62 Best Restaurants in London, England

A sophisticated crowd enjoys the sumptuous and elegant decor at this classic brasserie at the back of the royal grocer, Fortnum & Mason. An old-school trolley arrives table-side to serve Siberian sturgeon caviar with scrambled eggs, baked new potatoes, and blinis, while creamy beef Stroganoff and whole duck with elderberry sauce get the full table-side-flambé treatment. Truffles that are shaved at the table are another specialty. The popular Welsh rarebit toasty has a punchy mustard kick, while nostalgic desserts include a fleet of alcoholic ice-cream floats. It's open all day, with an unusually long five-hour window for lunch bookings—perfect if you want to take a break from shopping nearby.

British restaurateur Keith McNally re-creates his famed New York Parisian–style grand brasserie at this bustling spot off Covent Garden. The soaring grand café setting creates an enchanting backdrop to enjoy the reassuringly classic French brasserie menu, including standbys like fruit de mare platters, lemon sole meunière (with capers and parsley), côte de boeuf, and grilled lobster. A fitting treat for pre- and posttheater meals, spoil yourself with classy rock oysters and steak tartare before polishing off a pile of profiteroles for dessert.

Fabulous handmade pasta at affordable prices characterizes this sleek Italian eatery off Soho's Golden Square. Sit at the bustling chef's counter to sample options like bucatini cacio e pepe, or pork, fennel, and 'nduja ragù with twirly ribbons of mafalde pasta. Enjoy fine creamy burrata starters or Sicilian red prawns and samphire as well as a side of ample Soho people-watching from the row of raised kerbside counter window seats. Gluten-free pasta options are also available.  

This legendary Italian coffee bar on Frith Street is Soho's unofficial beating heart and a 22-hours-a-day institution. Established in 1949 during the postwar Italian coffee bar craze and still run by the founding Polledri family, today an eclectic parade of colorful locals grab a quick espresso or cappuccino made from the vintage Gaggia coffee machine, and wolf down a chocolate baci, slice of pizza, or bacon bap at the mirrored bar counter. The place is plastered with Italian flags and pics of vintage Italian opera singers, movie legends, and '50s world boxing champs, and it's the best spot in town to watch Italy play during the World Cup.

One of London's favorite Spanish tapas bars, modeled after the tiny Cal Pep tapas spot in Barcelona, has only a few raised bar stools within the open-counter kitchen south of Trafalgar Square. Lunchtime lines form from noon daily for a top-quality succession of impeccably sourced small plates, ranging from giant Spanish carabineros red prawns and Iberian pork cheeks to black squid ink risotto with cuttlefish. There's a thoughtful selection of Spanish reds, whites, sherries, and sparkling white cava, and be sure to leave room for noted desserts like the almond-based Santiago tart.

Locals are keen to proclaim the virtues of their favorite Brick Lane bagel emporium, but to be perfectly honest, there's not much true competition aside from this spot and its two-doors-down neighbor, the Beigel Shop. Both serve delicious fresh beigels (the traditional European spelling) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, both date back to when Brick Lane was home to a largely Jewish immigrant community, and both are family-owned (two branches of the same family, in fact). When it comes to picking between each establishment's excellent value hot salt beef sandwich (with sweet gherkin and tangy English mustard optional extras), however, always go for Beigel Bake.  

Welsh chef Tomos Parry brings his signature wood-grilled, whole roast Cornish turbot to this Basque-inspired hipster restaurant, almost hidden up a fairly narrow staircase on a quiet corner behind Shoreditch High Street. Watch the head chef and his team produce live-fire smashes from the intimate, open kitchen like aged Jersey beef chops, seared leeks, and burnt cheesecake. Even the grilled bread is something special at this very relaxed and welcoming venue, where there's an affordable range of options that won't break the bank. Lunch and early evening sittings have a more relaxed vibe with plenty of families and business meetings going on. Housed in a former pole-dancing club, it's probably London's most unassuming restaurant with a Michelin star. It's a small venue, so it can get noisy at night.

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 with an emphasis on British produce; their beautifully delicate Cornish halibut with shrimp butter sauce and sea herbs is a prime example.

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.

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.

It's all Cockney banter and full English breakfasts at this tiny family-run café and onetime gangsters' lair near Brick Lane and Columbia Road markets. The atmosphere may be rowdy, but it's all good-natured, with greasy fry-ups (think eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, toast, tomatoes, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and cabbage and mash) served alongside homemade Italian dishes like lasagna and cannelloni and British classics like pies and roast dinners, all courtesy of matriarch Mama Maria. With the ornate food-paneling (installed in 1946 by local carpenter and regular customer Achille Capocci) as a backdrop, a visit to E. Pellicci feels a little like a wonderful performance of East End life being staged for your benefit. 

This bakery, which supplies bread to many of East London's top eateries, has a friendly café and deli on-site, where you can sample some of the tastiest toasted sandwiches in the city. The shop also stocks a concise range of elegant household items.

The unassuming breakfast room at the Stafford London hotel transforms into the Game Bird restaurant after noon, offering all-day dining until 9 pm; come in the evening for a wonderful atmosphere, and let the sommelier choose the best wine to accompany dishes that use the finest British produce. The menu includes crowd-pleasers like oysters Rockefeller, Devon dressed crab, and Dover sole meunière. Try the steak and ale steamed suet pudding, cooked to exquisite perfection, for a real taste of modern British cuisine. Executive chef Jozef Rogulski has worked collaboratively with Lisa Goodwin-Allen, the Michelin-starred executive chef at Northcote, so it's no surprise that every mouthful delights. Leave room for the lemon meringue parfait with basil snow.

You'll land some of the best fish-and-chips in town at this British chippy in a retro 1914 Art Deco café. Marylebone locals and satisfied tourists alike hunker down for the neatly prepared and decidedly nongreasy deep-fried or steamed battered cod, haddock, and plaice; the classic hand-cut Maris Piper chips; and the traditional mushy peas and homemade tartar sauce. Homemade cod fishcakes, skate wings, feta cheese fritters, and breaded scampi tails are on the menu, too.

This all-day café provides breakfasts that run from tofu poke bowls to Eggs Royale and waffles and lunches that include Korean-style meatballs, healthy but ample salads, and a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich, plus monthly specials like beetroot risotto, cauliflower rarebit, and calves liver with mash. Cocktails, beer, and biodynamic wines are also available. It's usually packed with local families and their dogs. There's another branch on England's Lane in Belsize Park.

Tucked away on a quiet corner one block behind Greenwich High Road, this little grocery store and café is doing something very special. With a farm shop and a delicatessen that serves specialties like locally made gin, artisanal cheeses, and charcuterie, its biggest draw is the range of gourmet sausages made on site under the direction of chef and patron, Martin Heap, alongside his business partner and Italian food maestro, Vincenzo. Open until 4 pm daily, there are a few seats out front and a covered seating area in the back to accommodate those wanting more than a quick bite. Try a plate of sausage, mash, and onion gravy or a mint and lamb burger in a brioche bun with tzatziki, coleslaw, and a potato cake. Great for takeaway breakfasts, coffee, or lunch on the go, there's a wide variety of burgers and vegetarian options, too, as well as wines, beers, and cocktails. With artisanal sausages made from the very best ingredients, including the spicy Lethal Lucifer or Pork, Prune, and Cognac combo, it's no wonder there's usually a line onto the street that includes local shoppers stocking up on produce.

The city's wealthy flock to French virtuoso Hélène Darroze's restaurant at The Connaught for her dazzling regional French haute cuisine served up in a stylish Edwardian wood-paneled dining salon designed by Pierre Yovanovitch. Taking inspiration from the Les Landes region in southwestern France, Darroze sallies forth with a procession of magnificent dishes like turbot with rutabaga and razor clams. A great value weekday lunch is available on request at £125 per person.  

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.

Open since 1896, this timelessly elegant seafood haven is a favorite with neighboring Theaterland's top stars and theater moguls. A warren of interlocking dining rooms, J Sheekey always charms with a ravishing menu of fresh Atlantic prawns, arctic herring, 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.

Seemingly everyone involved in West End theater world hangs out at this legendary subterranean spot for its alluring blend of New York brasserie comfort food (think posh hot dogs, shrimp burgers, and mac n' cheese). Established elsewhere in Covent Garden in 1977, enduring classics include Joe's finger-licking slow-braised smoked baby back ribs, New York strip steak and chips, a not-so-secret off-menu hamburger, and a PB&J ice-cream sandwich.

Windswept lines wait patiently outside on Frith Street, and inside there may only be 25 counter seats, but everyone's still smitten with the steaming bowls of hot broth and house-made udon noodles at this quirky but consistently brilliant walk-ins only Japanese joint in the heart of Soho. Favorite udon combos like cured cod with wakame seaweed duke it out with sweet tofu, pork miso, and lamb mince and cumin alternatives, all vying for the affections of regulars and slurpy udon aficionados alike. Check, too, the cult English breakfast udon, which famously comes topped with a fried egg, bacon, and marinated mushrooms. 

Recently awarded its first Michelin star, Luca's formula is simple: modern Italian classics made from the very best British seasonal produce. Add to that the superchic setting—from the Art Deco--esque dining salon to the marble-top bar and the stunning glass-walled conservatory—and this popular Clerkenwell haunt is very much a triumph of both style and substance. Dishes include conchiglie of ragu bianco with Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, and Parmesan of potato and grilled Cornish squid served with chickpeas, datterini tomatoes, and 'nduja. 

Once frequented by the likes of Virginia Woolf and Karl Marx, locals still cherish this quirky 1871 French pâtisserie, vintage tea parlor, and occasional pop-up art space, where nothing seems to have changed much since the 1920s. Colorful pastries, tarts, croissants, and sweet cakes are well-loved and expertly baked on-site. You can choose from the gooey chocolate and fruit éclairs, Black Forest gâteaux, marzipan figs, and flaky almond croissants. Still run by Soho legend Michele Wade, Maison Bertaux also hosts a cheery retro afternoon tea service, which comes with pleasing savories like Dijon slice or broccoli quiche.

It's all beach coastal cool at this sleek Aussie stunner, tucked away in a modern courtyard enclave off Greek Street. The seafood- and vegetable-forward menu is inspired by the Sydney food scene and has wide-ranging hints of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, like a fine raw kingfish crudo bathed in macadamia milk or a crunchy gluten-free grilled aubergine karaage. At night, the lighting's low, the tunes are upbeat, and the fun and friendly service is relaxed but on point. 

Located next door to the London Coliseum (home of English National Opera), this hip café serves some of the best sandwiches, salads, and coffee in the neighborhood. In the evening (it’s open until 9 pm, Tuesday through Saturday), there’s more of a wine-bar vibe.

The "oak" in this all-day restaurant is a hand-crafted wooden "tree" that sits under a retractable roof that combines with blonde oak furnishings and pink walls to create a light, airy feel. The menu ranges from comfort food favorites like mac-and-cheese croquettes and mini-slider burgers to Asian-influenced dishes like duck bao buns or miso cod with egg noodles, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms to Mexican-influenced plates like fish tacos with pickled slaw and chipotle mayo or pulled-beef quesadillas. There are also inventive cocktails and indulgent brunch dishes like buttermilk pancakes with berries that have made the place a favorite with locals often accompanied by attendant children and dogs. 

Owned by three brothers who grew up on a farm (which supplies the restaurant with its produce and livestock), Rabbit introduces a note of rusticity to one of London's glitziest areas. The emphasis is on locality, sustainability, and nose-to-tail eating, and the menu changes daily depending on what's in season and available. Plates are tapas-style and designed for sharing, but dishes like celeriac confit with caramelized red onion and red kale or wild fallow deer in a tarragon crust with hen of the wood mushrooms and walnut ketchup are hearty enough to be quite filling. The eight-course tasting menu (£48) or weekday set lunch (£25 for three courses) is a bargain.

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 stand-out main is grilled ox's heart with chard and mustard while elsewhere on the menu you'll find crispy pig skin, lamb's liver, deviled tripe, 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.

A glitzy procession of famous faces, media moguls, and hedge-funders comes for the spectacle, swish service, and soaring elegance at this bustling Viennese-style grand café on Piccadilly. Located in a former Wolseley Motors luxury-car showroom, this brasserie begins its long decadent days with breakfast at 7 am (8 am on weekends) and serves Dual Monarchy delights until 11 pm (10 pm on Sunday). Don't be shy about popping by (they welcome walk-ins) for dishes like kedgeree, steak tartare, chicken soup with dumplings, or Wiener schnitzel. For dessert, go for an éclair, and don't forget to return to savor the classy afternoon tea.

Austrian-born star chef Wolfgang Puck amps up the stakes at this ultraexpensive steak house on Park Lane. Set against a luxe backdrop of Damien Hirst artwork and globe lights, carnivores go crazy for the pricey prime cuts from England, Australia, Japan, and the United States. Options include impeccable 35-day Creekstone filet mignon, Black Angus New York sirloins, and an 8-ounce rib eye of pure Kagoshima Wagyu beef from Kyushu in Japan. Add bone marrow, French fries, chimichurri, or creamed spinach with a fried egg on top for the whole nine yards.