London Restaurant Blog 2025

One of the questions we are most frequently asked, given how much time we spend in London, is where we like to eat. Narrowing the list down is no easy feat in a city with literally tens of thousands of restaurants representing nearly every cuisine on earth. Before even getting to proper restaurants, however, I should note the two places we consistently recommend for quick breakfasts, takeaway lunches, or an easy bite between museums and theater performances: Pret A Manger and Gail’s. Londoners adore both for their consistency, fresh food, surprisingly good coffee, and reasonable prices by London standards.

For more elevated dining, the following are my current favorites as of May 2026. None are budget restaurants, but neither are they the sort of places requiring a second mortgage or months-long reservations like London’s Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy. These are simply places where I reliably leave happy.

If you had asked me for this list 25 years ago, when I spent two years living and working in London, it would have been dramatically shorter. London’s culinary transformation over the past quarter century has been astonishing. Once mocked internationally for overcooked vegetables and uninspired food, London is now arguably one of the great dining cities in the world. Part of that evolution came from Britain finally embracing its extraordinary diversity. Another part came from visionary chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, who helped normalize vibrant Middle Eastern and vegetable-forward cuisine long before it became fashionable elsewhere, and Ruth Rogers at The River Cafe, whose uncompromising devotion to seasonal Italian cooking quietly influenced generations of chefs. London today eats with confidence and curiosity in a way it simply did not a generation ago.

My personal favorites:

The River Cafe

This remains my number one recommendation in London. Located along the Thames in Hammersmith, it is the sort of place best experienced as a long, languid lunch that stretches well into the afternoon. The room is understated but elegant, the service polished without pretense, and the ingredient-driven Italian cooking remains among the finest anywhere. It is also one of the most influential restaurants in Britain, having launched the careers of countless chefs.

The Ivy

Still one of the great pre- and post-theater institutions in London. Yes, it is touristy. Yes, it can feel theatrical. But that is also part of the charm. The art deco interiors still glow warmly at night, and there is something deeply comforting about slipping into The Ivy before a West End performance.

Japan House London

For sushi, this remains one of my favorite quieter discoveries. Located on Kensington High Street, the restaurant inside Japan House offers beautifully prepared Japanese food in a serene and minimalist setting that feels miles removed from busy London outside.

Dishoom Kensington

Any of the Dishoom locations scattered throughout London are worth visiting, but I particularly love the ambience of the Kensington branch near Kensington High Street. Inspired by the old Irani cafés of Bombay, Dishoom helped elevate casual Indian dining in London into something stylish, soulful, and deeply atmospheric. The black daal alone has become nearly legendary.

La Fromagerie

Located in Marylebone, this beloved cheese shop and café may serve the finest toasted sandwiches in London. Given that it is widely considered one of the city’s greatest cheese purveyors, that should perhaps come as no surprise. It is an ideal stop for a relaxed lunch after exploring the neighborhood.

Petersham Nurseries

Few restaurants feel more magical. Tucked beside Richmond on the edge of London, Petersham feels as though it belongs deep in the countryside. Reaching it via a walk along the Thames only heightens the experience. Dining inside the greenhouse-like setting surrounded by plants and flowers is wonderfully transporting, and their afternoon tea is arguably one of the most special in London.

Spring

Located within Somerset House, Spring is understated, elegant, and quietly beautiful. The late chef Skye Gyngell created a restaurant that feels both refined and deeply humane. Particularly worth trying is the “Scratch Menu,” an inventive offering built around ingredients that might otherwise go to waste — stale bread transformed into delicate dishes, bruised vegetables elevated into something memorable. It is sustainability rendered genuinely delicious rather than merely virtuous.

The Arlington

One of London’s loveliest rooms. The art deco interior alone is worth the visit, all soft lighting, polished wood, and quiet glamour. Thankfully the food more than keeps pace with the setting, making it ideal for a civilized lunch or intimate dinner.

Colbert

Facing Sloane Square, Colbert channels the spirit of a classic Parisian brasserie with enough confidence to avoid feeling theme-like. It is exactly where I want to be on a gray London afternoon ordering onion soup, a glass of wine, and watching Chelsea life pass by outside.

Rovi

Part of the Ottolenghi restaurant empire, Rovi never fails to excite me. Like much of Yotam Ottolenghi’s work, it helped revolutionize London dining by making vegetables not a side dish, but the star. The flavors are bold, global, colorful, and endlessly inventive without ever feeling contrived. London’s current obsession with vegetable-forward cooking owes an enormous debt to Ottolenghi.

And finally, I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful bakery Violet Cakes in hip Hackney, run by Claire Ptak. Claire rose to international fame after creating the wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but the bakery itself remains refreshingly unpretentious. The cakes and pastries are exceptional, and it is well worth the Tube journey east simply to spend an hour in one of London’s most creative neighborhoods.