch St, E1 6JL
Hours: Dinner daily; some lunches • Budget: £45–£100
Signature: Whole turbot over wood-fire; heritage veg.
Order the turbot to share and build the table around it.
10) Kiln — Soho
Location: 58 Brewer St, W1F 9TL
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £30–£60
Signature: Live-fire Thai-inspired clay-pot curries & grills.
Counter is walk-in friendly; dishes come as they’re ready.
11) Dishoom — Covent Garden (and others)
Location: 12 Upper St Martin’s Ln, WC2H 9FB
Hours: Breakfast to late daily • Budget: £15–£35
Signature: Black daal, bacon naan roll, nostalgia-drenched design.
Join the virtual queue; breakfast is easiest for no wait.
12) Barrafina — Adelaide Street (flagship)
Location: 10 Adelaide St, WC2N 4HZ
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £35–£70
Signature: Spanish counter-style tapas; perfect tortillas & seafood.
No bookings; arrive early or late for fastest seats.
13) Hawksmoor — Seven Dials (best all-rounder)
Location: 11 Langley St, WC2H 9JG
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £40–£90
Signature: Dry-aged British steaks, epic roast potatoes, cocktails.
Sunday roast is beloved; book well ahead.
14) Padella — Borough Market
Location: 6 Southwark St, SE1 1TQ
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £10–£25
Signature: Fresh hand-rolled pasta; cacio e pepe cult favourite.
Use the virtual queue system; pasta is fast once seated.
15) Trullo — Islington
Location: 300–302 St Paul’s Rd, N1 2LH
Hours: Lunch Fri–Sun • Dinner Tue–Sun • Budget: £35–£70
Signature: Charcoal-grilled meats, seasonal antipasti, handmade pasta.
Book upstairs; ask about off-menu steak cuts.
16) Bao — Soho
Location: 53 Lexington St, W1F 9AS
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £15–£35
Signature: Cloud-soft buns, Taiwanese small plates, milk-tea soft-serve.
Short & sharp menu; share widely, reorder favourites.
17) Sessions Arts Club — Clerkenwell
Location: 24 Clerkenwell Grn, EC1R 0NA
Hours: Lunch Fri • Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: £45–£85
Signature: Romantic dining room; elegant, produce-led plates.
Tables drop on short notice — watch cancellations.
18) Noble Rot — Lamb’s Conduit Street
Location: 51 Lamb’s Conduit St, WC1N 3NB
Hours: Lunch & Dinner Mon–Sat • Budget: £35–£80
Signature: Old-world wine list, comfort food done properly.
Bar seats are perfect for solo diners and walk-ins.
19) The River Café — Hammersmith
Location: Thames Wharf, Rainville Rd, W6 9HA
Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: £60–£120
Signature: Italian simplicity, wood-fire, legendary chocolate nemesis.
Book terrace tables in summer; menus change daily.
20) Rochelle Canteen — Shoreditch
Location: 16 Playground Gardens, E2 7FA
Hours: Lunch daily; Dinner some nights • Budget: £30–£65
Signature: Unfussy seasonal British; courtyard serenity.
Entrance through the old school gates — a real hidden gem.
Practical Tips to Dine Like a Londoner
Bookings: Prime tables drop 14–30 days out; enable alerts on OpenTable/TheFork. Many counters accept walk-ins.
Lunch value: Michelin-level spots often run lighter-priced lunch menus.
Dress codes: Smart casual fits most; jackets preferred at the grand rooms.
Transport: Tube over taxis at peak; allow extra time for Zone 2/3 venues.
Budget: Expect £20–£40 casual, £60–£120 mid, £160+ tastings.
What’s Trending
British produce with global accents, live-fire kitchens, low-ABV pairings, chef-led wine bars, and neighbourhood dining in Peckham, Camberwell and Walthamstow. Markets (Borough, Maltby St) remain incubators for the next big thing.
Explore the world’s most exciting restaurants on WorldClubDirectory.com — The #1 Global Nightlife Guide.
Categories
Related Blogs
Fine dining & Night Bites
Fine dining & Night Bites
Fine dining & Night Bites
