10 Best Restaurants in South of the Thames, London

Sit at the galley kitchen counter and you can watch the chefs toss hot pans of authentic handmade (on-site) Italian pasta, generally considered among the best in London. The acclaimed but amazingly affordable small plates include ravioli with Neal's Yard ricotta and sage butter, burrata with Puglian olive oil, pappardelle with a slow-cooked beef-shin ragù, and Dorset crab tagliarini with chili and lemon. An Italian cocktail favorite like a Negroni or Aperol Spritz (plus Italian wine on draft starts at £4.50) make the perfect accompaniment. Lone diners might get a stool at the counter overlooking the kitchen right away. Otherwise, leave your name at the door or join the "virtual queue" and they will message you when your table is ready, but the combination of high quality and low prices means you could be waiting an hour. The early bird catches the table.

Exceptional Brit-focused fish and meat dishes at wallet-friendly prices fly out of the open kitchen at this permanently packed, no-reservations (apart from Sunday lunchtime) gastropub in Southwark. Dishes like steamed Icelandic cod with spinach and lobster beurre blanc, pheasant two ways with choucroute and potato, a suet-crusted chicken with bacon and leek pie, and a buttermilk pudding with Bramley apple and salted caramel punch above their weight in terms of taste and tenderness. Mains are well priced at £20–£27, but keep in mind it's noisy, usually packed, and you may have to wait for (and then share) a table. That said, there are great dishes to share—like the seven-hour lamb shoulder with root vegetables or a cassoulet.

The first London restaurant from two Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sá Pessoa offers views over the landmark Battersea Power Station from its 15th floor perch and explores the flavors of his native Portugal with excursions farther afield into Catalonia. Unsurprisingly, tapas like patatas bravas, Iberico croquetas, or a hand-dived scallop with chorizo, fennel, and celeriac puree feature prominently, while big plates like suckling pig and arroz de marisco come from the Josper oven. You pay for the glamorous art deco atmosphere and the views, but a three-course set menu on weekends (£45) offers better value. 

Renowned chef José Pizarro has managed to re-create an authentic, slightly rustic Spanish tapas-and-sherry bar. With just 30 seats and no reservations, it's always packed after 6 pm, but it's worth the wait for remarkably fresh, perfectly prepared, classic tapas plates like patatas bravas, croquetas, skewered prawns with lemon and garlic, and clams with fino sherry. Everything's impeccably sourced, from the peppery Marqués de Valdueza olive oil to the top-flight acorn-fed Ibérico ham; you'll also find more than 50 Spanish wines and sherries.

This addition to the National Theatre's restaurant roster (it's named after the building's architect) puts the emphasis on fresh British ingredients, whether Dorset crab on a warm saffron bun or Carlingford oysters from the seafood bar, a Tamworth pork and guinea fowl terrine with burnt pear chutney, or a grilled whole plaice for sharing (the brown butter honey custard tart is much in demand for dessert). Theatergoers will appreciate the two-course (£40) or three-course (£45) pretheater menu.

This long-standing favorite specializes in French haute cuisine done right, with an emphasis on luxurious dishes like caviar, oysters, lobster, and Dover sole (served meunière) along with bistro classics like rabbit with mustard and steak frites. Standards, like the prices, remain high, and the swanky dining room takes inspiration from the art deco liner SS Normandie. Weather permitting, grab a table on the terrace to make the most of the wonderful views of the Thames, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. A weekday lunch/early-bird dinner set menu (two courses for £30; three courses for £35) lets you sample this expense-account favorite with minimal damage to your wallet.

British-Sri Lankan chef Cynthia Shanmugalingam's interpretations of regional Tamil cuisine cooked on an open fire have won plaudits for the home-cooked feeling of her curries, rotis, and sambols (especially the one that combines chickpeas, parsley, and coconut). Main dishes include a creamy sticky chicken pongal rice flavored with saffron, coconut milk, poppy seeds and cinnamon, a red tamarind prawn curry, and a whole Jaffna crab curry, and they are mostly small plates designed to be shared. There's a set menu at £38. Reservations are recommended (it's busy and service, while friendly, can become disorganized), but some tables are reserved for walk-ins.

This restaurant run by two alumni of celebrated The Fat Duck in Bray now has two Michelin stars for its meticulous but unfussy modern cooking that features "prime ingredients expertly prepared" and an eclectic but outstanding wine list. Starters include sweetbreads with smoked maitake mushrooms and pickled lingonberries in a cumin-infused sauce and scallops and black winter truffles in broth, while entrées like poached and roasted duck or grilled venison with a beetroot sauce display a similar inventiveness. An attached shop sells wine and glassware.

This canteen-style outpost of the eco-conscious chain serves mildly spiced Mexican food like a buttermilk fried chicken taco or ancho mushroom enchiladas, plus the usual burritos and quesadillas along with rainbow bowls. There's also a street-food truck parked beside the river.

This is a cluster of small shops specializing in jewelry, art, clothing, and ceramics by designer-manufacturers, with an adjoining cluster of informal restaurants and cafés, most with outdoor seating. A project of the Coin Street Community Builders, a social enterprise group, it bustles with activity. The same group converted the nearby Oxo Tower Wharf, an art deco warehouse with three levels of designer studios that also serve as retail outlets. The Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, a pricey restaurant operated by the swish department store Harvey Nichols, occupies the top floor, and you can see the same spectacular views from an adjacent free public viewing area (open daily).