The best restaurants in London are magnificent and myriad. They are pizzerias, fine dining establishments, curry houses, food markets, grand dining rooms and caffs. Does London have Michelin star restaurants? Yes, 85 of them. Not more than Paris, but more than New York City, Copenhagen or Rome. Does London have sushi and Thai food and Turkish? But of course; the selection of cuisines knows no bounds. If you’re heading to London on either our British Royale or Castles & Kingdoms journeys, you’ll want to extend your stay and make some reservations – treat the list below as your little black book. Somehow, we have narrowed it down to 13 of the best places to eat in London right now.
The Devonshire
The London pub of your dreams is just off Piccadilly Circus, right opposite the elaborate, art deco theatre that’s been hosting the feathers of Moulin Rouge since 2022. The Devonshire is a hot ticket, so book in advance. Then you’ll be able to luxuriate in your good planning, on a burgundy banquette, with a pint of velvety Guinness and a beef cheek suet pudding.
Brutto
This perfect trattoria is one of the best restaurants in London for a celebratory lunch that ends on a tiramisu high and starts with coccoli or “cuddles” (which are fried balls of dough served with silky prosciutto and creamy soft cheese). The atmosphere is divine, as are the spritzes. Bookings open exactly 14 days ahead of time, so you must be alert.
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Brat
This Basque grill restaurant in chic Shoreditch is named after the old English word for turbot, one of the star menu items that comes golden from the grill. Brat is about great food, cooked disarmingly simply but with such skill. The grilled flatbread with anchovies is a modern classic, as are the chopped eggs with bottarga on toast, and – arguably London’s most famous pudding – the burnt cheesecake.
The Clove Club
For fine dining with a big heart, nowhere does it like The Clove Club, which has been keeping modern British food interesting in Shoreditch Town Hall for over 10 years now. The tasting menu is ever-changing, but always an adventure through the best of British ingredients – Wiltshire trout, Orkney scallops, Scottish langoustine, Yorkshire rhubarb – containing eight dishes which are so much more than the sum of their parts.
Chishuru
In 2024, chef Adejoké Bakare became the first black woman in the UK to be given a Michelin star. Her singular West African cooking had a loyal fanbase among London’s chefs and punters long before she settled at the Fitzrovia address, thanks to a previous Brixton iteration of Chishuru. The food is luminous, delicious, cosy, alive – this is a tasting menu that makes you feel looked after.
Jikoni
Eat an abundant, joyous lunch at Jikoni, where the floral tablecloths and peachy pastels will lift your spirits and the food is sunshine on a plate. Chef-founder Ravinder Bhogal describes her kitchen as ‘no borders’, offering a gently genius cross-cultural menu of, for instance, prawn toast Scotch egg with banana ketchup, or Cornish ray wing with lime pickle beurre noisette. Not to mention the Jikoni ice creams (pistachio, Ovaltine or Turkish delight).
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Trullo
This handsome blue spot close to Islington’s Upper Street is an Italian restaurant in the most London sense of the words. The menu is creative but unshowy and the food is reliable, but always a massive treat. It’s one of the best restaurants in London, but quietly. For primi: pappardelle with beef shin ragu or ravioli with Westcombe ricotta, sweet herbs and walnut sauce. From the oven: Whole Torbay lemon sole. Yes.
Kol
Sitting at number 17 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Kol is a modern Mexican restaurant full of soul in calm, elegant Marylebone. Chef Santiago Lastra’s blending of central American flavors and British produce is masterful and the downstairs mezcaleria oozes fun. It’s fine dining – tasting menus only, which is just as well, because you don’t want to miss a thing.
Ikoyi
And at number 35 of the same list is Ikoyi, which the people at the World’s 50 Best describe as serving “category-free cuisine”. With a choice location on The Strand, close to Covent Garden station, this two Michelin star restaurant is the brainchild of chef Jeremy Chan – he creates complex, beautiful dishes inspired by West African spices and British ingredients.
Toklas
This Mediterranean restaurant with its own bakery has lots of fans, including Britain’s own Nigella. It’s near Temple, close to the Thames, and only a short walk along The Strand from Covent Garden. Come for coffee and squishy cardamom buns in the morning or a perfect, pre-theatre set menu. Or, luxuriate in the full menu, from boquerones, through grilled pork chops (with escarole, raisins and capers), fantastic fries and tarte tatin. Toklas is one of the best places to eat in London at any time of day.
Gymkhana
This is a two Michelin star restaurant inspired by the elite clubs of India where members of high society socialize, eat, drink, and play sport. The dining room – with its amber lighting, dark timber, shades of jade green and brass – is a chic space in which to work through a thoughtful tasting menu, an adventure in Indian fine dining.
The Ritz
What is the most iconic restaurant in London? There is nowhere on this planet like The Ritz. Think: lofty, frescoed ceilings, gilding, glittering chandeliers, marble columns and all the rest of it. Go for absolute theatre – it’s icons or bust. The beef wellington is a fine centrepiece, made with Périgord truffle, sliced at the table and the crêpe Suzette is cooked (and dramatically flambéed) tableside.
With exceptional dining at the heart of every Luxury Gold journey, take a look at our collection of small group luxury tours.
