10 of the finest haunts and hideaways on London’s restaurant scene

Unfurl your napkins! Loosen your belts! Prime your credit cards! Because London has never been tastier. With the post-pandemic period in full, decadent swing, the number of eateries new and old enjoying success and springing up across the capital has our mouths watering and our dinner dates multiplying.

In other words, it’s an exciting time to be a hungry Londoner — so we’ve flicked through the menus and scoured the specials boards of some of the capital’s most exciting restaurants to find the most delectable, decadent prospects for you. And, from a traditional Italian bistro in Clerkenwell to a Soho seafood joint, here are the places we’re making reservations for right now…

Where is it? Notting Hill, where, without anyone massively noting the transition, some of the city’s finest openings seem to be occurring, including the high-end boozer pleasures of The Pelican; the small plates of Kuro; the seasonal glories of Thomas Straker’s restaurant; and, since, 2022, chef Kemal Demirasal’s modern ocakbasi, The Counter, which occupies a quieter stretch of road that’s hidden from the Portobello hordes.

What’s the cuisine? Anchored around an open-fire charcoal grill, Demirasal’s menu takes its cues from the southeastern Anatolia region, where dishes are exposed to flame and smoke. The rustic, at-home style of the fare is further harnessed by an interior of exposed brick; swathes of darkwood; and artwork sourced from Turkey.

What should you order? Demirasal prides his kitchen on sourcing ingredients directly from artisanal producers in Turkey, and the labour of love is evident in the flow of his dishes: thick slices of sourdough are smeared with clotted-cream honey, dukkah, wild thyme honey and truffle oil; chocolate babaganoush – a restaurant signature – is enlivened by aubergine, white chocolate and dill oil; and the dish of lamb chops, sluiced with chimicurri, apricot, mint and pomegranate, is exactly what all good cuts of it kinds should be: clean, slightly smoked and with the juicy taste of a well-bred meat. Just don’t sleep on the wine list: a Kav Doluca Bogazkere Öküzgözü or the Chamlıja Papaskarasi, both from Turkey, will serve you well.

Where is it? Just down the road from Farringdon Station, and opposite the venerable Smithfield Market. Brutto, the modest-but-magnificent brainchild of restaurateur Russell Norman, occupies the site of the original Hix Chophouse. It is an upgrade.

What’s the cuisine? Classic Florentine dishes. This is a stripped-back, traditional trattoria of the highest, checkered-tablecloth order. Think antipasti with a crostini cornerstone, side dishes you’d happily lap up as mains, and £5 Negronis.

What should you order? A slew of those bitterly affordable, brightly-coloured cocktails — before sampling the Pasta e Fagioli, Salsiccia di Maiale and, of course, the Tiramisu. Then perhaps a couple more cocktails.

Where is it? 20 Hanover Square; an impressive site for The Maine’s first international location. It’s the only surviving Georgian Grade II-listed building in the area; and founder Joey Ghazal has split proceedings over three opulent levels — with five dining rooms catering for 350 guests.

What’s the cuisine? Sufficiently New England-y. Think lashings of hot Clam Chowder, Soft-Shell Crab with Lime Aioli and crispy-yet-juicy Lobster Rolls. And, of course, more meaty oysters than you can shake a shucker at.

What should you order? For lunch, The Maine does a mean Steak Tartare. For dinner? Sink a bourbon-based Remember the Maine cocktail before delving into a bowl of Angry Lobster Pasta, a blend of bisque, bottarga and silky-plump seafood.

Where is it? Riding House Fitzrovia, north of the retail hell of Oxford Street, is part of the Riding House Café family, a small grouping of all-day eateries that serve genreless, often health-focused fare most hours of the day: malted deep-dish pancakes for breakfast, say; or aged-beef-and-comté yakitori when the evening draws in.

What’s the cuisine and what should you order? One of the great joys about celebrating Thanksgiving on this side of the Atlantic is that the American festivity is very much in the public conscious, but not so deeply ingrained that a home meal is a necessity. Indeed, you can dip into Riding House for its corn chowder and parmesan, or roast guinea fowl with parsnip purée, but it’s the Thanksgiving feast you really should pine for, a platter affair whose dish is lost amongst sizeable slices of Norfolk Bronze Turkey that’s been slow-roasted in herb butter; mounds of cornbread-and-sausage stuffing that seeps into maple-buttered sweet potatoes; and creamed corn casserole. To finish the meal, there is pumpkin brûlée pie or pecan pie – either it’ll be devoured, or you will be. We recommend you start mentally preparing for next year’s feast.

Where is it? A quick beeline from Green Park, Park Chinois also edges towards the opulence of Mayfair. The sizeable restaurant interiors, courtesy of Jacques Garcia, brings to mind the aethsetic of Shanghai-style banquet rooms that Hollywood once fawned over: the beautiful interplay of thick velvet against white tablecloths, rows of fringed lamps, scores of curtains, the live band, the hidden corners for hidden business.

What’s the cuisine? Chef Lee Che Liang, who cooks with Hakkasan pedigree, proffers an ambitious menu that looks towards the Chinese kitchen, with a culinary offering that runs the gamut from easygoing lunches to multi-houred opulent dinners, and precise, superlative dim sum, which is often billed as the city’s best.

What should you order? As an entry point, consider the Lotus Menu, its set lunch menu that opens with a selection of dim sum – har gau; scampi shu mai; scallop-and-chive dumpling; and winter black truffle dumpling, all wrapped in an array of dough that has the feel of exceptional silk – that will fade into a platter of duck that’s to be pressed with matchsticks of spring onion and baby cucumber, slicked with duck sauce, and wrapped up in pancakes. Then comes the flight of Scottish rib-eye that’s been aged for 35 days and given a wisp of heat via of black pepper; a gentle dish of steamed sea bass that’s been cooked around with a spicy tamarind sauce and cooled with young coconut; and a grand bowl of potted rice enlivened with king crab. Set aside two or three hours for the whole experience; it’s a lot to take in.

Where is it? On Clerkenwell Green, sitting pretty in Old Sessions House. A former courthouse, the paint is peeling now — but the food at this eclectically-decorated, decadent den has breathed new, lip-smacking life into the venue.

What’s the cuisine? Enrapturing. The magical menu is the work of Florence Knight, previously known for Polpetto. It’s majesty is in its simplicity; with Knight throwing together basic ingredients in never-before-seen ways.

What should you order? The Squid, Tomato & Calamarata would be a good start. Or perhaps the Eel, Rocket & Crème Fraîche. Maybe the Clams, Cortese & Fennel? Who knows? It’s all good.

Where is it? Tucked away in a less-touristy corner of Covent Garden. You’ll find Blacklock’s latest outpost in a disused basement — all heritage brickwork and original floors — that used to house the King’s Coachmakers back in the 1600s.

What’s the cuisine? Once more, meat. The chophouse uses only the finest, sustainably-reared meat from farmer Philip Warren across all of its restaurants — transforming the cuts into honest, wholesome dishes.

What should you order? A bunch of starters. Start with the Pig’s Head on Toast and move onto the Cull Yaw Crumpet (it’s a type of mutton). Then, if you have room, the Pork Belly Bun has such cracking crackling that it’ll bump beef off your top meat spot.

Where is it? Like you don’t already know. The legendary Stratton Street institution needs no (re)introduction — but you should hot-foot it down to the notorious celebrity haunt as soon as your schedule permits.

What’s the cuisine? According to the brasserie itself, the chefs are seeing up ‘continental elegance with British flair’. This translates onto the tastebuds as hearty grub with the rough corners knocked off. Think roast chicken, fish pie or bangers and mash.

What should you order? That Fish Pie for 2 wouldn’t be a bad bet. Stuffed with salmon, scallops, haddock, cod and prawns, it’s a luxurious lunch. Alternatively, the Daube de Boeuf is served in a red wine sauce to die for.

Where is it? Another re-opening, The Ledbury deserves all of your love. Since its inception in 2005, it has navigated stormy, inhospitable hospitality seas from its perch on Ledbury Road. Here’s hoping that head chef Brett Graham can steer things into calmer waters this year.

What’s the cuisine? Award-winning. In the past, The Ledbury’s delicate delicacies have won Michelin stars and spots on world’s best restaurant lists in the past. Think thoroughly British; and thoroughly dainty.

What should you order? Your one and only option; the Tasting Menu. The bill may come in at £185, and your eyebrows may raise at the bite-size dishes you get in return, but it’s worth every penny.

Where is it? Back in Mayfair, slap bang between Langan’s and The Maine — and so close to Savile Row that you can almost smell the tailor’s chalk. That is, of course, if you haven’t ordered the Mung beans….

What’s the cuisine? Created by chef Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya, everything is an exploration of his native Philippines — from the Fried Chicken Skin and Trout Kinilaw to the Kale Laing and Monkfish Escabache.

What should you order? The Sarap Lechon. It’s the hero dish; a whole suckling pig for the table. Pre-order it for £295, and eat it withs six to eight of your hungriest friends. It’s served with Truffled Adobo Pork Rice and stuffed with lemongrass.

Where is it? Currently, on our ‘must visit’ list. Corbin & King’s latest luxury establishment takes up two floor in an old 1950s office building in Soho, and — when it opens this year — will offer an affordable seafood-focused menu.

What’s the cuisine? Other than the fact that it’ll be a pescatarian’s paradise, we don’t know much. But, if it’s anything like the fish at Manzi’s big brother, Brasserie Zedel (Whole Lemon Sole, Brown Nut Butter), then we’re in for a treat.

What should you order? We’d heard whispers of Tiger Prawns Provençal with Rice and Poached Skate with Beurre Noisette and Capers. But we’ll wait until we have the menu in front of us; and can dive in.

Want something more liquid? These are the 10 best speakeasy bars in London…

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