Last updated March 2026

To some, London’s West End is the pulsating heart of the UK’s theatre scene, a hub of kinetic energy that receives 200 million annual visitors. Indeed, 24% of all visitors to London will attend a show here. To the other 76%, it can sometimes be a part of London that feels curiously busy but also barren, a wasteland of subpar steakhouses and American candy stores…

Either way, when alighting hungry in this most bustling of Central London locations, you needn’t settle on a flabby fillet or contribute to money washing with a round of Milk Duds. There are plenty of great places to eat in the West End, both budget and blowout, that will satisfy just about every visitor.

We’ve already written extensively about the best places to eat in Soho, so we’ll most park those recommendations and instead focus on the more central parts of the West End, where the magic (sometimes) happens. 

With that in mind, and in no particular order, here are the best restaurants in London’s West End.

J. Sheekey

Ideal for spanking fresh seafood in a prestigious setting with over a century of history…

Serving up spanking, squeaky fresh seafood for over a century, J. Sheekey is one of the most prestigious purveyors of the good stuff in the city. It’s also one of the best restaurants close in the West End.

Established in 1896, J. Sheekey owes its inception to a unique historical event. The then Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, granted permission to a local stallholder named Josef Sheekey to serve oysters in St Martin’s Court. The only condition was that he catered for Salisbury’s post-theatre supper parties. Thus, the beloved Sheekey’s was born. 

Today, J. Sheekey continues to uphold its reputation as one of the best restaurants near Leicester Square. Though there is a vegetarian and vegan menu and a couple of cursory meat dishes on the a la carte, Sheekey’s is still all about the seafood, offering the freshest fish, shellfish and oysters in London. 

The restaurant’s central crustacean bar is a highlight, and the walls adorned with framed photographs of famous faces add to its timeless charm. And though those celebrity endorsements and general sense of prestige do certainly lend themselves to a hefty bill, the J. Sheekey set menu is great value for Central London – here, it’s three courses for £39, running Sunday to Friday, midday to 4pm.

Website: j-sheekey.co.uk

Address: 28-32 St Martin’s Ct, London WC2N 4AL

Claro 

Ideal for Eastern Mediterranean cuisine served with swagger in a stunning Grade II listed building…

There’s a certain swagger about Claro that only comes with serious capital, the Eastern Mediterranean restaurant standing proud in a handsome Grade II listed building on Waterloo Place in the kind of power stance that The Saj would be proud of. 

You feel it as you first put your hands on the high, heavy doors. In fact, you hear it the moment you manage to pry those doors open; the low thud-thud-thud of an Ibiza Chill playlist pitched just a little louder than is necessary, and the reassuring click-clack of expensive stone beneath your heels. 

Stride on in; you deserve to be here. Big smiles and handshakes greet you as the room opens up, revealing striking checkerboard flagstone floors below and soaring ceilings above. Thoughtfully preserved wrought iron details nod to the building’s heritage, whilst expensively appointed lighting casts a flattering glow over the marble-topped tables and plush velvet banquettes. Disarmed and dare we say a little dazed, you’re hoping those banquettes will take you in for the evening and cradle you, because suddenly it feels like you might be required to do some networking, for some reason. It’s quite the entrance.

This place once housed both a bank and was part of the legendary Athenaeum Club, where Victorian luminaries like Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens gathered, but the refit is thoroughly modern, banishing the ghosts of the past to the bins out back. 

Bringing you back to the here and now, the large, airy open kitchen serves as the beating heart of Claro, the chefs going about their work all jovial and jolly, collaborative in their cooking and plating, which lightens the mood and banishes any fears that this meal might be hard work. The menu is all about seasonal British produce delivered with distinctive Eastern Mediterranean flair, and we’re pleased to report that it does indeed deliver.

Start with the Masterpiece Martini, which is nothing short of spectacular (as you’d hope, for £16). Here, rosemary infused Ketel One Vodka, Tio Pepe sherry and clarified tomato bring a savoury twist on a classic that’s genuinely lip-smacking and utterly moreish. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a round of snacks; the Frena bread, which sighs almost as satisfyingly as you do when pierced. Served with both matbucha and a labneh and harissa number, it’s a punchy introduction to proceedings.

The chilli tasting plate – four different expressions of the ingredient that showcase its versatility beyond mere heat – and the Claro market salad with feta cheese and za’atar spice that tastes like sunshine on a plate, follow, both singing with freshness and the former a heat that starts up warm and round and then builds to something where you can feel your hair follicles starting to perspire. 

The cured sardine bruschetta with pickled chilli and sour cream is next, balancing acidity and richness with remarkable precision, and a lamb cigar is pastoral enough to linger just a little funkily until the mains hit the table.

A monkfish shawarma is perhaps the only dud of the evening, a little over-marinated and ungenerous, its dusty turmeric finish calling to mind a Vietnamese cha ca or Coronation Chicken more than a shawarma, strangely. The dish’s tangle of fresh herbs, picked, we’re told, from the restaurant’s rooftop garden, is absolutely remarkable though, invigorating and complex, peppery, astringent and assertive, it’s what all other ‘herb salads’ want to be when they grow up. The waiter tells us no one ever eats it, which is a real shame. 

The grilled butterflied seabass with vegetable skewer and charred tomato salsa brings things right back on form, the fish cooked to that perfect point where it’s just firm but still yielding, the skin blistered and burnished from the grill. The skewer is populated by red peppers and fennel, the latter having caramelised beautifully and bringing a suave energy to the plate. A truly great dish.

Everything’s been so light and invigorating that we surrender to our sweet tooth, finding maximum pleasure in the Paris Brest with sour cream chantilly, raspberry coulis and berries – a featherlight concoction that manages to be indulgent without being too heavy. For something more substantial, the chocolate and sesame fondant with chocolate fudge, sesame anglaise and sesame ice cream delivers a sophisticated interplay of sweet and nutty notes, and finishes us off, quite frankly, in every sense of the word.

To go alongside those sweet treats, the Eiswein from Schloss Gobelsburg in Austria’s Burgenland region (£30 a glass) is sublime. Yes, it’s steep, but this 2022 vintage offers a honeyed nectar that forms the perfect full stop to a meal of commendable vision and clarity.

Website: clarolondon.com

Address: 12 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AR

Evelyn’s Table

Ideal for an intimate Michelin-starred chef’s table experience hidden beneath a Soho pub…

Though the immediate surrounds of Leicester Square are visibly dominated by the stark white lights of a dozen chain restaurants, tightly nestled beneath street level is one of Soho’s most exciting independent dining destinations; Evelyn’s Table.

This Michelin-starred chef’s table experience is a genuine hidden gem. Tucked away in the basement of The Blue Posts pub on the edge of London’s Chinatown, Evelyn’s table has been through several iterations in its six year life. It was first opened in 2017 by the team behind popular hotspots The Palomar and The Barbary. After a brief closure, it reopened in 2020 with a brand new team, featuring Luke Selby as head chef, with his two brothers Nat and Theo also on the stoves, which, incidentally, are on full display to the 12-person counter seater restaurant.

The intimate, family affair vibes quickly earned plaudits, with the team picking up a Michelin star in 2022. Though the Selby brothers have now moved on, Evelyn’s Table continues to fire on all cylinders, with chef Seamus Sam (formerly of Muse by Tom Aitkens) now heading up the kitchen.

There’s a real elegance to the dishes on show on the 5-dishes plus, £135-a-head tasting menu here, with Sam’s precise, Scandinavian and Japanese inspired technique bringing out the best in hand-dived Orkney scallops, venison at the height of its season and winter’s finest black truffle. It’s a very special place, indeed, and one of the best fine dining experiences in all of the West End. 

Website: theblueposts.co.uk

Address: 28 Rupert St, London W1D 6DJ

Scully

Ideal for exploring the world through bold, fermented flavours…

When Ramael Scully left his role as head chef at Ottolenghi’s NOPI to open his first solo restaurant in 2018, he brought with him an approach to cooking that reflects his Malaysian-Chinese-Indian-Irish-Balinese background to thrilling effect. Unlike the many restaurants that handle the word ‘fusion’ like a miso-glazed hot potato, Scully’s food actually tastes like it’s come from someone who’s lived between cultures.

The restaurant sits in St James’s Market, and as you walk in, you’re met with shelves heaving with jars of pickles, preserves, oils and ferments in every colour imaginable. This isn’t just decoration; it’s Scully’s working larder, the backbone of dishes that might pair arepa with his mother’s eggplant sambal and bergamot labneh, or Cornish halibut with buttermilk whey koji butter sauce and tempura chicken oyster.

Or, how about steamed sea bass draped in Ethiopian spiced butter alongside brined green tomatoes that had been lightly pickled in apple vinegar and finished with Vadouvan? It’s a mouthful, sure, and the combinations sound wild on paper, but they make total sense, both on the plate and palate. On a visit in the summer, a twice-cooked pork belly with traditional satay sauce read almost pedestrian in comparison, but tasted fucking fantastic.

You’ll pay West End prices for the privilege, but these are generous plates that leave you satisfied. There’s an à la carte option with two courses for £65 or three for £75, alongside snacks and sides, or, for the full experience, the evening tasting menu is £135, with a vegan version at £105. Either way, you’re getting cooking that takes sustainability seriously without making a song and dance about it.

The open kitchen means you can watch the team fermenting, preserving and generally making the most of every ingredient that comes through the door. It’s thoughtful food that tastes brilliant, which is ultimately what matters.

Website: scullyrestaurant.com

Address: 4 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4QU

Yasmin

Ideal for Istanbul-inspired cuisine six floors above the West End…

Six floors above the West End’s braying streets, Yasmin offers a sophisticated escape complete with panoramic views of the city. Talk about dinner and a show, hey? This Istanbul-inspired restaurant and bar, housed in the elegant 1 Warwick building member’s club, shares its home with sister restaurant Nessa on the ground floor. but aims to take things up several notches (erm, floors?) in terms of delivery.

The two restaurants share an executive chef too, Tom Cenci, and we amused ourselves over our Grand Bazaar (Yasmin’s Turkish twist on an Old Fashioned), imagining the chef darting between venues, running up the stairs spilling salted pistachios all over the place, and generally cursing the chaos of it all.

Hmmm, maybe we should get out more.

In reality, Yasmin is a supremely soothing spot to sink into, all sage green walls and warm wooden accents, highlighted by a spectacular marble-topped bar lined orbited by velvet stools seating gently boisterous custom. Trailing plants cascade from the ceiling, while banquette seating and rattan chairs create distinct zones for dining and lounging, in true member’s club style. Confusingly, you don’t actually need to be a card-carrying member to dine here, though for the gym and lounges below, you do.

The terrace, furnished with plush seating and draped with cosy throws, provides a sheltered spot for alfresco dining among the rooftops, though you’d be mad to be out there now, with temperatures hovering not troubling ten degrees. One for summer, perhaps…

Anyway, back in the warm, and Cenci has crafted a menu that pays homage to Turkish traditions whilst adding just the right amount of venue-appropriate sheen to proceedings. The sharing plates showcase bold flavours via Instagram-ready presentation – standouts include the whipped sheep’s cheese with hot honey and Isot Biber, piped and pretty, and the Muhammara aubergine, which arrives splayed out into three, panko’d and golden, its centre that lovely side of fudgy that aubergine gets through slow cooking. Alongside, a walnut and red pepper dip boasts chives sliced so finely we’re surprised @ratemychives hasn’t come calling. The flatbreads, made daily and grilled to order, are gold-standard, and show that the kitchen cares about the basics, which is always a good sign.

…All of this feels ready for the warmer months, when the wrap-around terrace seats 64 and offers atmospheric dining under the stars. We can’t wait.

Address: 1 Warwick St, London W1B 5LR

Website: yasminsoho.com

Shoryu Soho

Ideal for authentic Fukuoka-style tonkotsu ramen…

Shoryu is owned by noodz-entrepreneur (and CEO of the Japan Centre) Tak Tokumine, a native of Fukuoka city who is dedicated to promoting his hometown’s cherished local speciality, ramen, across the globe. 

We’re so glad that he’s made it his noble mission, as the restaurant’s signature dish – shoryu ganso tonkotsu, a rich and meaty ramen that boasts a 12-hour simmered broth, homemade Cotswold flour hosomen noodles, succulent char siu barbecue pork, Burford Brown nitamago egg, and an army’s arsenal-worth of vegetable toppings, from pickles to freshly shredded stuff – is as good as it gets.

The kotteri hakata tonkotsu, a heavy, fatty, meaty noodle broth, is another popular choice among patrons and, to us, is one of London’s finest hangover cures. The fact that it pairs so beautifully with a super frothy Kirin Nama draft certainly does no harm in dusting off last night’s excesses.

Finally, you don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to be enamoured with their plant-based spicy goma tan tan. It comes with an umami rich tonyu soy milk, sesame and miso broth, and is topped with soya mince marinated in garlic and chiu chow chilli oil, crunchy beansprouts, pak choi, and extra chilli oil for a decent kick. Woof.

Website: shoryuramen.com

Address: 3 Denman St, London W1D 7HA, United Kingdom

Read: The best ramen restaurants in Soho

Rules

Ideal for centuries-old British cooking, game from the restaurant’s own estate, and a dining room dripping with theatrical history…

Founded in 1798, Rules is London’s oldest restaurant, and it wears that title with considerable pride. Thomas Rule opened it as an oyster bar in Covent Garden, and more than two centuries later, it’s still serving traditional British food from the same Maiden Lane address.

The dining room is all dark wood panelling, red velvet banquettes and walls covered in hundreds of paintings and cartoons. Late Poet Laureate John Betjeman called the ground floor interior “unique and irreplaceable and part of literary and theatrical London,” which feels about right in this corner of the West End.

The restaurant has been owned by just three families across its entire history, and the current proprietor, John Mayhew, took over in 1984. Over the years, Rules has fed Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Charlie Chaplin and countless others from London’s literary and theatrical worlds. It’s even appeared in novels by Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh and John le Carré. The proximity to the West End means it still pulls in the theatre crowd, though these days you’re as likely to find tourists ticking it off their London list, as well as critics keen to buck hype-train trends and bang on about it constantly.

The menu focuses heavily on game, much of it sourced from Rules’ own Lartington Estate in the High Pennines. During shooting season (August 12th to December 10th, roughly), whole roast grouse arrives served traditionally, whilst year-round classics like steak and kidney pie, roast rib of beef for two, and slow-cooked ox cheek keep things properly old-school. In such esteemed surroundings, this kind of food feels wholly appropriate, and it’s cooked with precision.

The upstairs cocktail bar is a civilised spot for a pre-dinner drink, with house cocktails like the Rules Bellini and prosaically named Rules Cocktail (Tanqueray gin, Dubonnet and Crémant Blanc de Blanc). Whether you arrive sharpened, loosened or stone cold sober, this is hearty, traditional British cooking (and drinking) done properly, if without much in the way of modern flourishes. You’re paying for more than just the food; you’re paying for two centuries of history and a dining room that genuinely hasn’t changed all that much since Dickens was a regular.

Website: rules.co.uk

Address: 35 Maiden Lane, London WC2E 7LB

Pho & Bun

Ideal for traditional Vietnamese pho and bao burgers stamped with lotus flowers…

A Shaftesbury Avenue stalwart that sits equidistant between Chinatown and Soho, one of the best restaurants in the West End is Pho & Bun, which offers a taste of Vietnam in the heart of London, all via the mind of chef Andy Le.

The star of the show at Pho & Bun is undoubtedly their traditional Vietnamese pho, a dish that, at its best, can be both transformative and transportative – quite the blessing after negotiating Leicester Square in the pissing rain.

The pho is light and nourishing, boasting a clear, flavoursome broth that carries the pleasant richness of beef bones. It’s served following traditional Vietnamese etiquette, which dictates that it should be eaten using only chopsticks and a simple metal spoon (not that absurdly sized ladle from a certain highstreet pho slinger).

In addition to the glorious national dish, the restaurant also serves a range of bun dishes, the slimmer, gently fermented noodle that is almost as popular on the streets of Hanoi, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and beyond as pho. Go for the spicy, funky bun bo Hue, umami rich from shrimp paste and given succour and savour by bone marrow. If that doesn’t lift you out of your sense of Central London-spawned malaised, then you probably can’t be saved.

Finally, a firm favourite on the menu at Pho & Bun is their signature steamed bao burgers stamped with a lotus flower, Vietnam’s national flower which symbolises purity. ‘Authentic’ these bao/burger hybrids ain’t; authentically delicious they most certainly are. Indeed, they are quite simply addictive and something you’ll come to crave long after trying.

Website: phoandbun.com

Address: 76 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6ND

Bancone Covent Garden

Ideal for fresh pasta that stands apart in a city of uninspiring Italian joints…

Bancone Covent Garden, founded in 2018 by Will Ellner and his business partner David Ramsay (no relation to…), is one of the best fresh pasta joints in this part of town. In fact, in a city where that particular type of restaurant has become increasingly ubiquitous and uninspiring, Bancone stands out as being, well, actually good at pasta. 

Here, it’s handmade every day, and that springy, sprightly essence is perhaps best realised in the least adorned pastas, like the insanely comforting silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter and a confit egg yolk, or the spaghetti alla chittara (a slightly squared off version of your usual strands hailing from the Abruzzo region) which is dressed in nothing more than a little chilli, garlic and parsley. It’s fucking fabulous. For something a little more fulsome and equally as comforting, Bancone’s tortellini in brodo never misses the mark.

The restaurant operates on a first-come, first-served basis, welcoming walk-ins with open arms. However, they do not guarantee specific tables or times, adding to the spontaneous/frustrating nature of the dining experience. If you do need to wait a while, then there’s plenty of streetside entertainment and shopping options in Covent Garden to keep you occupied. 

Bancone Covent Garden has been recognised in the so-called Little Red Book for its light, fresh food, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2023. There are now two more outposts, in Soho’s Golden Square and Borough Yards, just off Borough Market.

Website: bancone.co.uk

Address: 39 William IV St, London WC2N 4DD

Brasserie Zedel

Ideal for grand Parisian dining at obscenely reasonable prices…

Sometimes, the question of where to eat in the West End that won’t break the bank is answered with a single word; Zedel.

Brasserie Zedel, located in the heart of Piccadilly, is a grand Parisian brasserie that brings with it authentic Art Deco interiors and obscenely reasonable, humble French fare.

Hidden beneath the laid back Parisian-style ZL Café, providing a sense of discovery and exclusivity to its patrons, the establishment has a rich history, originally serving as the basement of the Regent Palace Hotel, and in the 1980s and 90s, it was known as the Atlantic Bar and Grill. The art deco and beaux arts fittings have been meticulously refurbished, with details recreated according to archived original drawings, preserving the historical charm of the place. 

The restaurant serves traditional French food at exceptional value, with an expansive, inclusive space to match, making it a hugely popular choice among locals and tourists alike.

The menu is almost as expansive as the space, but most are here for the prix-fixe option which, at £19.95 for three thoroughly generous courses, has got to be the best value meal in Central London. Currently on, a leek and potato vichyssoise soup, a brasserie-ever-present steak haché with fries and peppercorn sauce, and a chocolate and caramel tart, is a trio of satisfying dishes that simply shouldn’t be giving you change from a 20 pound note. Throw in a large glass of house red for £7 and you really are laughing here.

Website: brasseriezedel.com

Address: 20 Sherwood St, London W1F 7ED

Kricket Soho

Ideal for innovative Indian small plates that marry British ingredients with subcontinental flavours…

Kricket was founded in 2015 by university friends Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell, with the duo starting their culinary journey in a basic 20-seater shipping container at Pop Brixton. Today, Kricket has expanded to three permanent locations in Brixton, Soho, and White City, with plans to grow further in London and internationally. 

The Soho branch is particularly convenient for those visiting the West End, as it’s just a 200 metre walk away from Leicester Square.

Almost ten years ago, Kricket’s proposition felt kinda unique; a combination of British ingredients with the flavours, aromas and cooking tekkers of India. Now, it’s an idea that permeates the menu of just about every non-European restaurant that is – or could be – on the JKS roster, but back then it felt quite novel.

The restaurant features a theatre kitchen, counter seating, and long sharing tables, making it an ideal spot for group dining in Central London. Bowlby, who once cooked European food for the locals in Mumbai, returned to the UK to cook Indian food for Londoners, and his innovative approach to Indian cuisine, combined with Rik Campbell’s business acumen, has made Kricket a major hit.

We’re addicted to their crispy and salty samphire pakoras, which are topped with a sticky date and tamarind chutney and served with a heady chilli garlic mayonnaise for dunking. Perhaps even better is the cuttlefish and Goan sausage ragu, boasting serious depth and funk, with both dishes exemplifying the kind of East-meets-West stylings that have lent such success to Kricket.

Do not miss out, either, on the predictably dubbed but undeniably delicious KFC (Keralan fried chicken), whose curry leaf mayonnaise and deep fried curry leaf garnish really does take things up several notches. This is beer food, make no mistake, and the Harbour Brewing Co’s Session IPA is always on the taps. Well, it would be rude not to, don’t you think?

Website: kricket.co.uk

Address: 12 Denman St, London W1D 7HJ

Good Friend Chicken

Ideal for authentic Taiwanese-style fried chicken with customisable powders in the heart of Chinatown…

Good Friend Chicken is not your typical fried chicken joint. This Chinatown chicken shop prides itself on serving Taiwanese-style fried chicken, with their commitment to authenticity evident in every aspect of its operation. In fact, Good Friend even shipped their oven all the way from Taiwan to ensure the food is prepared as it would be in the night markets of Taipei.

Their menu, though concise, is packed with golden, crispy delights. The chicken breast is skillfully sliced thin and marinated masterfully before being tossed in three different flours to create an unforgettable crispness. Their popcorn chicken, another must-try item on the menu, disappears so fast that it’s wise to order several bags.

But it’s the options for customisation that keeps the customers being reeled in. Once served, you have the option to douse your chicken with any one (or all) of seven different powders, adding the risk of flavour overload, admittedly, but also a real sense of jeopardy that makes every bite all the more exciting. The plum powder, in particular, comes highly recommended. 

And speaking of coming highly recommended, we’ve included Good Friend on our round-up of the best fried chicken in London. Do check out that guide when you get a minute.

Website: chinatown.co.uk

Address: 14 Little Newport St, London WC2H 7JJ

Ikoyi

Ideal for boundary-pushing fine dining that celebrates British hyper-seasonality through a spice-based lens…

We mentioned ‘blow out’ in the introduction. Well, here it is…

We didn’t think chef Jeremy Chan and co-owner Iré Hassan-Odukale could top the inaugural Ikoyi in St. James’s Market, which sat just a mile west of their new home at 180 Strand, but… 

…Actually, we did think they could top those lofty standards, owing to the relentless boundary pushing of the restless duo, perfectionism seemingly already reached but also just another insanely complex emulsion away.

At the new 180 Strand-housed Ikoyi, the space is larger and more sumptuous, all clean curves and tasteful mustard tones, the vibe gently refined; a little slicker, perhaps. Prices have increased in tandem. The tasting menu now is one of the most enthusiastically priced in London, at £380.

But what a procession of plates it is, of around 14 on our visit, with premium ingredients gracing just about every bite. Yep, that spice-based cuisine built around British hyper-seasonality remains. The iconic jollof rice with crab or lobster custard is still here, but leading up to the big, smoky reveal, luxury and innovation abounds; an aged lobster with one of Chan’s famously vital sauces, this one an agrodolce of sorts, was particularly special. Another course of lobster claw, sweetbreads and pine nut was as opulent and awe-inspiring as it sounds. 

Yep, this is a restaurant firing on all cylinders, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ikoyi somehow managed to find another gear; the sense of focus on improvement here feels totally implacable. In the best possible way of course…

Website: ikoyilondon.com

Address: 180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA

Read: Where to eat the spiciest food in London

Barrafina Drury Lane

Ideal for convivial counter-dining with exceptional Spanish tapas and seafood specials…

Speaking of counter-dining, perhaps London’s most beloved bar seating set-up is found at the various outposts of acclaimed tapas group Barrafina.

Those in the West End and looking for the best dining options in Covent Garden will be pleased to hear that this famous corner of London boasts not one but two Barrafinas. We’re particularly enamoured with the Drury Lane iteration, which is compact, cosy and convivial, and leans a little more into the seafood side of the Spanish repertoire, often to glorious effect.

The specials are usually dictated by what’s fresh from the sea, so keep an keen eye for the miniature, roaming chalkboard for details of what’s good today; on our last visit, an enthusiastically brined piece of hake with punchy aioli and red peppers so caramelised they were collapsing was as good as it sounds.

Website: barrafina.co.uk

Address: 43 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5AJ

Real Beijing Food House

Ideal for proper Sichuan Chinese cuisine that promises plenty of brow-mopping…

Though the Real Beijing Food House feels like a Chinatown institution, with dusty carpets, dimly lit booths and properly brilliant, spice-centric regional Chinese dishes, the broadly Sichuan (confusingly, when you consider the name) restaurant hasn’t actually been standing proudly on this Gerard Street spot for as long as you’d think. Previously found on Charing Cross Road, Food House moved more into the heart of Chinatown during the area’s recent redevelopment, and has quickly become the must-eat restaurant here and without doubt one of the best places to eat close in the West End. It recently further entered the wider public consciousness after being positively reviewed in the Observer back in 2022.

It was a review that was very much deserved, the restaurant’s chilli oil slicked noodle dishes and whole fish dishes – again, dappled with rust coloured droplets that promise plenty of brow mopping – delivering big on flavour and a sense of satisfaction felt deep in your stomach.

For a quick, efficient lunch, the chilli oil (there it is again) lamb noodles is the type of one-bowl-wonder that knocks your socks off and leaves you regretting every single Sainos meal deal that came before it.

Address: 46 Gerrard St, London W1D 5QH

Website: realbeijngfoodhouse.com

Cafe Murano

Ideal for honest Italian food cooked with respect and just a touch of refinement…

The younger, more affordable sibling of Angela Hartnett’s brilliant fine dining restaurant Murano, Café Murano offers fresh pasta, seasonal vegetables prepared with precision, immaculate shellfish, and the odd hearty af ragu, just as you’d expect from a chef this devoted to the food of Italy.

True to the soul of the place, the pedigree of the produce is the main draw, with the restaurant’s plates arriving with little frippery or adornment. Instead, Cafe Murano strives for simple, honest food, cooked with respect and just a little refinement. It more than delivers, which is a surprisingly rare find in this part of the West End.

Website: cafemurano.co.uk

Address: 36 Tavistock St, London WC2E 7PB

KERBS Seven Dials Market

Ideal for rainy afternoons whiled away eating and drinking through a variety of street food stalls…

Brought to Covent Garden by KERB, a group known for nurturing London’s street food scene, Seven Dials is one of the most exciting eating destinations in London.

In the 19th Century, Seven Dials Market, then Thomas Neal’s Warehouse, was used to store cucumbers and bananas. Now transformed into a foodcourt, to honour the past of the structure the market has been divided into two areas: Banana Warehouse and Cucumber Alley.

Banana Warehouse is billed as ‘The Belly of the Beast’ and has plenty of seating and communal tables. Here, you’ll find a number of street food kitchens and counter-top cafes serving an impressive lineup of street food from around the world. There is also a downstairs bar creating creative cocktail concoctions made with spirits from the East London Liquor Co. Banana Warehouse is the ideal place to come and while away a rainy afternoon in central London, eating and drinking your way through to the night.

If you need a pitstop while shopping your way through Covent Garden and are feeling peckish, Cucumber Alley is the place to go. Inside are seven independent food traders, seven days a week selling some of the best snacks and desserts in the Big Smoke.

On our last visit, we had a slice or two from Bad Boy Pizza Society and a gorgeous batata hara from the Syrian street food joint Arnabeet. Lovely stuff.

Website: sevendialsmarket.com

Address: 35 Earlham St, London WC2H 9LD

Homeslice Pizza

Ideal for a enormous 20-inch pizzas and inventive toppings…

Not one for the pizza purists, this, but definitely a place for a sharin’, tearin’ good time, the pizzas here are huge 20-inch numbers, perfect for some group fun. Indeed, the name Homeslice in bro parlance means friend, and the buddying up concept lends itself to conviviality and good cheer.

Some of the topping combos are inventive, some downright weird; cauliflower cheese and harissa anyone? But, when they get things right, it’s brilliant.

Website: homeslicepizza.co.uk

Address: 13 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP

Lovely stuff, indeed.

Last updated March 2026

The network of streets off Green Park station might well be Britain’s most prestigious dining quarter. Indeed, come up for air from the underground here and the two Michelin-starred Ritz is staring you in the face – setting the tone for the quality (and cost) of dining in this exclusive corner of London.

The convergence of St James’s old money and Mayfair’s new oligarchs has created a restaurant scene where Michelin stars cluster like fairy lights on a Chelsea townhouse. Within a few minutes’ walk of the station, you’ll find more heavy hitters, tasting menus and celebrity chefs than most European capitals manage across their entire metropolitan areas. 

For better or for worse? We’re still not sure. Because heavy is the head that wears the, ahem, crown. Hungry hedge fund managers, expense-account ambassadors and tedious socialites might find that Green Park’s embarrassment of gastronomic riches creates its own problems. Step off the Piccadilly Line and you’re immediately confronted with choices that require either extreme financial commitment or reservations booked further in advance than most people’s holiday plans allow for.

That’s not to say there aren’t fantastic places to eat within a comfortable stroll of Green Park Station; it’s just that most of them require either serious money or the kind of chutzpah that has you strolling into somewhere that’s clearly fully booked and asking for a table anyway.

Anyway, we’ve got ourselves in a tangle with that introduction. Here are the best restaurants near Green Park, London.

The Ritz Restaurant, Piccadilly

Ideal for celebrating life’s biggest moments with theatrics and flair...

John Williams MBE spent more than two decades perfecting classical French cooking in one of London’s most theatrical dining rooms before the Michelin inspectors finally awarded the two stars that everyone else knew this kitchen deserved. That February 2025 promotion felt both overdue and entirely justified, recognising a kitchen that obsessively sources British ingredients, then applies techniques so refined perhaps even Escoffier himself would doff his toque.

Despite the belated accolades, the dining room itself remains gloriously, unapologetically Ritz. Chandeliers you could swing from, marble columns as thick as tree trunks, and that ceiling, still painted with clouds that make you feel like you’re dining in heaven’s anteroom. Friday and Saturday evenings bring live music that costs an extra £57 per person, which sounds insane until you’re three glasses deep in Chassagne-Montrachet, your foot starts tapping, your head starts spinning, and you feel decidedly frivolous about being pissed in such a grand room.

There is dancing.

Theatrical presentation and masterful tableside service define the Ritz Restaurant experience. The restaurant’s approach to Arts de la Table is second to none. Their guéridon service style brings dishes such as the celebrated crêpes suzette directly to guests’ tables, where the dramatic flambé creates dancing blue flames that captivate diners. Or, indeed, singes eyebrows off the curious and foolhardy…

Indeed, if you ask us, you’ve not truly experienced the Ritz if you haven’t savoured their crêpes suzette, which has graced the menu for more than a century. Another spectacular display of culinary theatre is the Poulet de Bresse en Vessie Demi-deuil – an extraordinary dish where a Bresse chicken, stuffed with foie gras and truffles, is sealed within a pig’s bladder and poached to perfection, then dramatically unveiled tableside to reveal the supremely moist, aromatic fowl within.

You’ll pay for the privilege of even being in the same room as such illustrious dishes. The five-course tasting runs £199, the seven-course £221, and both feature trolley service so flamboyant you half expect applause. Some more ruddy-faced customers do, in fact, clap. It’s all in service of Cornish beef aged longer than most parliamentary careers, Lake District lamb with actual postcodes for provenance, and vegetables treated like visiting dignitaries. As in, erm, carved up into pretty shapes. That doesn’t quite make sense, we realise…

There’s a more affordable set lunch menu where three courses will set you back £92 – potato vichyssoise with smoked bacon and comté for starters, Yorkshire duck with cassis and smoked walnut for mains. ‘Affordable’ being relative, of course, when lunch alone costs more than the rest of your week’s meals combined. The real financial reckoning comes when you start ordering wine – the cheapest glass of white begins at £18, red at £19. At this point, the meal shifts from expensive lunch to minor life decision. But you are here to indulge, after all…

Jackets and ties are mandatory for gents, which in 2025 feels either charmingly traditional or wildly anachronistic depending on your mood. On our visit, it all felt like good, clean fun.

Website: theritzlondon.com

Address: 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR

Gymkhana, Albemarle Street

Ideal for experiencing Indian fine dining at its absolute pinnacle…

Already near-impossible to get a reservation back in the heady days of 2024, the waiting list has entered geological time following Gymkhana’s promotion to two Michelin stars, the first Indian restaurant in Britain to achieve this distinction. 

Whilst we wouldn’t claim to understand just why the little red book doles out the stars, we can’t argue with Gymkhana’s accolades or reputation. This is quite simply superb food, a place where Sid Ahuja’s basement kitchen takes tandoor cooking and chatpata spicing into territory that makes traditionalists nervous and progressives ecstatic, with results that justify that waiting list.

The star of the show, the biryani, alone validates the hype. It arrives under a handsome pastry lid – a Gymkhana signature move that traps all that residual steam inside, letting the complex flavours get properly acquainted with each other before you break through.

We love to come here during game season. The restaurant is well-known for pairing Britain’s revered grouse and venison with contemporary and classic Indian dishes, and our favourite biryani rendition is the wild venison – the aged basmati with incredible depth of flavour, spices ground fresh every service… It’s immense. Sadly, it’s not on the keenly priced set lunch menu, which regardless represents London’s best-value double-starred meal by a significant margin, priced as it is at £65. You will find the funky kid goat methi keema on that menu though, and it’s the best we’ve ever tasted.

There have been murmurings of discontent in recent months about the restaurant’s minimum spend of £100, but it doesn’t apply to lunch, so it’s still possible to dine here without breaking the bank into too many pieces.

Whichever way you play it, finish up in the 42 cocktail lounge above the restaurant, which stays open until 2am on weekends, perfect for drowning your sorrows after they tell you the next available table is in April 2026. 

Website: gymkhanalondon.com

Address: 42 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JH

Hide, Piccadilly

Ideal for watching Green Park’s squirrels while decimating your credit limit…

Back in 2018, Ollie Dabbous (not him alone, christ; Hedonism Wines are the backers here) built this three-storey temple to modern European cooking directly opposite Green Park, then filled it with enough blonde wood to rebuild Noah’s ark and windows so vast you need sunglasses on sunny days. The effect is visually stunning. Though he has now moved on to pastures new, on the plate that bright, vital vibe continues…

Eating here means that much like the restaurant’s magnificent sculptural staircase, your finances will spiral downward with each course – though at least the descent is deliciously pleasing. Aside from the prices, it’s an outwardly inclusive affair, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served from 7am to 10pm daily (with slightly shorter hours at the weekend). That’s not to say they spread themselves too thin; the full arsenal of creativity is still firing, with their Michelin star still intact after Dabbous’ departure. 

There is a mind-boggling array of different menu options that would be too tedious to list, so let’s discuss what must be one of the only Michelin-starred breakfasts in the capital (yes, we know menus aren’t actually anointed with a star). At Hide, your scrambled eggs on toast will set you back a measly £36 (truffle is involved), your Benedict will feature lobster and caviar, and your croissant will be filled with scorched banana and pecan. Of course, the champagne flows freely from morning onwards.

At the other end of the spectrum, Hide offers a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner service that shows off their most creative side. Priced at £165 a head with several optional add-ons, it’s a pleasingly frippery-free celebration of Europe’s finest seasonal bounty. Think dishes like delicate steamed Cornish turbot with its pearlescent flesh barely yielding to the fork, earthy cauliflower paired with golden girolles in a glossy vin jaune butter sauce, or perfectly charred Anjou pigeon, its skin barbequed and burnished, accompanied by smokey beetroot, Kalibos cabbage, and a rich, velvety Madeira jus. Thirsty? For a cool extra £1295, you can enjoy the ‘Hedonistic’ premium wine pairing.

Website: hide.co.uk

Address: 85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB

Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library), Conduit Street

Ideal for when reality feels insufficiently surreal…

Pierre Gagnaire’s London outpost occupies a Conduit Street townhouse that feels less like a restaurant and more like what happens when unlimited budgets meet unmedicated imaginations. The famous egg-pod toilets get all the Instagram attention, but the three-starred Lecture Room & Library remains one of Europe’s most over-blown dining experiences, executing Gagnaire’s hallucinogenic French cuisine with millimetre precision.

The £225 tasting menu reads prosaically enough; ‘Violet artichoke, bergamot, pistachio oil’ doesn’t tell you what you’re about to eat so much as hint at the general direction of the flavour explosion. Each dish comes as multiple components that you’re instructed to eat in specific orders, like edible choreography that only makes sense after the third glass of Avenue Foch.

The room itself, redesigned by India Mahdavi and Yinka Shonibare in 2022, wraps you in dusty pink mohair and African textiles that seem synergistic for eating foam made from lobster souls. And then, you come out blinking into the light, still hungry and a little confused, and wonder if it was all worth it…

Website: sketch.london

Address: 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG

Read: The best restaurants near Oxford Circus

Arlington, Arlington Street

Ideal for pretending Le Caprice never closed…

Jeremy King’s return to the London restaurant scene after his acrimonious Corbin & King departure reads like a Hollywood script. He swooped on the old Le Caprice site, recruited Jesus Adorno (the GM every other GM secretly wants to be), and created Arlington, which is essentially Le Caprice reborn but legally distinct enough to avoid lawsuits. Within weeks of opening in March 2024, the reservation book looked like a Tatler party guest list. It remains so.

Arlington offers classic brasserie fare with prices that reflect its prestigious location near Green Park. Steak tartare is mixed tableside with proper ceremony (at £35 for a portion, you’d hope there was the requisite fanfare). Most mains hover around the £25-35 mark, which feels almost reasonable until you remember you’re paying Mayfair prices for what is essentially good pub food in expensive clothes. 

The chargrilled rib-eye with sauce béarnaise and allumettes (that’s fancy for French Fries) will relieve you of £45, though given the neighbourhood, that barely raises an eyebrow. It’s comfort food for people whose idea of comfort involves linen tablecloths, cosy pink corduroy and the warming glow of a ruddy face. Make sure you order a side of Russel’s Caesar, named after Russel Norman’s favourite dish back at Le Caprice. It’s served just as he liked it; “crisp, generous and without fuss”.

The move here is to kick things off with a coastal martini, one of the capital’s finest cocktails. It’s appropriate for a room where everything happens at a refined pace and with a reassuringly timeless glamour. David Bailey photographs, venetian blinds, those particular shades of cream and brown, Tom Holland and Zendaya in corner banquettes, Cabinet ministers pretending they’re not checking their phones, fashion editors picking at salads while eyeing the profiteroles. It’s theatrical without being too tacky, which is harder than it looks.

Website: arlington.london

Address: 20 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RJ

Benares, Berkeley Square House

Ideal for a Michelin-starred Indian that verges on the institutional…

Sameer Taneja’s (less said about the previous head honcho, the better) Berkeley Square operation has held its Michelin star since 2007, which in restaurant years makes it practically part of the furniture. Yet the cooking remains remarkably current, taking Indian techniques and applying them to impeccable British ingredients with results that don’t succumb to the much-malgined ‘fusion’ billing. It all goes down in a recently renovated space that spreads across multiple opulently-appointed rooms, working equally well for corporate lunches or special occasions.

The menu reads like a subcontinental greatest hits reimagined by someone with access to Harrods Food Hall and no budget constraints. Orkney scallops dressed in Kerala spices. Kentish lamb given the slow-cook treatment usually reserved for railway station goat curry but here rendered silk-shirt appropriate. A chocolate samosa with cardamom ice cream that is as good as it sounds. You might find one or all of those dishes on the business lunch menu, which at £49 for three courses (with a tight wine pairing for £28) represents fine value in this neck of the woods. 

The finest thing we’ve eaten here, though, was a simple, delicate dish of chicken dumplings served in a fragrant spiced coconut broth, given real indulgence by bobbing lobes of caramelised foie gras. Man, it was good, and we’re always sad when it leaves the menu. Bring it back, guys!

Anyway, the five minutes’ walk from Green Park makes it one of the most apt substitutes in the area for those turned away from Gymkhana because they’re not famous enough to snag a last minute table. 

Website: benaresrestaurant.com

Address: 12a Berkeley Square House, London W1J 6BS

Row on 5, Savile Row

Ideal for experiencing Jason Atherton’s triumphant return…

When Jason Atherton announced Pollen Street Social would be closing, London’s fine-dining food world held its breath. Would the man who’d conquered Mayfair with City Social, Social Eating House, and countless others bounce back? The answer came on Savile Row in late 2024 with Roux Scholarship winner Spencer Metzger (poached from The Ritz) running a kitchen that earned its Michelin star faster than you can say “fourteen-course tasting menu.”

The space feels suitably Savile Row, that’s for sure; all subdued luxury and perfect proportions, and you could use those descriptors for the food too, it could be said. The cooking displays the technical precision that made Atherton’s reputation but with a maturity that suggests lessons learned. British ingredients treated with international techniques but never losing sight of what makes them special in the first place. Highland beef aged until it’s practically eligible for a pension. Cornish fish so fresh it practically swims onto the plate (that would be weird, actually). 

Remaining firmly on the plate, thank fuck, a dish of Cornish turbot, gently steamed and brushed with brown kombu butter, was the best thing we’ve eaten in this corner of London all year. The fish alone would have justified that praise, but it was finished with an ethereal silky fish Albufera sauce, razor clams, and fresh lovage, to make it something truly remarkable.

The fourteen-course tasting menu (there’s no other option) takes you through what feels like Atherton’s entire career condensed into one meal, all with the incredible tekkers that Metzger showed on his record-breaking Great British Menu debut. At £250 for the tasting menu, it’s not cheap, but given the neighbourhood and the pedigree, it’s not surprising either.

The fact that many insiders were shocked Row on 5 didn’t debut with two Michelin stars speaks of the high regard the culinary cognoscenti hold this place in, but to be fair, they did ‘finally’ nab their second star just last month.

Website: rowon5london.com

Address: 5 Savile Row, London W1S 3PB

Bellamy’s, Bruton Place

Ideal for dining like royalty without the corgi hair…

Gavin Rankin’s Bruton Place brasserie trades on discretion, which in Mayfair means it’s absolutely rammed with people you recognise from the papers. Bellamy’s Franco-Belgian menu hasn’t changed significantly in twenty years because when your regulars included the late Queen Elizabeth II, you don’t mess with success. No wonder it has previously been given the somewhat dubious crown of ‘London’s most civilised restaurant’ by Tatler.

Stéphane Pacoud’s kitchen produces classics with the consistency of a Swiss watch manufacturer. The £45 table d’hôte lunch offers tremendous value for Mayfair, though value here still means you’re paying weekly shop prices for one meal (yep, we realise we’re rather labouring on a theme now, but this is the last entry on the list, so allow it). 

The iced lobster soufflé sounds like something from the 1980s but tastes timeless. And not icey at all, thank heavens. The smoked eel mousse sounds like something from the… Hang on, we’ve already said that. Anyway, there’s a dedicated oyster bar, too, with immaculately shucked Jerseys priced at £24 a dozen. Amazingly for the posture of the place and its location, you can have a proper blow-out here for around £100 a head, even pricing in a couple of fine martinis, here poured from a bottle of frozen spirit into a frozen glass misted, completed with a spritz of vermouth. It’s those finer details that really sets Bellamy’s apart.

The room, all green banquettes and lighting that casts intimate shadows yet allows the more elderly regulars to actually see the menus, feels fitting. Just five minutes from Green Park, Bellamy’s has no Michelin stars, and has absolutely no need for them, either. Sometimes a restaurant’s greatest achievement is knowing exactly what it is and doing that thing better than anyone else. Bellamy’s mastered that equation decades ago and sees no reason to change now.

Website: bellamysrestaurant.co.uk

Address: 18-18a Bruton Place, London W1J 6LY

Speaking of oysters, and now that there’s an ‘r’ back in the month, here’s our guide on where to eat the best oysters in London. And yes, we know the whole ‘r’ thing is somewhat cooked now…

Last updated March 2026

Shepherd’s Bush… Does that sound obscene? Silly? Just a name? Who knows…

What we do know is that Shepherd’s Bush occupies a curious position in West London neighbourhood hierarchy. Not as polished as neighbouring Notting Hill, as musical as Maida Vale, nor as determinedly bohemian as Ladbroke Grove, it exists in a state of perpetual transition that somehow suits it perfectly. The area’s character comes from this very refusal to be pinned down – one street offers Lebanese bakeries that have served the same families for forty years, the next harbours a Michelin-starred sushi counter floating eight floors above the former BBC Television Centre.

This slow and steady transformation arguably began in earnest when Westfield opened in 2008, bringing international chains and food courts that threatened to homogenise the area’s dining scene. Instead, something more interesting happened. The influx of new money and footfall created space for ambitious restaurants to thrive alongside the kebab shops and corner cafés that give Shepherd’s Bush its soul. Wood Lane now hosts world-class omakase, whilst family-run Persian restaurants continue serving the stews their grandmothers taught them.

Indeed, the Shepherd’s Bush dining scene reflects the neighbourhood itself – unpretentious but not unambitious, international by default rather than design, shaped more by immigration patterns than Instagram trends.

We’ve spent months eating our way through W12 (it’s a hard life, etc., etc.), from the market stalls to the mall restaurants, the hidden Syrian gems to the headline-grabbing openings to bring you these; our eight favourite restaurants in Shepherd’s Bush, the ones that capture what makes the neighbourhood one of London’s most exciting places to eat right now.

Giulia, Askew Road

Ideal for neighbourhood Italian that punches well above its weight…

Albanian-Italian chef Endris Kerbizi met Roman partner Giulia Quaglia whilst both worked at the Bvlgari Hotel, and the residents of Shepherd’s Bush must be so grateful love was in the air in the hallowed halls of that prestigious establishment… 

Fast forward a few years, and their 30-cover trattoria on Askew Road is accumulating serious accolades (The Good Food Guide’s Best 100 Local Restaurants earlier this year, two AA Rosettes awarded July 2025, a Michelin Guide listing) through focused menus where morning-baked focaccia and fresh pasta emerge from a compact kitchen with a verve and vivacity that speaks of the handmade.

The seasonal monthly menu showcases Italy’s rhythms – come colder months, the traditional Ossobuco alla Milanese arrives slow-cooked to perfection alongside saffron-infused risotto. Perhaps a pumpkin risotto with veal ragu might appear, too. The fried Veal Cotoletta alla Milanese, more than 300 grams of hefty, golden, crispy joy, has become something of a signature for good reason. Spring brings artichokes aplenty, when dishes like charred artichoke with mint and baked ricotta or Carciofi alla Romana with pecorino and saffron land on nearly every table. And don’t get us started on season, where mushrooms bring earthy grandeur to the restaurant. That season has just ended, much to our devastation.

The wine list favours Italian producers without defaulting to obvious choices, several interesting orange wines sitting alongside classics from, primarily, Tuscany. Don’t know how to play it, plonk wise? Giulia herself provides Roman warmth front-of-house, conversing in rapid Italian with regulars whilst ensuring newcomers feel equally welcomed, all the while dropping wine recommendations. Exposed brick and simple wooden tables keep focus on the food rather than décor. 

Booking ahead is generally recommended, though we’ve had success rocking up and walking in before.

Website: giuliarestaurant.co.uk

Address: 77 Askew Road, W12 9AH

Shikumen, Shepherd’s Bush Green

Ideal for dim sum and duck that rivals Chinatown’s finest…

Inside the Dorsett Hotel overlooking Shepherd’s Bush Green, Shikumen was once a Michelin Bib Gourmand holder, and for good reason; there’s quality, intricate dumpling preparation at work here, the loss of that recognition inexplicable, in our eyes at least.

Indeed, the kitchen’s ability with xiao long bao, where thin skins contain scalding soup that burns the impatient, or scallop siu mai topped with bright orange tobiko that pops against sweet shellfish, continues to impress diners, even if the inspectors have gone cold on the restaurant.

Perhaps they missed out on the two-stage Peking duck service the last time they dropped in. Here, it’s all about the traditional technique – air-dried for hours, lacquered with maltose, its crispy skin wrapped in paper-thin pancakes and its meat stir-fried alongside seasonal vegetables. God it’s good, and for £88 a duck, you’d hope so. You do get a beautiful duck bone soup thrown in for good measure, too. Not ‘thrown in’, come to think of it; that would scald and scar. Perhaps ‘placed down gently’ for good measure might be more appropriate…

On the more affordable side of the spectrum, dim sum service runs until 5pm daily, and averages around £10 for a four piece tǐ, making lunch surprisingly accessible for high-end hotel dining. Hand-pleated har gau and wok-fired ho fun with house-made XO sauce demonstrate the kitchen’s commitment to traditional preparation, and are certain highlights.

Mahogany accents and red lanterns create a familiar, opulent Cantonese atmosphere and service maintains a certain hotel polish without stuffiness. Perhaps most importantly, friends from Hong Kong regularly praise the accuracy of flavours and techniques, which perhaps speaks louder than any Michelin award does. 

Website: shikumen.co.uk

Address: 58 Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8QE

Chet’s, The Hoxton

Ideal for Thai-American fusion that actually makes sense…

Legendary LA chef Kris Yenbamroong’s first venture into London occupies The Hoxton’s ground floor, its pink ceilings and caramel booths channeling retro California diner aesthetics. Open from 7am to midnight, it’s pitched as an all-day, all-things-to-all-people kind of place, as long as you’re the kind of person who likes their tuna melt stuffed with larb, or your fried chicken waffles dressed with tom yum sauce.

If that all sounds like overkill, fear not; the James Beard-nominated chef behind LA’s NIGHT + MARKET maintains a kind of skewed, chaotic rock’n’roll logic here, the whole thing tied together by flavour, whether it’s avocado toast and pert nahm jim seafood in the morning, or the signature Tingling Onion (a Thai-spiced blooming onion) just before close as you see off your final Lychee Martini.

The predominantly natural wine list and playful cocktails that don’t top £15 suit the dialled-up-to-eleven menu. Fittingly, Chet’s is massively popular with pre-gig crowds heading to Shepherd’s Bush Empire. This is spicy stuff, so mano cornutas at the ready, even if you’re not in town for a show!

Website: chetsrestaurant.co.uk

Address: 65 Shepherds Bush Green, W12 8QE

Sufi, Askew Road

Ideal for Persian home cooking at neighbourhood prices…

Since 2007, this family-run Persian restaurant’s clay tandoor has produced fresh seeded naan for every table, the embers always glowing, the smoke always rising. It’s there in traditional recipes like kashk-e bademjan (smoky aubergine with fermented yogurt and fried onions) too, and mixed grills where marinated meats char over open flames. 

That said, it’s the stews at Sufi that are the headliners, to our mind at least. Give us a bowl of the khoresh gheimeh (lamb and split pea stew) any day of the week and we’ll be happy, as long as there’s a pile of that naan for dredging. 

The intimate space resembles dining in someone’s home, which essentially you are. The BYOB policy helps keep costs down for regulars who return weekly (count us among them). Those devoted patrons know to order the house-churned saffron ice cream regardless of season – it’s such an indulgent yet impossibly light finish.

The visible tandoor and wafts of aromatic spices set the scene, flickers of candlelit and effortless service ensures that scene is carried through to its natural conclusion. As in, paying the bill and bidding Sufi a cheery goodbye and see you next time.  

Website: sufirestaurant.com

Address: 70 Askew Road, W12 9BJ

Abu Zaad, Uxbridge Road

Ideal for Syrian mezze near the Market…

This bustling Syrian restaurant near the north end of Shepherd’s Bush Market has become a neighbourhood institution through sheer consistency, quality and value. Sometimes, that’s all you want from your local restaurant. And if you don’t want that, then what exactly are you looking for?

Back inside, and tiled interiors evoke Damascus souks whilst the kitchen delivers faithfully rendered Levantine cooking that attracts a diverse, enthusiastic crowd.

The mezze selection showcases dogmatic, devoted technique – baba ganoush with deeply charred aubergine creating genuine smoky depth, fresh-fried falafel that maintains its crunch whilst revealing vivid green herbs within, and muhammara where walnuts and red peppers balance perfectly. Mixed platters encourage exploration, though the lamb kofta with spicy tomato sauce and lamb kibbeh deserve individual attention – you won’t want to share either. 

Famously massive mains don’t top £15, and the comically generous mixed grill for two is just £30 – this would be good value even if the food itself was several notches less delicious. The fact it’s so fresh, so vital, so clearly made with devotion, makes the prices even more astonishingly reasonable. 

The strict no-alcohol policy (no BYOB allowed) puts the focus on fresh juices that deserve it: pomegranate, tamarind, and jallab (date and rose) that complement the food better than wine might. Sahha to that!

Website: abuzaad.co.uk

Address: 29 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LH

Shepherd’s Bush Market

Ideal for cheap, fast and delicious market food…

Since 1914, Shepherd’s Bush Market has sat between Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road, a covered stretch of stalls selling fabric, fresh produce, household goods and some genuinely excellent street food. The market runs Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, accessible from both Shepherd’s Bush Market and Goldhawk Road tube stations. The market operates on cash, speed and value.

Sam Sandwiches (Shop 9) has become something of a cult favourite since setting up here. This Algerian street food kitchen serves six types of meat sandwiches – lamb’s liver, merguez, marinated chicken, fish fillet, minced meat, and a special two meat version – all fried to order and stuffed into thick grilled pita with chips, a fried egg, harissa, mayo, and salad. The merguez is the move here, though regulars swear by the minced meat version. Everything costs between £7 except the double-meat number which is £8, portions are hefty, and Sam (the owner) runs the whole operation himself with genuine warmth. Open 11:45am to 6:45pm Monday to Saturday. Cash only.

Falafel Hut (Shop 49) has been slinging aubergine-packed falafel wraps for years, building a loyal following among locals and even earning a recommendation from chef Avinash Shashidhara of Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai. The wraps (£4-6) come loaded with still-warm falafels, tahini, chilli sauce, garlic sauce, salad and crucially, gooey slices of aubergine that melt into everything else. The structural integrity is questionable – these pittas are messy affairs – but that’s part of the appeal. Their fried fish falafel wrap offers an unusual but successful twist on the standard formula. The chilli sauce packs proper heat, so approach with caution. Open 11:30am to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday.

For those building a proper market day, Brothers & Cousins (Shop 53B) supplies fresh wild fish to locals and chefs alike, whilst The Hawk’s Nest in one of the converted railway arches serves Birdhouse Brewery beers and what chef Shashidhara calls “phenomenal” pizzas under skylights that brighten the whole space.

Endo at the Rotunda, White City *currently closed*

Ideal for Michelin-starred sushi with views across West London…

*A fire in the building in September 2025 forced Endo to close its White City home. While the Rotunda prepares to reopen, chef Endo Kazutoshi has launched a five-month pop-up at Annabel’s in Mayfair, running from 20 February 2026. Officially called Endo, Upstairs at Annabel’s – though Endo himself has dubbed it simply “Untitled” – the residency seats just 10 per sitting, two sittings per evening, Tuesday to Friday. Bookings are via the Endo at the Rotunda website. Importantly, despite the Annabel’s address, this is open to non-members. That said, it’s already completely sold out, so we’re not sure why we’re telling you this.*

Eight floors above the former BBC Television Centre, third-generation Yokohama sushi master Endo Kazutoshi presides over just 16 counter seats where an 18-or-so-course omakase journey costs £290. The space earned its Michelin star within six months of opening and has maintained it through 2025, combining premium British ingredients with those that simply cannot be replicated without importing from Japan. So, that’s Cornish tuna, Orkney scallops and Irish oysters with rice from Yamagata and water flown in from Fukuoka.

The signature ‘business card’ consists of multiple varieties of tuna layered with seaweed, each piece pressed, seasoned and garnished at the 200-year-old Hinoki wood counter. West London spreads out through floor-to-ceiling windows, adding drama to what already feels like theatre. Though you’ll pay just shy of £300 for the privilege (and that’s before you consider your sake splurge), the sky high prices don’t put off the punters; securing any reservation means joining monthly online scrambles where tables disappear within 30 minutes.

Blonde wood and clean lines channel Tokyo’s high-end sushi-yas whilst maintaining those eighth-floor views. Service operates at the precision level you’d expect, each course timed for the necessary appreciation without feeling either rushed or stagnant. Fortunately, the much-feared hushed tones and reverence of the traditional high-end sushi experience are punctuated by chef Endo’s flamboyant, playful delivery, which provides a welcome juxtaposition to the intricacy on the plate.

Website: endoattherotunda.com

Address: 8th Floor, The Helios, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, W12 7FR

Got time? It’s a cool 48 hours in Notting Hill eating and drinking for us next. Care to join us?

Last updated March 2026

Once upon a time, Ealing Broadway was where you went to catch the Central line into town, perhaps grabbing a jamon beurre from Pret on your way through. How times have changed. 

The opening of Crossrail has transformed this corner of West London into an actual, bonafide dining destination, with the gleaming, somewhat soulless Dickens Yard development acting as a magnet for ambitious restaurateurs who’ve spotted an opportunity to bring Central London sensibilities to Zone 3 prices.

The area’s culinary revolution has been swift and decisive. Here, you’ll discover Spanish fine dining that had Giles Coren purring (ewww), Japanese izakayas run by sake dynasties, and family-run Vietnamese joints that put Shoreditch in its place. Even better, you can actually book a table without planning three months ahead. Sometimes…

The local demographic helps too. Ealing’s mix of media types who’ve decamped from Notting Hill, young professionals priced out of Clapham, and long-established international communities creates the perfect conditions for culinary diversity. 

Transport links remain excellent – the Elizabeth line whisks you to Bond Street in 11 minutes, while the District and Central lines provide backup options. But increasingly, Londoners are making the reverse journey, heading west for dinner. Join us as we do just that; here are the best restaurants in Ealing Broadway.

Rayuela, Dickens Yard

Ideal for superb Ibero-American cuisine at Zone 3 prices…

In January 2024, The Times restaurant critic Giles Coren ventured to Ealing Broadway (basically like flying halfway around the world, for him) and found something rather special; Ealing Broadway’s restaurant scene is alive and kicking. His review of Rayuela had him reaching for superlatives rarely deployed in the suburbs, and for good reason.

This Ibero-American restaurant occupies prime real estate in Dickens Yard, bringing serious Iberian and South American credentials to W5. The kitchen understands the crucial difference between jamón serrano and jamón ibérico de bellota, and isn’t afraid to charge accordingly for the latter. 

Start with their selection of ceviches – the mackerel version with cucumber tiger’s milk and corn could easily hold its own against London’s best Peruvian restaurants. The Iberian pork presa arrives grilled to the kind of blushing perfection that might have some sending it back to the kitchen, served with chimichurri that packs genuine punch rather than the bruised green sauce often passed off under that name.

Their lunch set menu offers excellent value at £30 for six courses. The wine list leans heavily Spanish, with some exceptional finds from lesser-known regions. The real draw is their partnership with Lustau for sherries – the only winery producing across all three cities in the sherry triangle. Six different sherries are available by the glass, served chilled in correct copitas rather than tiny thimbles. 

The dining room itself avoids the tired exposed brick and Edison bulb clichés, instead striking an appealing balance with its warm terracotta banquettes, contemporary artwork, and clean lines. It’s sophisticated enough for special occasions yet relaxed enough for a random Wednesday 4pm booze up. What’s not to love?

Website: rayuela.co.uk

Address: Unit 9C Dickens Yard, London W5 2TD 

Abu Zaad, Broadway

Ideal for generous Syrian family feasts and warm hospitality…

Squeezed between a dry cleaner and a mobile phone shop on Uxbridge Road, Abu Zaad is the kind of place you’d walk past without noticing, were it not for the smell of freshly baking saj wafting out every time the door opens. Step inside and you’re in a Damascus family home, complete with traditional artwork and, unexpectedly, a dedicated children’s play area with its own projector.

This represents wonderful Syrian hospitality in full effect – three-year-olds are as welcome as their grandparents, and nobody minds when your toddler reorganises the cushions. Or, indeed, gets on first-name terms with those same cushions…

The mixed grill is the move here, available for two (£32.50) or four people (£62.50). The generous spread includes lamb fillet, lamb kofta, shish taouk, jawaneh (chicken wings), and shawarma, all charred just so and served with chips and rice – it’s a carnivore’s fantasy that easily defeats most appetites.

The kibbeh shamieh, those football-shaped bulgur parcels stuffed with spiced meat and pine nuts, reveal filling so perfectly seasoned you begin to understand why the correct way to salt and spice these guys is being debated on several tables around you. 

Their set meals offer excellent value for groups. The set for two (£43.99) includes houmous, fattoush, a Damascene hot appetizer, and the mixed grill for two. Scale up to the family set for four (£84.99) and you add moutabal, an extra hot appetizer, and the family mixed grill – it’s a feast that draws families from across West London. Arrive hungry and pace yourself – this is marathon eating.

The Syrian tea, served in istikan glasses, as it should be, and sweetened to dental-threatening levels, again as it should be, costs less than a Costa coffee and provides infinitely more comfort.

Website: abuzaad.co.uk

Address: 20-22 Broadway, Ealing, W13 0SU

Bronek’s Fish Restaurant

Ideal for an immersive nautical adventure with the freshest seafood in West London…

If Poseidon opened a restaurant in Ealing, it would look exactly like Bronek’s. This isn’t subtle theming – fishing nets drape from every inch of ceiling, ship wheels and boat propellers dot the walls, and the whole pla(i)ce feels less like a restaurant and more like a sarpa salpa-induced hallucination. It’s wonderfully bonkers, and the seafood is genuinely exceptional.

The genius behind this maritime madness is Bronek himself, an Ealing celebrity who runs the place with the enthusiasm of someone who genuinely loves fish. The venue functions as a fishmonger until noon, which means the seafood on your plate that evening was probably swimming (or, at least, reclining on ice) that morning. This is as fresh as it gets without chartering a trawler and doing the whole reeling in yourself.

Forget the menu – it’s merely a suggestion. Bronek prefers to have a proper chat about what’s good that day, then creates bespoke seafood platters based on the catch and your preferences. Expect lobster thermidor, octopus cooked Greek-style, Madagascar prawns, and whatever excellent bream or grouper came in on the morning delivery. The platters arrive on multiple tiers, almost comically abundant, leaving diners stumbling out in a happy seafood stupor. Alongside a recent special of chargrilled tuna steak came perfectly spherical scoops of mashed potato – clearly formed with an ice cream scoop – which added a whimsical touch to proceedings.

Speaking of stupors, the BYOB policy makes this already reasonable spot even better value, and also creates a vibe of chaotic conviviality. Premium seafood without London wine markups? Bring your own bottle and save the extra for a second round of oysters. Don’t expect to swan in without a booking, though – this 40-cover spot fills up fast, especially at weekends when West Londoners descend for their seafood fix.

Faceook: @broneksfishrestaurant

Address: 149 Northfield Ave, London W13 9QT

Park’s Kitchen, The Green

Ideal for Korean comfort food and plenty of soju…

Overlooking The Green with Walpole Park beyond, Park’s Kitchen somehow remains under the radar, known mainly to homesick Korean students and those lucky enough to stumble upon it. Park’s Kitchen occupies a bright, jolly space with exposed brick walls and pendant lighting. It might sound uncharitable to deem it ‘functional’, but it kinda is. Not to worry; when your bibimbap arrives in a heated stone bowl, still sizzling and popping, your eyes aren’t on the interiors.

The kitchen excels at fermentation, of course, the cornerstone of Korean cuisine. The house kimchi has a lovely fizz and funk, the kind that makes you wrinkle your nose before complete addiction sets in. You can curate your own selection of banchan – those small dishes that appear at every meal’s start, orbiting a bowl of freshly steamed rice. The seasoned spinach, sweet-salty dried fish, and bean sprouts with enough chilli to wake the dead should all be on your table.

Order the kanpoongi for a different angle on the now ubiquitous Korean fried chicken. This isn’t the gloopy, over-sauced stuff from American chains taking a stab at diversifying their demographic. Park’s version arrives crisp as autumn leaves, the coating so shattering you can hear it across the room, the meat beneath still juicy. The sweet chilli and garlic sauce is applied with restraint – enough to flavour, not enough to compromise that crunch.

Vegetarians will feel well catered for here. The kimchi pancake, crisp outside and molten within, studded with fermented cabbage and spring onions, is a spicy savoury treat. The soft tofu stew (sundubu-jjigae) arrives bubbling like a small volcano.

There is Korean lager, soju and plum wine, as well as a few bottles of wine hovering around the £30 mark. You can feast here quite happily, and totter out tipsy, for around £75 for two people.

Website: parks-kitchen.com

Address: 24 The Green, Ealing, W5 5DA

Santa Maria, Bond Street

Ideal for pizza that takes its DOC status seriously…

Santa Maria doesn’t mess about. This is Neapolitan pizza as the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana intended: 48-hour fermented dough, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, and a wood-fired oven hot enough to reduce most things to ash in seconds.

Pizzas emerge in 90 seconds flat, the crust puffed and charred in all the right places (those leopard spots pizza obsessives love), the centre just yielding enough to require the traditional fold-and-dangle technique. 

The margherita serves as any serious pizzeria’s litmus test, and Santa Maria’s passes easily. The tomato sauce tastes like concentrated sunshine. The mozzarella, shipped twice weekly from Campania, melts just a little into creamy pools. The basil, added post-cook, wilts just enough to release its oils. This is pure poetry on the plate, and we want a pizza now.

The nduja pizza brings Calabrian heat, the spicy spreadable sausage melting into cheese to create addictive orange oil you’ll mop up with any leftover crust. The white pizzas showcase cheese quality, particularly the quattro formaggi which deploys gorgonzola with admirable restraint.

The room buzzes with genuine excitement about food. Families with bambini, couples on dates, solo diners at the bar – everyone united in appreciation of real pizza. Italian staff help, their animated, infatuated discussions about Scott McTominay adding the requisite authenticity to Ealing’s answer to Naples.

The wine list sensibly sticks to crowd-pleasing southern Italian table wines that won’t break the bank, though honestly, nothing beats a cold Peroni with a sloppy pizza.

Website: santamariapizzeria.com

Address: 11 Bond St, London W5 5AP

Read: The best pizzas in London for 2026

Patri Northfields, Northfield Avenue

Ideal for railway-themed Indian dining and spectacular sharing platters…

The name means ‘track’ in Hindi, and Patri runs with railway themes through bench seating, beaten metal and enough industrial chic to satisfy Londoners with a very myopic vision of cool. But this isn’t style over substance – the cooking here would impress regardless of how made up the room is.

Puneet Wadhwani spent his childhood at New Delhi railway station where his family ran a business. Those memories – vendors shouting wares, meals grabbed between platforms, the organised chaos of Indian rail travel – inform every aspect of this restaurant.

The Railway Mix Grill (for two, it’s £24.95, for three, £34.95) arrives on cast iron platters still sizzling from the kitchen. The lamb seekh kebabs have perfect char-to-juice ratios, the malai tikka (chicken marinated in cream and cheese) is indecently rich, the tandoori prawns sweet and smoky. It’s the kind of sharing plate that tests friendships – you’ll eye that last lamb piece like a circling vulture.

Their butter chicken receives the respect this much-maligned curry house staple deserves. The chicken, marinated three times before meeting the tandoor, arrives tender enough to cut with spoons. The sauce, rich with butter and cream but balanced with complex spicing, keeps you interested bite after bite. Mop it up with exemplary naan, charred and bubbled from the tandoor.

The street food section best captures Patri’s spirit. Old Delhi Pani Puri arrives as DIY projects – crispy wheat balls filled with spiced chickpeas and potatoes, waiting for tangy mint water, chutneys and mango. First-timer faces when that sweet-sour-spicy-cold explosion hits? Priceless.

The Grand Thali represents the full Patri experience – described as “The UK’s Largest, Never Seen Never Done Selection” it serves up to five people. At £128 for vegetarian or £138-148 for mixed versions, it’s a satiate-until-surrender affair, with new dishes appearing just as you think you’re done. Book it for special occasions and arrive really hungry.

Daily 5-7pm cocktail happy hour with 2-for-1 deals makes it dangerously easy to extend dinner into an increasingly louche evening. The craft gin selection reads like a connoisseur’s wishlist – Monkey 47, Gin Mare, Silent Pool – while traditional touches like proper masala chai and mango lassi keep things grounded. Cheers to that.

Website: patri.co.uk

Address: 139 Northfield Avenue, Ealing, W13 9QT

TânVân, The Green

Ideal for Vietnamese family recipes and 24-hour pho…

Named after their late grandfather, TânVân channels the cooking of sisters Erika, Elysia and Eva’s mother, who ran her own Vietnamese restaurant for 24 years before passing the torch. The pho alone – 24 hours in the making, the broth a masterclass in clarity and depth – would justify the W5 journey. But stopping there misses so much.

Summer rolls arrive tight and architecturally perfect, ingredients visible through translucent rice paper wrappers like flowers in ice. The accompanying peanut hoisin sauce has real depth, sweet and savoury with enough chilli heat to maintain interest.

The bánh xèo – a turmeric-tinted crepe stuffed with prawns, pork and bean sprouts – arrives crisp as old banknotes, ready to be torn into pieces, wrapped in lettuce with herbs, and dipped. It’s interactive eating at its best, tables comparing wrapping techniques and arguing over optimal herb ratios. Dipping sauce runs down forearms and into T-shirt sleeves.

The room is gorgeous, too. Heritage murals nod to Vietnamese culture without flirting with theme restaurant territory, while the soundtrack – Vietnamese soul and jazz during lunch, something housier come evening – is transportive, sure, to Hanoi in the daytime and the wild streets of Saigon at night.

There’s a Vietnamese coffee ‘Cà Phê Martini’ that is so good we won’t even bother mentioning the other drinks here. We will mention that happy hour runs from 4pm to 6pm daily, and offers two-for-one.

Website: tanvan1951.com

Address: 17 The Green, Ealing, W5 5DA