Let’s park the Battersea/Clapham border debate once and for all, in favour of finding great food together and forgetting arbitrary quarrels about where one area starts and another begins. Instead, we’re here to break down barriers, borders and bread, all in the time it takes to wait for a train.

Whilst Clapham Junction might be the busiest train station in Europe, its restaurant scene is arguably a little less relentless, but you’ll still find plenty of great places to eat within walking distance of the station. So, without further ado, here are Battersea’s best restaurants and our picks on where to eat near Clapham Junction.

Taverna Trastevere, St John’s Hill

Ideal for authentic Roman cuisine and traditional, crowd pleasing pasta dishes…

A five-minute walk up St John’s Hill from Clapham Junction, Taverna Trastevere brings a genuine slice of Rome to South London. Opened in 2019 by life-long friends Nicolas Vaporidis and Alessandro Grappelli, this split-level restaurant has quickly established itself as one of the area’s most authentic Italian dining spots. The interior is exactly what you want from a Roman restaurant – all warm wooden beams, terracotta walls, and soft lighting that makes everyone look like they’re in a Fellini film.

The menu reads like a greatest hits of Roman cuisine, with particular attention paid to the holy trinity of pasta dishes that define the Eternal City – carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana (we’re sorry, alla Gricia), which all clock in at £18. While that might seem steep for pasta, the quality more than justifies it. Under the guidance of Roman chef Ivano Paolucci, these classics are executed with impressive precision – the carbonara, in particular, is increasingly spoken about in lofty, hyperbolic terms, with a growing crowd of pasta aficionados and Tory TikTokers making the pilgrimage to SW11 to try it.

The antipasti selection shines – don’t miss the suppli alla Romana (£8), those perfectly crafted rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre that are a street food staple in Rome. The fritto misto (£14) here, confusingly, isn’t lovely, fried tiny fish and tentacles, but rather, various suppli variations and cacio e pepe croquettes that’ll have you fighting over the last bite. And then, admittedly, regretting doing so as a wave of heaviness hits you.

For mains, the saltimbocca (£24) is a standout, the veal escalope cooked sympathetically and properly perfumed with sage, while the pizza menu offers excellent Roman-style thin crust options. The wine list is thoughtfully Italian-focused – their house red, a fresh and juicy Trebbiano, and white, a crisp Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, both start at £6 per glass.

The restaurant oozes that warm, convivial atmosphere of a traditional Roman taverna, complete with outdoor seating perfect for summer dining. The service style matches this vibe – attentive but refreshingly unpretentious, with an all-Italian staff adding to the authentic experience.

Taverna Trastevere is open daily for lunch and dinner, making it equally suitable for a casual weekday pasta fix or a more elaborate weekend feast. While prices reflect the central London location and quality of ingredients (expect to pay around £40-50 per person for three courses with wine), the cooking’s unwavering commitment to Roman traditions makes it a worthy addition to the area’s dining scene.

Website: tavernatrastevere.com

Address: 112 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1SJ

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Kaosarn, St John’s Hill

Ideal for homely Thai food and BYOB drinks…

Clapham Junction station and the surrounding area certainly isn’t short on supermarkets and cash machines, which feels like an odd way to start an article about the best restaurants in Battersea, but bear with us.

You’ll need both for Kaosarn, a Thai bring-your-own-booze, cash-only restaurant whose no-frills, no-frippery mentality extends to the food in the best possible way. Here, the flavours are bold and upfront, with a country-spanning menu of the classics sure to perk up even the weariest of train-traveller. 

The restaurant’s Bangkok-style som tam was once named as one of Time Out’s best 100 dishes in London, and it certainly does the job. Order it alongside some grilled chicken (gai yang) and a basket of sticky rice (khao niao) and you’ve got an enlivening, uplifting Thai meal for less than £20.

Website: kaosarnlondon.co.uk

Address:110 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1SJ

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Pizzeria Pellone, Lavender Hill

Ideal for some of South London’s best Neapolitan pizza…

Pizzeria Pellone on Lavender Hill is something of a game of two halves. The first side of the menu is Franco Baresi style; austere, traditional and masterful in its mistake-free delivery. The latter feels somewhat inspired by Roberto Baggio; creative, joyful and exciting. 

Enough of the football analogies; this is superb pizza, make no mistake, with authentic Neapolitan recipes here using Caputo flour, Gustarosso tomato sauce and Buffalo Mozzarella straight from Campania. That comes as no surprise; the family owns five Pizzeria Pellones in Naples, and their restaurants in the Motherland regularly receive plaudits.

That said, it’s in the Pizze Le Pizze Gourmet section of the menu where the real excitement lies; the white pizzas here are superb and the Calzone Fritto, heavy on the black pepper and punchy with housemade salami, is a cult classic.

Perhaps precede all of this with a trio of montanare classiche, that absurdly satisfying Naples streetfood snack of golden but greaseless dough (how do they do that?) topped with marinara sauce and parmesan. It’s such a good version here.

With Pizza Pellone currently available on Deliveroo and Uber Eats, this could very well be the best takeaway Neapolitan pizza in South London, too. 

Considering the restaurant is just a fifteen-minute walk from Clapham Junction station and the pizzas take just a minute to cook in Pellone’s roaring hot wood-fired oven, if your train is delayed and you’re looking for a quick, delicious feed in the meantime, then this is the place to head. Or, they’ll deliver to the station; back of the net!

Website: pizzeriapellonelondon.co.uk

Address: 42 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5RL

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Viet Caphe, St John’s Hill

Ideal for an exemplary banh mi, one of the best we’ve had outside of Vietnam…

Looking for an even faster, equally as satisfying meal close to Clapham Junction, that can be assembled to-go within just a few minutes? Keen to pair that with one of the most silky and luxurious liquid pick-me-ups on the planet? If you answered in the affirmative, then it’s to Viet Caphe you should head.

Open for less than a year and seemingly still in their soft launch stage, these guys are already knocking out some of the best banh mi in the city alongside a small selection of other light Vietnamese lunchtime staples like bun cha and summer rolls. 

Anyway, back to that banh mi, which comes in a rundown of around nine (and growing) versions, most of which revolve around pork. We enjoyed the crispy pork version, which was generously filled with fatty pork belly and crackling, coriander and pickles, with all the rich mouthfeel and piquant cut through that entails. A glorious, exemplary banh mi, and one of the best we’ve had outside of Vietnam. We can’t wait to go back and get stuck into their menu more comprehensively.

Right now, the restaurant is unlicensed, but they also do a fine Vietnamese iced coffee – strong, sweet and indulgent – that can also be taken away. Now that’s a train picnic your fellow passengers will be casting covetous glances at.

Just leave Clapham Junction at the St John Hill’s exit and head up that hill for five minutes. Look for the pastel pink building and block, italics capitals of VIET CAPHE, and know you’re in business.

Address: 127 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1SZ

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Hana, Battersea Rise

Ideal for when you fancy Korean comfort food but can’t be arsed to trek to New Malden…

Hana, seven minutes up from Clapham Junction (turn left out of the station, not right), is a family-run Korean spot has been pleasing SW11 palates with faithfully rendered Korean comfort cooking since 2012. The 20-seat space might be small, but when the stone bowl bibimbap arrives hissing like an angry cat and its aroma beckons you in like a waving one, you’re know you’re among as many friends as you could possibly need.

The restaurant once had Michelin recognition (genuinely not sure why they don’t anymore; it’s as good as ever), though you wouldn’t know it from the prices. The family who run it named the place after their daughter Hannah (Hana means ‘one’ in Korean), and there’s something rather lovely about how they’ve stuck to traditional Korean cooking while making Battersea locals feel at home. Inside, it’s all dark wood furnishings, pretty hanging lamps, and service that knows when to chat and when to leave you to your soju. If you truly don’t feel like chatting, you can bury yourself deep in the bowels of the place, behind a translucent byeongpung, and, erm, bury yourself deep in a bowl from the place. That’s a sentence that really doesn’t work, but we’re leaving it in anyway…

The bossam (£16.50) arrives as slow-cooked pork belly with lettuce wraps. No fancy garnishes here; just meat that is tender and fat that is wobbly, ready to be wrapped up with their ferocious house kimchi. Their bulgogi gets its sweetness from fruit marinades, while the homemade Hana mandu are plump dumplings (hey, how about we start calling these guys ‘plumplings’? guys? GUYS?) that put Itsu’s efforts to shame.

But it’s the dolsot bibimbap that really shows what they’re about. That stone bowl comes out nuclear-hot, raw beef cooking as you mix everything together with house gochujang. At under fifteen quid, it’s the kind of dish that ruins you for the watered-down versions you’ll increasingly find on the high street. There’s a round of complimentary banchan too, just as it should be.

Most dishes hover around £10-15, portions are generous enough that you’ll waddle back to the station, and after 13 years in the same spot, they’ve clearly worked out what the neighbourhood wants. Closed on Mondays.

Address: 60 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EG

Instagram: @hana_korean

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Tamila, Northcote Road

Ideal for soul-stirring South Indian food that will ruin your local brunch spot forever…

South Indian cooking has landed on Northcote Road with Tamila, the latest venture from the team behind north London favourites The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown. Since opening in October of last year, it’s quickly made an impact, not for its curries so much, but more for its brunch. Quickly, it’s become the kind of place that makes you question why you ever waited 45 minutes for mediocre eggs Benedict on a particularly ropey Sunday morning. That Gail’s a minute down the road? It’s not longer getting a look in…

Unlike its pub-dwelling siblings up north, Tamila takes a more casual approach. The space is simple – whitewashed walls, wooden tables, booth seating – but the aroma of spices blooming that drifts from the open kitchen brings all the ambience you need here. That, and the steady stream of dosas floating past your table that will have you flagging down the waiter before you’ve even taken your coat off. That sounds like we’re planning to wear those dosas. Come to think of it, they’d make good sleeves…

…Speaking of those dosas – they’re the real deal. The masala version comes as a golden-brown crisp scroll hiding spiced potato masala within, served alongside coconut chutney and sambar that you’ll want to ask for extra of. At £9, it’s also one of the best value breakfasts in the area. The medhu vadai, those savoury lentil doughnuts that could teach their sweet cousins a thing or two about depth of flavour, are another morning winner.

As day turns to evening, the kitchen becomes a different thing, but it’s still satisfying, generous grub that serves up enough intrigue to represent a decent alternative to the area’s more old school curry houses. The Thanjavur chicken curry brings complex, layered spicing and the Chettinad lamb curry carries enough punch to wake up even the weariest commuter. Their dhal is treated with the respect it deserves here – creamy, deeply flavoured, and perfect with their exemplary rotis.

The Gunpowder Margarita has been proving particularly popular with the always-thirsty Northcote Road crowd. If that’s a little bracing, there’s a house Tamila lager that does exactly what you want it to, and a concise wine list that won’t frighten the accountants, who you’ll be dining next to, most likely.

Such has been the success (this place boasts a healthy bottom line, we’d wager) of this south London outpost that a second Tamila is already on the way, set to open in King’s Cross this month. But there’s something special about this original – Tamila feels like it’s been here forever, even though it’s only just getting started.

Website: tamila.uk

Address: 39 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NJ

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Franco Manca, Northcote Road

Ideal for one of the best-priced pizzas pizzas you’ll find in the capital…

Or, if you’re heading south out of Clapham Junction station rather than climbing the hill northeast, then you’ll find a pretty decent, super quick pizza on Northcote Road at Franco Manca.

All-conquering Franco Manca pizzeria doesn’t need much in the way of an introduction; it seems to be on every street corner of London these days. No, that we’re not complaining – it is still one of the best-priced pizzas you’ll find in the capital. 

The trick is in their sourdough base, with the addictive tang only a great ferment brings. Options are limited but inclusive, all part of the places’ charm, with no danger of being gripped by the paradox of choice when scrutinising the simple, streamlined menu. A place like this lives and dies by the pizza itself, and fortunately for all of London, Franca Manca appears to be immortal.

Website: Francomanca.co.uk

Address: 76 Northcote Rd, London SW11 6QL

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Osteria Antica Bologna, Northcote Road

Ideal for home style, comforting Italian food…

On a street largely defined by mid-range chain eateries, Northcote Road’s best ‘neighbourhood’ restaurant is Osteria Antica Bologna, a warm and welcoming Italian which has been in the same spot for over two decades and does all of the simple, rustic things just right.

So, that’s freshly made pasta, ragus that taste like they’ve been bubbling since the restaurant opened, risotto that’s genuinely cooked to order (please allow for 20 minutes) and, if you’re feeling particularly ravenous, a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, that famous chargrilled T-bone steak beloved of Tuscany.

With affordable wine by the glass and a convivial atmosphere every night of the week (except Mondays, when it’s closed), it’s no wonder that Osteria Antica Bologna is such a hit with the locals. 

Website: osteria.co.uk

Address: 23 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NG

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Ploussard, St John’s Road

The ideal neighbourhood restaurant and natural wine bar…

It’s the type of place that this corner of town has been crying out for; a natural wine bar that just happens to do deceptively simple, simply delicious things with seasonal British produce, ready to rival the steady stream of openings out East that seem to have perfected this concept.

Enter Ploussard, which ticks all of the boxes above and then some, all in a space that manages to be both austere but warm, the gentle, oscillating thrum of chatter and clinking classes soundtracking the sharing of plates and your own vital conversation.

Of those plates, a lamb and anchovy crumpet is as vibey and as delicious as it sounds, but try sharing one; it’s not possible. Even better – at their very best in fact – were hulking asparagus spears, al dente and vibrant green, laying under good dose of pert and piquant sauce gribiche. The two dishes actually worked beautifully in tandem, in fact – a spear and a touch of that sauce draped over the umami laden crumpet brought a whole new meaning to the sharing plates concept. Yours, as a pair, for under £20.

Though it’s positioning itself as a neighbourhood bistro of sorts, in the mould of Paris’ bistronomy movement, this isn’t a place to just pop in for a quick glass of wine on your way home from work; Ploussard, named after a prized French red grape variety typically grown in the eastern region of Jura, is already packed out every night of the week (except Mondays, when the doors remain bolted).

That said, it’s much easier to simply stroll in on a weekday lunch, and relax into this new Battersea gem. With several wines sold by the glass for just £6.50, it’s a place we can see ourselves relaxing into rather a lot this year.

Website: ploussardlondon.co.uk

Address: 97 St John’s Rd, London SW11 1QY

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Sinabro, Battersea Rise

Ideal for modern French food with some global flourishes…

This creative counter-dining restaurant on Battersea Rise would be impossible to get into were it in Hackney or out west on Westbourne Grove.

As it stands, with this part of Clapham offering up a different type of dining scene, you can usually expect to get a table (or rather, bar stool) at fairly short notice at French chef Yoann Chevet’s brilliant restaurant.

Do so, and you’ll be rewarded with a no choice four-course menu for a bargain £59, which falls broadly under the ‘modern European’ bracket but with a few Asian flourishes – think open ravioli of braised beef with kimchi and tofu.

Don’t worry, you’re not being experimented on with ill-thought fusion food; dishes here are light, perfectly poised and full of flavour. A must visit if you’re in Battersea!

Website: sinabro.co.uk

Address: 28 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1EE

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Song Hong (Formerly Mien Tay), Lavender Hill

Ideal for Vietnamese food from a London institution…

Mien Tay, a Southern-ish Vietnamese restaurant a short walk from Clapham Junction, was one of favourite Vietnamese spots in the city, serving up some of the most faithfully recreated Vietnamese fare we’ve found in London without hitting up Kingsland Road out East. 

We loved their rendition of banh xeo, a Vietnamese pancake/spring roll mash-up that is a textural, flavour-balancing delight. Décor was pleasingly stripped back and functional, letting the food do the talking, in typical Vietnamese spirit. Oh, and it was BYOB. All together now – ”Tram Phan Tram!’’ What was not to love?

Anyway, you might have noticed some pretty judicious use of the past tense there. That’s because the Battersea branch of Mien Tay (the Shoreditch and Fulham renditions remain) recently – and quietly – changed both name and owners. Now called Song Hong, the menu and chefs remain the same, though the quality is a little more hit and miss than its predecessor, we think. That said, those hits mean Song Hong is still worthy of a place on our list.

Address: 180 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TQ

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Trinity, Clapham Common

Ideal for Michelin-starred fine dining…

The best fine dining option in the area, this Clapham stalwart run by the effervescent, proudly classical chef Adam Byatt has been given a new lease of life in recent years, it seems, via its increasing ubiquity on TopJaw, and Byatt’s downright educational cooking instructionals on Instagram, that have honestly been feeding our weeknight dinner inspiration for the past few months.

A Michelin star felt like it came late for Trinity in 2016, but boy was it well-deserved. This is not to say it wasn’t superb before the little red book finally recognised its exceptional celebration of British ingredients with flair and respect – but Michelin’s acknowledgement of Trinity as one of the best restaurants in London is pleasing nonetheless. The restaurant has a particular affinity with game, and a visit in grouse season is a must. 

If fine dining isn’t your thing, chef Byatt has recently opened a more casual, small plates affair upstairs – suitably named Trinity Upstairs – where the cooking is as attentive and precise as its big brother down on the first floor, but at a more accessible price.

Website: trinityrestaurant.co.uk

Address: 4 The Polygon, London SW4 0JG

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Rosa’s Thai Cafe, Northcote Road

Ideal for classic Thai curry’s and regional specialities…

The second Thai restaurant on our list, and for good reason; could there be a better cuisine at reinvigorating a commuter who’s been worn out by the cut and thrust of the capital, all in the time it takes to wait for that connecting train to Epsom? We certainly don’t think so.

Rosa’s Thai has outposts all over London, with the restaurant gaining popularity for its affordable, punchy Thai dishes with origins from across The Kingdom. The Clapham branch has found a home on Northcote Road, and in a street largely defined by pizzas and burgers, the enlivening hit of chilli and smoke is – even if a little functional – most welcome. 

Go for the stir-fry dishes, as Rosa has real woks and burners out back and that all-important ‘hei’ can be sensed on the plate. The chilli and basil stir fry is a very satisfying one plate wonder, akin to Bangkok’s beloved pad gra pao, but using Thai basil instead of the holy stuff. Regardless, it does the job.

The restaurant also focuses on regional specialities. We’re particularly fond of coming here for an order of chicken larb, papaya salad and a side of sticky rice which all hail from the Isaan province in North-East Thailand.

As their website boasts, the restaurant group serves 11’000 pad Thais a week. We’re a little embarrassed to admit just how many of that number were us. 

Website: rosasthaicafe.com

Address: 54 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1PA

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Bababoom, Battersea Rise

Ideal for chicken shish, falafel and halloumi kebabs…

Excuse the name that calls to mind Thierry Henry suavely, sexily peddling a Renault Clio, and instead turn your attention to the gorgeous, keenly priced kebabs being produced at Bababoom, Battersea Rise’s premier Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant.

With the charcoal grill licking up flames from noon daily, we’d argue that Bababoom is best enjoyed at lunchtime, where one of London’s best deals is found; a properly massive, laden chicken shish, falafel or halloumi kebab, fries and a drink (the frozen lemonade is ace) for just £10. Yep, ten pounds, and that drink can even be beer, which you’d likely be paying around a tenner for alone in some corners of the city. This one runs weekdays until 5pm. Get involved!  

Website: bababoom.london

Address: 30 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1EE

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Soif, Battersea Rise

Ideal for French fare and natural wine…

For many years, Soif was the place in Battersea to drink and dine in classy, pared back surrounds. One of London’s first – and certainly one of its most influential – natural wine bars to take inspiration from the Parisian ‘bistronomy’ movement, Soif has outlasted its sibling restaurant Terroirs, a place that put the biodynamic stuff firmly on the map in the city.

Fortunately, the natty juice is still flowing at Soif, and goes beautifully with the rustic, French country cooking that keeps South London restaurants returning here daily. The pork and pistachio terrine, served with grilled sourdough, is a thing of real beauty whilst the blushing pink veal chop with a complex, piquant charcuterie sauce feels both like a relic of a bygone era and very much on point with modern London cooking. 

Always in search of a bargain London set menu deal, we couldn’t head out the door of Soif and back onto Battersea Rise without mentioning their ‘Wine & Chicken Mondays’, which sees ½ a rotisserie chicken – golden, juicy, salty in all the right ways – served with proper aioli (for once not just a garlic mayonnaise), chips and bitter leaves, all for just £20. The only issue is, this one feels impossible to share! 

Paired with a glass of floral, funky Pinot Gris from Germany’s Rheinhessen region, you’ve got yourself a light, gorgeous dinner that yesterday’s roast will be looking enviously at.

Website: soif.co

Address: 27 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1HG

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Prezzemolo & Vitale, St. John’s Road

For the ultimate grab and go meal just moments from Clapham Junction station, Prezzemolo & Vitale, a relatively recent addition to the area, has brought an authentic taste of Sicilian gastronomia culture to this little corner of south west London. 

With shops already thriving in Chelsea, Notting Hill, Borough Market and Wimbledon, the Battersea branch of Prezzemolo & Vitale is housed in the revamped Arding & Hobbs building on St John’s Rd. This Sicilian deli-cum-cafe is stacked with a wide selection of premium Italian charcuterie, cheeses, pasta and olive oil, as well as some items you’ll struggle to find in your local Waitrose, such as guanciale and bottarga.

There’s also an impressive array of seasonal produce imported directly from Italy on a weekly basis – Marsala black tomatoes and Ribera oranges, stand up. So far, so do-it-yourself…

But for a train picnic, you’ll be properly set up here too, with the counter on your left as you enter the deli (still haven’t decided what to call this place!) well appointed with homemade Italian classics that eat incredibly well lukewarm.

Seeing as the gaff (still haven’t decided…) is Sicilian, the caponata is particularly good. A really good version actually, salty, sweet and sour, in that order, and so good lumped across the freshly baked focaccia that’s also sold here. The parmigiana di melanzane and beef lasagne look great, too. Next time, next time…

On top of all that, Prezzemolo & Vitale’s own brand of Italian ice cream, including esoteric flavours like Gianduja, Fior di Panna, and Tiramisu, is available here (or to go) for all the sugarheads out there. Unsurprisingly, the coffee here more than does the job, too.

Website: prezzemoloevitale.co.uk

Address: 1-7 St John’s Rd, London SW11 1QL

Disembark at London’s Liverpool Street Station and the bright and bustle of the big city can at first overwhelm. People jostle and shimmy, police vans congregate, and all the buses come at once, defying both attempts to cross the road casually and a certain London saying. It’s bedlam out here, make no mistake.

Sure, you could retreat back into a station once known as the Dark Cathedral, taking refuge under its atrium vaulting, the golden arches of McDonalds or in a box of Krispy Kremes, but to do so would be to miss out on all the fantastic restaurants just a short stroll from Liverpool Street.

So, pull yourself together, engage your appetite, shoulders back and smash it; here’s where to eat near Liverpool Street Station, our favourite restaurants in Bishopgate and Liverpool Street.

Three Uncles, Devonshire Row

The ideal place to enjoy traditional roast Cantonese meats over rice…

After that flustered introduction, who’s going to firmly but fairly tell us to get a grip? Not one, not two, but three of our favourite uncles, that’s who.

So, it’s to Three Uncles we’re heading first (leave the station, cross Bishopsgate, pass the Bull and Last on your left, and you’re pretty much there) which celebrates traditional roast Cantonese meats over rice.

Just the ticket after a train journey, whether you’ve come from Cambridge or Tottenham Court Road, you’ll see slabs of crispy pork and whole roast ducks hanging over the counter at this modest shop, making it hard not to order both. Fortunately, the ‘any two meats over rice’ (complete with iron-rich, steamed pak choi) offer is as generous as you like, and a steal in the City for just £11.75.

Grab a stool at one of the two outside tables and watch the world go by, or head back to Liverpool Street Station for your departing train; you’ll be the envy of the whole carriage.

Website: threeuncles.co.uk

Address: 12 Devonshire Row, London EC2M 4RH

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St. John Bread & Wine, Commercial Street

Ideal for traditional British fare from one of the UK’s most celebrated chefs...

Needing little in the way of introduction, Fergus Henderson’s St. John Bread & Wine is arguably even better than the Smithfield mothership, with the stark, ascetic interiors, stark, ascetic plates, warm hospitality, and yes, plenty of offal, all present and correct here.

Whilst you won’t always find the bone marrow and parsley salad on the menu at Bread and Wine (grilled sardines often stand in), there’s plenty of nourishing, generous dishes to get very excited about. We’re often found stalking Commercial Street, waiting for the doors to swing open at noon; a Bread & Wine kedgeree, a chilled glass of St. John Blanc, and a big ol’ plateful of warm madelines… Could it be the best ‘brunch’ in all of London? We certainly think so.

Stay for lunch, for a dish of upmost simplicity; a whole roast quail with a little jelly, or grilled red mullet with a fennel salad. Upfront, straightforward, and all the more delicious for it.

And if you can’t wait ‘till midday, the restaurant’s iconic bacon sarnie is available for takeaway only between 9am and 11am. Be prepared to queue.

Website: stjohnrestaurant.com

Address: 94-96 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ

Read: The best places for a bacon sandwich in London

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Kolamba East, Blossom Street

Ideal for some seriously sensational Sri Lankan food…

In the new, long-teased development of Norton Folgate, on pretty, cobbled Blossom Street, recently opened Kolamba East is positioned as the sophisticated, slightly more premium sibling of the acclaimed Soho restaurant Kolamba. Whilst it’s only been open for a little under a year, the restaurant is already on form, and is a great option for a spicy, invigorating feast close to Liverpool Street.

Introduced to the London dining scene by husband and wife duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella in 2019, Kolamba was conceived from their memories of growing up in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo and the incredible food of the city. 

Kolamba settled into Soho fast, earning several rave reviews in the national press. The announcement of a second act with loftier ambitions, then, piqued our interest something substantial, so we’re alighting at Liverpool Street once again, and heading five minutes down the road to the second outpost.

What first strikes you is the design here. Kolamba East is one handsome building, its 90-cover dining room a homogenous, harmonious single entity. Designed in partnership with Annie Harrison of FARE INC, it’s all plush booth seating, an attractive central bar, and some truly gorgeous lanterns, the latter of which cast a blanket of warming sepia over the whole space. It’s a beautifully designed room and one that really feels like you’re travelling on a private jet, for some reason.

When you come back down to earth, fold yourself into plates of Sri Lankan ‘homecooking’ with a few flashes of finesse from executive chef Imran Mansuri and team, perfectly exemplified in the string hopper king prawn biryani, which comes with a small jug of intensely flavoured, delicately spiced shellfish stock. Pour that jug over the tangle of thread like noodles, squeeze the prawn brains into the mix, and muddle; inside, it’s heady, oceanic alchemy. Alongside, and whatever you do, order the roasted pineapple; it’s one of the best things we’ve eaten this year.

You can read our full review of Kolamba here.

Address:: 12 Blossom St, London E1 6PL

Website: kolamba.co.uk

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Som Saa, Commercial Street *temporarily closed*

Ideal for regional Thai dishes and fruity cocktails that still both pack a punch…

The boozy and brilliant Som Saa has been such a foodie fixture since its Shoreditch opening back in the heady days of 2016 that it’s easy to forget how groundbreaking the restaurant felt at the time. 

A wildly successful pop-up that became a crowd-funded bricks and mortar restaurant, Som Saa’s introduction to the world was one of regional Thai food that wasn’t only liberal with the chilli, but also didn’t hold back on the cuisine’s funkier elements. Shrimp paste, fermented fish sauce and entrails, fresh durian and more all made an appearance on the big sharing tables that defined Som Saa’s convivial, cacophonous vibe.

Fast forward to 2025 and the whole of London suddenly feels conversant in the difference between Isaan’s pla raa and Sai Buru’s nahm bu du, with the city’s capsaicin tolerance at an all time high, and some of Som Saa’s more unfamiliar dishes now very much part of the fabric of food culture here.

Much recent focus has been placed on Som Saa founders Andy Oliver and Mark Dobbie’s new Southern Thai joint Kolae over in Borough Market, but back at the mothership on Commercial Street, the whole deep-fried seabass is still as crisp and herbal as ever, the rotating cast of som tam still pounded to order each and every time, and the coconut cream for the restaurant’s excellent curries is still getting freshly pressed daily. 

It’s a labour of love that bears delicious fruit in a current red curry of crispy tofu and Thai basil, a thick, fresh and fragrant affair that undulates gently with the smoky background note of a complex dried red chilli paste. Equally good is the menu stalwart of stir-fried to order seasonal greens, with black cabbage, asparagus and mushrooms boasting huge amounts of wok hei. 

This is a place where you’ll want to come for a full sharing spread. Indeed, each dish’s interplay with its neighbour feels just as important as its flavour profile when standing alone. Som Saa’s ‘tem toh’ menu is designed with this interaction and balance in mind; a spread of 5 or 6 complementary dishes, plus rice and dessert, is priced for £40 per person.

A couple of the restaurant’s signature cocktails (mine’s the Siam Sling – a long, floral number flavoured with Thai basil and makrut lime – if you’re asking) sees that sharing menu on its way beautifully. 

*Unfortunately, after a fire at the restaurant in early May, Som Saa is currently (but temporarily) closed. We’ll update this piece when more news is announced of the reopening date.*

Address: 43A Commercial St, London E1 6BD 

Website: somsaa.com

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Manteca, Curtain Road

Ideal for Britalian food with a nose-to-tail ethos…

If you prefer your conversations to be conducted in hushed, reverent tones, you might be better off seeking shelter elsewhere. But if you’re looking for one of the best restaurants close to Liverpool Street Station, however, you’ve found it here.

Because Manteca, the ‘Britalian’ restaurant from chefs Chris Leach and David Carter, is a brimming, boisterous affair, and impossibly hard to book since moving to its permanent location in Shoreditch last year. 

Named by Time Out London as the second best restaurant in the city, and receiving a slew of fawning national reviews, the nose-to-tail small plates here are as satisfying as they come, the energy both in the dining room and on the plate totally irresistible. 

Whilst the brown crab caico e pepe is arguably the restaurant’s most talked about dish, it’s the pig head fritti that truly had us cooing. Or should that be ‘oinking’? Served alongside a burnt apple purée, Sunday lunch this ain’t. Rather, it’s a refined, deeply savoury bite, offset perfectly by the purée.

Equally fine when it’s on the menu is the tortellini in brudo, the pasta parcels filled with a mortadella mixture that’s both light and umami-heavy. The broth glistens, the tortellini bounces, and everything feels right with the world.

Speaking of Sunday lunches, incidentally, Manteca observes the lord’s day in true Bolognese fashion, with a celebratory lasagna verde (here, using belted galloway beef and rarebreed saddleback pork), all finished in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Only available on the Sabbath, it’s a worthy match to a more traditional Sunday roast in the city.

Anyway, Manteca truly is a class act, and somewhere you’ll want to return to again and again (and that’s coming through a writer who has now made their way through the entire menu here!). 

Website: mantecarestaurant.co.uk

Address: 49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT

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Bar Douro City, Finsbury Avenue

Ideal for Portuguese small-plates specialists…

By some estimates, there are around 50’000 Portuguese nationals living in London, with the majority living in South Lambeth, the city’s so-called ‘Little Portugal’, and, more specifically, Stockwell, which is home to the biggest concentration of Portuguese outside of the Motherland.

Unsurprisingly, then, that to eat great Portuguese food in London, it’s wise to head into SW9. That said, north of the river, in the rather bromidic surrounds of Finsbury Avenue Square, some of the best Portuguese food we’ve ever had – Lisbon, London or anywhere – is being served at Bar Douro City.

In a dining room that might better be described as a particularly well-appointed corridor, with intricate blue-and-white azulejos-tiles lining one wall, and a bar and open kitchen on the other. From here, a procession of generous, gutsy Portuguese small plates are served with the kind of flourish that whisks you far away from the soulless City and to somewhere altogether more sincere. 

Start with the croquetes de alheira – circular croquettes filled with a sharp, spicy smoked sausage and topped with a dab of aioli that hit all the right notes with your first crisp glass of Super Bock, the only beer you need here. An exemplary bacalhau à brás pulls off that delicate balancing act that only the best versions do, of being both crunchy and creamy, its top end seasoning moreish rather than parching, as long as you’ve another Super Bock to hand. 

From the larger ‘land’ based dishes, the secretos de porco preto alentejano (grilled black pig) is a highlight, the highly prized cut from around the pig’s shoulder served blushing pink and beautifully marbled. The accompanying Montanheira salad features segments of orange that lift and cleanse. This has got to be one of the best dishes you’ll eat close to Liverpool Street Station, and well worth delaying your train for.

Round things off, naturally, with a pastel de nata. Bar Douro’s is served with a cinnamon ice cream which at first feels superfluous, but is so well made – smooth and rich rather than dusty – that you have to remove your purist hat and succumb. 

Bar Douro is also one of the best places in London for large groups, its dining room able to accommodate 16 people with a sharing menu that clocks in at just £40. Woof.

Website: bardouro.co.uk

Address: Unit 3, 1 Finsbury Ave, London EC2M 2PF

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Bubala, Commercial Street

A darling place ideal for playful Middle Eastern sharing plates…

A Yiddish term of endearment akin to ‘sweetheart’, this vegetarian restaurant on the peripheries of Spitalfields takes inspiration from the cafe and casual dining scene in Tel Aviv. Put simply, Bubala is as charming as they come.

Whilst at lunch the menu is a la carte, at dinnertime it’s a set menu only affair, which at £38 per person isn’t necessarily cheap, until you see just how much you get for that figure; with over ten courses, this certainly isn’t a meal for watching yours. 

Whether you’re here for lunch or dinner, the brown butter hummus is essential (and all present and correct on the Bubala Knows Best evening set). But the headlining act for us is the fennel with saffron caramel and rose harissa, whose impossibly heady top notes are smoothed and sedated by a piquant yet cooling yoghurt. Just superb.

Website: bubala.co.uk

Address: 65 Commercial St, London E1 6BD

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Cinnamon Kitchen City, Devonshire Square

Ideal for cinnamon, spice and all food ridiculously nice…

Fittingly located in the historic East India Company spice warehouse and just a two minute walk from Liverpool Street, Cinnamon Kitchen is the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the City. 

With Chef Vivek Singh at the helm, the restaurant and all-weather covered terrace serves his signature modern Indian cuisine with the best of British ingredients for lunch and dinner. The restaurant also does one of London’s spiciest dishes – the perfect way to dust yourself down after a long day, we think.

Website: cinnamon-kitchen.com

Address: 9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YL

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The Wolseley City, King William Street

Ideal for sophisticated all-day dining in the heart of The City…

Nestled in the heart of London’s historic/soulless Square Mile, this European restaurant pays homage to its much-loved forefather, The Wolseley, by retaining the ‘all-day’ offering intrinsic to its DNA, with food served in one way or another from 7am to 11pm, daily (except Sundays, which ends at 5pm) – pretty useful if you’ve missed your train and need somewhere to pitch up for a while, we think.

The ‘City’ version of this much cherished restaurant is a place where British (and London) heritage meets contemporary broadly-French cuisine, creating a dining experience that’s both casual and elegant, glamorous but grounded. 

Upon entering, you’ll be greeted by the graceful design details of the interior, which was once a bank and later a department store before being transformed into the capacious dining room you’re just about to settle into. Of course, twinkling, meandering jazz plays at just the right volume…

With the scene set, it’s time to tuck in, and the menu at The Wolseley City is a continent-spanning rundown of European classics. The snails done in the Bourguignonne-style, as in, swimming in plenty of garlic and herb butter, with a lick of pastis to liven them, are particularly good. Pack chewing gum for that onward train journey.

Even better – the highlight, in fact – is a tranche of turbot ‘Grenobloise’. Here, the pearlescent, expertly cooked fish arrives positively bathed in a lemon-spiked brown butter, capers dotted across its surface. You’ll want a side of frites with this one. Sure, £44.50 for a fairly small piece of fish – king of the sea or otherwise – might feel pretty extortionate, but the place is heaving with boorish bankers who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at the price tag, so fair fucks. Veal sweetbreads, all crisp exteriors and buttery centres, are served with a pleasingly light soubise sauce and pleasingly rich veal bone reduction, creating a ying and yang effect that complements those butch yet delicate offaly bits perfectly.

Desserts are decent, too, the apple strudel with a strident calvados chantilly cream hitting all the markers you want from your sweet course – caramelised sugar, giving fruit, and a soothing but boozy cream. Lovely stuff.

Located just a stone’s throw away from Monument Station, The Wolseley City is an accessible place to dine, making it the ideal choice for those looking for a grand dining experience without venturing too far from Liverpool Street.

Website: thewolseleycity.com

Address: 68 King William St, London EC4N 7HR

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Gunpowder, Artillery Lane

Ideal for Indian small plates that pack heat and flavour…

Duck down Artillery Lane (sadly no relation to the whole Gunpowder thing; the restaurant is named after a famous spice mix), and you’ll find Gunpowder holding court in a tight space that feels like someone’s front room in terms of the cheek-to-jowl nature of things.

Five minutes from Liverpool Street Station, this tiny space has been buzzing with interest since day one, the room enveloped in a thick miasma of blooming spices that promises a good meal before you’ve even had the chance to get properly across the menu. These days you can actually book a table (a recent change from their famous no-bookings policy), though they do still keep some spots for walk-ins. Sure, you might be practically sitting on your neighbour’s lap, but nobody seems to mind when the food starts arriving. Hey, you might even enjoy that kind of close proximity…

The spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut sounds like something dreamt up after too many pints, but it works brilliantly. The meat’s been spiced judiciously, and the doughnut is light and grease-free, adding richness that’ll have you licking your fingers without shame (perhaps avoid doing so whilst looking into your neighbour’s eyes, though). Order the Gunpowder chaat for contrast – these crispy Norfolk potato fingers come dressed in yoghurt and tamarind, creating the kind of sweet-sour-spicy balance that the subcontinent does so well.

It’d be madness to stop after snacks. Instead, go for the grilled pork ribs arrive lacquered in a crimson Nagaland glaze that’s got a pleasing punch. These aren’t your Sunday pub ribs – they’re sticky, funky, and hot enough to make you grateful for the lassi you’ve almost knocked over several times. Speaking of heat, approach the bhel puri with caution if you’re spice-sensitive. What looks like an innocent puffed rice salad will absolutely blow your head off, though in the most delicious way possible.

The intimate space still creates a buzzy, energetic vibe, even if queues have been reduced by the new allowance for reservations. Perfect for a pre-train feast or a lunch that’s anything but boring.

Website: gunpowderrestaurants.com

Address: 11 White’s Row, London E1 7NF

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Eataly, Bishopgate

The ideal shopping destination for Italian food lovers in London…

A fair amount of scepticism existed about the opening of the juggernaut Italian ‘marketplace’ Eataly just moments from Liverpool Street Station, and the first to land here in the UK. 

Did we really need a sprawling food court and Italian deli in London, when affordable pasta joints were proliferating faster than the time it takes to boil some freshly rolled angel hair? Would the self-proclaimed premium ingredients appeal to a British market often more concerned with convenience than quality? Was a whopping 42’000 square feet of eating, shopping and learning strictly necessary?

Turns out we did and it was. With over 5’000 food products and 2’000 wines – the largest collection in London – all under one roof, including some seriously good charcuterie, cheeses, and sweet stuff (the cannoli here is ace), Eataly has thus far been a massive success.

It’s also a great place to spend an afternoon, with samples, tastings and trials all available at the various retailers. Just make sure you bring a large bag and a larger credit limit; it’s impossible to leave this place empty handed!

There’s also decent pasta and pizza in Eataly’s three dedicated restaurants, for those looking to take a load off for a while.

Website: eataly.co.uk

Address: 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD

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Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles, Commercial Street

The ideal destination for some of the best hand-pulled noodles in the Capital…

If you prefer your noodz hand-pulled rather than pasta machine rolled, then over on Commercial Street you’ll find one of the very best restaurants near Liverpool Street Station; Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles.

A sister restaurant to the much celebrated Xi’an Impression, one of our favourite places to eat in Highbury and Islington, the food is equally as good here. Visually akin to a canteen, all white walls and clinical lighting, and with straightforward service to match, the food is anything but impersonal; noodles have just the right amount of bite and spring, sauces (and subsequently, shirts) are slicked with chilli oil, and garlic lingers for days after dining here.

For those looking for somewhere to eat near Covent Garden, some good news; Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles will open their second branch here later in the year.

Address: 62 Commercial St, London E1 7AL

Read: The best restaurants in Whitechapel

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Spitalfields, Brushfield Street

Ideal for lots of choice under one roof…

Spitalfields Market has a slicker, smoother feel than some of the more cobbled together markets in the city, but that’s not to its detriment at all. It’s large, covered (great for sheltering from the ever present London rain) and has a great variety of the good stuff, both in stall and fully-realised- restaurant form. 

Indeed, there are plenty of Spitalfields restaurants to choose from and the much renowned Galvin Brothers have two places here if parking your bottom and taking your time is more your thing. If snacking, shopping and switching cuisines does it for you, then Smokoloko, The Duck Truck and Ebby’s are particular favourites. 

Website: spitalfields.co.uk

Address: 56 Brushfield St, London E1 6AA

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Shoryu Ramen, Great Eastern Street

Ideal for regional ramen that nourishes the soul…

Sure, Shoryu Ramen may be pretty ubiquitous by now, with the chain boasting 9 London outposts, as well as more across the UK, but that shouldn’t detract from the quality of the milky thick, rich, heavily porcine tonkotsu broth that has become the restaurant’s signature.

Founded by Tak Tokumine, a Fukuoka city native who might bleed bone broth if you cut him open with a Nakiri knife (weird image), the aim when opening Shoryu was simple; to bring the unique flavour of Fukuoka’s Hakata tonkutsu ramen, hard to find outside of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, to London and beyond.

A noble aim indeed and one that has been embraced by ramen-loving Londoners. At the glass-fronted Shoreditch branch, a brisk 10 minute walk from the station, in a rather functional space, the usual lofty standards remain; the char siu barbecue pork is as tender as ever, the 12-hour broth is so enriched with pork fat it’s become opaque, and the dappling of chilli oil across its surface brings a curious sort of respite. 

It’s bloody fantastic, though perhaps not one for your lunch break; your white shirt is sure to get splattered and your energy levels may well be tanked. Best save this glorious bowl for after work, we think.

Website: shoryuramen.com

Address: 45 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 4NR

And whilst you’re in the area, why not check out our tips on the best places to eat near Shoreditch High Street Station. Thank the god lord for TFL!

Marylebone. Though we’ve read it hundreds of times, we’ve still got no idea how to pronounce the name of this well-heeled West End district. What we do know, however, is just where to eat in Le Bone. Or, should we call it Mary for short? How about Boney M? Who cares? We were always taught not to speak with our mouths full anyway…

From Michelin-starred Mexican to traditional British pub classics given a twist or two, there is something for everyone in this food lover’s paradise. With that in mind, here are the best restaurants in Marylebone, London.

St. John Marylebone, Marylebone Lane

Ideal for nose-to-tail dining and a bloody brilliant British culinary experience…

The newest addition to the burgeoning family has arrived, bringing with it a fresh and vibrant approach that is both unmistakably St. John and uniquely tailored to the sensibilities of its chic London neighbourhood It’s already one of Marylebone’s very best places to eat.

Its instantly recognisable, clinical bright white interiors tell anyone who’s previously dined at a Fergus Henderson restaurant that you’re going to get fed very well indeed, and St. John Marylebone delivers on that promise.

The menu here is tighter – daintier, even – than at both the mothership and Bread & Wine, but there’s still some famous flourishes to be found. Here, the iconic Welsh rarebit appears in croquette form and is a gorgeously funky piece of work. Those ”nose to tail” leanings are all present and correct, too, with a recent dish of gently pink lamb’s liver and horseradish a bracing, bruising but utterly memorable affair.

A little earlier in the year, a plate of lamb sweetbreads, wilted young lettuce leaves and the sprightly lift of tarragon have lived in the memory even longer.

With plenty of wine being poured with a flourish by the glass, these smaller plates just feel right as you take your place at a window stool, watch the passing foot traffic of Marybelone Lane and ponder just how far we’ve sunk. It’s obligatory to order a plate of madelines (£8 for a small one, but you know you want the larger batch for £16) for the road.

Make sure to check the daily menu to see what’s ripe, ready and in store; it goes online – posted as a snap of the restaurant’s blackboard – at 11.30am for lunch and 5.30pm for supper.

Address: 98 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2QA

Website: stjohnrestaurant.com

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Hoppers, Wigmore Street

It’s by no means our first time at Hoppers. In fact it’s become a bit of a favourite. We know what to expect – the bustling vibe, the punchy aroma of spices and coconut, those lacy baskets (hoppers) just right for scooping up a deep, rich curry. 

But the true test of a great restaurant is getting it right every time. No-one wants to be raving about a place to your mates only for them to be underwhelmed. So we’re pleased to say that Hoppers still absolutely delivers. Early evening it’s packed – after workers winding down over Arrack cocktails, locals breaking their Ramadan fast with the Buriani Banquet special. There’s an upbeat energy to it all, and the food comes in hot and fast. 

We went for the set menu. Starters set the tone. Mutton rolls are crisp and deeply spiced – perfect dipped in the fiery ketchup. A seafood allergy means one of us has to swerve the hot butter squid but substitutes from the veggie menu are cheerfully offered. The chilli garlic broccoli is well worth the detour, leaving the allergy-free to polish off all the squid with lip smacking enthusiasm. And, of course, there’s the bone marrow varuval: two imposing leg bones from which marrow is spooned out onto flaky roti. It’s a signature dish, and rightly so.

As the night moves on, the feeling changes. The post-work crowd disperses, the noise softens and the spicing on the main courses becomes a little gentler. Chicken and lamb karis arrive with an array of chutneys and sambols, a soothing dhal and a cooling raita. The dosas are even better than the eponymous hoppers for mopping up every last slick of sauce. Do we have room for desserts? Hardly, but it seems a shame not to, so the traditional Sri Lankan custard pudding watalappam brings up the rear. 

So are we coming back again? You betcha, and we’ll be telling all our friends. 

Website: hopperslondon.com

Address: 77 Wigmore St, London W1U 1QE

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AngloThai, Seymour Place

Ideal for a poetic coming together of British ingredients and Thai cooking sensibilities…

AngloThai has spent six years as London’s most promising pop-up, which is about five years too many. Now, finally settled into The Gate’s old spot on Seymour Place and already with a shiny Michelin star above the door (metaphorically speaking – it’s actually to the side of the door), John and Desiree Chantarasak’s first permanent restaurant does something fresh, as you may have guessed from its rather prosaic name: it takes Thai cooking and strips it of everything that isn’t grown in Britain. The results are always interesting and quite often spectacularly delicious.

This means no rice (replaced brilliantly by pearled naked oats), holy basil from Suffolk rather than Bangkok, and Devon-caught monkfish in place of sea bass from the Andaman. It’s the same philosophy that earned KOL its Michelin star (the two share the same umbrella restaurant group, MJMK), though here the execution feels more personal – John’s half-Thai, half-British heritage informing every plate and Desiree’s pinpoint knowledge of sometimes esoteric grapes writing the winelist. Indeed, it’s so personal that we’re on first name terms with the owners after only two paragraphs…

The dining room sets the tone: white-panelled walls, tables made from Chamchuri wood shipped from Chiang Mai, and lighting that somehow makes every diner look like they’ve just come back from a fortnight in Samui. In the open kitchen, proper turbojet wok burners (a rare sight in London) whoosh, creating that coveted breath-of-the-wok essence in dishes like long aubergine with sweet basil and a soy-cured egg yolk – a plate that arrives looking demure but punches hard with smoke and umami.

A crab and caviar number is served on a coal-black coconut ash cracker made with the same brass mould used to create kanom dok jok (otherwise known as lotos blossom cookies) in the Kingdom. It could easily feel precious, but there’s proper cooking muscle behind the theatrics, justifying the £35 price tag with a heady salty-sweet interplay.

The lion’s mane mushroom with sunflower seed satay (£20) arrives as pretty-as-a-picture, but in the eating boasts that characteristic Thai balance of both nuance and intensity. It’s perhaps the highlight of the whole meal here.

The kitchen really hits its stride with the larger plates. Hebridean hogget (from Desiree’s family farm, no less) comes in a massaman curry that’s gentle with its spicing but shows proper depth. Though if you’re after heat, the jungle curry with monkfish delivers it in undulating waves rather than all at once. Both are brilliant; dishes from a kitchen with a finely tuned grasp of correct Thai seasoning, but with enough flair and flourish to reemphasise the restaurant’s mission, rather than be stifled by it.

The meal ends, as with basically any Thai fine dining joint, with a riff on mango sticky rice, only this one is centred on reduced carrot juice and sea buckthorn. File in the ‘trust us on this one’ compartment.

Desiree’s wine list leans heavily on biodynamism and Austria, including their own house wines made with Nibiru in Kamptal. It’s exactly what you want with this kind of food – teeing up that complex spicing rather than extinguishing it.

Yes, it’s expensive, and some bores might chunter on about how you can get a plate of noodles in the Thai capital for a hundredth of the price of the tasting menu (an actually pretty reasonable £75). But AngloThai isn’t trying to recreate Bangkok. It’s doing its own, idiosyncratic thing, and, after only five months of being opening, is clearly doing it very well, owing to the breakneck speed of that star. It’s well deserved, we think.

Address: 22-24 Seymour Pl, London W1H 7NL

Website: anglothai.co.uk

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Royal China Club, Baker Street

Ideal for refined Cantonese dining with a side of theatre…

The jewel in the Royal China crown sits rather demurely on Baker Street, its elegant dining room a canvas for some of London’s finest Cantonese cooking. Award-winning chef Billy Wong’s menu reads like a greatest hits of Chinese gastronomy, though it’s the dim sum offering that really sings.

Those familiar with the group’s other outposts might experience a touch of sticker shock here – steamer baskets hover around the £10 mark, with the prawn and bamboo shoot dumplings (har gau) at £10.80 and the Shanghai-style xiaolongbao with crab meat at £9.80. Still, the cooking justifies the prices. The dumplings arrive gossamer-thin and gloriously translucent, while the xiaolongbao, inevitably compared to those at Din Tai Fung down the road, more than hold their own, their delicate wrappers containing a generous splash of hot soup alongside minced pork and crab meat.

Evening brings dishes of serious ambition. Emperor king prawns (£33.80 each) can be prepared in myriad ways (we’re partial to the ‘crispy with garlic & chilli’ preparation) while more innovative plates like pan-fried dory fish with foie gras sauce showcase the kitchen’s creative, opulent side. A plate of Iberico pork with cordycep flower – that phallic-looking fungi – feels almost restrained in comparison. It’s equally good, though.

The generous dining room, recently refurbished, manages to feel special without being stuffy, its white tablecloths occasionally splattered with XO sauce as enthusiastic diners get stuck in. Service strikes that sweet spot between efficiency and warmth that characterises the best Chinese restaurants in the capital.

An early evening meal here, watching the sun set through those huge windows while dipping into a procession of perfectly executed classics, is one of Marylebone’s great pleasures. The kitchen runs a full service from noon until late (10:30pm most nights, extending to 11pm on weekends), though you’ll want to book ahead – this place fills up fast.

Address: 40-42 Baker St, London W1U 7AJ 

Website: royalchinagroup.co.uk

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Trishna, Blandford Street

Ideal for Michelin-starred coastal Indian cuisine…

For those seeking a focused, flavour-forward dining experience, Trishna is a must-visit. This Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in coastal Indian cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh British seafood cooked with spice and verve, which sounds like all of the ingredients for a great meal in Marylebone, don’t you think? 

Sitting rather ironically on Blandford Street, there’s nothing bland (sorry) about chef Sajeev Nair’s contemporary interpretation of the food of his homeland. Having grown up in Palakkad, Kerala, Nair understands the ins and outs of Indian coastal cuisine intimately, and the signature of funky, rich Dorset brown crab with butter, pepper, and garlic, all mashed and spoonable, has to be one of London’s most satisfying shellfish dishes.

Another Trishna crab classic is the nandu varuval – crispy soft shell crab, green chilli, a rocher of white crab meat, and a smooth tomato chutney all pull in the same direction to great effect. Just delicious.

The lunch and early evening menu, running from midday to 14:15pm and 5pm to 6:15pm, is a snip at £55 for four courses.

Address: 15-17 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DG

Website: trishnalondon.com

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Fire & Wine (Formerly Boxcar Bar & Grill), New Quebec Street

Ideal for beautifully marbled, homegrown steaks…

*It was announced in June 2025 that Boxcar Bar and Grill would relaunch as Fire and Wine, and explore a new concept of live fire cooking and low intervention wine. We’ll update this section once we’ve tried the new iteration.*

Sitting pretty in the somewhat secluded area of New Quebec Street, a welcome breather from the carnage and caper of Oxford Street, Marylebone High Street and Edgware Road, Boxcar Bar and Grill has a real neighbourhood gem feel to it. That is, if your neighbourhood gem happened to have beautifully marbled steaks and swinging lamb legs hanging out in a fridge out front…

This stylish eatery, part of the eclectic Portman Village, has steadily built a reputation for serving satisfying, ingredient-led dishes, thanks to its focus on premium, ethically sourced British produce. 

Boxcar’s menu is a robust, flavoursome affair, with a particular emphasis on prime cuts grilled over a charcoal flame until they’ve got that all-important bark. Speaking of bark, actually, the dining room is rendered in all kinds of soothing wooden shades, with a little floating foliage thrown in for good measure. It’s the type of place where an evening feels almost cleansing, were it not for all the wine and steak you’d thrown back.

Not only does the restaurant now flaunt a redesigned al fresco area and an intimate chef’s table, but the atmosphere inside exudes a perfect blend of Manhattan speakeasy vibes intertwined with the informality and lush greenery reminiscent of a cosy British pub.

It’s a pleasant place to set about a tight, confident menu. The Herdwick lamb croquettes are a must order for that initial grazing session; a little funky from a long braised, fatty cut of lamb, in the best possible way. Dots of lovage emulsion bring a welcome jolt of aniseed that balances everything out just right, and lingers until your steak (Hereford rib eye, 225g at £31, for us anyway) hits the table.

What more can you say about a steak cooked well in a restaurant? It’s got barmarks. It’s blushing in the centre. It has a crust that’s speckled with chunky flakes of sea salt. It tastes nicely pastoral. It’s ace, but if you’re not quite such a carnivore, Boxcar has a quartet of lighter mains, the pan roasted cod with peas and broad beans (with their outer sleeves removed – rejoice!) the pick of the bunch.

The desserts, much like the rest of the menu, are executed with finesse, while the cocktails, particularly the Twice Smoked – a spirited mix of Calvados, Laphroaig 10, apple, and maple – provide the perfect nightcap.

That is, unless you were here for the laughably good value ‘quick lunch’, which is priced at just £19. We wouldn’t recommend a cocktail of that magnitude if you’ve got anything to do in the afternoon, or you, too, will feel twice smoked.

We’re not actually sure that even works as a line, but Boxcar Bar and Grill most certainly does.

Website: boxcar.co.uk

Address: 23 New Quebec St, London W1H 7SD 

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Lita, Paddington Street

Ideal for meticulously crafted Mediterranean plates at admittedly premium prices…

‘A modern Mediterranean bistro with open fire cooking in the heart of London’. We could be describing the vast majority of recent restaurant openings in the city, to be honest…

…but Lita isn’t your everyday place, let’s be clear. Short for ‘abuelita’, which means ‘granny’ in Spanish, Lita isn’t really your grandma’s homecooking kind of place, either. 

Unless your grandma is a young protege with time spent at Michelin-starred The Clove Club, its acclaimed sister restaurant Luca, and as head chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair, all before they turned 30.

This is damn convoluted, but we’re describing the career trajectory of Lita head chef Luke Ahearne, who boasts an impressive culinary pedigree. He’s continued that trajectory in some style. Though Lita has only been open a couple of months, it’s already garnered several fawning national reviews, with Jay Rayner ‘in heavenly raptures’ and Jimi Famurewa breathtaken. Christ, that’s a scene we don’t want to play out in our mind every again.

It’s easy to see why they loved it, though; the food here is genuinely magnificent, with an admirable attention to detail paid to the most seemingly simple of dishes. Two smoked basque sardines, meticulously pin boned before being – at least, visually – bonded back together, arrive over a gorgeously smooth ajo blanco and piquant cherries. It’s a case in point of the kind of cooking Lita has already mastered, boasting a depth of flavour that knocks you back.

Don’t let it disarm you too much; you’ll want to regain focus for the briny, brilliant Dorset clams with artichokes done in the Roman style. That is, braised until giving in a mix of white wine and olive oil. It’s excellent, and you’d hope so too for £28.

Okay, the hulking Galician dairy cow in the room; Lita is expensive. Yes, we know it’s somewhat uncouth to mention prices quite so explicitly, but fuck me; there are snacks in the mid twenties, starters topping £30 and several mains over a hundred. 

No pan con tomate in the world should cost £17, even one draped with Cantabrian anchovies, but this is admittedly a very good one. There are few bottles of wine available at Lita below £60. Desserts are stubbornly in the mid-teens.

Yep, this is most certainly a special occasion place, but what a place to sink into. The interior showcases a warm, earthy palette with reclaimed terracotta tiles, a timber-clad bar with a deep red, veined marble top, blood-orange banquettes, and restored antique tables, all reminiscent of a grand chateau kitchen that your nan might have helmed a half a century back. She’ll have balked at the prices here, sure, but she wouldn’t half have been proud to send out some of these dishes.

The Michelin star awarded earlier this year felt almost inevitable.

Address: 7-9 Paddington St, London W1U 5QH

Website: litamarylebone.com

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Orrery, Marylebone High Street

Ideal for refined French elegance bathed in natural light…

Orrery, named after a mechanical model of the solar system, is an elegant French restaurant located on the first floor of a converted stable block. The abundance of natural light hits you the moment you walk in, the restaurant’s huge arched windows and skylights letting in so much that sunglasses are genuinely needed on London’s brighter summer days. The reflective quality of the starched white table cloths only serve to pronounce this.

The refined menu, designed by Chef Igor Tymchyshyn, features classic French dishes with a modern twist. Though menu descriptions verge on the prosaic (Salmon, polenta, asparagus, veloute, or seabass and chive sabayaon, for instance), presentation is anything but, with artistic flourishes of dots and scrapes occasionally reminiscent of a Masterchef several seasons back. There’s no denying the clarity of flavour here, though.

Though you might tend to prefer a smoke at the end of your meal, the chicken parfait cigar here is the ideal way to start it. Close, instead, with a summery elderflower and strawberry pannacotta, adorned with a big puck of champagne jelly. Boom!

With its stunning rooftop terrace (start with Orrery’s signature Old Fashioned up here) and views of St. Marylebone Church, Orrery is perfect for a special occasion or a leisurely lunch, and stakes a fair claim to being one of Marylebones top restaurants. 

Address: 55 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5RB

Website: orrery-restaurant.co.uk

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L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Baker Street

Ideal for trying one of the world’s most celebrated, proudly Neapolitan pizzas…

Dubbed ‘The Best Pizza in the World’ and iconised in the film ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, L’antica is a superb, eminently affordable place for a swift, sprightly lunch or dinner.

Forget the unfortunate dispute that disrupted the opening of the first London site in Stoke Newington, the second branch in Baker Street is still proudly serving Neapolitan pizzas of the highest quality. If you’re looking for something that’s full of toppings, this isn’t the place. Here, less is more and the classics are done right.

One thing that perhaps isn’t traditional is their ‘Marita’ pizza a half’n’half (margherita and marinara) that’s one of their bestsellers. It does bloody work, though.

There are now outposts in Soho and Manchester, too, for those not keen to make the trek to Marylebone.

Read: The top 10 pizzerias in Naples

Address:199 Baker St, London NW1 6UY

Website: anticapizzeriadamichele.co.uk

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Fischer’s, Marylebone High Street

Ideal for schnitzel, spätzle and plenty of sweet treats…

Another of our favourite restaurants in Marylebone, Fischer’s is a Viennese-inspired brasserie that transports diners to early 20th-century Austria. With its dark wood panelling, period artwork, and traditional uniforms worn by the staff, this cosy eatery exudes old-world charm. The menu features Austrian classics such as wiener schnitzel and spätzle, whilst the desserts and cakes are, unsurprisingly, the highlight.

Open all morning through night without a break in sight, Fischer’s is perhaps at its very best when dropping in for elevenses. An Austrian classic, the ‘Franz Joseph Kaiserschmarrn’, feels appropriate at this time; a chopped pancake with cherry compote satiates all kinds of cravings. For something more savoury but still within the realms of ‘brunch’, the Holstein Schnitzel with anchovy, capers and egg is ace, too.

When it comes to the sweet side of the menu, we’re huge fans of the ‘Coupe Liegeois’ made with vanilla and chocolate ice creams, whipped cream and bitter chocolate sauce. Alternatively, go for the rich, indulgent sacher torte with the obligatory mountain of whipped cream, here balanced out smoothly with the addition of layers of apricot jam. Either way, order an espresso to round things all off.

Or, come for a proper feast in the evening; the restaurant boasts a fine selection of Austrian wines and beers and plenty of hearty, meat-heavy dishes to go alongside.

Address: 50 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5HN

Website: fischers.co.uk

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Cavita, Wigmore Street

Ideal for a light and invigorating Mexican spread in swanky surroundings…

Can’t get a reservation at Kol? Cavita is another beautifully designed Mexican restaurant whose ‘see and be seen’ backdrop fortunately never detracts from the excellent food on offer here. Be sure to try the divine pig’s head tamal and split the whole grilled octopus if you’re dining with a group, both full of textural intrigue and bursts of piquancy, the celebrated chef Adriana Cavita having a commendable lightness of touch and a wicked way with protein. It’s the perfect combination.

You can read more about Cavita and the aforementioned KOL in our round-up of the best Mexican restaurants in London.

Website: cavitarestaurant.com

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Jikoni, Blandford Street

Ideal for pitch perfect fusion food, anchored in the Indian subcontinent…

Jikoni, simply meaning ‘kitchen’ in Swahili, is a cosy and colourful restaurant that celebrates the diverse culinary heritage of its owner, chef Ravinder Bhogal. The menu is inspired by her Indian, Kenyan, and British roots, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavours, and a mentality of ‘’cooking without borders’’. 

Standout dishes include the iconic prawn toast scotch egg – as good as it sounds and then some – and a pressed, crisped shoulder of lamb with a house ras el hanout, served with flatbread. Oh, and the banana cake with miso butterscotch and Ovaltine kulfi is the one.

Jikoni’s Weekend Brunch, running from 11am to 3pm is a hoot; booking in advance for this one is very much recommended.

Address: 19-21 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DH

Website: jikonilondon.com

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The Grazing Goat, New Quebec Street

Ideal for handsome, honest British pub classics, enjoyed on a sunny terrace when the weather’s right…

Marylebone may not be especially known for its pubs, but The Grazing Goat is an exception. You know you’re in good hands when you see Coombeshead Farm bread and butter opening the festivities, and those hands also make a mean Scotch egg, its anchovy mayonnaise so salty it’s almost spicy, but in the best possible way. It’s giving devilled eggs, but with a difference. 

Don’t stray from the snack section, where most of the best cooking is found; a plate of crispy lamb and black cabbage salsa – lightly fermented, sauerkraut-style – is the perfect accompaniment to another round of pints.

If you’ve come hungry, the pub does a mean pie, too. Currently, it’s an excellent chicken and bacon (well, guanciale) affair, the familiar gravy here substituted for a pungent Montgomery cheddar sauce. At £23, it’s a pretty premium pie, but it can comfortably feed two. The Sunday roast is also worth writing home about, but we’re writing online rather than to our folks, so for now we’ll leave it here…

With an outdoor terrace for sunny days, The Grazing Goat is perfect for post-work or pre-dinner drinks and bites when the weather warms up again. Mine’s a Doombar, please.

Address: 6 New Quebec St, London W1H 7RQ

Website: cubitthouse.co.uk

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BAO Mary, James Street

Ideal for a predictably idiosyncratic and delicious take on a Taiwanese dumpling house…

Another branch of BAO, another knockout restaurant that gets all the finer details just right. At this point, it’s tempting to ask; do these guys ever miss?

As has become the way with new BAO openings, there are points of difference and specialities here that set this outpost apart from the others across the city, from Battersea Power Station to Shoreditch and beyond. The Marylebone rendition of the all-conquering Taiwanese street food group, open ‘all day’ from 10am to midnight, focuses first and foremost on dumplings. 

Unsurprisingly for a restaurant so dexterous with dough, they’re superb, with the mutton dumplings in chilli oil particularly pleasing, the body-odour hum of cumin anchoring everything in a pleasing mustiness. And if you don’t find that pleasing, we feel sorry for you…

…Also much trailed and most pleasing are the pan-fried beef dumplings, served as a set of five but arriving as a kind of homogenous single unit, its surface caramelised and its shredded beef interior hotter than the actual sun if you tuck in too soon. Allow them to cool a little and get stuck in, there are fewer things more texturally satisfying on the planet.

Of course, the eponymous headliners are all present and correct at BAO Mary, the classic version perhaps heavier on the peanut powder than normal, but as satisfying as ever nonetheless. 

Address: 56 James St, London W1U 1HF

Website: baolondon.com

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Florencio, Seymour Place

Ideal for Argentinian-influenced pizza that hits different…

From the team behind modern Argentinian grill Zoilo comes this intimate pizzeria that manages to feel both thoroughly modern and charmingly old school. Chef Diego Jacquet might be known for his Argentinian cooking at Zoilo, but Florencio represents a different passion – one born from his global travels and the Italian immigrant influences of his homeland, plus time spent in New York’s vibrant pizza scene.

The pizzas here start with a 48-hour fermented dough that yields a crust with proper integrity – chewy yet crisp, and robust enough to handle some weighty toppings. We didn’t know we needed Argentinian pizza in our life but the Pituca (at £16.90, it’s admittedly weighty on the wallet) changed our mind; earthy mushrooms and sharp parmesan sit atop a white base that allows both ingredients to really sing. 

Meanwhile, the Stracciatella (£16.90), smattered with pools of creamy cheese over a fragrant marinara sauce, makes a strong case for simplicity. The Negroni (£9.90) here is a gold standard version, and is an excellent aperitivo obvs, while the wine list offers plenty of good options by the glass.

Evening sees the tiny space transformed by some seriously flattering lighting (your phone camera will definitely switch to night mode), making it an ideal spot for those seeking both sustenance and atmosphere. They operate Tuesday through Saturday, noon till 10pm – perfect for a leisurely lunch or dinner – but plan ahead for Sunday roast alternatives in the area as they’re closed Sundays and Mondays.

Try to snag a corner table and settle in until closing time, especially if you’re planning on getting the excellent banana split for dessert – a gloriously retro affair complete with chocolate chips and dulce de leche.

The wine list, curated by general manager Sebastien Guilleminault, focuses primarily on Italian and French bottles, though guests can also dip into Zoilo’s impressive Argentine cellar next door if they’re feeling curious. Either way, there’s plenty worth drinking, whether you’re after something by the glass or settling in for the full bottle experience. Either way, the hospitality is genuinely warm, and the pizzas are among the most interesting in the neighbourhood.

Address: 14 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NF

Website: florenciopizza.com

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Alley Cats Pizza, Paddington Street

Ideal for New York-style pies that are worth the wait…

If the queue snaking (‘prowling’? Nah) down Paddington Street is anything to go by, Alley Cats has already established itself as one of Marylebone’s hottest tickets. This walk-in only spot channels pure NYC energy, from its exposed brick walls and chequered tablecloths to episodes of The Sopranos projected onto the wall.

The 14-inch pies here are properly thin and crispy – the kind you can fold into a perfect triangular pocket without the structure giving way. A classic marinara crowned with ice-cold – as it should be – stracciatella (£17) shows they can nail the basics with a keen eye on the finer details, while the vodka sauce option (also £17) offers a more indulgent, increasingly ubiquitous path. The latter, rich and creamy with just the right hit of booze and chilli heat, might have purists clutching their pearls, but it works gloriously well. If you’re feeling thirsty, canned Moth margaritas at £12 each make for a fitting, though bloody expensive, accompaniment.

Those crusts, chewy and characterful, deserve to be dipped in something – the scotch bonnet sauce provides a proper kick, while the ranch offers cooling relief. Actually, order both; you’ll want to alternate between them as you work your way around the circumference of your pie.

The room might be industrial in aesthetic, but there’s genuine warmth to the service, and the buzz of happy diners (when you can hear them over the general hubbub – it’s fucking loud in here) suggests this place is here for the long haul. Getting a table might require a bit of patience, but hey – good things come to those who wait. The good news is they’re open daily from noon to 11pm, so you can get your fix whether it’s a lazy weekend lunch or late-night slice you’re after.

There’s a second branch in Chelsea now, too, for those who do their business south of the river.

Address: 22 Paddington Street, London W1U 5QY 

Website: alleycatspizza.co.uk

Actually, you should head to our guide on London’s best pizza restaurants for 2025 first, where you can read more about Alley Cats and a whopping 21 other places. Go on, you know you want to…