You already know that coffee, red wine and curry powder can leave their mark on your enamel. We’ve covered the usual suspects before, and the advice remains sound: rinse, brush and watch your tannin intake. But what about the things that fly under the radar? The products and habits you assume are helping your teeth – or at least doing no harm – that are, in fact, gradually dulling your smile.
From the mouthwash beside your sink to the swimming pool you use every week, there’s a whole category of staining culprits that rarely get the attention they deserve. With the help of Londonderry dentist Claire Hughes, here are the genuinely surprising things discolouring your teeth – and an honest look at what the science says about fixing the damage.
Mouthwash
This is the big one. The product you’re using specifically to improve your oral health could be the very thing turning your teeth brown.
Prescription mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine gluconate – commonly given after dental procedures or to treat gum disease – are well-documented stainers. The leading theory is that chlorhexidine binds to dietary chromogens (colour compounds found in tea, coffee and wine), leaving brownish deposits along the gumline. A Cochrane review of 51 randomised controlled trials involving over 5,000 participants confirmed that use beyond four weeks leads to significant staining and tartar build-up. In the UK, chlorhexidine mouthwash is licensed for a maximum of 30 days for this reason.
Over-the-counter mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) can produce a similar effect. The CPC kills bacteria, which then decompose and reattach to the tooth surface as brown residue – around 3% of regular users are thought to be affected. And if your mouthwash contains a coloured dye, those pigments can leave their own mark on enamel too.
White Wine
Red wine’s reputation as a stainer is well established, but its paler sibling tends to escape blame entirely. That’s a mistake.
White wine is actually more acidic than red, and that acidity etches the enamel surface, creating tiny pockets where colour compounds from other foods and drinks can settle. A study from NYU College of Dentistry, reported in the British Dental Journal, found that teeth soaked in white wine and then exposed to black tea developed significantly darker stains than teeth soaked in water first. If your evening involves a glass of sauvignon blanc followed by a cuppa, that combination could be doing more damage than you’d think.
Balsamic Vinegar
Your lunchtime salad might be working against your beautiful, bright, white smile. Balsamic vinegar combines dark pigmentation with a sticky, acidic consistency that clings to enamel long after you’ve finished eating. The acid weakens the surface while the pigments settle into the roughened texture it leaves behind. Crunchy lettuce or raw vegetables can help scrub away residue as you eat, and rinsing with water afterwards is a sensible precaution.
Swimming Pools
Regular swimmers may have noticed a brownish tinge developing on their teeth and assumed it was down to diet. Far more likely, it’s the pool.
Chlorinated water that’s either too alkaline or too acidic can cause what dentists call swimmer’s calculus – a yellowing or browning brought about by chemical deposits and the accelerated breakdown of salivary proteins. A Spanish study of 404 subjects found that 60.2% of competitive swimmers showed dental staining, compared with just 12.9% of non-swimming sportspeople, even though all pools met standard sanitisation guidelines. If you swim frequently, brushing before you get in and rinsing with fresh water afterwards are both habits worth building in.
Vaping
E-cigarettes are often positioned as a cleaner alternative to smoking, and for tar-related staining, that’s broadly true. But vaping creates its own problems. Nicotine turns yellow when exposed to oxygen, producing gradual discolouration over months. Propylene glycol – a common carrier in vape liquids – dries out the mouth, reducing the saliva that naturally rinses staining compounds away. And coloured vape liquids can deposit pigment on teeth in the same way a brightly coloured sweet would.
Iron Supplements & Certain Medications
If you take a daily iron supplement – particularly in liquid form – you may be staining your teeth a dark brown or even greenish-black. Iron adheres to the pits and fissures in enamel, and dentists consider these stains particularly stubborn. Using a straw for liquid supplements, swallowing tablets whole and rinsing your mouth immediately afterwards can all help.
Tetracycline-class antibiotics (including minocycline and doxycycline) can bind to calcium during tooth development, creating permanent discolouration – primarily a risk for children under eight and during pregnancy, though long-term minocycline use in adults affects 3–6% of patients. Antihistamines and some blood pressure medications contribute indirectly by drying out the mouth.
Too Much Fluoride
Excessive fluoride exposure during childhood – from swallowing toothpaste, overuse of supplements or high-fluoride drinking water – can cause dental fluorosis, which shows up as white spots, brown patches or pitting on the enamel. This is a form of intrinsic staining, sitting beneath the tooth surface where standard whitening toothpaste can’t reach it. Worth bearing in mind if you have young children who tend to eat their toothpaste rather than spit it out.
What Does & Doesn’t Work To Fix It
In the UK, teeth whitening is cosmetic and isn’t available on the NHS, so you’ll need to go private. Professional in-office whitening using high-concentration hydrogen peroxide remains the most effective option, typically lightening teeth by several shades in a single session and lasting up to three years. Costs generally range from £200 to £600.
Dentist-prescribed at-home kits using custom trays are a more affordable middle ground, with clinical evidence suggesting comparable long-term results. OTC whitening strips can lighten teeth by a shade or two, though a systematic review noted that the overall evidence for their effectiveness remains limited.
As for trending alternatives, the American Dental Association states there is insufficient evidence to support activated charcoal toothpaste for whitening – and research shows it can increase enamel roughness, potentially making teeth more vulnerable to staining. Purple toothpaste creates a temporary optical illusion using blue pigment but produces no actual colour change. Oil pulling has no documented whitening effect whatsoever. When it comes to brightening your smile, there’s no shortcut around peroxide-based chemistry.
The Bottom Line
The pattern across all these surprising stainers is the same: acid weakens enamel, and weakened enamel absorbs colour. Whether that acid comes from white wine, balsamic vinegar, pool chemicals or the propylene glycol in your vape, the result is enamel that’s more porous and more susceptible to discolouration. Drinking water between acidic exposures, waiting at least 30 minutes before brushing and keeping up with regular dental check-ups are the simplest defences you have.
As for getting the brightness back, skip the charcoal and the social media fads – a conversation with your dentist remains the most reliable route to results that actually last.
With a shiny new stop on the Elizabeth Line cementing its status as a TFL headlining act, Tottenham Court Road is now the eminent focal point for those wanting easy access to Soho, Covent Garden and Fitzrovia.
But heavy is the head that wears the crown. Peckish passengers, starving shoppers and hungry day-trippers (yep, alliteration has failed us there) might just find that Tottenham Court Road station is a victim of its own success in terms of decent options of where to eat nearby.
Instead, leave the station blinking into the light, and you’ll be met with a string of Burger Kings, itsus, Le Pain Quotidiens and LEONs. At least if you’re after a big bag of American Candy with a side of tax fraud, you’ll be more than adequately served.
That’s not to say there aren’t fantastic places to eat within a rock’s throw of Tottenham Court Road Station; you just have to know where to look. We’ve done that looking for you; here’s where to eat near Tottenham Court Road and the best restaurants near its station.
Akoko, Berners Street
Ideal for trying one of London’s most exciting, thought-provoking tasting menus…
Just a stone’s throw away from Tottenham Court Road Station, Akoko offers a full tasting menu that showcases some of the very best of West African cuisine in the capital. This Michelin-starred restaurant is the result of years of hard work by founder Aji Akokomi and, more recently, executive chef Mutaro Balde, who have poured their hearts into creating a dining experience that honours tradition while pushing the boundaries of culinary creativity.
Akokomi has said that his aim in the city is to “change the perception of African food as we know it”, and it feels like Akoko is going from strength to strength, shedding its early, inevitable comparisons to Ikoyi and growing into a stellar culinary force in its own right (with a tasting menu a third of the price!).
The dining room itself is one of the most tasteful, calming places you’ll ever have the pleasure of spending a couple of hours in, all mahogany and terracotta shades, and gorgeous ceramics inspired by acclaimed Nigerian potter Ladi Kwali that you’d be shit scared of chipping if you didn’t feel so soothed by the space.
Art by contemporary Nigerian artist Niyi Olagunju hangs on the wall, and there’s a pleasingly reverberant buzz for a place of this calibre, the enveloping smell of smoke greeting you at the door before the suave service shows you to your seat. Once installed, you might be tempted to skip the wine (the ‘cheapest’ bottle here tops £60) and instead order a cocktail or two.
At Akoko, the ethos is all about blending innovation with live fire cooking, umami, and a broad range of spices. The chefs expertly craft a diverse range of dishes using the freshest seasonal British ingredients paired with African spices, resulting in a culturally resonant and distinctly exceptional dining experience.
Nestled in one of those gorgeous bowls, the moi moi with mackerel and a sweet, spicy vatapá is extraordinary, the moi moi itself as smooth as silk but with that all-important bounce, the usual stew here a vibrant orange puree, rich with coconut milk and boasting real depth via ground peanuts and cashews. It’s magic, possessing almost laughable depth and more layers than a metamorphic rock. That’s just one course of a ten-strong tasting menu that will set you back £130 – not appaling value in this part of town.
There’s also a shorter lunch menu, for £65, which builds to a crescendo of braised, pressed short rib, and, of course, a smokey, sublime jollof rice. Whichever way you play it, end with Akoko’s take on the Old Fashioned, here flavoured with plantain and feeling so right under the dimmed lights of the dining room, and reflect on a thoughtful and ultimately delicious evening at one of London’s hottest new restaurants.
Ideal for a taste of refined yet traditional Modern African cuisine in Central London…
There really is one restaurant that stands out as, not only one of the best places to eat near Tottenham Court Road, but arguably our favourite restaurant opening of recent times in London; chef Joké Bakare’s Chishuru.
Open for just three years in its current guise, Chishuru has already won a Michelin-star for its modern take on West African cuisine, making Bakare the first black female chef in the UK to earn this prestigious accolade. It’s richly, royally deserved, and testament to a menu of complex, creative, deeply satisfying dishes.
The name ‘Chishuru’ itself means “the hush that descends when you’re enjoying a meal”, and whilst the compact dining room here certainly isn’t suspended in silent reverence, there’s an agreeably laid back vibe to proceedings, with service attentive but not overbearing, all of which helps focus fall on Bakare’s extraordinary cooking.
Assertive but perfectly balanced spicing – not only from chilli but a whole host of peppers, some rasping, some floral – is the narrative thread that ties the whole thing together. Starting with rice and coconut balls stuffed with a heady tangle of braised mutton and lightened with a taut green chilli sauce, and ending with a final savoury dish of grilled mutton cutlet with uziza seed sauce, there’s an almost poetic circular nature to the menu, that uziza seed sauce something of a callback to the uziza leaves that have graced a perfectly poised pepper soup from earlier in the meal. The everpresent ‘side plate’ of jollof rice, grilled plantain and house pickles help things feel even more cohesive.
There’s no danger of going off-piste in your ordering, mind. Chishuru is a set menu only affair, a journey through Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba cuisines priced at £105 for dinner, and £50 for lunch (due to raise to £55 later this month). That, my friends, would be a bargain anywhere in the capital, but for somewhere so central, it represents a serious steal, and kept commendably the same price for the best part of a year now, all in the face or rising inflation.
There was also a wine pairing available for £68 (again, decent value in this part of town) the last time we ate here, which is a smart move, as these dishes boast a complexity that requires careful complementing.
Already arguably our favourite restaurant in London, Chishuru is the place to eat near Tottenham Court Road. Do remember to book in advance – getting a primetime table is becoming increasingly difficult. Not that we’re complaining; there’s nowhere more deserving.
Ideal for an ever-changing line-up of the best and brightest chefs from across the globe…
If you’ve already eaten the length and breadth of Tottenham Court Road and are feeling somewhat uninspired, then perhaps the ever rotating cast of chefs and cuisines at Carousel will have you returning to dine in Central London again?
A unique dining concept on the eastern outskirts of Marylebone, Carousel is part restaurant, part creative hub. Each week, from Tuesday to Saturday, a new guest chef takes over the kitchen, with the restaurant introducing some of the brightest young talents from across the world to the hungry punters of Charlotte Street.
The lineup is, as ever, typically strong. This week (17th-21st February), John Javier and Jackson Boxer reunite for Chinese New Year with a collaborative menu continuing the ideas from Javier’s acclaimed Sydney restaurant, MASTER (RIP), blending regional Chinese influences with contemporary technique.
From the 24th of February, Paula Pedro arrives with Carousel regular Kut Gómez for a fortnight of Baja Oasis cooking, all black bean and hoja santa tamales and lamb barbacoa with fresh tortillas. In March, Michael Zee of Symmetry Breakfast fame takes over with excellent Chinese cooking (think Zhoushan sea bass with urchin), before ex-Noma chef Tim van der Molen brings the charcoal-grilled, Asian-leaning flavours of his Amsterdam concept Nikotin.
There’s also big news at no. 21 Charlotte Street, where Carousel is just about to open Cometa, a permanent Mexican seafood restaurant celebrating British waters through a modern Mexican lens.
In addition to the main dining area, Carousel also hosts art exhibitions, workshops, and live performances, making it a true cultural destination. For those wishing to try as wide a variety of cuisines and chef’s styles as possible, Carousel is a great option – but book fast, as these residencies tend to sell out quickly.
A little more of a walk than the other entries on our list (a whopping 10 minutes!), but well worth the trek, tucked away in Neal’s Yard you’ll find one of London’s prettiest and most colourful streets. You’ll also find one of London’s most fabulous brunches.
At The Barbary Next Door, a cosy, candlelit spot (yep, even in the daytime) with just ten seats, a nourishing, soulful North African breakfast is served from 10:30am from Thursdays through Sundays, perfectly setting you up for a day of shopping and strolling.
The four cheese bourekas, brown egg, tomato and zhug is a thing of nourishing, piquant beauty, but if you’re after something lighter, the restaurant’s berries with tahini, greek yoghurt and date molasses is as velvety and satisfying as it comes.
Its raucous elder sibling The Barbary, which is just next door (duh) is a wonderful spot for lunch or dinner, too, boasting intoxicating Berber-style flavours, all served up around horseshoe-style seating. Expect a shot of two of their Lebanese style Arak to be offered, often on the house.
Boasting intoxicating Berber-style flavours in an atmosphere that, quite frankly, is easy to get carried away in, the Arak flows almost as freely as the house hummus, here enlivened with a piquant tatbila source, all scorched green chilli, garlic and lemon juice. Grab a sesame and nigella seed glazed flatbread and dredge on through.
From the larger plates section of the menu, titled a-la-esh (‘on the fire’), you’ll find dishes from ‘land’, ‘sea’, and ‘earth’, the bulk of which fall in the latter camp. The jaffa-style cauliflower is a real highlight, arriving as charred golden florets positively bathing in a garlic and lemon sauce.
Try to resist ordering the smoked octopus labneh alongside it – three words that jump out from any menu, that’s for sure. Here, a buxom tentacle that’s been kissed by the grill hits the counter curled around a tumble of chickpeas and herbs, their bed a particularly perky, bright white labneh (the strained yoghurt that rarely isn’t part of the Levantine table). A class dish, this one.
All of this is served up around horseshoe-style seating with plenty of on-the-house shots being poured for patrons, whether long loyal or uninitiated. Those who haven’t been before are certain to return, we think.
A second branch in Notting Hil is equally as compelling.
Ideal for deceptively simple, seasonal European cooking that changes weekly…
Just a brief hop, skip and a stroll from Tottenham Court Road Station lands you on Store Street, where Anna Tobias and the 40 Maltby Street crew have been doing their deceptively simple thing since late 2020. What started as a lockdown takeaway deli operation has grown into one of Bloomsbury’s most reliably satisfying restaurants, though you’d never know it from the unassuming frontage. That humble vibe is all part of the charm, of course.
The space itself is actually pretty large once you’re inside. There’s counter dining up front, tables scattered across the first floor’s pretty tiles, a smaller dining room at the back, and more seats downstairs by the kitchen. On sunny days, the small terrace out front fills up fast (real fast; there’s just four always-unsteady tables) with people who’ve figured out that this is one of the best spots in the area for a long, lazy lunch.
Tobias, who cut her teeth at Rochelle Canteen and the River Cafe, brings a similar sensibility here. She just has a knack for making simple-sounding dishes sing. The menu changes every week to keep pace with the seasons, and while descriptions might read straightforward – prosaic, even – on paper, what arrives at your table tastes essential somehow. Snacks like a glossy egg mayonnaise with a lovely cross of salted anchovy draped over the top set the tone. Even more austere, a collection of random cubes of Parmigiano Reggiano might feel a little odd to kick-off, but there’s a hell of a lot of the stuff for £7, and with a crisp glass of Léo Dirringer’s Grain de Sable Riesling, you’ll find gloriously effortless pairing.
The larger plates follow suit; straightforward in composition, big on satisfying flavour. Fish – often poached to perfection – might come bathed in a pitch-perfect sauce vierge, meat dishes arrive pink and judiciously seasoned, and accompanying vegetables are cooked with care and attention, retaining a bite when they need to, but also being braised until collapsing when that’s what the dish demands. Because we’re all a little tired of al dente everything, aren’t we?
Back to that wine list. It’s one that has a similar breadth to the OG on Maltby Street and the same sole focus on non-intervention wines, with bottles starting at £39. The team here know their stuff and will steer you toward something interesting without any of the usual wine bar pretension.
Bookings at Cafe Deco are for two-hour slots, which feels about right for the pace of service here. It’s not rushed, but it’s not languorous either. Staff know what they’re doing without making a song and dance about it, and there’s a relaxed confidence to the whole operation that makes you want to settle in and order another bottle. You know what? We might do just that…
Ideal for world-conquering Taiwanese soup dumplings in London’s most iconic brutalist building…
Din Tai Fung at London’s iconic Centre Point building is, in the all-conquering restaurant group’s own words, “a world first”. Though the formula here is pretty much the same as the other 169 outposts globally, we think they’re referring to the cocktail bar that’s connected to the restaurant. Here, you can settle into powder pink banquet seating, order a signature cocktail (you’ve a choice of three, a ‘din’, a ‘tai’ or a ‘fung’), and admire the views of a bustling Tottenham Court Road below. Or, in another world first for the company, they might be referencing the presence of private dining rooms in the restaurant.
Either way, we’re not here for the vibes; we’re here for the xiao long bao soup dumplings. At Din Tai Fung Centrepoint, they are as meticulously prepared as ever, the standard 18 folds intact and tangible, the piping hot soup spilling out of the dumplings and burning the mouths of those not yet conversant in the essential step of first piercing their wrappers and catching the soup in a loitering, lingering spoon. You only get burned once…
…Push on through the pain, as this isn’t only about the signature pork xiao long bao; the prawn and pork shao mai dumplings are arguably even better – fatty, bouncy and pert in all the right places. End with a salted egg yolk custard lava bun, burn your mouth again on its dusty, salty-sweet goodness, and seek solace in a soothing bubble tea. The caramel milk one is particularly good.
Ideal for unfussy dishes of seasonal British fare and arguably the best wine list in the country…
If you’re looking for where to eat near Tottenham Court Road, then you’ll find one of it just a three minute walk from the station.
A proper ‘restaurant’ follow-up to the fantastic Noble Rot wine bar on Lamb’s Conduit Street, where its older sibling was focused on small plates to complement big drops, Noble Rot Soho is a proudly three course affair, with a superb set lunch menu costing just £24. You won’t find better value anywhere in Central London.
Of course, you can veer off-piste and into the a la carte menu proper if you don’t want to be confined to the set menu. Start with the pork, rabbit and prune terrine – as good as it sounds – and follow with the restaurant’s sharing roast chicken with morels and vin jaune, which has already earnt iconic status with London’s culinary cognoscenti, and serves three generously for £90.
Combine those hearty, satisfying dishes with arguably the best wine list in the country, and Noble Rot Soho is without doubt one of the best restaurants close to Tottenham Court Road station.
Ideal for a veritable feast of global cuisines under one roof…
Speaking of trying as much as you can manage all under one roof, it’s been pretty impossible to miss the buzz surrounding the JKS-backed Arcade Food Hall since its opening in April of 2022.
Housed in the Centre Point building on New Oxford Street, and just a few second’s stroll from Tottenham Court Road station, Arcade Food Hall offers a veritable feast of global cuisines, with 8 restaurant concepts currently operating here, and a fully-fledged Southern Thai joint on the mezzanine above the communal dining area.
That Southern Thai restaurant is Plaza Khao Gaeng is superb, doing some of the most faithfully composed, fiery food from The Kingdom anywhere in London. Though much has been written about the fearsome chilli levels on display here, it’s the vivacity of the ingredients that really shine through. The coconut cream in the massaman and chicken curries tastes freshly pressed (a labour intensive process that’s rare to find in the capital), the sour curry sparkles with garcinia fruit as opposed to just lime and tamarind, the khua kling’s green peppercorns bring rasping heat alongside the undulating presence of various fresh and dried chillies. It’s magic. Our only complaint? More elbow room on the tables, please!
Speaking of finding room, if you’ve somehow managed to save stomach space for seconds, then on the floor below there’s sushi, smash burgers, shawarma and more.
Post-office diners beware; no starched white shirt is safe from the enthusiastic slurping of soup and noodle that Laksamania encourages. Or rather, that Laksamania demands…
Offering one of the best value quick meals in Central London, there’s a decent selection of laksa here, none of which top the £20 mark and all of which are a generous size for a pit-stop and a re-fuel near Tottenham Court Road.
Here, the soup is simmered for 8 hours or so, resulting in a decent level of complexity difficult to find in this part of London (though, a little further afield, both Normah’s and Bugis Street Brasserie do an arguably superior version).
Our go-to order? The Melaka curry laksa, which in the Nyonya tradition delivers a hot and sour one-two punch, the former asserted by the addition of sambal. A carefully positioned napkin (or bring-your-own bib) is pretty much essential, here.
There are other things than Laksa on the menu. Think generously portioned plates of wonton char siu lo mein and sticks of satay that come with a deep and earthy peanut sauce.
Ideal for exciting Peruvian plates of colour and precision…
If you’re wondering where to eat close to Tottenham Court Road Station, then a simple five minute stroll will deposit you on Rathbone Place and at Lima, a restaurant doing punchy Peruvian plates without too much fuss or frippery.
Ideal for when steak and chips is on the night’s agenda…
You’d be hard pressed to find a decent steak for under £30 in the centre of London. Which is what makes Flat Iron (a two minute walk from Tottenham Court Road Station) all the more remarkable; a properly good product, slowly reared and generously marbled, cooked to perfection, for just £15.
Yep, you read that right; £15. You’d pay similar for a smoothie along Oxford Street. Interestingly, when we first published this piece back in 2022, the steak was £14. It’s only gone up by a quid in four years, which is an impressive commitment to the mission here.
It’s the simplicity of the proposition here that’s so appealing; there’s only one steak (though there are a couple of specials) on the menu – ‘The Flat Iron’ – alongside chips, green salad, and a selection of sauces. There’s no danger of getting gripped by the paradox of choice, which in the hustle and bustle of Central London, is very welcome indeed.
And get this; a bottle of rustic but drinkable Italian Rosso is £23. You could say that their motto ‘’great steak for everyone’’ might even sell Flat Iron short!
Ideal for relaxed Michelin-starred Mediterranean-influenced dining…
Michelin-starred dining doesn’t come more laid-back than at The Ninth, just a few minutes’ walk from Tottenham Court Road. That’s not to say the Mediterranean-inspired plates aren’t worthy of a star; chef Jun Tanaka’s cooking is as poised and precise as you like, with the restaurant’s rabbit lasagna earning cult status soon after opening in 2016.
If it’s on, order it, as the chefs at The Ninth have a wicked way with pasta. If not, anything from that section of the menu is guaranteed to wow you. Save room for the restaurant’s signature pain perdu, and you’re going to leave satisfied. You’ll also be grateful that Tottenham Court Road Station is on hand to whisk you home.
Speaking of signatures, the restaurant recently celebrated its ninth year, offering a special nine-year anniversary menu, a nostalgic journey through their nine years here on Charlotte Street, featuring six classic dishes voted for by regulars. On that menu, oxtail croquettes, grilled turbot with cockles and vin jaune sauce, and, of course, that pain perdu, all feature. It was marvellous.
Ideal for for contemporary Japanese cuisinethat seems to fuse Dubai and Tokyo…
Roka is the place to head if hunger strikes when you’re on Tottenham Court Road and you’re willing to part with a pretty penny.
Specialising in robatayaki (charcoal-grilled) dishes and featuring a central robata grill, Roka Charlotte Street has been open since 2004, with three subsequent branches following in the two decades since.
Still, it’s to the mothership (incidentally the closest to Tottenham Court Road of the four outposts) that we head for premium Japanese and British ingredients grilled with precision, so the smoke and char complements rather than overpowers.
You wouldn’t, after all, want to fork out £100 on a portion of tokujou wagyu only for it to arrive decimated by the flame. Fear not; this one hits the table barked but blushing, glazed with a piquant wasabi ponzu and finished with whispers of finely sliced spring onion. The black cod, marinated in yuzu before getting kissed by the coals, is even better, with a properly caramelised crust given way to flakes of pearlescent flesh.
The chefs here don’t spend all their time wrestling with errant bricks of bincho-tan, however. There’s also an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi, and a tasting menu that combines the raw menu with the grilled. Yours for £88 per person.
Though Roka doesn’t feature in London’s Michelin Guide, it does boast 3 AA Rosettes, considered to be roughly equivalent to a star.
Ideal for a contemporary take on the food of Sri Lanka…
Sure, we could veer off Tottenham Court Road in search of Sri Lankan food and find ourselves within a few short, erm, hops of Hoppers. Here, we’d be confident of a fine feed indeed.
But in our view, Central London’s best spot for gorgeously spiced, contemporary takes on the food of Sri Lanka is within the brutalist confines of Paradise Soho. Since opening in 2019, Paradise has been quietly doing its own thing, known for its gorgeously spiced contemporary takes on classic dishes and self-proclaimed fiery accent.
Following a major refurbishment in the spring of 2024, Paradise has evolved into something even more ambitious – a refined, contemporary interpretation of Sinhalese cuisine that feels both deeply rooted in tradition yet boldly innovative.
Set within brutalist-inspired interiors that pay homage to celebrated Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the restaurant now offers a carefully orchestrated seven-course menu (£59) that showcases both Sri Lankan and British produce. Diners can choose between three different menu paths: Land + Sea, Sea + Veg, or Veg + Plant, each offering a distinct journey through modern Sri Lankan flavours, seen through (as is de riguer right now in London) something of a British lens.
The experience begins with a vibrant lacto-fermented Kentish raspberry rasam brightened with lime leaf oil, before moving on to their now-signature hand-chopped raw mutton roll tartare – a clever deconstruction of the classic short eat (and once signature dish here). Seafood features prominently in two of the menu options, with standout dishes including seared hand-dived Orkney scallop served with a native lobster and riesling kiri-hodi, preserved wild garlic oil, and coconut kiri-bath. It’s all bloody gorgeous, quite frankly.
The drinks offering has been updated too, with Head Bartender Anna Krawiec collaborating with the team behind Three Sheets London. The cocktail list leans heavily on Ceylon arrack – try their take on the Negroni, expertly balanced with thuna-paha spices and Little Blanc vermouth. The natural wine list, curated by GM Nick Hann, focuses on sustainable and organic producers, with particularly strong selections from the Loire Valley and Austria.
Paradise’s new format runs Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, with a single Saturday lunch service. While the £59 price point for the tasting menu (with optional £42 wine pairing) represents a step up from its previous incarnation, the level of cooking, innovation and premium ingredients more than justifies the cost. This is modern Sri Lankan cuisine pushing into exciting new territory.
We end, conversely, with perhaps our favourite place to eat breakfast in the whole of London, and certainly the best breakfast close to Tottenham Court Road; at Koya.
Opening at 10am, seven days a week, the restaurant specialises in udon noodle and rice dishes, with austere menu descriptions belying the masterful preparation and technique involved in these nourishing dishes. This is soul food, make no mistake, and ideal for kicking off a day’s shopping along Oxford Street.
The must-order for breakfast? It’s got to be Koya’s version of kedgeree, which is simply divine. Or, how about the divinely simple kama tama; udon noodles with egg, soy sauce and spring onion? That will set you up for whatever the day brings.
For years, the default holiday mode has been accumulation. More cities, more restaurants, more photos to prove you were having a good time. But something has turned, and the travel industry has noticed. Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report found that 56% of global travellers now cite ‘rest and recharge’ as their primary reason for going anywhere, ahead of sightseeing, culture or food. They have even coined a word for it: ‘hushpitality’.
In reaction, hotels and resorts are increasingly redesigning their offering around stillness, sensory reduction and digital restraint, catering to a generation of travellers who have finally acknowledged that doom-scrolling poolside is not a wellness retreat.
With 53% of those surveyed expressing interest in attending a silent retreat, 28% planning to seek more solitary moments even on group trips, and more than one in four business travellers deliberately carving out alone time during work trips, the demand is real and the options are expanding fast. Here are seven of the best, from full monastic silence to destinations where the landscape does the work for you.
Eremito, Umbria, Italy
Two hours north of Rome, on the edge of 3,000 hectares of protected forest, a medieval hermitage has been rebuilt from ruin into one of the most unusual hotels in Europe. Eremito has no Wi-Fi, no phone signal and no television. Its stone-walled rooms, the ‘celluzze’, measure around nine square metres each. You sleep on hemp sheets. Dinner is vegetarian, candlelit and eaten in total silence, Gregorian chant in the background and local wine flowing freely.
The whole place was conceived by Marcello Murzilli, a former fashion designer who previously created the celebrated Hotelito Desconocido on Mexico’s Pacific coast and spent five years rebuilding the original ruin, incorporating its original stones. Around 70% of guests arrive alone, according to the Michelin Guide, and the property is now part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection via Design Hotels, which tells you how far this concept has drifted from the fringes. There is an underground heated pool, a stone steam room, and morning yoga overlooking the valley.
Rates from around €230 per night, all meals included. Perugia airport is 90 minutes away; Rome and Florence both around two hours by car or train.
Kamalaya, Koh Samui, Thailand
On Koh Samui’s less-developed southern coast, about 30 minutes from Chaweng and a world away from it, Kamalaya occupies a hillside above Laem Set Beach. At its heart is a cave that Buddhist monks used for meditation for centuries, and the property has been built outward from that premise. There are 76 rooms and villas, over 100 wellness practitioners and 19 structured programmes ranging from detox to sleep enhancement.
Where Eremito strips back to almost nothing, Kamalaya wraps stillness in comfort: Qi Gong at sunrise, plant-based food with serious thought behind it, and a cave that has been a place of contemplation for longer than most European countries have existed. The name means ‘Lotus Realm’ in Sanskrit, which gives you a sense of the register.
Repeat guests are so common the resort offers 10-15% off accommodation for stays booked 60 days ahead, and the longevity-focused treatments at its new Longevity House are pulling in a crowd who might previously have gone to a Swiss clinic.
Direct flights from Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Twelve rooms. A glacial valley. Black-necked cranes migrating overhead from Tibet. Gangtey Lodge sits above Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley, minutes from the 17th-century Gangteng Monastery, and the whole experience is built around the country’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
Guests can join monks for morning blessings and meditation, visit local farming families to help milk cows and make cheese, or simply sit on the terrace with a hot apple cider and watch the valley do nothing whatsoever. Log fires, roll-top baths, underfloor heating, and a Bhutanese set menu served by candlelight in a stone woodshed. The lodge also runs dedicated wellness retreats hosted by international practitioners, though the valley itself, a protected reserve largely untouched by the outside world, is arguably treatment enough.
Getting there requires a flight to Paro followed by a four-to-five-hour mountain drive, which is itself part of the point.
Mii amo, Sedona, Arizona
Sedona’s red-rock country has been attracting people looking to recalibrate for decades, and Mii amo, set within Boynton Canyon on one of the area’s energy vortexes, is the most polished version of that impulse. With just 23 casitas, it runs all-inclusive ‘Journeys’ of three, four, seven or ten nights, each co-designed with a personal guide.
The spa has 26 treatment rooms, there is a Crystal Grotto for daily meditation, and the signature restaurant Hummingbird sources from its own chef’s garden. It has been a regular fixture on Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best list for over a decade, earning a place in their Hall of Fame. It is emphatically not cheap, with rates starting around $1,400 per night all-inclusive, but repeat bookings suggest the price is not the deterrent you might expect. Two hours from Phoenix.
Gaia House, Devon, England
At the other end of the spectrum, and the budget, Gaia House has been running silent meditation retreats in the Devon countryside for decades. Guests follow a code of noble silence, spending their days in contemplative practice with very little imposed structure. No spa, no wellness consultants, no attempt at luxury. Instead, the South Devon hills do the work.
It is, in many ways, the original hushpitality venue, long before anyone thought to coin the term, and if you want to test whether extended silence is for you before committing to Umbria or Bhutan, a weekend here is a sensible and affordable way to find out. Retreats are often donation-based. About an hour from Exeter. The best wellness retreats in England are increasingly following Gaia House’s lead.
The Alentejo Coast, Portugal
No retreat, no programme, no structured silence. Just the emptiest stretch of developed Atlantic coastline in Western Europe. The Alentejo, running south from Lisbon to the Algarve border, has managed to remain largely undeveloped where its neighbour has not, and the result is whitewashed fishing villages, enormous beaches and a pace of life that does the decompressing for you.
Rota Vicentina’s network of coastal walking trails connects the whole region on foot, and the accommodation runs from simple guesthouses to the occasional design-forward eco-lodge. The seafood is superb and absurdly cheap by northern European standards, and in low season you can walk for an hour along the coast without seeing another person. It is hushpitality without the branding, and arguably the better for it.
For somewhere to stay that matches the spirit of the place, Herdade da Matinha is a farmstead turned 35-room country hotel in the Serra do Cercal, about 10km from the coast. Restored from shepherds’ cottages and cattle barns, every wall hung with paintings by the owner, Alfredo, who is also the chef. Three pools, no televisions in the rooms, and the Rota Vicentina running past the front door. Nearby beaches at Malhao and Aivados are wild and largely empty. It is hushpitality without the branding, and arguably the better for it.
Rural Ryokan, Japan
Japan has been doing this for centuries; the West is catching up. The traditional ryokan, with its tatami floors, communal onsen baths and multi-course kaiseki dinners, has always been structured around restraint and consideration for fellow guests. In rural areas, particularly around the mountains of Tohoku or the hot-spring towns south of Kyoto, that restraint is the entire experience.
You eat in your room. You bathe in near-silence. The futon is laid out while you are at dinner, and cleared before you wake. Some contemporary ryokan have started incorporating noise-cancellation technology into their architecture, but the ethos was already there. It was already considered good manners.
Prices vary enormously across the ryokan world, from around ¥15,000 per night for a simple mountain inn to several times that for a high-end property with private onsen, but even the budget end offers a level of considered hospitality that most Western hotels charge a fortune to approximate.
We love Nishimuraya Honkan, in the hot-spring town of Kinosaki in the volcanic mountains of Hyogo Prefecture, is among the finest examples: a 165-year-old, seventh-generation ryokan with 29 tatami rooms overlooking a Japanese garden, in-room kaiseki dinners, and a pass to the town’s seven public baths, which guests visit on foot in yukata and wooden geta along the willow-lined Otani River. It is a member of Relais & Chateaux and listed in both the Lonely Planet and the Michelin Guide. Two hours 40 minutes by limited express from Osaka.
Staying Secure On The Move
There is an obvious tension in any holiday built around disconnection: you still need to book transfers, check flight times and navigate unfamiliar cities, often on public Wi-Fi that is about as secure as a postcard. A free VPN download before you leave is the simplest way to keep your data private on shared connections, encrypting your browsing so that login credentials stay protected even on dodgy hotel or airport networks. Finally, make sure to download offline maps before you go. The places most worth visiting for stillness tend to be the ones with the worst signal.
The Bottom Line
Hushpitality is a silly word for a sensible idea. The Global Wellness Institute projects 17% annual growth in wellness tourism through 2027, and the silent end of that market is expanding fastest. But you do not need to book a formal retreat to benefit. A ryokan in Tohoku, a guesthouse on the Alentejo coast, or even just a hotel that has bothered to think about soundproofing will get you most of the way there. The principle is the same whether you are spending €230 a night in Umbria or walking the Rota Vicentina for the price of a bifana: give your brain the space it has been asking for.
Wasn’t moving all of our operations online meant to make things easier? In the digitally omnipresent age, cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. Small businesses, in particular, are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals due to the perception that they have less secure systems and fewer resources to invest in cybersecurity. This makes understanding the threats and implementing robust protection measures essential for the survival and success of small businesses.
With that in mind, here are some of the biggest cybersecurity threats to small businesses, how to recognise that you’ve been a victim, and how best to protect against them.
The Cybersecurity Threat Landscape For Small Businesses
Phishing Attacks
Phishing remains one of the most prevalent threats to small businesses. These attacks involve cybercriminals sending emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources, with the aim of tricking recipients into revealing sensitive information such as passwords or financial details. The sophistication of phishing scams has increased, making them harder to detect.
How Do You Know If You’ve Fallen Victim to Phishing?
Unexpected requests for sensitive information or money transfers.
Employees reporting suspicious emails or having entered their details on a dubious website.
Unauthorised access to accounts or reports of data breaches from customers.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files, with the attacker then demanding a ransom to restore access. Small businesses are often seen as easy targets for ransomware attacks due to inadequate backup systems and the likelihood of paying the ransom to quickly restore operations.
How Do You Know If You’ve Fallen Victim to Ransomware?
Inability to access certain files or systems, with a ransom note typically displayed demanding payment.
Slow performance of systems due to unknown processes running in the background.
Notifications from antivirus software indicating the presence of ransomware.
Insider Threats
Insider threats tend to come from individuals within the organisation, such as employees or contractors, who may intentionally or unintentionally compromise security. This could be through negligence, such as using weak passwords, or malicious intent, such as selling sensitive data.
How Do You Know If You’ve Fallen Victim to Insider Threats?
Unusual activity in logs, such as accessing files at odd hours or exporting large amounts of data.
Discrepancies in records or financial audits that suggest data manipulation or unauthorised transactions.
Whistleblower reports or confessions from staff members.
How Do You Know If You’ve Fallen Victim to Weak Password Security?
Multiple failed login attempts that suggest a brute force attack.
Accounts being accessed from unfamiliar locations or devices.
Alerts from security tools that monitor and report on account security.
Outdated Software
Running outdated software can expose small businesses to vulnerabilities that have been patched in newer versions. Cybercriminals exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorised access to systems.
How Do You Know If You’ve Fallen Victim to Exploits Due to Outdated Software?
Detection of known vulnerabilities during a security scan that should have been patched.
Unexplained system behaviour or data breaches that coincide with known exploits.
Security incident reports from users or customers indicating a compromise.
How To Protect Your Small Business From Cyber Threats
Protecting your small business from cyber threats is essential. Here are some key strategies to ensure your business’s digital security and mitigate threats.
Implement Robust Security Measures
Educate Your Team: Regular training on cybersecurity best practices is crucial. Employees should be able to recognise phishing attempts, understand the importance of strong passwords, and be aware of the procedures for reporting suspicious activity.
Running regular email phishing simulations – where fake but realistic phishing emails are sent to staff – is one of the most effective ways to put this training into practice and identify employees who may need additional support.
Use Advanced Email Filtering: Where internet security is concerned, prevention is of course better than cure. Invest in advanced email filtering solutions that can detect and block phishing emails before they reach inboxes.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, making it much harder for cybercriminals to breach accounts.
Regularly Update and Patch Systems: Ensure that all software and systems are kept up to date with the latest patches and updates to close off vulnerabilities.
Backup Data Regularly: Regular backups can be a lifesaver in the event of a ransomware attack. Ensure that backups are made frequently and stored securely, ideally with an off-site copy.
Develop A Cybersecurity Plan
Conduct Risk Assessments: Regularly assess your cybersecurity risks to identify potential weaknesses in your systems and processes.
Develop a Response Plan: Have a clear plan in place for responding to a cybersecurity incident, including how to isolate affected systems, notify stakeholders, and restore operations.
Invest in Cybersecurity Insurance: Cybersecurity insurance can provide a financial safety net if your business falls victim to a cyberattack.
Stay Informed & Vigilant
Monitor Your Networks: Use security tools to monitor your networks for unusual activity that could indicate a breach.
Consult Cybersecurity Experts: If you lack in-house expertise, consider hiring cybersecurity experts who can provide tailored advice and solutions for your business. Additionally, partnering with reliable tech support services can ensure you have immediate assistance when security incidents occur or when implementing new protective measures.
Use Managed Security Services: Managed security service providers can offer ongoing monitoring and management of your security systems, allowing you to focus on running your business.
The Bottom Line
Small businesses must take cybersecurity seriously. The threats are real and can have devastating consequences. By understanding the risks, educating staff, implementing strong security measures, and staying vigilant, small businesses can significantly reduce their vulnerability to cyberattacks. Remember, investing in cybersecurity is not just about protecting your business; it’s about safeguarding your customers, your reputation, and your future.
Jewellery does more than sparkle and shine; it tells stories of eras past, embodies cultural traditions, and showcases artistic evolution. Museums around the globe curate collections of these precious artifacts, offering visitors a glimpse into the world’s rich tapestry of adornment. From the regal to the rustic, each piece holds a history waiting to be explored.
Here, we present a selection of the world’s most esteemed jewellery galleries, where the legacy of human creativity is displayed in its most lustrous form. Here are 10 of the beautiful jewellery galleries in the world.
The Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) – Bogotá, Colombia
The Museo del Oro is located in the heart of Bogotá, Colombia, is one of the most fascinating museums in South America, dedicated to the rich history and craftsmanship of pre-Hispanic cultures. This museum boasts the largest collection of gold artefacts in the world, with over 55,000 pieces, including jewellery and other items made by the indigenous peoples of Colombia before the Spanish conquest.
Visitors to the museum can explore the extensive displays of intricate gold work that highlight the advanced metallurgical techniques of the Muisca, Quimbaya, Calima, and other indigenous groups. The collection includes breathtaking items such as ceremonial masks, pendants, earrings, breastplates, and the famous ‘El Dorado’ raft, which depicts the ritual of the new ruler of the Muisca people offering gold to the gods.
The gold pieces are not only valuable for their material but also for their cultural significance, representing the social and religious practices of the pre-Hispanic cultures. The museum also includes other materials like ceramics, stone, shell, wood, and textiles, providing a comprehensive view of the artistic achievements of these ancient civilisations.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Washington DC, USA
Washington DC’s Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is a fascinating place to visit, and it’s definitely a place you’ll need to return to again and again to get the most out of it. However, suppose you don’t have the time to make many return visits. In that case, you’ll need to check out its extensive gem and mineral collection – it’s truly remarkable and the ideal way to spend a good few hours if you love gems and jewellery.
Among the many beautiful treasures at the Smithsonian is the world-famous Hope Diamond, a stunning blue jewel that has captivated visitors for decades – it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. But there’s a lot more to the Smithsonian’s collection than ‘just’ the Hope Diamond, and you’ll be able to see so many unique and stunning jewellery pieces and have a thoroughly good time while you do it.
The Louvre – Paris, France
The Louvre is really known for its extensive art collection, and of course, that’s why many people choose to go there, but did you know that this museum in Paris is also home to a large and rather impressive array of jewellery? The museum’s Department of Decorative Arts is where you can see some exquisite pieces of jewellery from a variety of time periods, including Renaissance jewellery, Art Nouveau masterpieces, and some royal treasures on top of all that.
The Louvre is a must-see museum when you’re in Paris for all kinds of reasons, and the fact that it has its own department that houses some of the world’s most intricate and beautiful jewellery really is a draw.
The Victoria & Albert Museum – London, UK
Located in the heart of London, the Victoria and Albert Museum has a little bit of everything from all around the world, and you’ll often find there are temporary exhibitions about all kinds of weird and wonderful things, so taking a trip to the good old V&A is never a bad idea.
Suppose it’s jewellery you want to see. In that case, however, you’re definitely not going to be disappointed – from ancient Egyptian amulets to much more contemporary creations, the Victoria and Albert Museum boasts an extensive collection of jewellery from all around the world. Some of the highlights here include pieces worn by Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II and iconic designs by well-known names like Faberge and Cartier.
With pieces from such storied houses on display, it’s a reminder of how much luxury jewellery authentication matters when provenance stretches back centuries.
The Shanghai Museum – Shanghai, China
The Shanghai Museum, located in the bustling city of Shanghai, is renowned for its comprehensive collection of Chinese historical artifacts. It is particularly celebrated for its gallery dedicated to Chinese Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, but it also houses an impressive collection of ancient Chinese jewellery that offers a window into the artistry and customs of China’s rich history.
The museum’s jewellery collection spans several dynasties and includes a wide array of items such as hairpins, headdresses, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. These pieces are often made from jade, gold, silver, and bronze, and are sometimes inlaid with precious stones like pearls, coral, and turquoise. The designs reflect the traditional Chinese aesthetic, with motifs that carry symbolic meanings, such as dragons for power and phoenixes for grace.
One of the highlights of the Shanghai Museum’s jewellery collection is the assortment of jade pieces. Jade has a special place in Chinese culture, revered not just for its beauty but also for its hardness, purity, and supposed protective qualities. The museum’s jade jewellery, ranging from simple, elegant ornaments to more elaborate ceremonial pieces, illustrates the material’s importance throughout Chinese history.
In addition to the permanent collection, the Shanghai Museum frequently hosts special exhibitions that delve deeper into specific aspects of Chinese jewellery, offering both the general public and scholars the opportunity to appreciate the fine craftsmanship and historical context of these ornate artifacts.
The State Hermitage Museum – St Petersburg, Russia
Suppose you’ve ever seen images of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. In that case, you’ll already know what a stunning and really rather impressive building it is, but did you know that housed within that building is the equally impressive Hermitage Museum? This is where you’ll find one of the biggest and most extensive art collections in all of Russia (and it rivals many others around the world, in fact), and, as you might expect, that includes plenty of jewellery to enjoy.
The museum’s Treasure Gallery showcases a fabulous collection of imperial jewels, including the legendary Faberge eggs, that were made especially for the Russian royal family, but there’s a lot more to see as well, so if you ever find yourself in St Petersburg, the Hermitage Museum is undoubtedly the place to go.
The National Museum Of Australia – Canberra, Australia
The National Museum of Australia in Canberra is a cultural treasure trove that offers a deep dive into the history and heritage of the continent. Among its diverse collections, the museum features an exquisite selection of indigenous Australian jewelry, which provides insight into the rich cultural traditions and artistry of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These pieces are not only beautiful but also carry significant cultural meanings and are often made from natural materials like shell, wood, and bone, reflecting the deep connection between the indigenous cultures and the Australian landscape.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is not only one of the most comprehensive art institutions in the United States, but it also houses a stunning collection of jewellery that spans nearly 6,000 years of human history.
The Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Gallery showcases an array of adornments from ancient Egyptian faience beads to contemporary art jewellery, reflecting the evolution of styles and techniques across different cultures and eras. Highlights include ancient Greek and Roman jewellery, medieval European treasures, and a remarkable collection of American jewellery from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum’s collection also features significant works by modern masters such as Alexander Calder and Art Smith, making it a must-visit for anyone interested in the artistic progression of jewellery.
The Palace Museum – Beijing, China
The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, is located in the heart of Beijing and is one of China’s most significant cultural treasures. This historic palace complex, which served as the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties, now houses an extensive collection of artifacts and artworks that represent the pinnacle of Chinese art and culture.
Among the vast array of treasures, the Palace Museum boasts an impressive collection of ancient Chinese jewellery and adornments that reflect the opulence and refinement of the imperial court. The jewellery collection includes items such as hairpins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings, as well as ornamental objects like belt hooks and hat finials. These pieces are often crafted from gold, silver, jade, pearls, and other precious materials, and are frequently embellished with intricate designs and symbols that hold cultural and auspicious significance.
The museum’s jewellery exhibits provide insight into the craftsmanship and artistic skills of ancient Chinese jewelers, as well as the fashion and aesthetic preferences of the imperial family and nobility. The collection also offers a glimpse into the social and ceremonial functions of jewellery in court life, where each piece could denote the wearer’s rank and status.
The Toyko National Museum – Tokyo, Japan
The Tokyo National Museum in Japan boasts an impressive collection of Japanese art and artifacts that includes a truly stunning array of traditional jewellery. You’ll find examples of Edo period jewels like intricate hairpins, combs, and some ceremonial accessories. The attention to detail in these pieces is a testament to the craftsmanship of the period, and since the museum allows you to get up close, you can truly appreciate the meticulous work that went into each piece.
The Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan Visitors to the Tokyo National Museum are treated to a second helping of its extensive collection, which offers a deeper look into the traditional jewellery of Japan. The museum’s holdings provide a rich narrative of the country’s artistic heritage, with additional Edo period adornments that showcase the elegance and sophistication of Japanese design. Delicate kanzashi (hair ornaments), ornate netsuke (miniature sculptures), and elaborate obidome (sash clips) are among the items that reflect the cultural significance and aesthetic sensibilities of Japan.
These pieces not only served as personal adornments but also conveyed social status and personal taste. The museum’s collection is a celebration of the beauty and intricacy of Japanese jewellery, making it a must-visit destination for enthusiasts and historians alike.
It’s the rallying call of all those living to the west of Brighton’s Angel of Peace Statue, where the boundary is symbolically drawn between the effervescent seaside town and its more urbane sibling, Hove.
As you wander west from the self-proclaimed ‘London By The Sea’, along the sometimes chaotic Western Road and cross borders into Hove, you’ll notice a tangible change of pace. Things feel more gentle here, more refined, and as you land on Church Road, the start of Hove proper in many people’s eyes, you’ll also be met by a string of superb restaurants.
Though Brighton itself is rightly famed for its amazing restaurants, Hovians are equally blessed with some fantastic places to eat, with much of the finest dining to be found on this side of the unitary authority’s border.
Today, we’re taking a leisurely stroll along that main thoroughfare, Church Road and its adjoining streets, to explore Hove’s best restaurants. Care to join us?
Cin Cin, Western Road
Ideal for flawless plates of pasta…
Though you can’t walk for more than the length of a fettuccine in London without stumbling into a pasta bar, in Brighton & Hove you’ll be much harder pressed to find a place slinging freshly rolled strands of the good stuff.
In fact, to our mind, Cin Cin are the premier pasta purveyors here, and a more than capable match for any of London’s top pasta restaurants (in 2021, Cin Cin decided to test this theory, and their Fitzrovia branch opened to immediate national acclaim).
Though the restaurant’s original location in Brighton’s North Laines has now closed, the newer, larger branch on Western Road, just seconds before you reach Church Road, is just as delicious.
Here, a horseshoe counter and a handful of barstools overlook Cin Cin’s open kitchen, where seasonal small plates, fresh pasta dishes, and a couple of grilled bits are lovingly prepared in full view of the diners. This is dinner and a show, Hove style, and if your dinner starts with an order of the restaurant’s ever-changing, always-popular arancino (brown crab on our last visit), followed by a pasta dish from the special’s board, you’re sure to be calling for an encore.
Fortunately, Cin Cin’s desserts are respondent to the seasons and always stellar – whether it’s a festive panettone bread and butter pudding with marmalade ice cream or a summery Amalfi lemon tart, there’s no chance you’re leaving disappointed.
Then menu changes here often so you’ll want to become a regular.
But leave we shall, and onwards into what feels like Hove ‘proper’, Church Road.
One of the first places you’ll come to is Unithai, an ordinary looking Thai supermarket out front, with something very special hiding in the back.
If you’re looking to rustle up your own pad see ew or red curry with duck, then Unithai is one of the only places in town you’ll find the requisite fresh green peppercorns, galangal, grachai, makrut lime and other esoteric ingredients needed for both dishes.
Alternatively, you could simply stroll through the shop, dish out your finest sawadee (ka/krap), and settle into one of their cosy tables of four nestled out back. Occupy yourself by listening to the soundtrack of kitchen clatter and the roar of the wok burner, and within minutes, you’ll have a freshly prepared plate of Thai deliciousness, cooked with love. In fact, we consider Unithai to do some of the best noodles in Brighton.
Ideal for wood fired pizzas with that pillowy blistered crust…
Until recently, Britain’s favourite seaside town (don’t @me Blackpool) wasn’t exactly blessed with fantastic pizza restaurants. With the popularity of fish’n’chips on the pebbles defining every dinner choice, the humble pizza was marginalised, pushed to the back of the fan ovens of Pizza Hut, Papa Johns et al.
Fatto a Mano changed all that.
Five years since the original Fatto a Mano opened on Brighton’s London Road, several more outposts have followed suit, with one in the North Laines, one in Hove, and further operations opening in Croydon and Shoreditch.
As you’ve probably guessed, there’s no need to head to London (or London Road) to get your pizza fix; we’re simply crossing the road from Unithai and settling in for an afternoon in the sun on Fatto’s beautiful terrace.
The pizzas here are as authentic as they come; wood fired quickly, so the cheese remains delicate rather than singed, the dough soft and pillowy but with a blistered crust and restrained, respectful toppings, true to the Italian tradition. The name translates as ‘handmade’ in Italian, and that’s certainly the vibe here; everything is made from scratch and it shows.
It’s great value, too, with most pizzas hovering around the £12 to £15 mark. With your neighbourhood pasta and Thai joints just seconds away, why would a hungry soul ever leave Hove?
Ideal for confident European cooking and a lovely winelist…
If you’ve still got the legs, then savour the two minute walk from Bison Beer to Wild Flor, also on Hove’s Church Road, to compose yourself and ready your appetite for another glorious feed.
Wild Flor is one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Brighton and Hove’s thriving culinary scene. Settling into an evening with their confident, classic French cookery and superb wine list is one of Brighton’s biggest treats; you’ll always leave squiffy and extremely well-fed.
Our last visit (admittedly a while ago) was a true celebration of spring; the pea and lavender veloute with sheep’s milk is as fresh as you like, and the perfect warm-up for a main of salt-aged bavette steak, oyster, wild garlic and celeriac, a dish that bridged late winter and spring masterfully.
Don’t fill yourself up too much, though ,as it would be criminal to miss out on the restaurant’s pastry work, the section cooking with a breezy conviction and generosity more in tune with a Paris patisserie or the bouchons of Lyon than a Hove thoroughfare. Emblematic of this sensibility is a fine version of the classic Brillat-Savarin cheesecake, with extra sparkle added via ginger and rhubarb. Delicious.
The restaurant now do a great value set menu, too. The current winter offering is just £23 for two courses or £25 for three, and includes salt fish beignets, beef and venison ragu and more. It’s served for lunch and early dinner (before 7pm), Tuesday through Saturday.
Ideal for Brighton & Hove’s only Michelin-starred restaurant…
Church Road’s dining credentials continue to grow. Maré, which opened in September 2025, brings the considerable talent of two-Michelin-starred chef Rafael Cagali to Hove’s shores – the São Paulo-born chef behind Bethnal Green’s Da Terra and its more casual sibling Elis. The name translates to ‘tide’ in Portuguese, fitting given the restaurant sits a short stroll from the seafront.
In February 2026, Maré was awarded a Michelin star at a ceremony in Dublin, making it the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Brighton & Hove in nearly 50 years. The Michelin Guide praised Chef Ewan Waller and the team for their “thrilling array of global flavours”, while Cagali said he was “incredibly proud of the whole team for this recognition”.
Cagali trained under some of Europe’s most celebrated chefs – Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck, Quique Dacosta in Spain, Martín Berasategui, and Simon Rogan at Fera at Claridge’s – before opening Da Terra in 2019, which earned its second Michelin star within two years. His partner Charlie Lee runs front of house, while protégé Ewan Waller leads the 38-cover kitchen day-to-day.
Cagali’s Brazilian and Italian heritage shapes everything here. Start with one-bite snacks – a West Mersea fried oyster with hot sauce emulsion, or a lobster claw tartlet with ginger and N25 caviar, which is as opulent (and delicious) as it sounds. The small plates are where things get playful: Fowey mussels come with puttanesca and botarga, while a BYOT (build your own taco) lets you wrap pulled lamb shoulder in manioc tacos yourself. Mains are generous in luxury of ingredient if not size – Freedown Hills picanha with chimichurri, carabineros prawns swimming in moqueca sauce, BBQ brill with clams and pil pil. And the Brazilian thread runs right through to dessert, where baba au cachaça and cheese with guava close things out.
The space, previously occupied by the short-lived El Bolillo, has been softened with sand-coloured walls, Brazilian artwork, light wood tables, and a zinc bar running through its centre. It lands somewhere between the precision of Da Terra and Elis’s neighbourhood warmth, but really, Maré is very much its own thing.
There are three ways to approach this one: à la carte across one bites, small plates and mains; the £55 set lunch; or the £90 ‘Taste of Maré’ tasting menu, which feels like pretty good value considering the credentials and quality, especially when considering mains sit in the mid £40s for a single plate. Once the red plaque has gone up, expect prices to rise in tandem.
Ideal for a meal at Hove’s best Persian restaurant…
With that ginger and rhubarb still undulating on the palate and rasping on the throat, we’re slipping a few doors down to Shiraz, arguably Brighton and Hove’s best Persian restaurant.
You can smell the charcoal grill from Church Road, and those wafts of smoke are enough to entice even the weariest traveller inside. Or, a traveller who has already eaten five meals on their tour of Hove’s best restaurants. Anyway…
You won’t regret having a sixth meal at Shiraz. Skewers of marinated spring lamb chops, served on the bone, feel just right for this time of year, and taste just right, too, while naan that’s blistered and burnished from the grill is just perfect for pulling through the restaurant’s broad meze selection; the zeytoon parvardeh is particularly good.
Ideal for one the area’s hippest, most happening spots for a drink and a bite…
Three minutes west along Church Road, towards fourth avenue and opposite Hove Town Hall, Fourth and Church is one the area’s hippest, most happening spots for a drink and a bite.
Small plates, tapas, ‘bites’ – whatever you want to call them – are the order of the day here, with disparate global influences all coming together into a unified whole, promising dishes full of verve and intrigue and largely delivering on that promise.
The countertop seating and bottle-clad walls let you know that this is as much a bar as a restaurant, and in affirmatory fashion, the cocktails are fantastic. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that Fourth and Church’s martini is the finest in the city.
If you’re looking for serious value to go with that martini, their set lunch (two courses for £22, three for £25) recently took home Best Lunch at the 2025 BRAVO Awards.
Ideal for a seafood-centric menu in chilled surroundings…
Housed in a residential area in a working class part of Hove just a few minute’s walk off Church Road, The Urchin remains a proper pub in the sense that it still acts as the neighbourhood living room, just with a sterling focus on serving really interesting shellfish dishes thrown in for good measure.
There’s two menus. One – an evergreen – with seaside town favourites like potted shrimp, oysters with pickled, brunoised shallot, and a quarter pint of cockles to please the locals. The other menu allows the chef’s creativity and love for travel to shine, with flourishes from further East (not Brighton – much further east) introducing spikes of kimchi, XO sauce, and an incredible soft shell crab kyiv.
On our last visit, Malaysian prawns with lentils caused orange stains on the finger nails and purrs of appreciation on the lips, and clams in a clear dashi broth was clean and lively. Staying true to their pub (formally the Bell) origins, The Urchin have a microbrewery in the basement which results in their own beer ‘Larrikin’ on tap. If it doesn’t tickle your fancy, there are around 120 other beers to choose from. An absolute gem and a great way to wind down our tour of the best restaurants in Hove.
Western Road is, in some quarters at least, described as Brighton and Hove’s Greektown, owing to its abundance of fantastic options for Greek food. Whilst we love the gyros over at Archipelagos Gyros and the larger spreads on offer at their sibling restaurant Archipelagos just a hundred yards or so down the road, our favourite place for Greek food in the city is without doubt Nostos, just round the corner on Holland Road.
Compared to other Greek places in the area, this one leans on the slightly upscale end of the spectrum. Whilst certainly not refining or redefining the Greek classics (as in, making them significantly less nice), there are gently modern flourishes to the dishes here, which are served in a pleasingly bright and airy dining room.
Yep, Nostos is more the cerulean blues and starched whites of Santorini than the candlelit intimacy of Greece’s tavernas, and that seems to fit this corner of Hove just perfectly.
On the plate, things manage to be both generous but breezy. A case in point is the signature kleftiko, the lamb shank braised until tender and giving, and lent succour by a subtly seasoned sweet potato puree. The restaurant’s moussaka is given similar lift by a light-as-you-like bechamel sauce that’s souffled and spacious – whipped egg whites have certainly done their job here. Lovely stuff, indeed.
If you’re looking for a thoroughly fancy fine dining experience in Hove, then there really is only one restaurant doing things at that level and with that sense of ambition; Etch.
Perhaps ‘fancy’ isn’t quite right, as Etch is a thoroughly, refreshingly unfussy experience for all the intricacy on the plate, the brusque menu descriptors and the even more curt use of punctuation in the restaurant’s name.
We’re proud to have got to the third paragraph before mentioning that the man at the stoves here is Steven Edwards, winner of what was surely the peak season of Masterchef The Professionals, when Michel Roux Jr. was presiding over things and Greg(g) Wallace was far more intermittently featured.
Back in the room, and it’s a bright and airy one, the restaurant occupying the first floor of a Queen Anne-revival style former bank, its broad arched windows letting light flow through the dining room and lifting the sophisticated racing green leathers and weathered oaks, a recent addition after a comprehensive refit and reimagining of the space.
All that natural light has begun to illuminate the seasonal spring dinner menu, too, and these are plates that deserve to be seen, all immaculately clean lines, glossy sauces, and the signature visual touch; a vivid, verdant puree forming a perfect circle (the ol’ record player trick) and holding the whole dish, sauce and all, within its borders.
Right now, the two best dishes are both perfect expressions of spring. A fish course of poached skrei cod, an elite species at its very pomp right now, is served with a grassy parsley mousse and rich, properly indulgent chicken butter sauce. A little preserved lemon helps cut through it all. Even better, the main; a fat, bright, blushing piece of lamb saddle and rocher of ewe’s curd, both girdled by a wild garlic puree. This one eats like a dream.
Mop up that sauce with Etch’s burnished marmite brioche and its accompanying seaweed butter, adorned with a frilly hat of deep fried nori; it’s one of the south’s best bread courses and an absolute explosion of umami and controlled corpulence. Speaking of which, when you do get round to loosening your belt, the Japanese loos are a real treat.
Anyway, Etch is remarkably good value for a restaurant that could easily wear a Michelin star above its door on a different day; a 5-course tasting menu celebrating seasonal British produce is just £55 (you can add a couple more courses and take that price to £80). Both dedicated pescetarian and vegetarian tasting menus are also available for the same £55. There are even a couple of wines by the glass for around the £8 mark; a rare find these days.
Etch is open from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, and Thursday, Frida, Saturday and Sunday for lunch, too.
Ideal for traditional cooking that’s big on flavour and low on frippery…
After such globetrotting feasting, we need a walk; a short one, at least. So, we’re heading south from Belfast Street, across Church Road, towards the sea and into The Ginger Pig, one of the southeast’s most acclaimed gastropubs.
The Ginger Pig is one of five eateries from the prolific, reliably brilliant restaurant group behind the Ginger Man, Ginger Fox, Ginger Dog (now sadly closed) and the Flint House, and if you’ve eaten at any of the group’s places before, then you’ll know that the Ginger way of cooking is big on flavour and low on frippery.
This ethos is perhaps most vividly realised at this expansive Hove pub, with Sunday roasts and a perfectly poured local pint a particular treat. We could spend a whole afternoon into evening here, and considering how much we’ve eaten on our tour of Hove’s best restaurants, we think we’ll spend the night here, too. Fortunately, the Ginger Pig has rooms.
Life can be full of surprises — just ask anyone who moved here expecting a sleepy seaside town with nothing but fish and chips and tea rooms. “But that’s not part of the deal”, they said. In 2026, it is very much the real Deal…
…Hmmm, that introduction was pretty laboured but let’s not dwell on things; we’ve got food to eat and ‘the art of the Deal’ jokes to cook up.
This stretch of Kent coastline, the so-called White Cliffs Country where the North Sea meets the English Channel in a daily dance of tides and light, has become something remarkable. Deal, once content with its role in maritime history as a crucial naval port and smugglers’ haven (where the Boatmen’s rooms in seafront houses hint at a shadier past), is now the kind of place that first has food lovers cancelling their return tickets and checking when the last train home is. And then, firing up Rightmove on that 22:30 to London St Pancras International to check house prices.
While day-trippers might initially come for the pebble beach and Henry VIII’s imposing castle (both worthy attractions, to be sure), it’s the town’s thriving culinary scene that keeps them lingering far longer than planned.
From contemporary Japanese small plates to ingredient-led farmhouse cooking, via some of the freshest seafood you’ll find anywhere in the UK, here’s our pick of where to eat in Deal right now: the best restaurants in Deal.
The Blue Pelican, Beach Street
Ideal for elegant Japanese-inspired small plates in a serene setting…
If there’s a more intriguing dining spot on the Kent coast right now, we haven’t found it. Housed in a handsome seafront townhouse, The Blue Pelican is the latest venture from Chris Hicks and Alex Bagner (the duo behind The Rose – more of that later), and it’s turning heads with its considered approach to Japanese cuisine – enough to earn glowing reviews from both Grace Dent in the Guardian and William Sitwell in the Telegraph, plus a spot in SquareMeal’s Top 100 UK Restaurants for 2026.
The poised dining room sets the tone perfectly – all clean lines and calming cerulean hues, with a striking triptych of Hokusai-inspired wave murals adding drama and a sense of place (painted by local artist Tom Maryniak, those waves are actually crashing over Deal seafront) to proceedings.
Paper globe lanterns cast a gentle glow over the checkerboard floor, while candlelit marble tables and mid-century chairs nurture intimate spots for lingering over dinner. Grab a seat at the open counter, where chef Luke Green (formerly of Quo Vadis and with five years’ experience in Tokyo) works with quiet precision, sending out plates that marry Kent produce with Japanese technique. It calls to mind London’s supremely composed spot Evernight, which is certainly no bad thing.
The regularly changing a la carte menu is a masterclass in subtlety and punch. Begin with the must-order crab croquettes, which feel extravagant at two for £12 until you taste the damn things – laden with the low thrum of brown crab meat and topped with piquant kewpie mayo and flecks of seaweed. The raw hamachi with fermented turnip tops and green mandarin (£17) is a study in delicate balance, while the chicken karaage arrives with padron peppers and shichimi mayo (£9) – a generous portion that you’ll be glad you ordered once the first bite lands.
A pile of puffed, crisp pork crackling with whipped cod’s roe and more flecks of nori seaweed has us beginning to question the Japanese part of the deal here – but they pair so beautifully with a crisp Kirin Ichiban so it’s all soon forgotten.
From the grill, the aged Dexter sirloin with trompettes and lardo (£24) is a rich, deeply savoury plate, and the halibut with salsify and bergamot (£23) showcases Green’s ability to let fine ingredients do the talking. The sharing plates reward groups willing to dive in together – the pork katsu with castel franco and sesame dressing, coming in at £38, is perfect for two or three, while the monkfish with clams, cedro and tagete (£42) is the kind of dish that has the table falling silent. For vegetarians, the Jerusalem artichoke misozuke and chestnut clay baked donabe (£30) is a serious, satisfying centrepiece rather than an afterthought.
It’s all incredibly satisfying, well thought out food, and the drinks list is equally thoughtful, roaming from Peckham-brewed sake to inventive cocktails like the umeshu negroni and miso old fashioned. Champagne Piollot ‘Brut Reserve’ is available by the glass at £13, and the English-leaning wine selection shows similar imagination.
On Thursdays and Sundays, Green swaps the a la carte for a dedicated ramen menu that draws directly on his years in Tokyo. Three bowls anchor the lineup: a walnut miso ramen (£18) that arrives with kalette tempura in a wild mushroom and hojicha broth – earthy and warming in equal measure; a chashu ramen (£20) built around rare breed pork belly, palourde clams and nori in a rich chicken and katsuobushi broth; and the Dexter sirloin tan tan (£24), a bolder proposition with shiitake, daikon oroshi, fermented chilli and a sesame broth that has real depth to it.
Sides are pared back on these ramen days – a single crab croquette for £5, chicken karaage with shichimi mayo for £6, and a cucumber and seaweed salad or pickles and ferments at £4 each. It’s a smaller, more focused menu, and all the better for it.
A recent addition worth noting is the Cellar Bar, open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm, serving drinks and small plates in an intimate downstairs setting – no booking required, just head down and pull up a pew. Upstairs, the private dining room seats up to 10 guests and catches the evening sun beautifully, with views over Deal’s conservation area.
Open Thursday to Saturday for lunch (12-2.30pm) and dinner (5.30-8.30pm), plus Sunday lunch (12.30-3.30pm). Closed Monday to Wednesday.
Open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner (6-9pm), plus lunch service Thursday-Saturday (12-2:30pm). Closed Sunday to Tuesday.
Ideal for ingredient-led cooking in idyllic surrounds…
Just a 15-minute drive inland from Deal’s seafront, Updown Farmhouse is worth seeking out for some of the most exciting cooking in Kent right now – a view shared by the National Restaurant Awards top 100 and, more recently, SquareMeal, who named it the best restaurant in Kent for 2026. This gorgeously restored 17th-century red brick farmhouse, with its stone steps leading through a lovingly tended garden, looks like something straight out of a Jane Austen novel.
The dining room itself is pure romance – a vine-draped heated conservatory where vintage rattan pendants cast a gentle glow over crisp white tablecloths. Through the glass walls, seven acres of grounds stretch into the distance, while inside, the original farmhouse bread oven and wood-fired grill add both drama and delicious smoky notes to proceedings. This all feels a world away from the coastal cuisine you perhaps came here expecting, but sometimes you just need an escape from your initial intended brand of escapism, don’t you think?
Owners Ruth Leigh (yep, daughter of Rowley) and chef Oli Brown have created something truly special here, with hyper-seasonal menus that change regularly to reflect what’s best from both local and European producers. Everything is cooked over wood in the open kitchen, lending even the simplest dishes a depth that electric ovens simply can’t replicate.
A typical evening might begin with a delicate castelfranco salad with apples, walnuts and dolcelatte, before moving onto a sublime crab tagliatelle with saffron and chilli, pitched at £18 and worth every penny and strand. The pate en croute – a generous slice of Mangalitsa pork and duck liver wrapped in golden pastry with PX jelly – is as technically satisfying a piece of pastry work as you’ll find in the whole county.
For mains, the acqua pazza swimming with cod, mussels, courgette and tomato showcases Brown’s deft hand with seafood, while the lamb chump with broad beans, artichokes and bagna cauda is both satisfying and light.
Groups should consider the sharing rib of beef with ceps, garlic and parsley, served with gratin dauphinois – it’s a splurge, but feeds 3-4 generously. Whichever way you play it, end with a textbook rum baba that is as boozy and bracing as anything we’ve tried this side of Naples. And we’ve tried a lot of them.
The wine list leans heavily Italian with some excellent French and local bottles in the mix – start with a glass of Kent’s own Pelegrim Brut (£85) while you peruse the menu. The cocktail list draws on the Italian aperitivo tradition, with drinks like the fig leaf negroni (£14) making excellent use of produce from the kitchen garden.
For arguably the best value dining in Kent, visit on a weekday. Monday to Friday lunches and Monday, Tuesday and Thursday dinners offer a set menu at £18 for two courses or £25 for three – a steal for cooking of this calibre. Wednesday is steak night (£30 for three courses), and Sundays bring a £50 set roast menu. For overnight guests, breakfast is a treat – the full breakfast at £18 hits all the right notes, while the wild mushroom omelette (£15) offers something more unusual to start your day.
The restaurant is now open Monday to Saturday for both lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (6-9.30pm), with Sunday lunch served 12-4pm. Book well ahead for one of their beautifully appointed bedrooms if you want to make a night of it – and trust us, after a few glasses of their carefully chosen Italian reds, you probably will. They’ve also recently added a pool and a separate bar, Bar Vita, if you needed further persuasion to extend your stay.
Ideal for laid-back but precise modern British cooking…
Nowhere embodies Deal’s renaissance quite like The Rose. This 200-year-old pub on the High Street has been transformed into part of what The Times dubbed ‘the coolest spot on the Kent coast’, and it’s easy to see why. The dining room, with its original 1950s wood panelling, sets the scene for cooking that celebrates seasonal Kentish produce with precision and flair. We see a theme developing here…
Start with a plate of their exemplary snacks – the short rib croquettes at £7 are a must, while Maldon oysters with bramley apple mignonette make a beautifully bracing, briny opener. The starters proper showcase both technique and seasonality – salt-baked celeriac arrives with cider butter and a study in wild mushrooms both grilled and raw, while the pumpkin porridge over toasted barley is given verve via blue cheese.
The Rose leans hard into whatever the season throws at it, and you might as well hunker down and let them. Main courses find a fine balance between comfort and refinement. Their halibut, poached in brown butter and served with sea herbs is a masterclass in classical cooking done right. At £28, you’d hope so, too. The braised short rib of beef with bearnaise glaze and savoy cabbage offers deeper, richer pleasures at £26. Even their burger (£17, served with salty, skinny fries) has a fierce local following for good reason.
Save room for dessert – Nuno’s olive oil cake is a legacy of the restaurant’s collaboration with acclaimed Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes, who helped write the opening menu here, and remains one of the menu’s highlights. The blackberry and custard mille feuille shows similar finesse.
They do a great set lunch menu, too. On a recent visit we had a pot-roasted purple broccoli with pickled apple and fresh cheese (Sportsman-inspired, we’re sure of it), pan-fried skate wing with dill butter sauce and cavolo nero, and to end, a vanilla milk panna cotta with greengage compote, all for just £24. Fabulous stuff indeed, and we’re already planning a return visit.
The kitchen works closely with an impressive roster of local suppliers including The Black Pig butchers, Jenkins & Son fishmongers (also featured on this list) and Docker’s bakery, lending real provenance to every plate. And if you find yourself too comfortable to contemplate the journey home, their eight individually designed bedrooms upstairs (from £125 per night, breakfast included) offer the perfect excuse to extend your stay.
Open daily, with lunch served Tuesday to Saturday (12-2.30pm), dinner nightly (6-9pm), and a generous Sunday service running from midday to 4pm. The bar stays open until 10pm for those wanting to linger over their excellent wine list.
Given its reputation as Deal’s hottest table, booking ahead is strongly advised, particularly for weekend dinner service.
The walk to the end of Deal’s striking brutalist pier is worth it for the food alone at Deal Pier Kitchen. That said, those floor-to-ceiling windows offering 180-degree views of Deal’s coastline (can you ever have 360 views of the sea? Only if you’re in it) certainly don’t hurt.
Housed in an attractive glass and timber building, this versatile venue has mastered the art of seamlessly transitioning from laid-back brunch spot to evening destination dining. By day, it’s all about their legendary bottomless brunch (£38, available seven days a week), which includes unlimited Aperol Spritz, prosecco, Bellinis or Bloody Marys alongside a snack, any dish from their creative brunch menu, and dessert.
Their eggs royale – featuring soft poached eggs with citrus-cured salmon and dill on toasted muffins – is a standout, while the Thai red curry mussels with sourdough is a little confusing, sure, but it’ll satisfy those looking for a point of difference in their brekky. There’s even a non-alcoholic version of the brunch at £28 for those keeping clear-headed. But really, what sick fuck drinks unlimited soft drinks like some kind of maniac? If it means another hour admiring this view, we might even be persuaded…
Come Friday and Saturday evenings, the restaurant evolves into something altogether more sophisticated. Their steak and lobster nights (6.30pm onwards, booking only) have become something of a local draw, with sharing plates like The Banquet offering premium steaks and whole lobster alongside garlic prawns and a textbook bearnaise. For solo diners, the Surf and Turf combining lobster tail and 8oz sirloin offers the best of both worlds. The wine list is particularly strong on sparkling wines – ask about the Kent options for a taste of the county’s burgeoning wine scene.
Named by The Times as one of Britain’s top 30 beach cafes and restaurants, Deal Pier Kitchen covers a lot of ground – from casual coffee spot to serious dining destination. Dogs are welcome during daytime service, making it perfect for post-walk refuelling.
Open Monday to Thursday 10am-4pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-late (with evening steak and lobster service), and Sunday 9am-5pm. Booking is essential for steak and lobster nights, though daytime visits operate on a walk-in basis. They release evening dates monthly, so sign up to their mailing list to avoid disappointment. Keep an eye on their social media for seasonal changes to opening hours.
When fourth-generation fishmonger Darren Jenkins recently added casual dining to his family’s legendary fish shop (a Deal institution since the 1940s when his great-grandfather Charlie started the business with just a horse and cart), he didn’t just create a fantastic place to buy day-boat caught fish – he launched one of Deal’s most intriguing lunch spots.
The shop itself, in 2022 named one of Britain’s top 10 fishmongers in the Great British Food Awards, now occupies much larger premises at 77-81 High Street – the former JC Rook & Sons site – with one half given over to the traditional fishmonger and poulterer, and the other to a street food bar and grill with seating for 24. Head chef Peter Keyes works with whatever has been landed that morning, treated with reverence and a light touch.
The kitchen sends out a regularly changing selection that reads like a greatest hits of seaside eating – think pristine oysters freshly shucked to order, generously filled lobster baguettes, and Mediterranean fish koftas that would give any Greek taverna a run for its money. Their blackened salmon salad shows similar finesse, while the fish tacos pay lip service to that ‘street food’ billing. King prawn skewers with garlic and herb oil and monkfish tacos with avocado cream and chipotle are particular standouts.
For the full experience, order one of their laden seafood platters, perfect with a chilled bottle of fizz, or grab a classic Kent crab sandwich to take down to the beach – it’s just a two-minute stroll away. The commitment to sustainability shown in the retail side of the business (they exclusively work with day boats rather than destructive trawlers) carries through to the kitchen, meaning you can enjoy your lunch with a clean conscience and an even cleaner flavour.
Still, first and foremost, Deal’s only wet fish shop is still very much that – supplying both the public and many of Kent’s best restaurants – but this addition of casual dining makes the most of their impeccable supply chain, minimising food waste in the process. There are ambitious plans for a rooftop restaurant in future, too. What’s not to love?
The street food menu is served here from Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-2.30pm, no bookings required. Just turn up hungry and put yourself in the hands of a family that’s been handling Deal’s seafood for four generations.
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, and Hut 55 – a coffee and cake shack nestled directly on the pebbles at Walmer beach – proves the point perfectly. A short stroll from Deal town centre along the seafront brings you to this charming spot where homemade treats are served against a backdrop of endless sea views (and on a clear day, you can spot France).
The daily-changing counter groans with the kind of bakes that make you glad you walked here – think thick, fat quiches, courgette and ricotta galettes that put most restaurants’ vegetarian offerings to shame, and Ploughman’s picnic pies that demand to be eaten al fresco. The fresh cream Victoria sponge is a winner, too, and their cookies make the perfect accompaniment to a cup of their excellent coffee.
Everything comes packed in compostable containers, ready to be enjoyed on their deckchairs and outdoor benches, or taken for a wandering lunch along the beach. Their location opposite the paddling pool makes this an especially good pit-stop for families, though the quality of the baking draws everyone from solo walkers to returning locals.
In winter, their cosy nook is open for warm indoor seating – a welcome addition when the wind picks up off the Channel. Come spring, they also offer bike hire and pre-ordered picnic hampers, perfect for exploring the Kent coastline with a fine feed when you need a break.
The beach location is idyllic, but it does leave them at the mercy of the elements – check their social media during inclement weather before making the journey, as they’ll always post if they’ve had to close. Open seven days a week, 9am-3pm, weather dependent. Free parking is available along Marine Road, or it’s a pleasant 10-minute walk from Deal town centre.
Sometimes the best dining experiences feel more like being at a friend’s dinner party than a restaurant, and that’s exactly what husband-and-wife team Scott and Suzanne Roberts have created at The Dining Club. Hidden away on Middle Street, this unique venue – now in its fifteenth year – offers something genuinely different from Deal’s other dining options.
The format is refreshingly simple (or, to some including us, a tad confusing) – pay £20 for annual membership (per household), then book into one of their five individually styled dining rooms, where Scott (who previously earned 2 AA Rosettes for six consecutive years at his Cornish hotel) creates weekly-changing menus that roam the globe for inspiration. Bring your own bottle (there’s a modest £2.50 corkage charge per person) and settle in for what feels more like a private dinner party than a regular restaurant service. In the best possible way, we should add…
The Dining Club’s cooking is seriously accomplished, in a homely kind of way, which is quite a nice balance, quite frankly. Recent menus have ranged from a seafood feast featuring tuna sushi with wasabi mayonnaise, spider crab soup and monkfish scampi, to a Mexican night with five courses at £37 per head. Sunday lunches are a particular highlight – a recent game-centred menu delivered peppered venison carpaccio, warming cauliflower and hazelnut soup, perfectly pink grouse with dauphinoise potatoes, and a toffee and banana souffle to finish. For cooking of this pared back confidence, it’s remarkable value.
Keeping things refreshing, menus might take inspiration from classical British, French or Spanish cuisine one week, before exploring Chinese flavours the next. Scott even occasionally creates menus in homage to internationally renowned chefs and their signature dishes. Vegetarian options are always thoughtfully considered – that grouse menu, for instance, offered a crowd pleasing mozzarella and courgette loaf as an alternative main.
The venue seats up to 27 downstairs across three rooms and 16 upstairs across two, so larger groups can join rooms together. The restaurant’s tagline is “great food, great company” so don’t forget to invite us when you go!
This one operates on Friday and Saturday evenings only, from 7-11pm, with dining strictly by reservation.
No seaside town worth its salt (or vinegar) would be complete without a stellar fish and chip shop, and Middle Street Fish Bar more than delivers on that front. This no-frills spot might be cash-only and refreshingly old-school, but it consistently serves up some of the best fish and chips along the Kent coast.
The secret here lies in the basics done exceptionally well – a choice of fresh cod, haddock, plaice or rig (all at an absurdly good value – in this economy! – £9 with chips), each encased in crisp golden batter that shatters satisfyingly with each bite. The chips find that perfect balance between fluffy interior and crunchy exterior with that slightly anaemic quality you want from chippy chips (yes, Cole) while slightly browning mushy peas provide the requisite dose of health that you need, for the sake of breaking the beige as much as anything else.
By John shepherd from Getty images via Canva
The Fish Bar offers good value for holidaying families, with a dedicated children’s menu doing smaller portions of classics like cod and chips for £6, or fish cake and chips for just £3.50. For dessert, the pineapple fritter with ice cream provides a perfectly retro ending to your meal.
Take your paper-wrapped, gently greased bundle to the beach and enjoy it the way it should be done – with wooden fork in hand, watching the waves roll in. Just watch out for the seagulls; they know quality when they see it too. And don’t forget to bring cash – they’re as old-school in their payment methods as they are in their aesthetic.
Deal’s dining scene is punching well above its weight for a town of its size, and the sheer range on offer – from a SquareMeal Top 100 Japanese spot and a National Restaurant Awards farmhouse to a fourth-generation fishmonger’s street food bar – means there’s something worth booking a train for at every price point.
If you’re planning a longer stay on the Kent coast, our guide to where to eat in Whitstable is worth a read too!
South London’s district of Bermondsey, with its expansive, extensive history dating back to the Domesday Book, has long been an essential part of London lore and landscape. Originally known for its monasteries, the area gradually transformed with the arrival of the leather industry in the 17th century, becoming a major manufacturing centre during the Industrial Revolution.
As the years have passed, Bermondsey has continued to evolve, embracing its industrial heritage while simultaneously adapting to modern times – indeed, many of the area’s most forward thinking restaurants and bars are now housed in former warehouses.
And it’s with one foot in the past and another in the present that today we’re exploring its defining artery, Bermondsey Street, which seems to have carved out a niche all of its own in this little spot south of the river, its outdoor seating and upright drinking spilling onto its cobbled streets and evoking something altogether more continental than its SE1 postcode might suggest.
Running from the southern end of Tower Bridge Road to Grange Road, this lively thoroughfare boasts some of London’s most cherished culinary institutions; whether it’s tapas or tapenade you’re after, Bermondsey Street has got you covered.
So, put on your best dress, bring your appetite, and meet us out on the street; here are the best restaurants on Bermondsey Street.
The Garrison
Ideal for inclusive, confidently-cooked pub dining…
With its old-school ambience and good-natured service, the Garrison has become a beloved Bermondsey institution since opening two decades ago.
Sitting on the corner of Bermondsey Street and White Ground and coaxing passersby in with a most insistent of come hithers, the gastropub has seemingly grown up with the surrounding area. As this stretch of southeast London has slowly gentrified – for better or for worse – the Garrison has been there, as welcoming to the increasingly yuppy population as it is its beloved regulars.
The Garrison’s latest chapter began in early 2025, when the pub appointed Natalie Coleman as its new head chef. Coleman – MasterChef winner in 2013, AA Rosette holder, and Best Chef at the 2022 Great British Pub Awards – brings serious pedigree to the award-winning gastropub, and her arrival has injected fresh energy into a menu already defined by pared back, proudly unrefined, ingredient-led modern European food.
Under Coleman’s guidance, the restaurant continues to flourish, offering a clean and contemporary farm-to-table approach to its dishes, with no-nonsense, utterly delicious cooking the order of the day.
Daily delivery of fish caught the night before, whether that’s black bass from Brixham, seabass from Perranporth or brill caught off the Cornish coast, is treated thoughtfully here; whole beasts arrive adorned with simple but superlative buttersauces; the house sourdough perfectly poised for dredging and mopping.
As any pub still devoted to serving the community should, the Garrison does a mean Sunday roast, too, with all the bells, whistles, flourishes and fancy that you’d expect from a Michelin-rated place. The middle white pork belly, crackling crisped separately and plenty of it, is the must-order, if you ask the locals (us).
Pair any and all of the above with a pint of unfiltered lager from nearby Battersea Brewery, and you’ve got yourself one of London’s most laid back afternoons.
It could quite convincingly be argued that the celebrated Spanish chef José Pizarro rules the restaurant roost in SE1, with not one, not two, but three celebrated restaurants in Bermondsey, and a certain level of ubiquity on lists such as this.
But in this case, familiarity certainly doesn’t breed contempt, with Bermondsey locals and diners coming from further afoot ensuring that Pizarro, José, and the newest addition, the all-day dining spot Lolo, are buzzing every night of the week.
José Pizarro’s passion for Spanish gastronomy has led him on an international journey to share his culinary expertise with the world. Born in Extremadura, Pizarro honed his culinary skills in kitchens across Europe before opening his first restaurant, Bermondsey’s José, in London.
Its (and his) increasing popularity quickly gave rise to Pizarro, located just a stone’s throw from the former. With an unwavering commitment to Spanish culinary traditions, Pizarro showcases the richness and diversity of Spain’s food culture at his (sur)namesake restaurant.
Though just a 200 metre stretch of sidestreet separates the two restaurants, there is actually a fair amount of discrepancy in the food and vibe offered within each. Pizarro sets itself apart by highlighting the essence of broadly southern Spanish cuisine through innovative dishes made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients that are perhaps a little more elaborate – and larger – than the more traditional tapas plates served up to road.
There’s also a keen focus on seafood here, with the pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus), served in a reduction of the red-wine braising liquor that it’s been bathed in, a particular highlight. For the carnivores, the menu’s centrepiece is the suckling lamb, a simultaneously wobbly and crisp piece that’s been slow cooked over charcoal, its corners blistered and burnished from that familiar dripping of fat and licking of flames. A yoghurt aioli helps temper the sweet fattiness of this young cut.
An essential part of dining at Pizarro is exploring the exquisite, eclectic all-Spanish wine selection. The restaurant’s extensive wine list features traditional Spanish favourites like Rioja and Cava, as well as lesser-known wines such as Almansa and Picapoll, the latter of which pairing particularly well with that suckling lamb from just a paragraph prior.
Indeed, if you’re keen to sit a while and savour that wine, alongside some larger sharing dishes, then Pizarro is perhaps a better bet than its siblings, with banquettes and booths catering to larger groups looking to take a load off. Should you be looking for a truly traditional tapas bar experience, though, then it’s to José you should head…
Ideal perhaps the most traditional tapas experience in London…
José, an elegant yet welcoming tapas bar, wouldn’t feel at all out of place down a side street of Seville or Valencia, with its open-door, standing room only vibe causing an inviting din from midday until close. Located in a former Victorian building, José’s interior reflects the aesthetic charm of southern Spain, with its exposed brick walls, wooden floors, and an open kitchen. Yep, it’s all kitchen clatter and dining room chatter here…
The chalkboard menu features an array of seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients presented in the most traditional of styles – expect faultless versions of patatas bravas, oozing, onion-heavy tortilla, piquant boquerones, blistered padron peppers, chorizo in sherry, and the restaurant’s exemplary daily changing croquettes. It’s all there, and it’s all bang on the money…
…No wonder, then, that José is one of Bermondsey Street’s most beloved restaurants.
Ideal for when you fancy a classic French dining experience…
As this Bermondsey neighbourhood has evolved into something that feels as close to ‘continental’ as we’ll get on these gloomy shores, with its alfresco dining and drinking scene, so too have its restaurants, with a whole host of tapas bars, pasta restaurants and French bistros opening in recent years to keep in step with the changing atmosphere.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the charming, unassuming bistro Casse-Croûte is flourishing on Bermondsey Street. Now celebrating its second decade here, the allure is arguably in its consistency; though the menu regularly changes, the food is reliably, resolutely hearty and fresh. A fine balancing act, indeed…
The masterminds behind this culinary gem are three French friends – chef Hervé Durochat and front-of-house duo, Alexandre Bonnefoy and Sylvain Soulard. The trio brings with them extensive experience in the hospitality and culinary industries, having honed their skills in both London and their native France.
Focusing on traditional French cuisine, Chef Durochat and his dedicated team prepare daily menus that draw inspiration from rural, hearty classics alongside lighter, ‘metropolitan’ dishes. The compact menu ensures that each dish is crafted with the utmost care and quality ingredients, often procured from local producers.
On the tight chalkboard menu in an even tighter dining room, expect homemade boudin noir using rare breed British pork alongside fish soup, the swimmers sourced from Billingsgate, the soup bolstered via a very pokey rouille. Yep, this is proud French fare from a team who know how to do the classics with precision and respect.
In that compact 20-seater dining room, it’s all iconic red-and-white chequered tablecloths, while the walls are adorned with vintage posters, photographs, and shelves housing a treasure trove of wines. Fairy lights and a small terrace with tables for al fresco dining provide the perfect ambiance for a warm summer evening, accompanied by a glass of fine wine and the soothing melodies of classic French chansons.
And speaking of wine, Casse-Croûte boasts a thoughtfully curated wine list, showcasing vibrant selections from various French regions.
The pastry work at this restaurant is on point, too, just as you’d expect from a restaurant that might as well be flying the Tricolore outfront. The skilfully constructed chou chou forêt noir is a must-order, but even better is a particularly brooding chocolate mousse, served with a trio of freshly baked madeleines. When it’s on the menu, profiteroles coated in chocolate sauce and sprinkled with almond flakes are a beautiful thing, too. Expect to leave Casse-Croûte a couple of kilos heavier, sure, but also several hedons happier.
Just at the point where Abbey Street becomes Bermondsey Street, you’ll find Flour & Grape, an understated Italian pastificio who have understood the assignment and deliver on its finer details with aplomb.
A Bermondsey Street fixture since 2017, the vibe here is freshly made pasta and wines poured by the glass – a place where you can drop by for the swiftest of snacks and sips, or one you can sink into for a longer stint, if you’ve got nowhere to be.
Should you fall into the former camp, take up a stool at the marble-topped bar, which offers a fantastic vantage point for those who wish to witness the pasta-making process first hand. If you’ve come here to take your time, there’s an additional dining space upstairs, which showcases the building’s exposed brickwork and high ceilings, imbued with an air of historic charm. Seating options include comfortable leather banquettes as well as intimate tables for two, ideal for a romantic dinner.
At the helm is founder and owner Nick Crispini, a hospitality heavyweight with a passion for celebrating Italian produce – wine included – in a modern London setting. Crispini’s dedication to upholding authentic recipes and techniques is mirrored by Head Chef Roberto Mercandino, who brings his rich Neapolitan heritage and culinary prowess to the kitchen. It’s a match made in heaven.
Flour & Grape’s mainstay is, without question, its range of freshly crafted pasta dishes. Each one is prepared onsite daily with inspiring combinations of classic sauces, seasonal ingredients, and a contemporary twist. From the indulgent yet delicate crab taglierini to the hearty sausage and fennel pappardelle, there’s a dish to satisfy every pasta lover’s cravings.
But the food at Flour & Grape is not limited to pasta. Gourmet antipasti offerings such as beef carpaccio and burrata with fresh heritage tomatoes provide an irresistible start to any meal. Desserts continue the theme; order the the creamy Amalfi lemon and ricotta cheesecake or the satisfyingly rich chocolate and espresso budino, either of which will undoubtedly end your meal on a sweet high note.
Cafe Murano is the brainchild of chef Angela Hartnett, whose restaurant Murano in Mayfair is the proud holder of a Michelin star. Here, it’s a more laid back and leisurely affair, with more manageable prices to match.
That’s not to say the quality of ingredients or cooking are compromised here. No, at Cafe Murano, you’ll find plates of power and precision which celebrate British produce via an Italian home cooking sensibility, whether that’s in the superb cacio e pepe gnocchi with a silky, peppery coating, or the superlative seafood risotto, properly portioned and generously appointed with clams, mussels and cuttlefish. It’s a briny delight.
Larger plates keep things simple to great effect; the light and breezy hake with summer minestrone and pesto is especially good. For something a little more gutsy, Sunday lunches at Murano are a hearty affair. Think hunking plates of roast beef from with a side of horseradish cream, plenty of fluffy yet crispy roast potatoes and a pouring of rich gravy.
Don’t leave without satisfying that sweet tooth; Cafe Murano’s desserts are bright and seasonal affairs. Ours is a vanilla panna cotta with strawberries, if you’re asking.
Ideal for smart, seasonaldishes from one of London’s most beloved wine bars…
Okay, it’s starting to feel a little restrictive, unwieldy even, to stay within the parameters of a single thoroughfare when a couple of London’s very best restaurants are just a minute’s walk off Bermondsey Street. So, allow us a little poetic licence for these final two…
Nestled between London Bridge and Bermondsey stations, 40 Maltby Street is a gem that many in the know call their favourite London restaurant. To be fair, it’s actually kind of hard to call 40 Maltby Street a restaurant – it’s a wine importer and bar first and foremost, with a kind of spare tunnel of a dining room tacked onto its kitchen, built into the railway arches it calls home.
The wine bottles that line the walls form the backbone of visual intrigue here, shaking ominously every time a train rumbles above. Not that any of this distracts from things; here, it simply allows the focus to fall firmly on the ever-changing, seasonally-appropriate chalkboard menu of around 12 dishes.
Though it’s rendered in a scrawl almost illegible, what a menu it is, with the kitchen thriving under the culinary direction of head chef Steve Williams, who is celebrated for his judicious use of British produce. Williams creates dishes that are both simple and spectacular, boasting a refined touch recognisable from his time leading the Harwood Arms kitchen when it became the first pub in London to win a Michelin star.
The tarts here are, quite simply, must-orders, with elegant pastry work and seasonally appropriate, expertly judged fillings leading to some truly masterful creations. A recent (well, last year’s) quiche-adjacent asparagus and bacon tart, with a salsa verde-dressed watercress salad on the side, was wonderful, the egg custard set just right – not too firm, certainly not too runny – and its piquant salad sparring partner the perfect foil to the tart’s richer, saltier tones.
Even better, slices of roast beef that are warmed gently so the yellow, sweet fat is melting but the rest remains blushing, are served with fried Jersey Royals and a properly piquant horseradish number. Yep, this is a glorious expression of late spring produce, and with that tart clocking in at £11 and the beef at £26, you’ve got yourself a damn good, light meal for two for under £40.
Though matching wine with asparagus can be a tricky ask, the Potron Miney Pari Trouillas Rosé, which is currently being poured by the glass, pairs beautifully with the tart, its fresh acidity just the right foil for the asparagus’ more vegetal notes. So, pour one up and luxuriate in some sunshine, both on the plate and just outside 40 Maltby Street’s flung-open doors.
Open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday and for lunch Thursday to Saturday, 40 Maltby Street does not accept reservations, ensuring a spontaneous and vibrant atmosphere reflective of the bustling market area it resides in.
Ideal for Michelin-starred plates of pedigree and precision…
A short stroll from London Bridge, Trivet offers a sophisticated dining experience that has earned it two Michelin stars since opening in 2019. And as of the 2026 Michelin Guide, the accolades keep coming – Labombe, the restaurant’s Monday night wine bar concept, has been awarded its own Michelin star, making the Trivet operation one of the most decorated in the capital. It’s arguably the best starred experience in London Bridge, which should come as no surprise when you consider the pedigree behind the operation.
Founded by chef Jonny Lake and sommelier Isa Bal, both alumni of the legendary Fat Duck, Trivet opened its doors in October 2019 and has somehow managed to both earn accolades and keep things relaxed and refined, without an unseemly hype machine forever circling, reeling and story-ing.
The restaurant’s design, crafted by Umay Çeviker, helps emphasise this elegant understatement, blending natural wood textures with Mediterranean, Japanese and Nordic influences. The menu at Trivet continues this theme, and is a testament to Lake’s and Bal’s extensive experience, featuring dishes that are both highly inventive and strangely comforting, with premium ingredients treated with the most delicate of touches.
A little less delicate, admittedly, are the a la carte prices – expect to pay in the low forties for starters and anywhere from the late fifties to the mid-sixties for a main course, but boy will you get clarity of flavour from your investment. If you’re simultaneously baulking at those prices and salivating at the idea of pristine ingredients not getting fucked with, then fear not; Trivet also offers a ‘Lunch at Trivet’ situation where things feel eminently more reasonable.
Running from Tuesday to Saturday, from midday to 2pm, you’ll find the same star-quality cooking, but with dishes a little lighter and prices accordingly lower. The lunch menu is a brilliant way into the Trivet experience without the full a la carte commitment.
Notably, the wine list at Trivet is uniquely arranged in chronological order based on the earliest mentions of wines in literature, showcasing a deep respect for historical richness and gastronomic storytelling. And with our own gastronomic storytelling in danger of getting a little chronologically confusing, we’re returning to the food menu for dessert, which has got to be Trivet’s iconic baked potato mille feuille, which is layered with an intoxicating saké and white chocolate mousse. Christ, it’s good, and we’d appreciate being left alone with it now. Byyyeeeee.
Growing your own food in the UK is one of the most rewarding things you can do with a patch of outdoor space, however small. But knowing what to plant and when to plant it is half the battle. Get your timing wrong and you’ll be staring at empty raised beds while your neighbour’s courgettes are practically taking over the street.
This month-by-month guide covers the best fruit, veg and herbs to sow and plant throughout the year. Whether you’re starting from seed or buying young plants ready to go in the ground, there’s something to be getting on with in every season.
January
The garden might look dormant, but January is when the year’s growing really begins. Indoors, you can sow chilli peppers and aubergines on a warm, bright windowsill. Both need a long growing season, so starting now gives them the head start they require. Onion seeds can go in too, sown into modules and kept somewhere frost-free. If you have a heated propagator, early tomato varieties are worth a punt, though most growers hold off until February.
Outdoors, there’s less to do, but you can plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes while they’re still dormant. Apple, pear, plum, gooseberry and currant bushes all establish well when planted between now and March, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. If the ground isn’t frozen, you can also force rhubarb by covering crowns with a bucket or forcing pot.
February
Things start to pick up. Indoors, sow tomatoes, peppers, celery and celeriac into seed trays. Broad beans can be started in pots indoors too, or sown directly outside under cloches if your soil isn’t waterlogged. Hardy herbs like parsley and chives do well started on a windowsill this month.
Outside, Jerusalem artichokes can go in the ground from late February or March. They’re wonderfully low-maintenance and will grow in most soils. Shallot and onion sets can be planted if the weather is mild, and it’s a good time to prepare beds by working in compost or well-rotted manure before the busy spring months ahead.
March
March is when the allotment starts to feel alive again. Direct sow carrots, parsnips, beetroot, radishes, spinach, lettuce and peas outside. Potatoes can go in towards the end of the month, particularly first earlies like ‘Swift’ or ‘Rocket’. The RHS potato growing guide recommends planting first earlies from mid-March, with maincrop varieties following in April.
For second earlies, plant a few weeks later in April. International Kidney – the variety sold as Jersey Royals – is hard to beat for flavour, though the thin-skinned results you get from Jersey’s côtils are difficult to replicate on a Midlands allotment.
Indoors, keep sowing tomatoes, courgettes, squash and cucumbers if you haven’t already. Basil is best started indoors this month too, as it hates cold nights. Herb-wise, coriander, dill and chervil can be sown directly outside if you’re in a sheltered spot. March is also the last good window for planting bare-root fruit trees before they break dormancy.
April
April is peak sowing season, without a doubt. Outside, continue with successional sowings of salad leaves, radishes and beetroot to keep a steady supply coming through summer. Runner beans and French beans can be sown indoors in pots, ready for planting out in May once the frost risk has passed. Sweetcorn does best started in deep pots indoors this month.
Herb gardens come into their own now. Sow or plant out rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano and mint (mint ideally in a pot unless you want it colonising everything). Strawberry plants can go in the ground, and if you started potatoes in March, get them earthed up as the shoots appear.
After the last frost, usually mid to late May in much of the UK, tender crops can finally go outside. Transplant tomatoes, courgettes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines and sweetcorn into their final positions. Runner beans and French beans can be direct sown outdoors now too.
Keep sowing salad crops, spring onions and radishes every couple of weeks. This is also a good month to plant out basil and other tender herbs. Fruit-wise, you can still plant container-grown strawberries, blueberries and raspberry canes. May is busy, but it’s the month that sets the tone for the rest of your growing year.
June
June is about maintenance as much as planting, but there’s still plenty to sow. French beans and runner beans can go in for a later crop, and you should be making successional sowings of lettuce, chard, beetroot and carrots. Florence fennel does well sown in June, as shorter days later in the season reduce the risk of bolting.
If you didn’t start from seed earlier in the year, June is a sensible time to buy vegetable plants that are already a decent size and ready to go straight into the ground. Tomatoes, courgettes and peppers bought as young plants at this stage will still produce a full harvest. Herbs like basil, coriander and dill can still be sown for fresh summer supplies too. On the fruit side, keep strawberry beds weeded and straw-mulched, and start summer-pruning gooseberries if they’re getting congested.
Midsummer and the focus shifts towards autumn and winter harvests. Sow spring cabbage, calabrese, kale, turnips and swede for crops that will carry you through the colder months. Carrots and beetroot sown now will produce a late autumn harvest. French beans are still worth sowing early in July.
This is the last realistic month for outdoor basil sowings. Keep planting quick-growing herbs like coriander and dill in succession. If you’ve got gaps where early and second early potatoes or peas have been cleared, fill them with fast salad crops or a green manure to keep the soil covered.
August
August is the start of the late-season dash. Sow spring cabbage for next year, along with winter lettuce varieties, pak choi and oriental greens like mizuna and mibuna. Onion sets for overwintering (‘Radar’ or ‘Shakespeare’) can go in from September onwards.
This is a great month for establishing perennial herbs. Plant or divide existing clumps of rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage while the soil is warm and they have time to settle in before winter. Autumn-fruiting raspberries will be producing now, so keep picking to encourage more fruit.
September
September is the big planting month for garlic, which needs a cold spell to develop properly. Most UK growers plant between now and November, following RHS guidance on garlic. Overwintering broad beans (like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’) can be sown now for an early harvest the following year.
Keep sowing winter salads under cover: lamb’s lettuce, winter purslane and rocket will all do well in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Bare-root strawberry runners become available this month, and it’s a good time to plant new fruit bushes and rhubarb crowns.
October
Continue planting garlic and autumn onion sets if you haven’t already. This is an excellent month for putting in bare-root fruit trees and bushes as they enter dormancy. Gooseberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant and jostaberry bushes all transplant well now, and you’ll find the best selection from specialist nurseries at this time of year.
Under cover, sow winter lettuce and hardy oriental greens for salads through the colder months. Outdoors, green manures like field beans or grazing rye can be sown on empty beds to protect the soil and add fertility over winter.
November is quieter, but far from idle. Bare-root fruit trees, cane fruit and bushes should be planted as soon as possible while conditions are good. Rhubarb crowns can go in now too. Garlic planting continues.
Indoors, if you have a heated space, you can sow a few microgreens or sprouting seeds for fresh greens through winter. Hardy herbs like bay, rosemary and sage won’t need much attention, but this is a good time to bring any potted tender herbs (like lemongrass) indoors if you haven’t already.
December
The garden year comes full circle. There’s little to sow, but December is still a fine time to plant bare-root fruit trees if the ground isn’t frozen or sodden. Winter is also when seed catalogues arrive, which is the real start of the next growing season for most of us.
If you want something productive to do, force chicory in a dark cupboard for winter salads, or check over stored crops like onions, garlic and squash, removing anything that’s starting to soften. It’s a month for planning, ordering seeds and thinking about what worked and what didn’t over the past twelve months.
The Bottom Line
The UK growing season is far longer than most people think. There’s something to sow, plant or harvest in every single month of the year, from forcing rhubarb under a bucket in January to planting fruit trees in December. The key is working with the seasons rather than against them, starting tender crops indoors early and filling gaps with fast-growing salads and green manures. Even a sunny windowsill is enough to get going, and once you’ve eaten your first home-grown tomato still warm from the plant, you won’t look at a supermarket one the same way again.
Maybe you’ve dropped in for tea with the King, and Chas’ sandwich selection didn’t quite hit the spot. Perhaps your early morning swim in the Serpentine has triggered its usual hunger response. Or you prepared for your visit to Poet’s Corner by reading ‘The Lotos-Eaters’ and it’s got you craving lunch?
That’ll do for an introduction, we’ve lost our way here…
Not to be overshadowed by its famous neighbours in Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and Westminster Abbey, the sophisticated squares, boutique shops and chic, stucco townhouses of Belgravia, London have so much to offer both the hungry tourist and world-weary Londoner.
One of London’s most exclusive and affluent districts, the options for a quick breakfast, a late and languid lunch or a fancy dinner are seemingly endless here. But with such choice comes a certain paradox; just where to eat in Belgravia that will actually live up to the hype and be worth the money? We’re here to help with that; here are Belgravia’s best restaurants.
Wildflowers
Ideal for sophisticated seasonal cooking with Mediterranean flair…
Wildflowers brings a breath of fresh air to Belgravia’s occasionally (okay, quite regularly) dusty dining scene with its sun-drenched approach to modern European cuisine. The restaurant takes its name seriously, with a menu that reads like a love letter to the warmer seasons and a dining room adorned with fresh blooms that change weekly – though thankfully the quality of the cooking remains consistently excellent.
Interior stylist Laura Hart, in collaboration with Studio Found, has created quite the space here; a liminal, shapeshifting room that’s elegant, bright and breezy, with natural textures and soft lighting that complement chef Aaron Potter’s ingredient-led plates.
Not that the lighting needed to be engaged the last time we dined here. On one of the UK’s many recent record-breaking, mercury-baiting days, the dining room at Wildflowers felt like the perfect refuge; sun-soaked, sure, but appropriately dappled with shade too, with pink-trousered diners spilling out onto courtyard tables and everything feeling decidedly continental.
The stage was set synergistically to showcase Potter’s deft touch with Mediterranean influences in its very best light. And so it came to pass. Dishes like Vesuvius tomatoes with sun sweet melon gazpacho, basil and mojama captured the essence of impeccable British produce through the sepia-tinged lens of a Sevillian summer, all sweet-saline interplay and a suave brightness. Running with a similar theme, a carpaccio of red prawn came with an ajo blanco-adjacent almond puree and cherries was a pinpoint balancing act of gentle counterpoints and complements.
Mains continue in this vein of sophisticated simplicity. The grilled sugar pit Iberico pork presa arrived perfectly (for your grandma, alarmingly) pink, the meat’s natural richness offset by the freshness of almond, white peach and a vibrant mojo verde that adds just the right amount of punch. These are dishes that read so confidently, so beautifully, and deliver on that promise on the plate, too.
Equally impressive was the sea bass with lardo, girolles, Amalfi lemon and a soft herb pil pil – the fish cooked with precision, sure, but also the kind of intuitive feeling that the grill brings, its skin blistered rather than uniformly bronzed, and all the better for it. Ask maître d’ Alex for his wine recommendations here (what an affable fella he is), his encyclopaedic knowledge of the list meaning you’re in safe hands whether you’re after a crisp Albariño, a buttery oak-aged white Rioja or something altogether more adventurous.
This is a restaurant where vegetables are king – the room and weather demands it – and the Grezzina courgettes with honey and pecorino showcase Potter’s restraint, letting quality ingredients sing with minimal intervention. The holiday potatoes (apt in the 30 degree heat, in such a gorgeous room) have already achieved cult status amongst regulars, national restaurant reviewers, and now with us, too. Should you have any left over, take them home and, on Alex’s recommendation, fry them up with an egg for breakfast.
Dessert keeps things refreshingly simple with a flamboyantly towering fior di latte gelato that’s elevated higher still by good olive oil, sea salt and grape balsamico, and a selection of sorbets that feel obligatory given the environment. They offer proof that sometimes the best desserts are those that trust in the quality of their components and deliver on the mood of the dining room, rather than the vision of the chef.
With its thoughtful cooking and warm service, Wildflowers feels like the kind of neighbourhood restaurant you’d be lucky to have as your local – assuming your neighbourhood happens to be one of London’s most exclusive postcodes, naturally. This is definitely one of London’s best openings in recent times, and we can’t wait to visit in the cooler, darker months to see the restaurant in a whole different light.
Ideal for refined French technique meets seasonal British ingredients…
Tucked away in Eccleston Yards’ Ice Factory building (the clue’s in the name – it really was one), Cornus is the sophomore venture from the team behind Chelsea’s acclaimed Medlar. This fourth-floor sanctuary feels removed from Victoria’s bustle – its airy, cloud-like dining room dressed in crisp whites, designer wooden furniture, and gauzy curtains that flutter in the breeze firmly places the restaurant in Belgraiva territory instead.
Executive Chef Gary Foulkes (formerly of Michelin-starred Angler) delivers precision-driven plates that showcase the best of British and European produce. The hand-rolled spaghetti with native lobster and N25 oscietra caviar is already becoming a signature, while the Landes chicken with truffled sweetcorn (priced somewhat enthusiastically at £54) shows the kitchen’s commitment to sourcing exceptional ingredients and charging for them.
With prices that might make your eyes water (yes, that really is £54 for chicken, albeit an exceptionally good one), those looking for a more gentle entry point should go for the set lunch menu at £60 for three courses, which might include heritage tomatoes with Ribblesdale soft curd, or roast red mullet with salsa verde. The wine list, curated by celebrated sommelier Melania Battiston, starts at £45 for a Muscadet, though you can certainly scale the heights if your wallet permits.
Pastry chef Kelly Cullen, one of British gastronomy’s rising stars, creates desserts that walk the line between comfort and innovation – the rice pudding with plums and a almond milk ice cream (£16.50) was a real highlight when we visited.
The restaurant has recently introduced a tasting menu at £185 per person for those seeking the full experience, though the à la carte feels to us like the main event. While the prices firmly plant Cornus in special occasion territory (somewhat justified by their Michelin star), it’s the kind of place where the cooking and service aim to let the ingredients speak for themselves rather than dazzle with unnecessary theatrics. This straightforward, ingredient-led approach has become something of a hallmark for O’Connor and Mercer Nairne’s restaurants, even if the bill at the end might require a deep breath. Don’t waste a single egg of that oscietra when you exhale.
Ideal for deceptively simple, beautifully composed plates of regional Italian food…
Just beyond Belgravia, across Hyde Park Corner and into Mayfair, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental has been doing deceptively simple, beautifully composed plates of Italian precision for two decades now, and the cherished chef shows no signs of slowing down.
Few folk in London have such a stirling pedigree where the capital’s own take on Italian cuisine is concerned; Randall cooked at the River Café for 16 years, earning the restaurant its first Michelin star as head chef in 1997.
In 2006, Randall decided it was time to strike out on his own, and opened his eponymous restaurant at the prestigious No. 1 Park Lane address, within the InterContinental Hotel. This is a man who bleeds sugo di pomodoro, and the daily changing menu at his restaurant is reflective of his love of regional Italian cuisine, nurtured by regular team trips to Bel Paese.
The heart of the experience is Randall’s monthly-changing regional tasting menu, which dedicates each month to a different corner of Italy — from Tuscany to Sicily, Lazio to Le Marche — with a bespoke menu and wine pairing to match. At £85 per person, including wine, it’s a considered tour of the peninsula’s edible diversity, and one that rewards repeat visits.
On the menu for a recent exploration of underrated Le Marche was poached octopus with fennel and potatoes makes way for a ravioli of ricotta that’s been dressed in a rich, robust beef ragù. A slow cooked rabbit with autumn truffle completes the savoury dishes, and a fig and almond cake with dark chocolate gelato seals the deal. Woof.
There’s also a fantastic lunch deal, one of the best in Mayfair, which sees two hearty, generous courses clocking in at £28. Add dessert for an extra fiver.
Beyond his restaurant, Randall has published three successful recipe books and regularly appears on national television, including BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen. Despite his fame, he remains true to his culinary roots and can often be found at the restaurant during service hours most days.
Ideal for seasonal produce cooked with a diverse range of culinary influences…
Wild by Tart is a unique dining experience that – for better or for worse – pushes the boundaries of traditional restaurant concepts. Founded by Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison, the dynamic duo behind the successful catering company Tart London (the former is now married to Ben Goldsmith, Jay Electronia’s nemesis, incidentally), Wild by Tart is a testament to their innovative approach to dining.
Housed in a former power station and coal store, this multifaceted venue combines a restaurant, bar, retail store, events space, and even a photography studio, though it’s the restaurant that we’re here for today, so we might skip the photoshoot after!
The menu at Wild by Tart reflects the founders’ passion for seasonal produce and broad-ranging culinary influences. From piquant, perfectly cured citrus trout with sesame furikake and wasabi, to tamworth pork chop with salsa verde, sashaying through an aubergine satay along the way, the dishes are as diverse as they are decent.
Their unconventional approach to running a restaurant, which includes juggling multiple business aspects under one roof, has proven to be transformative and successful. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in their sourcing practices. Where possible, ingredients are sourced from their respective family farms in Somerset and Northumberland, ensuring the freshest produce for their dishes. Wild by Tart is not just a restaurant; it’s an experience that showcases the creativity and passion of its founders. Buy into it, and you’ll be richly rewarded with an invigorating feed.
Open from 8am to 7pm, iconic chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s outpost places its focus on breakfast and lunch. You can dine in here, but the restaurant/bakery doesn’t have onsite toilets or take reservations, so it’s largely a grab and go type of place. What better excuse, then, to enjoy a picnic in the grounds of Hyde Park, which is just a two minute walk away?
The cooking here is classic Ottolenghi; chargrilled vegetables, vibrant, piquant salads, expert spicing and a wide variety of freshly baked breads and pastries, and prices are very reasonable for the quality. Bliss.
The iconic Belgravia restaurant Zafferano, meaning ‘saffron’, has stood on Lowndes Street for a three decades now, and has held its reputation for upscale, expertly cooked Italian food pretty much since the kitchen’s first mantecatura of their now famous risotto Milanese.
Opened by renowned chef Giorgio Locatelli in 1995, the restaurant won a Michelin star four years later. Though it has since lost that accolade and Locatelli has moved on, standards at this stalwart remain high, with regional Italian cooking with little fuss or frippery still the restaurant’s MO. Prices are in keeping with Belgravia’s rather exclusive reputation.
Interestingly, the restaurant used to present guests with bill covers custom made using saffron woven into its fibres, but the practice was deemed far too expensive, even for this part of town!
Ideal for trying one of London’s oldest, most glorious Pakistani restaurants…
One of London’s most longstanding Pakistani restaurants, Salloos has been doing its thing in Belgravia since the 70s. That thing is upmarket, refined takes on the food of North India and Pakistan all housed in one of the mews townhouses that define Belgravia’s architecture.
Before Belgravia, the owners ran a restaurant of the same name in Lahore between 1966 and 1976, and that pedigree shows in the delicate spicing of Salloos’ signature lamb chops. Stay for the homemade kulfi, which is excellent.
Once again, the high prices here reflect the restaurant’s exclusive location.
You could easily spend the day at Pantechnicon, bouncing between its café, restaurant and bar, and frankly, why wouldn’t you? This remarkable venue represents one of London’s most ambitious hospitality projects, transforming a former Edwardian arts & crafts warehouse into a sprawling, multi-level destination that feels part department store, part cultural centre, part restaurant empire.
The building itself tells quite the story. Originally constructed in 1830 as a furniture repository (the name ‘Pantechnicon’ derives from the Greek for ‘all arts’), it stored the worldly possessions of Britain’s wealthy elite when they travelled abroad. Today, it houses an equally eclectic collection of culinary experiences that would make those Victorian travellers positively swoon: Japanese restaurant SACHI, French bistro Amélie, cocktail lounge LUUM, and the chic Café Kitsuné.
SACHI serves contemporary Japanese cuisine that goes far beyond your typical sushi counter, with standout dishes sea bream and miso vinaigrette and their signature black cod marinated in plum honey. The sake selection is particularly impressive, featuring bottles you’d struggle to find elsewhere in London.
Occupying the building’s most romantic corner, Amélie (temporarily closed due to renovation works_ boasts a sun-drenched terrace that offers some of the finest views across Belgravia’s rooftops. The menu reads like a postcard from the south of France – think bouillabaisse rich with saffron and a tarte tatin that’s worth the inevitable food coma.
Café Kitsuné delivers some of the capital’s finest pastries with a distinctly Japanese twist – caramel miso rice pudding brioche and double-baked matcha croissants that sound bonkers but taste sublime. We’re rather fond of their egg sando too. The coffee, sourced directly from their Parisian roastery, is exceptional.
Come evening, LUUM transforms the building with its dramatic top floor and panoramic views across London’s skyline. The cocktail menu focuses on the flavours of Mexico – we’re particularly fond of their hibiscus spice margarita, whilst small plates like elote croquettes are upgraded with a touch of caviar.
Ideal for groundbreaking, contemporary Indian food…
Widely regarded as being London’s most influential fine dining Indian restaurant, Amaya isn’t your average korma and Kingfisher curry house. Instead, you can expect some seriously sophisticated cooking at this Michelin starred hotspot, with the restaurant’s three grills – a tandoor, tawa and sigri – used to particularly thrilling effect.
Expect to leave with the aroma of smoke in your hair and turmeric stains on your white shirt, sure, but also, expect to be wowed; there’s a whole lot of theatre – and even more flavour – going on inside this revered restaurant.
If you’re looking for Belgravia’s best restaurant, this might well be it. Muse by Tom Aikens has previously named ‘London’s Top Gastronomic Experience’ by hospitality experts Hardens, with the intimate, 23 cover restaurant praised for its ‘bijou and cosy’ setting.
That setting is a small corner house in one of Belgravia’s distinctive mews (muse, mews…geddit?). Here, the cute, compact surroundings play host to one of the capital’s most celebrated restaurant openings in recent years.
Having opened in January 2020, just a couple of months before everything changed, it’s impressive that Muse is so firmly ensconced in this corner of Belgravia, its coveted Michelin star plaque like a beacon at the door. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s a tasting menu only affair at Muse, costing £195 for ten courses, though you can enjoy lunch at the relative steal of £105 for six course, Thursday to Saturday.
Considering Aikens is one of the most exciting chefs in the country when he’s on form, we can’t wait to see where Muse goes next.
Abd El Wahab has already flourished in the Middle East, with outposts in Beirut, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Belgravia rendition of the restaurant, the first in Europe, is perfectly placed to serve the district’s large Lebanese community, as well as hungry tourists and anyone else who loves the food of the Lebanon.
For us, Abd El Wahab is a perfect mid afternoon spot. The Sambousek – deep fried dough stuffed with minced meat, yoghurt and pine nuts – is superb here and it wouldn’t be a Lebanese meal without ordering a selection of fatteh, the country’s famous grilled pita adorned with gently spiced, comforting toppings. Order a glass of Lebanese white wine from the Bekaa Valley, and you’ve got yourself the ideal grazing lunch.
A Belgravia institution since 1964, La Poule Au Pot wouldn’t look out of place on Paris’ Rue des Martyrs. This charming, old school bistro is all about the French classics; expect snails with garlic butter, frogs legs, grilled calves liver, terrine of foie gras with Sauternes jelly, rabbit with mustard sauce…you get the picture, and it’s a very pretty one to paint.
With nooks and crannies, trinkets and even, whisper it, tablecloths, this is a spot best enjoyed in winter, when the candles are flickering, there’s a carafe of drinkable red breathing on the table, and the food is at its most hearty and comforting. That said, it’s pretty blissful on a summer’s day, too…
Ideal for a no choice, small plate experience with unique Chinese dishes that have a Taiwanese influence….
Just a short walk from Victoria Station and lauded by London food critics for some time now, Hunan offers a slightly different proposition to other Chinese joints in the capital offering. There’s no menu, just a selection of (very) small plates sent from the kitchen, tailored to your needs only in the sense you specify allergies and the level of spice you can handle.
With the usual paradox of choice so common in Chinese restaurants not present here, all you need to do is sit back, occasionally open your mouth, and enjoy the ride.
For a city of such great culinary diversity and choice, Mexico seems to be less enthusiastically represented in London than many of the world’s other great cuisines. Or so the recent culinary narrative in the Capital goes…
Fear not though, as this is more a journalistic trope than a reflection of London’s current dining darlings. Nope, there’s far more to this scene than sombreros and several shots of Tequila. Sure, there’s outlets of the chain Wahaca on every corner, offering approachable Mexican fare to hungry Londoners wanting convenience and efficiency. Entry level stuff, maybe, but a decent feed nonetheless.
Scratch the surface just a little more inquisitively though, and things get very interesting indeed. Invigorated by a string of quality taqueria openings in recent years, London’s Mexican restaurant scene has announced itself more assertively of late than a particularly raucous Mariachi band. So, read on for our roundup of the best places to great Mexican food in London.
Cavita, Marylebone
Ideal for fine Mexican dining from a chef with Pujol pedigree…
With an alumni of both Pujol and El Bulli on the stoves, and a dining room designed by Camila Rodrigues of the esteemed design team at COR London, what could possibly go wrong?
In a textured, tactile room that positively glows as you enter it – full of natural stone elements, exposed bricks rendered white and plenty of primavera wood trim – some of the most wholesome, utterly delicious Mexican food is being served.
It’s the first solo project from esteemed Mexican chef Adriana Cavita and she’s a chef who pulls no punches, with a tight menu divided into raw bits, appetisers, street food, sharing and side dishes.
From that raw bar, the aguachile’s base of chilled watermelon takes this always-revitalising dish into indispensable territory, a fine foil for some of the more protein-heavy headliners that follow.
The signature smoked beef shin quesabirria featuring slow-cooked beef shin and raclette cheese inside house-made corn tortillas, fried to golden perfection on the plancha, has got to be our favourite thing on the menu. Complete with a shell of caramelised cheese and served alongside a viscous veal consomme for dipping, it requires a certain amount of energy to take down, particularly with sharers still to come, but it’s a glorious tussle we’d happily take a round two for. With a dish this messy…hands is the only way to go!
When the sharing pulpo a las brasas does hit the table, heaped charred tentacles intertwining, reinforced by blistered, sweet spring onions and cactus slices, it’s an intimidating proposition. But once portioned and placed on the most delicate of house-pressed tortillas, it’s ethereal.
You might have guessed by now that we didn’t have room for dessert, but we’re told they’re excellent by friends that did. Think chocolate chipotle chile lava cake and wild cherry ice cream, for starters. Sorry, that makes no sense; for desserts.
Still, there’s always room for a digestiv of sorts, in the restaurant’s basement mezcalaria Mayahuel, to help move things along.
And with that, we’re moving on, just down the road, and to KOL…
KOL, Marylebone
Ideal for tasting how British ingredients transform into Mexican masterpieces…
You could certainly make a case for Marylebone being London’s very own Little Mexico. Actually, you couldn’t, that’s nonsense, but the district does boast not one but two of arguably the best Mexican restaurants outside of El Tri.
Santiago Lastra, the head chef and co-owner of Kol, certainly has some pedigree, having, with chef Rene Redzepi, masterminded Noma’s critically acclaimed Mexican iteration back in 2017.
Here, his vision of celebrating the finest British ingredients using both traditional Mexican cooking techniques and a fair few modern flourishes is executed flawlessly. Or rather, it feels flawless now; in reality, the restaurant’s opening was a rocky one, with successive lockdowns preventing Kol from getting off the ground as smoothly as it deserved.
What does make sense is the concept here, with ingredients traditionally so closely intertwined with Mexican food culture here substituted out for their broadly British equivalents. So, that’s an innovative pistachio puree replacing avocado, sea buckthorn bringing the acidity for Kol’s now iconic langoustine tacos, and a dairy farmer in Kent producing Oaxacan-style cheese for the restaurant.
All this wouldn’t matter if the food wasn’t as downright delicious as its inspiration across the Atlantic, but the recent main event here, of lamb barbacoa, freshly made tortillas and a selection of intricately composed condiments, was as straightforwardly satisfying as you’ll find in any restaurant with designs on the top awards in the culinary world.
With a fascinating wine list that draws on some of the unsung heroes of Central and Eastern Europe, Kol is already one of London’s top tier dining experiences. We can’t wait to see where they go next.
At the tail end of last year, the more casual follow-up to KOL, Fonda, opened its doors. It’s already received several fawning reviews. We’ll check it out when the fuss dies down.
Ideal for Sonoran-style flour tortillas in an intimate Stokey setting…
If you’re on the hunt for the best Mexican food in London (you are, that’s why you’re here), then look no further than Sonora Taquería in Stoke Newington. This cherished London gem (how long before we can call it an ‘institution’?), run by Michelle Salazar de la Rocha and Sam Napier, has quickly become a beloved spot for taco enthusiasts across the city. After closing their wildly popular food stall in London Fields in 2023, the duo has finally opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Stoke Newington High Street.
Sonora Taquería’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and community support. After facing an absurd legal challenge from another London-based, British-run Mexican restaurant over the use of the word ‘taqueria’, Michelle and Sam emerged victorious, backed by over 130,000 supporters. This victory, coupled with a successful crowdfunding campaign, allowed them to transition from their Netil Market stall to a permanent location in Stokey, which is where we’re dining now (and, to be honest, most weeks).
The menu at Sonora Taquería is a celebration of Sonoran cuisine, featuring an outwardly straightforward menu of tacos and quesadilla, plus a couple of sides. The beef barbacoa is perhaps our go-to order, an impossibly rich affair that’s still got all those wibbly-wobbly bits left in. A little diced white onion sends it on its way. At £4.50, you’ll want to order several. For an additional 50p, you can add a grilled cheese crust, which quickly becomes all of the best parts of the days old cheddar in your Brevil machine. It’s glorious stuff.
Vegetarians are certainly not abandoned in all this predatory feasting, with the grilled cactus leaf taco a real highlight, whatever your dietary stripes. The tortillas (flour, in the Sonoran style) are made in-house and as fragrant as you like, with just the right amount of chew; the perfect vessel for the expertly judged fillings (toppings? Who knows?).
There’s even horchata, which, contrary to popular belief, can’t only be consumed in December. In fact, it’s blissful on London’s more humid days.
Inside, the setup is simple and unfussy, a little Echo Park with a few scattered chairs and stools. If you prefer to dine al fresco, you can take your tacos to nearby Abney Park for a picnic.
Opening hours at Sonora Taquería remain tight, with midday until 5pm on Wednesdays and Sundays, and midday until 10pm from Thursday to Saturday.
Ideal for tacos with 90s hip-hop beats in Leytonstone’s latest culinary pilgrimage spot…
Leytonstone is now London’s culinary mecca, a place of pilgrimage for those who pledge allegiance to TopJaw and those who worship at the altar of flavour equally. The reason? Two esteemed, hyped restaurants that both occupy the neighbourhood’s High Road; Singburi and Homies on Donkeys.
The latter, a freshly relocated taqueria and bar spearheaded by the dynamic, Tijuana-raised duo Sandra Bello and Chef Erik “Smokey” Bautista, has garnered rave reviews for its unapologetically bold flavours and hip-hop-heavy vibes.
Open from Tuesday to Saturday, is a sanctuary for lovers of Mexican street food, where graffiti-clad walls and 90s hip-hop beats create an atmosphere as lively as their food.
The vibe is, of course, an integral part of what makes Homies on Donkeys stand out. The taqueria is designed to evoke the spirit of a suburban skate park, with Biggie blasting and decor offering flashbacks of a recent, terrifying acid trip we endured.
The food here is just as energetic, with flavours dialled up to 11. Tacos come in twos, so bring a lover and get messy with the carnitas, which have enough pork fat running off them to render a black T-shirt translucent, a bit like that part off The Simpsons where Homer gets huge. These tacos, just like Homer in that episode, are bloody gorgeous. The bone marrow and braised chuck – the headliner, served with four corn tortillas – is equally indulgent.
Perhaps the best taco here is also the most simple; a mushroom barbacoa number with roast tomato salsa and sweet onions. It’s deep, sure, but with piquancy and bite, and a bouncy mouthfeel that is just so satisfying. At £8.50 for two, it’s also the cheapest taco on the menu.
Whichever way you do it, order the salsa tasting platter (£5) alongside, as there are acidic notes throughout that help lighten and enliven the procession of tacos. It’s essential.
When beloved London Fields taco joint Sonora Taqueria announced their closure in July of 2022, citing the need for a larger, permanent home, the city’s Mexican food aficionados were devastated. Sonora had quickly earned a reputation as being one of the few places in London where you could get a truly great taco without having to first endure a speech on nixtamalization and a wine flight.
The disappointment quickly abated when just three months later it was announced that, firstly, a permanent site had been found in Stoke Newington (now open, and on this list, too!), and secondly, the dynamic duo behind Sonora, Michelle Salazar de la Rocha and Sam Napier, would be popping up at Central London’s thriving Arcade Food Hall, with their new creation, Mexa.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Mexa, a term of endearment in Mexico, has been a massive hit. What was originally intended to be a perfect 50:50 split between raw fish dishes and meat-laden tacos has very much given way to the latter, the menu now a carnivore’s dream, with the pork carnitas with properly piquant salsa verde a highlight.
The main event, though, is without doubt the lamb birria, served alongside a rich lamb consomme wearing its very best phytol perfume. You’ll definitely ruin your favourite T-shirt taking this one down, but it’ll be worth the trip to Primark afterwards.
Ideal for tacos al pastor that send fat running down your arms…
In this unassuming taqeuria (are we allowed to write that word without getting sued?) on Rotherhithe New Rd, next door to a dental practice whose sign looks in good need of a whitening treatment, La Chingada has quietly been churning out some of London’s best Mexican food for several years now.
We say ”quietly” owing to its backwater Surrey Quays location, but the decor is anything but, its fluorescent pinks and light blues a visual barrage as you enter. Neither are the flavours muted here, with salsas that don’t so much pack a punch as give you a good hiding, and a chef who isn’t afraid of the transformative power of animal fat. Plenty and plenty of animal fat…
Feel the power in the exemplary tacos al pastor, piled high on corn flour tortillas that can barely take the weight, the pork’s achiote paste marinade mixing with its rendered fat and going fucking everywhere after a single puncturing bite. It might all be a bit too unctuous if the meat itself hadn’t caramelised and crisped on its slowly rotating spit, bringing the textural contrast your trigeminal nerves just long to lap up.
Keep lapping in true taqueria style on an imported Jarritos soda or two, and then go and get your teeth done next door. The perfect South East London evening, we think…
There is now a second La Chingada in Euston, and a third in Bermondsey. Rejoice!
Ideal for short-rib tacos with bone marrow that still makes Instagram feeds swoon…
El Pastor is from the The Hart Brothers, who have pretty much perfected no reservations, counter-seating tapas bars with Barrafina. Fresh, vivacious food with all the hustle, bustle, chatter and cheer of their previous joints makes El Pastor one of our favorite taquerias in town.
With outposts now also in Soho and Kings Cross, there’s no denying El Pastor’s popularity with the masses, too, but with many fond memories formed, it’s to the inaugural joint in London Bridge that we always find ourselves returning.
The menu is primarily taco-led, although quesadillas and a few sides also make an appearance. The sharing short-rib, cooked until falling apart, served with a serious seasoning mix of sugar, salt and spices, has been on the menu since day-dot is a must try. It was one of those knockout dishes that appears on lists and Instagram feeds alongside eulogies for the rest of the year. You’d be crazy not to add bone marrow for an extra three quid – it made a near perfect dish even better.
Oh, and when it’s on the specials, order the pescado frito, which sees seabass fried with bite-sized filetitos. It’s a visual treat that tastes as good as it looks. And it looks bloody great.
Ideal for beef suadero tacos so unctuous they border on the erotic…
Tacos Padre, a stall inside Borough Market slinging out some truly superb tacos, is the second most recent opening on our list, but one which has felt right at home in this corner of London right from the off.
Chef Nick Fitzgerald has some serious credentials within the world of Mexican food; he’s previously worked at Mexico City’s Pujol, consistently named the best Mexican restaurant in the world, as well as London’s excellent Breddos Tacos.
At Padre, the tortillas are made fresh daily – a must if you’re to call yourself the ‘daddy’ – with tacos generously adorned with slow-braised, super-unctuous meaty fillings (or should that be ‘toppings’? Who knows).
Yep, it really is all about the meat here, with the beef suadero spun through with aged beef fat bringing so much mouthfeel it’s a vaguely erotic experience. The pork cochinita is similarly arousing.
Though it’s a largely stand-and-lean affair at lunchtimes, with a reduced ‘taqueria’ style menu holding people upright, in the evening Tacos Padre spreads its wings a little, with tables set up outside the stall and a fuller spread on offer. Whichever time you choose to rock up, you will be fed very well here.
Ideal for globally-influenced Mexican food that throws authenticity out the window…
Like many of the best (relatively) recent restaurant openings in London (think Som Saa, Bao….) Breddos started out small and temporary; a makeshift taco shack with residencies and pop-ups across the capital that soon turned into something much bigger.
Now there’s several of them – the original in Clerkenwell, one in Liverpool, and one in Manchester, all charming in their own way.
Design by IDEAL image via Breddos Tacos website
Though the owners have travelled through Mexico extensively and been influenced by the many roadside taquerias and traditional restaurants found along the way, authenticity isn’t exactly on the menu here, but it’s a meaningless descriptor at the best of times, so let’s instead just embrace the deliciousness, hey? Expect makrut lime, seaweed and caviar rubbing shoulders with the usual suspects on an eclectic line up of always tasty grub.
Ideal for grasshopper-topped guacamole in London Bridge’s liveliest dining room…
There’s been plenty of discourse in recent months about the state of Mexican food in the UK, made all the more fervent by a poorly-pitched episode of Great British Bake Off ‘celebrating’ the country’s cuisine.
But to be dismissive of the standard of Mexican restaurants here would be to do a disservice to Santo Remedio, a boisterous, beautiful place to enjoy some of the best food in the vicinity of London Bridge Station.
Design by IDEAL image via Santo Remedio Instagram
The first thing that hits you when you walk through the door is the noise, in the best possible way, of course. This is a restaurant where big groups congregate, converse animatedly and put away quite a few margaritas; if you ever want to witness the restorative nature of a busy, buzzing restaurant, you should head here, make no mistake.
The food certainly isn’t an afterthought to the atmosphere. The signatures here – a grasshopper topped guacamole, with the insect bringing both crunch and a distinctive, floral citrus hit, and a tempura soft shell crab taco, which is a textural delight – are just that for a reason. But don’t miss the sharing seabass a la Talla (a traditional dish from Acapulco) either, which comes adorned in both red and green salsas, and is delicious as it is eye-catching.
Santo Remedio has another restaurant in Shoreditch and at the weekend, both venues offer a popular bottomless brunch, which sees margaritas, wine, beer and cava freely flowing for ninety minutes, All you have to do is order a dish or two off the menu. Go on then, you’ve twisted our arm…
Address: 152 Tooley St, London SE1 2TU, United Kingdom
Ideal for working through a ridiculously long tequila list while the night slips away…
Hailed as ‘one of London’s best nights out’, La Bodega Negra is a mix between underground speakeasy restaurant and tequila bar. And what a perfect combination that has turned out to be. The menu offers the usual suspects; tacos and tostados, but anything off the grill is particularly good.
While the food is excellent, it’s mostly the atmosphere we come here for. The tequila and mezcal list is ridiculously long, and a night attempting to get through it is a righteous, riotous night indeed.
Ideal for a Mexican fiesta overlooking Chelsea’s cactus gardens…
Step into Chelsea’s Mezcalito, with its sombreros swinging from the ceiling, Day of the Dead-adorned tumblers, and thrusting King’s Road clientele, and you might be forgiven for thinking that you were here for a good time, not for a delicious one.
But to make that assumption would be to underestimate the fine Mexican food being served here, which, at its best, is as vital as the Tulum-inspired terrace during a MIC Christmas party.
The sea bass ceviche is a case in point. Pitch perfect in its balance of salt and lime, the thin slices of fish are taut and dynamic, revealing that they’ve been dressed only minutes before serving, as it should be.
On the opposite end of the scale but equally telling of the busy work going in the kitchen, we’re told that the restaurant’s empanadas are all baked to order, and will take 20 minutes accordingly. They arrive pert and plump, with a chalky pastry that only the best empanadas possess, and a shredded chicken and chimichurri filling that’s generous to a fault, but quite delicious.
Best of all are the signature brisket barbacoa quesadillas, which hit the table as a stack of four positively heaving with spiced, shredded beef and the kind of oozing, hotter-than-the-sun cheese that should carry a health warning. Superb.
For a place overtly determined to have you stumbling back out into Chelsea in full song, the cocktails – named after reggaeton chart-toppers – are, unsurprisingly, a hit, too. The Titi me Pregunto, with its assertive mix of Codigo Blanco tequila, chilli and lime, was the pick of the bunch for us, but that might be because we’re a little bit in love with Bad Bunny.
For something more straightforward, choose from the restaurant’s selection of over 450 mezcals (one of the largest collections in Europe), or let them do it for you, with a three glass flight of the good stuff, starting at £25 per person.
Either way, enjoy those drinks looking out over the dense cactus selection in the neighbouring Chelsea Gardener plant centre, and you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked away somewhere altogether more tropical.
Pull into Deptford station, and you immediately get the sense that this is a fine place to be fed. You’ll get the smell of fresh fish from the string of fishmongers along the High Street, “second only to Billingsgate” in the words of one local blogger. You’ll see the smoke signals wafting from the jerk pans of Deptford Market Yard. You’ll sense the palpable hunger in your fellow passengers who are pitching up in Deptford today for the same reason you are; to eat.
Once a dockyard of significant importance during the reign of Henry VIII, Deptford has long been a place of comings and goings, its identity continuously shaped by the ebb and flow of people and cultures even before the opening of the Deptford Station on the London and Greenwich Railway in 1836, which heralded a new era of connectivity, making it the oldest railway station in London.
This development paved the way for waves of migration that have enriched the area with a kaleidoscope of cultures and cuisines. Today, Deptford’s food scene is a reflection of its ethnic diversity, with its various communities contributing to the local palate in myriad, delicious ways.
The opening of the overground train line in 2009 marked a new chapter in Deptford’s story. This vital link to the rest of London has not only made the area more accessible but has also played a pivotal role in its growth. Regenerated but fortunately perhaps not quite yet gentrified, this modern connectivity has fostered a burgeoning food scene where the area’s historic comings and goings mingle with contemporary gastronomy and budding entrepreneurism.
Not to be overshadowed by neighbour Peckham’s much hyped dining scene, Deptford has been making some serious statements recently, with the area pushing the envelope with a string of delicious restaurant openings. With all that in mind, here are the best places to eat in Deptford.
Jerk Yard
Ideal for jerk chicken in a convivial, communal space…
If you’re the kind of person who needs a bite where they alight, then you’ll be pleased to hear that just seconds from Deptford Station you’ll find Deptford Market Yard, its 14 arches occupied by independent traders selling plenty of delicious bits, and the adjacent yard a buzzing, sociable space to settle into.
Under those arches, Jerk Yard does a range of takeaway boxes and wraps for a little over a tenner, mainly centred around their properly smoky, damn delicious chicken legs, all blistered and burnished from the grill and finished with a viscous, piquant jerk sauce. Get it over rice and peas, as a wrap, or in a sandwich. A side of sweet fried plantain soothes those spicier notes.
Though there are only a couple of tables belonging to Jerk Yard out front, there are plenty of communal benches in this lively, thriving space.
Jerk Yard is open daily from 10am to 10pm, with slightly shortened hours on Sundays.
Ideal for trying one of the best lamb birria of your life…
Also tucked away in the arches, you can’t miss Taca Tacos, its yellow and purple neon sign illuminating the Market Yard and drawing the punters in. They’re all here for one thing; the signature beef birria.
Here, a quesataco (a folded, grilled taco with melted cheese) is filled with slow-cooked, gently spiced beef, its caramelised edges calling to mind those gorgeous, bubbling parts that your cheese toastie leaves behind in the Breville. Served alongside for dipping is an intensely salty, gelatinous beef broth, spiked with chilli and lime. What a dish this is.
With long communal tables outfront available on a walk-in only basis, you might have to wait a little during peak times, but the food comes out fast, so why not pitch up at one of the adjacent bars and luxuriate in the whole Deptford Market Yard experience?
Tacas Tacos is closed on Mondays, open in the evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, open for lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and open for lunch only on Sundays.
Such is the demand for Taca’s birria that founder Thorne Addyman opened a second, larger site on Peckham’s Rye Lane in 2023, complete with a full bar and beer garden. The Deptford original remains the one to visit, though – smaller, scrappier, and still turning out some of the best birria in south London.
It might feel perverse to be enjoying a finely tuned, expertly executed izakaya meal whilst basking in the sunshine and glow of Deptford Market Yard’s alfresco conviviality, but Kekaki is not ordinary izakaya.
The restaurant, run by the talented chef Ping, a Vietnam War refugee who has since set up shop in Deptford, offers a light, bright and breezy Japanese culinary concept far removed from the grungy backstreet dive bars of Tokyo traditionally associated with the izakaya dining experience.
And what a joy it is to be catching some rays in anticipation of a procession of gnarly, blistered bits and deep fried delights. Onwards, then, and into some teeth-shatteringly crisp chicken karaage. And how about a plate of yaki sakana alongside – here, bream that’s just the right side of bitterness from the binchotan, and blessed only with a few flakes of sea salt? Don’t mind if we do. Plenty of yakitori skewers and some ethereally light seasonal vegetable tempura are pretty much obligatory too, regardless of whether you decide to bill them as side dishes or the main event.
None of this gets in the least bit cloying. Indeed, there’s plenty of flair on display on the rectangle plates here, with chef Ping’s stints at globally renowned Nobu and the much-maligned Sexy Fish in Miami and London respectively coming through. He brings a few touches of each to Deptford, whether it’s in the Nobu-inspired jalapeno spiked kewpie mayo that appears dotted across several dishes, or the tight, taut tuna maki rolls that are something of a signature on Berkeley Square.
It’s light, glorious stuff that feels just right in the summer sun. A chilled glass of sake or a refreshing highball seals the deal.
Matt Klose and Sam Soan have been feeding South East London through their catering company for years, but since taking over the kitchen at 209 Deptford High Street (formerly Winemakers) in 2019, they’ve given the area’s residents a permanent space to experience their cooking. The restaurant, split between a zinc-topped bar area up front and a dining room painted in deep teal at the back, feels like the kind of place locals come to multiple times a week, and there’s a convivial atmosphere bouncing around the room as a result.
The weekly-changing menu leans Mediterranean, with small plates and larger sharing dishes built around what’s good right now. Their chickpea panisse has become something of a calling card since the Winemakers days – bronzed, crunchy cubes of chickpea paste with a blizzard of grated Grana Padano and fermented chilli sauce that disappears from plates faster than seems physically possible. Cantabrian anchovies come glistening and salty, the kind that need nothing but good bread and a glass of something cold.
Not perhaps; they definitely benefit from something cold, and the largely low-intervention, biodynamic wine list delivers. The Muscadet cuts through the richer dishes beautifully, whilst the Gruner Veltliner brings some Austrian crispness to proceedings (both are available by the glass for under a tenner). The latter paired beautifully with a recent autumn menu addition of burrata with shaved fennel, fragola grapes and crisp, pleasingly bitter raddicchio.
It’s not all dainty and delicate. When it comes to the bigger plates, the barberry and pistachio stuffed lamb belly (the most expensive single plate on the menu at £27) keeps things simple and does it with a breezy confidence that’s endearing. The lamb gets a robust char that suits this gnarlier cut so well, and its accompanying harissa is a well made, not-too-vinegary version of the now ubiquitous, oft-murdered sauce. There’s usually a vegetarian main too – fried polenta with Taleggio, pumpkin, chestnut and sage wowed a plant-leaning dining companion on a recent visit. All in all, it’s all good at this Deptford High Street favourite.
In early 2026, the restaurant introduced a weekly Thursday steak night – the signature onglet with frites and a glass of wine for £25 – alongside a monthly wine club in collaboration with local importers Wines Under The Bonnet. It’s a sign of a kitchen and team settling deeper into Deptford’s fabric.
Klose & Soan opens Thursday through Saturday for dinner, though it’s worth checking their website for any changes or special opening times.
Cafe Mama Pho is a beacon of warmth on a dreary London day. Or, it’s a revitalising place to rehydrate on a bowl of electrolyte-filled soup on a particularly balmy day in the capital. Choose your poison…
…not that we’re saying the pho here is virulent. Anything but; the chicken pho here, in particular, is a vital, restorative bowl that will transport you right to the ngõs of Hanoi, minus the soundtrack of incessant motorbike beeping. All gentle aniseed notes and a graceful silkiness from the poached, skin-on chicken thighs, it’s one of our favourite bowls of pho in London. The pho tai (a version using raw slices of beef that cook gently in the broth) is excellent too. So much so, in fact, that we’ve written all about it here.
Ideal for a flavour of crowdpleasing Vietnamese classics…
Deptford is arguably the epicentre of some of the most downright delicious Vietnamese food in the country, with historic migration from Vietnam to this corner of south east London beginning in the early 1980s and continuing to this day.
Perhaps our favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Deptford is Eat Vietnam, a family run joint with a keen sense of community, a killer menu of crowdpleasers, and a thriving, throbbing atmosphere every night of the week (11:30am to 3pm, and 5pm to 10:30pm, every day).
Whilst the beef pho here is some of the best we’ve had in the city, the national dish certainly isn’t the only showstopper on this extensive, country-spanning menu. Perhaps even better is the bun bo hue – a spicy rice noodle soup from Vietnam’s imperial city and former capital. Inside that gorgeous chilli-spiked broth, you’ll find various pork and beef bones and bits bobbing about. Raise one to your mouth as elegantly as possible and have a gnaw. As with all the best versions of this cracking dish, the unmistakable thrum of shrimp paste is ever present. It’s fortifying stuff.
For something lighter, Eat Vietnam does a fine selection of banh mi, too. And if you need any further reason to visit, the restaurant donates 10% of its tips to charities in Vietnam.
The restaurant’s popularity has long since outgrown its modest dining room. Eat Vietnam 2, a walk-in sister venue at 244 Evelyn Street (just a few doors down) now handles the overflow, serving an identical menu to the same exacting standard.
Another gem on Deptford High Street, Chaconia is just theticket if you’re looking for freshly slapped Trini roti, richly spiced curry goat, and a warm welcome from the owner and chef. It’s a no-frills spot that delivers big on flavour and hospitality.
It’s also a superb place for vegetarians to eat really well in Deptford, with the roti flakey and moreish, and the spinach and pumpkin chana gorgeously spiced. Do not miss out on a side order of the bracing kuchela, a spicy pickle-cum-relish that is a fantastic foil to the heady, rich dry-spicing on that chana.
Again, whilst primarily a takeaway operation, there are three four-tops in the barebones restaurant if you fancy a sitdown.
Buster Mantis is one of Deptford’s most famous hospitality spaces, a bar, restaurant and nightclub that gets busy late with those looking to dine and dance, equally.
Named after Sir Alexander Bustamante, Jamaica’s first prime minister, Buster Mantis is more than just a restaurant; it’s a creative space that reflects McGowan’s own experiences growing up in Mandeville, Jamaica.
Ackee and saltfish, boneless jerk chicken thigh, and fried plantain are among the classic Jamaican staples available, while dishes like red kidney bean and thyme hummus or jerk jackfruit roti wrap cater to those seeking a modern twist on traditional flavours. On that note, the ‘Jamaican Sunday Roast’ here is a real treat. McGowan’s mother, Janet, is credited with the creation of each dish, ensuring that the food served is not only delicious but also steeped in genuine Jamaican culinary tradition.
Buster Mantis is not just about the food; it’s also a place where the drinks menu tells a story. Cocktails inspired by life in Mandeville, such as the Bishop Gibson and the Cecil Charlton, offer patrons a taste of McGowan’s Jamaican childhood in boozy form.
In an ever-evolving Deptford, Buster Mantis bridges the gap between old and new Deptford, attracting a diverse range of customers in love with the place’s faithful approach to Jamaican cuisine and culture.
Ideal for Caribbean takeaway that keeps the locals queuing…
There’s almost always a queue outside Likkle ‘d’ on Deptford High Street, which makes sense once you’ve eaten here. Behind the counter, the open kitchen boxes up orders at speed, turning out jerk chicken, curry goat and fried chicken for a steady stream of regulars who clearly know what they’re coming for.
The jerk chicken doesn’t rely on heavy smoke for flavour. Instead, it’s cooked until beautifully tender whilst staying moist, which is harder to achieve than it sounds. Their fried chicken comes with a thick, well-seasoned crust that suggests care rather than speed. Both are standouts.
Despite the name suggesting otherwise, portions here are generous and the pricing won’t sting. Barbecue chicken, oxtail, curry goat, mac and cheese, and rice and peas are all available, with their house sweet sauce worth adding. Homemade punches – Guinness or Magnum – sits in the fridge alongside the usual Tropical Rhythm and Supermalt – the former pack and punch.
The setup is simple: order at the counter, collect your box, then either head out or grab a seat if you’re staying. Most people seem to be regulars, which speaks to the consistency. Likkle may be in the name, but there’s nothing small about the appeal here.
Likkle ‘d’ is open 11am to 9pm every day except Sunday, when they take a well-earned break.
Ideal for simple, elegant Italian cooking at an affordable pricepoint…
We end our tour of the best places to eat in Deptford at Marcella, an elegant Italian restaurant on the high street whose approach is all about quality seasonal ingredients cooked with a simple, respectful touch.
Named after the matriarch of modern Italian cuisine, Marcella Hazan, the restaurant is the second act from the guys behind the beloved Artusi in Peckham. Here, the proposition is the same, from the clinical, canteen-like dining room all the way to the laughably good value Sunday set menu, which is just £29 for three courses.
That sense of sparsity extends to the ever changing menu, where you’ll find just three starters, a couple of pasta dishes, three mains, and a couple of desserts. That’s not to say that the plates aren’t generous. On a recent visit, a starter of blushing mutton chop and winter tomato salad was a knockout, as was a pumpkin ravioli with sage butter (available in small or large for £9 or £17, respectively). In early summer, there are few plates better in London than Marcella’s spaghetti alle vongole. Not long now!
For many, that would be a more than satisfying spread, but the bigger plates (only available in the evenings) are hard to resist here. Arriving fully formed and roundly conceived, rather than a single protein in need of several supplementary sides, these are hearty, well-balanced mains. A case in point was a recent plate of cod loin, baked until pearlescent and flaking, and served with a nutty Jerusalem artichoke puree and strident salsa verde. Each component brought the best out of its plate-fellow, which made finishing this one much easier than it should have been after the two pasta courses that preceded it!
Bottles from the all-Italian winelist start at £29, though there are several available by the glass too.
Deptford’s dining scene is a testament to London’s and the area’s culinary diversity, offering something for every palate. Whether you’re craving a hearty British classic or a true taste of Jamaica, these spots are sure to satisfy your hunger and leave you planning your next visit.
Without wishing to sound too dismissive of an industry that’s clearly on its valedictory meal, reviews of post-COVID restaurant openings in the UK have been remarkably concentrated in recent times, with critics alighting at Farringdon Station with impressively predictable regularity.
Bouchon Racine, Brutto, Morchella and Cloth have all graced the pages (‘touched the cloth’?) of virtually every national newspaper in recent times — a convergence that has only served to prove what London’s culinary cognoscenti already knew: that Farringdon is now the epicentre of the capital’s food scene.
As you emerge blinking from the bowels of the station, you might wonder why. Farringdon, on first inspection, isn’t up to much, more well known for its transport links and office blocks than its restaurants. But scratch the surface just a little and you’ll find a series of places that are casually, quietly, of the highest quality. Admittedly, they’re all singing from the same chalkboard, so to speak, but the tone remains harmonious.
Whether you’re after a leisurely business lunch, a pre-train pit stop, or a destination dinner worthy of advance booking (that’s if you can get a reservation at all), the patchwork of Farringdon, Clerkenwell and Smithfield is where it’s at for a good feed. With that in mind, here are the best restaurants near Farringdon.
Quality Wines, Farringdon Road
Ideal for small plates and stellar wines in an intimate setting…
What began as a wine shop attached to Quality Chop House (more of those guys in a bit) has evolved into one of Farringdon’s most cherished places to eat; an intimate restaurant with a weekly-changing blackboard menu that defies easy categorisation.
Sure, the wine merchant aspect still remains, but punters are now more likely to be pitching up for a taste of chef Nick Bramham’s absurdly satisfying cooking than they are a bespoke bottle to go. Indeed, from a tiny open kitchen, the chef defies the conventional restaurant approach to the most gratifying ends.
His Mediterranean-inspired plates, increasingly leaning Greek rather than French, Spanish or Italian – appear deceptively simple but reveal a profound understanding of flavour and produce – think white asparagus vinaigrette that sings with seasonal freshness, or braised pork belly with cime de rapa and salsa verde that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Occasionally, a whole crispy pig’s head will appear on the menu, a result of that pork dish having, you know, a body beyond the belly. If so, order it.
There’s an intelligence to the cooking that feels liberated from kitchen dogma, producing food that’s both deeply considered and utterly approachable. No unnecessary flourishes, no cheffy ego – just perfectly judged dishes. Their famous gildas are alone worth a visit, but it would be madness to stop there.
For lunchtime value, the Express Lunch is hard to beat. The current iteration is a mortadella and butter panino; a butter-fried milk bun sandwiching layer upon layer of cured pork and salted butter, with a glass of Lambrusco for £15. It’s stunning.
The offering rotates, though, and has previously featured veal and pork meatballs done in the Italian American style, red sauce piled on top of spaghetti, accompanied by a glass of wine, beer or soft drink. Whichever version you catch, it might just be the best deal in central London. Or, come to think of it, the country. It’s served from midday through to 2:15. There’s also a broader set lunch menu, priced at £27 for three courses, that changes weekly and is well worth a look.
Don’t sleep on the other sandwiches, either. Bramham is a connoisseur of the well-judged sarnie, and at Quality Wines they appear seasonally and sell out fast, giving them a real air of exclusivity which is partly genius marketing, but partly borne of the necessity of a truly small kitchen space.
The lobster roll, in which steamed lobster meat is served pleasingly chunky, bound together by a piquant champagne mayonnaise and served in a milk roll, is legendary (at least among the folk I follow on Insta). Only 20 are served a night, with that number diminishing fast as diners order a second after a single bite of their first. They’re that good.
The wine selection, curated by Marcos Spyrou and Darragh Monnin, balances established producers with exciting newcomers, focusing on smaller, sustainable vineyards. Bottles line the walls from floor to ceiling, candles flicker and cast shadows on intimate corners, all creating an atmosphere that feels both special and casual simultaneously. Staff share their knowledge with genuine enthusiasm rather than snobbery, happy to guide you to something new or pour a taste if you’re unsure.
That theme continues if you’re perched at the counter looking over the open kitchen. We’ve come away from several meals here with photos and screenshots of the restaurant’s recipe folder (caponata, portokalopita, their pastis butter) provided by Bramham. Needless to say, we’ve never quite done them justice at home.
Despite its growing reputation among those in the know, Quality Wines maintains a disarming lack of pretension, feeling more like a friend’s living room than a hotspot restaurant. It’s one of Farringdon’s – and London’s – very best restaurants.
Ideal for nose-to-tail British cuisine and the famous bone marrow salad…
The stark white dining room of St. John, housed in a former smokehouse near Smithfield Market, speaks volumes about its philosophy even if you didn’t know the history and ethos of this storied restaurant – here, it’s all about the food.
Their emblematic bone marrow and parsley salad – a hunk of roasted marrow with sourdough toast, a parsley salad and, that’s about it – remains a pilgrimage-worthy dish, but from a crowd pleasing menu, it’s certainly not the only highlight. The daily-changing menu features everything from devilled kidneys to seasonal game, with each dish showcasing Henderson’s uncanny ability to coax extraordinary flavour from seemingly ordinary, often forgotten ingredients.
One of the best dishes we’ve had here in recent times was also, perhaps, the most simple; slices of pig tongue that had been brined then braised, served sliced thick with a spiced chutney of Bramley apple, the fruit chosen for its assertive tartness. A wise choice, indeed. Perhaps even better was the deep-fried tripe, arriving like little sheets of honeycomb that had been taken a touch too far, all bronzed and crunchy, bitter and funky. Apparently, they come from the only offal stall left at nearby Smithfield Market – long may that stall remain open.
Anyway, if you don’t end with the madeleines served warmed from the oven – allow for 15 minutes – then you should hang your head in shame as you exit. Or, were you just bowing gently as a sign of respect for a gastronomic institution?
Come back inside and have a drink before you go. The exclusively French wine list includes their own label wines by the glass (£8.75), poured by staff who know their stuff. Just prepare yourself for the notoriously challenging acoustics – this might be one of the loudest fine dining experiences in town, but that seems a small price to pay for what many consider the world’s most influential restaurant of the past three decades.
Ideal for unpretentious, hearty French cuisine that transports you to Lyon…
Chef Henry Harris knows a thing or two about gutsy, hearty, balls-to-the-rose-blush-wall French bistros, having earned his reputation at Knightsbridge’s Bibendum and later at his own acclaimed Racine in South Kensington.
After several years away from the London restaurant scene, his return with Bouchon Racine in 2022 was greeted with enthusiasm by those who had missed showing off their exquisite, unpretentious taste via his perfectly judged Gallic cooking.
To be fair, it showed up fully formed in Farringdon, perched above The Three Compasses pub, with Harris recreating a slice of Lyon with an air of authenticity that comes from decades of myopic dedication to French culinary traditions.
The daily-changing blackboard menu showcases Harris’s talents to the full in a boisterous room that encourages lingering and, frankly, more boozing – perhaps over cured ham from heritage breed black pigs, a perfectly executed grilled veal chop with roquefort butter, or rabbit in mustard sauce. Whichever way you play it, you’ll find a celebration of French bouchon classics without unnecessary ‘elevation’ or ‘refinement’, focusing instead on quality ingredients and precise technique.
Like many restaurants in the area sharing proximity to Smithfield, nose-to-tail is alive and well at Bouchon Racine. You’ll sometimes find suckling pig on the menu, or Rognonde veau sauce Madère – a simple dish of veal kidney, Madeira cream sauce and pomme puree. Don’t miss their country pork pâté either, a technically precise but simultaneously rugged piece of work. Ground pigs liver and belly are dotted with little cubes of fat, giving way to a gorgeous juicy texture and a rough mosaic pattern in each slice.
Wines here are exclusively French, thoughtfully selected to match the food, with plenty available by the glass for under a tenner. In a dining landscape increasingly dominated by restaurant groups and corporations, Bouchon Racine feels refreshingly independent – a passion project from a chef who understands that sometimes, the old ways are the best ways.
Ideal for sophisticated ‘Britalian’ cuisine in one of London’s most beautiful dining rooms…
Luca’s elegant green-fronted exterior on St John Street sets the tone for what awaits inside – a world of understated luxury with copper-topped bars, bottle-green banquettes and a stunning courtyard that transports you straight to the rarefied climes of Lombardy.
This Michelin-starred restaurant from the team behind The Clove Club (Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith, and chef Isaac McHale) has mastered what they – and, to be fair, lots of other folk, increasingly – call ‘Britalian’ cooking. That is, British produce prepared with Italian techniques. At Luca, under the day-to-day guidance of head chef Robert Chambers, the kitchen turns out consistently refined yet approachable dishes that have earned the restaurant its stellar reputation.
Their legendary Parmesan fries – crisp, salty morsels that have developed a cult following – are the perfect way to start your meal. Follow with another mainstay dish and menu stand-out; Roast orkney scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and ‘nduja, before getting into the exemplary, oh-so satisfying pasta. Both Cornish crab linguine and agnolotti with rich game ragu have hit the spot recently.
Whichever way you play it, you’ll find a menu that’s highly seasonal, shifting with the calendar to showcase the finest ingredients at their peak. Come autumn, the kitchen goes truffle crazy with a dedicated white truffle menu featuring creative dishes like steamed white alba truffle and honey sponge pudding with mascarpone custard. Late winter into spring brings delicate plates of cured brill with radishes, blood orange, wild garlic and cedro, and as spring fully arrives, you’ll find Hebridean lamb accompanied by spiky artichoke, bagna cauda, pine nuts and puntarelle. The latter dish is just around the corner, we hope.
The primarily Italian wine list offers interesting diversions for the adventurous, with staff eager to guide you through the selections (I guess they would be, when the cheapest bottle is £65, a 2024 Lugana Ca’Lojera, no less). Luca’s not cheap, it’s fair to say. At £200 or so per person for the full experience, Luca is positively, prohibitively expensive, but the cooking’s unwavering commitment to quality somewhat justifies the price tag.
And if you can’t quite justify it, there is a cheaper set ‘bar express menu’, which sees two courses priced at £32, three at £38. Indeed, the different pockets of space within the restaurant offer a diversity of atmosphere – from that more casual bar area at the front to the intimate dining room at the back – making Luca suitable for numerous occasions, from important client dinners to romantic celebrations.
Ideal for an intimate omakase experience that rivals Tokyo’s finest…
Securing a seat at Sushi Tetsu requires military-grade planning and lightning-fast reflexes – bookings are released only at specific times and vanish within minutes, giving the Glasto T-dayers F5-related PTSD. Fuck that’s an ugly participle clause…
Anyway, this seven-seat sushi counter, deep down a tight Clerkenwell alley that feels so appropriate for the relative size of the operation, rewards the persistent with an omakase experience that rivals Tokyo’s finest. Or, that level just below Tokyo’s finest; ‘Tokyo’s second finest-tier’? Nah…
Chef Toru Takahashi crafts each piece moments before it reaches your plate, applying a precise amount of wasabi or soy to perfectly aged fish atop warm, seasoned rice. There’s no menu as such – just a progression of nigiri and sashimi, each more exquisite than the last, served directly across the counter by the chef himself.
The tiny space means you get to watch Takahashi-san’s masterful knife skills up close, as well as counting the eyelashes of your neighbouring diner (don’t do that, that’d be weird). His wife Harumi oversees the dining room with graceful efficiency, ensuring water glasses are never empty and sake cups are always full.
At around £190 for the full omakase and three hours of your time, this is special occasion territory (though not the kind of special occasion where you wear your best perfume, we should caution), but the craftsmanship, quality of ingredients and personal attention make it worth every penny. Saturday lunchtimes offer a slightly reduced price of £167, if that helps soften the blow.
Ideal for an otherworldly atmosphere and creative seasonal cooking…
Sessions Arts Club feels like stumbling upon a secret you can’t wait to share. That is, if the restaurant hadn’t been reviewed extensively just as COVID restrictions were lifting and people were absolutely delirious on the idea of escapism.
To be fair, it is a gorgeous dining room. Entering through a curtained doorway and ascending in a rickety brass lift, you emerge into a vast, soaring space with distressed walls, moody lighting and an undeniable sense of faded grandeur. No wonder it was so intoxicating as an antidote to months of being locked down.
Things have changed a little since then, with chef Florence Knight – the heart and soul of the operation – moving on and former sous chef Abigail Hill stepping up. A spare, seasonal sensibility remains, with uncomplicated but thoughtful plates taking influence from British, French and Italian traditions. Asparagus with a pool of re-emulsified brown butter might share a table with a butterflied red mullet and a sauce of its liver, each dish showing restraint and a deep understanding of flavour. Indeed, the kitchen has a natural affinity with seafood – the fish dishes are always worth exploring, though it’s a damn shame the squid, tomato and calamarata dish is no longer on the menu. Desserts, too, are fabulous.
Red mullet, violino & crabAsparagus and brown butter Mussel, potato & saffron
A glass of champagne on the delightful rooftop terrace is the perfect prelude to dinner on warmer days. The wine list leans towards low-intervention bottles, while the cocktail menu offers creative mixes that complement the food beautifully. Ours is a melon martini, if you’re asking.
Despite its rapid ascent to ‘hot ticket’ status, Sessions Arts Club maintains an uncomplicated approach to hospitality – service is relaxed and graceful, and the overall vibe is one of effortless cool rather than studied trendiness. It’s not cheap, but the combination of breath-taking setting and accomplished cooking will give you a meal that lingers longer in the memory than the time it takes to pay off your credit card.
Ideal for quintessentially British cooking and those legendary confit potatoes…
The original Grade II-listed dining room of Quality Chop House, with its uncomfortable-looking wooden pews (not just ‘looking’, come to think of it), has been serving Londoners since 1869. The current iteration, under the stewardship of Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s Woodhead Restaurant Group since 2012, brilliantly balances heritage with modernity, creating a restaurant that feels both timeless and contemporary. Head chef Shaun Searley has been at the stoves here for almost as long – an unusual longevity in the restaurant world that shows in the kitchen’s consistent excellence.
Let’s talk about the legendary confit potatoes first – thinly sliced layers, compressed, confit, then deep-fried to create something simultaneously crisp, tender and utterly addictive. These alone have achieved a kind of cut-through cult status among London’s food lovers – not only on TikTok and Insta, but also in the broadsheets – in a way few other dishes have.
Beyond the potatoes, expect – unsurprisingly – impeccably sourced meat from ‘butcher to chef to plate’ (they have their own in-house butcher), whether that’s an Aberdeen Angus bone-in ribeye or a Barnsley chop, the latter a perennially under-rated but prime cut of lamb and a go-to tip from the waiters.
The menu changes daily based on what’s been delivered that morning, reflecting a genuine commitment to seasonality rather than lip service to the concept. And, reassuringly, it’s not only about the meat here – these guys have a wicked way with fish, too. A recent dish of skate wing was served, rather unconventionally, with a chicken and tarragon peppercorn sauce that was wonderful. The weekday set lunch menu remains an absolute steal, with three courses clocking in at £29.
It’s in the snack section where things get inventive. The Brixham turbot head has steadily become a house favourite, and for good reason; the varying textures reveal themselves as you explore: supple flesh around the jaw gives way to substantial meat in the cheeks. That would be reward enough, but the liberal dousing of house-made Szechuan sauce – a thoughtful blend of reduced jus, fresh ginger, garlic, and aromatic Sichuan peppercorns – makes things truly compelling.
QCH exemplifies how traditional British dining can be given a gently contemporary touch without losing its soul – comforting, expertly executed dishes that know, first and foremost, that you’re here to be fed. You might want to bring your own blow-up cushion in your hand bag, though…
Ideal for creative small plates and an atmospheric historic setting…
Down an alleyway in a row of houses that survived the Great Fire of London sits Cloth, a wine-led restaurant that has quickly become a local favourite since opening in the spring of 2024. The space – previously Betjeman’s Wine Bar, named for the poet who lived upstairs – combines historical charm with contemporary comfort.
Wine specialists Joe Haynes and Benedict Butterworth have teamed up with former Lasdun head chef Tom Hurst to create a dining experience that feels laid back enough for a long, languid and liquid-y lunch with a pal, and intimate enough for a dinner with a lover. The acoustics suit both – raucous and hushed sound equally good here.
Seasonal small plates form the core of the menu – pig’s head croquettes with apricot ketchup, delicate cappelletti with ricotta and pecorino, or Cornish pollack with Tokyo turnips. The cooking demonstrates precision without preciousness, allowing the quality of ingredients to shine through. We think we might have said that about every place on this list so far, bar Sushi Tetsu – and who said London’s dining scene was homogenising into one, tedious Britalian wine bar?
Speaking of wine, the list at Cloth reflects the owners’ background, focusing on small producers with a whole separate menu dedicated to by-the-glass options. The 40 page list proper is impressively broad, with carefully chosen bottles from across Europe – from crisp Grüner Veltliners from Austria’s Wagram to aged Barbarescos from Piedmont, and everything in between. Their Champagne selection leans toward smaller grower-producers rather than big houses, while the lengthy Burgundy section reveals the owners’ particular passion.
Those looking to splurge can find rare treasures like 1991 DRC Romanée-St-Vivant, while more modest budgets are well-served with interesting options under £60 (yes, we realise that’s still a lot).
Ideal for the legendary steak sandwich and pioneering gastropub vibes…
When The Eagle opened in its current form in 1991, it changed the London food scene forever, pioneering the modern gastropub concept that aimed to ‘elevate’ pub dining while maintaining an authentic pub atmosphere. Three decades later, this high-ceilinged corner room with its open kitchen, mismatched furniture and relaxed vibe continues to demonstrate why the original is often the best.
It’s a humble steak sandwich that made The Eagle famous. And for good reason – flash-fried onglet steak soaks into a ciabatta roll with a little layer of lettuce, onions and hot sauce, and it’s perfectly executed time after time. The daily-changing menu, chalked on the blackboard above the bar, might include Spanish and Portuguese-influenced dishes alongside British classics, all prepared in the open kitchen in full view of the punters and pint-ers.
Napoli sausages also make a frequent appearance on the menu – whether served with with spiced tomato and lentils, or sprawled over butter beans. The kitchen has a tidy hand at grilling fish, too, often served whole and a simple salsa or salad; it’s got to be one of the most wholesome lunches you can find in the city.
Drinks keep things straightforward with good beers on tap and a concise wine list that complements the robust food. Don’t expect reservations – The Eagle operates a first-come, first-served policy that creates a democratic, egalitarian atmosphere where local office workers rub shoulders with visiting food tourists. Come early or be prepared to wait, especially at lunchtime when the queue can stretch out the door.
Ideal for live jazz and timeless French bistro classics…
A few staggers and stumbles down a cobbled mews off Charterhouse Square, Le Café du Marché has been transporting diners to southern France for over four decades. And then spitting them back out, disappointed to find they’re still in London, it should be added.
This fiercely independent, family-run restaurant defies the capital’s ever-shifting landscape with its unwavering commitment to tradition. The restaurant unfolds across two levels, where exposed brick walls and wooden beams frame white-clothed tables bathed in soft light. As evening descends, live jazz drifts through the space, seasoning everything with a sense of wistful escapism.
The kitchen celebrates provincial French cuisine with reverence rather than reinvention. Soupe de poissons arrives with all the expected accompaniments and absolutely no surprises, coq au vin delivers its deep, comforting complexity and nothing more, and the tarte tatin is just as burnished as it’s meant to be. Each dish speaks to the restaurant’s philosophy: respect the classics, source quality ingredients, and execute them with precision.
There is, of course, French wine, the house 2023 Cuvee Garrigue Languedoc available by the glass for £7 (or bottle for £36) eminently neckable. If your enthusiastic eating of that fish soup doesn’t run the white tablecloth, your increasingly brazen pouring of that house wine will. It’s that kind of convivial place.
Ideal for Mediterranean flair in a grand Victorian setting…
Admittedly, this one doesn’t quite qualify as one of the best restaurants really close to Farringdon, seeing as it’s a 10 minute walk away from the station, but Morchella is too good to miss off this list.
The sophomore venture from the team behind Newington Green’s acclaimed Perilla, this restaurant opened in early 2024 in an imposing former Victorian bank just off Exmouth Market and hit its stride-immediately. Two years later it holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Rather than pledging allegiance to a single Mediterranean nation, the kitchen draws inspiration from the entire sun-drenched coastline. Executive Chef Ben Marks and head chef Daniel Fletcher craft dishes like their celebrated salt cod churros with romesco, delicate spanakopita parcels and mussel pil pil – all must-orders here.
A recent dish of Greek salad with black olive dressing was the true showstopper, though, showcasing the inventiveness of a confident kitchen hitting its stride. Here, your usual Greek salad components are stuffed into a tomato which has been blanched and then blowtorched. A visually striking black olive dressing is then poured over, bringing theatre to the humble salad. Most importantly, it tasted bloody good.
The space impressively retains its architectural heritage, with soaring ceilings and original features now complemented by natural wood finishes and thoughtful design touches like hidden cutlery drawers in each table. A central horseshoe bar embraces the open kitchen, offering counter dining for those who enjoy watching chefs at work. Hey, when they’re this nifty, who doesn’t?
Wine enthusiasts will appreciate co-owner Matthew Emmerson’s exclusively European list, organised helpfully by flavour profile (‘coastal’, ‘classic’ or ‘funky’). A separate walk-in wine bar makes Morchella accessible even without a booking, serving the full snack menu alongside an impressive selection of bottles.
With a ‘chef’s choice’ menu of the restaurant’s signature dishes priced at just £60 per head, the restaurant is great value, particularly in this affluent part of town.
Russell Norman’s final project before his untimely passing stands as perhaps his most complete expression of his deep understanding of what makes a restaurant tick. In the case of Brutto, that alchemy is the ability to create spaces that feel simultaneously brand new and timeless. Now lovingly stewarded by his widow Jules and son Ollie, Trattoria Brutto continues to channel both Norman’s and the Florentine spirit with faithful devotion.
The now-legendary £5 Negronis (a minor miracle in modern London) might initially draw you in, but it’s the immersive environment that compels you to stay. Red gingham tablecloths, sepia-toned photographs, and honey-coloured lighting conspire to transport you directly to Tuscany. The illusion is so complete that you half-expect to see Italian silver screen icons holding court in the corner.
The menu champions Tuscan rusticity with confident simplicity (and, like many of the team’s favourite trattorias, no fish). Coccoli — those pillowy, deep-fried dough clouds served with creamy cheese and paper-thin prosciutto— are just the right bedfellows for that Negroni, the penne alla vodka the version that all others should be judged by.
Next up, and because it’d be rude not to, the bistecca alla Fiorentina arrives with intimidating heft, a perfectly charred exterior that gives way to a perfectly pink (close to blue, quite honestly) interior that showcases the kitchen’s understanding that premium ingredients require restraint. There’s only a handful served each day, chalked off as service progresses, so it’s recommended you order the bistecca when you arrive if that’s the main reason you came. It’s got that pleasingly chewy texture that reveals the faintest of blue cheese notes, a note that’s washed away with another slug of Negroni. Yep, we’re drinking Negroni through this whole meal; the cheapest bottle of red here is £36.
For a taste of Brutto’s beef without the commitment to a whole T-bone, consider the rosbif con patate. On the menu since day one. here slices of beef loin are served rare and beautiful, accompanied by nothing more than some very, very good roast potatoes.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina Rosbif con patateTortellini in brodo
Securing a table requires similar planning and persistence—bookings disappear fortnightly with alarming speed—but the bar’s walk-in policy offers some hope for spontaneous diners. These counter seats might actually be the most coveted in the house, to be fair, offering prime views of the controlled chaos and gorgeous dining room at odds with the name of the restaurant (don’t bother searching on Google – it means ‘ugly’).
This isn’t an approximation of Italy; it’s a corner of Florence somehow transported to EC1. Or, a corner of 50100 transported to Farringdon. Or, a corner of Florence in Farringdon. Or, Farringdon’s own little corner of Florence. Hmm, not sure why we’re suddenly malfunctioning here…
There’s something satisfying about knowing precisely where your food has come from. Not in that vague ‘local and seasonal’ way that’s become standard restaurant PR speak, but actually being able to pinpoint a specific patch of Scottish soil and say, “That’s where my steak was raised.”
At Origin City, a recent addition to Farringdon’s increasingly impressive (and meaty) dining scene, they’ve taken this concept to its logical extreme by owning the bloody farms themselves.
This handsome establishment opposite Smithfield Rotunda Garden is a succinct expression of the Landsberg family’s obsession with provenance – their own heritage breeds (Black Aberdeen Angus, Tamworth pigs, and Texel lamb) are reared on their 600-acre organic farm on the shores of Loch Striven in Argyll, and a dedication to GMO-free, sustainable farming forms the bedrock of the restaurant’s pasture-to-plate philosophy. Talk about vertical integration.
One might be tempted to say all this hard husbandry work is a bit much when you’ve got one of the country’s most famous meat markets just a couple of minutes walk away, but the proof is in the white pudding, and the one at Origin City is excellent.
The dining room has been accused by some of lacking vibes, but on a recent warm Friday evening when we visited there was a good hum about the place. It’s all about Scottish ingredients cooked with French techniques, and there’s something of the Auld Aulliuance about the decor too, with tweed banquettes, burgundy chairs, and flourishes of gold and bronze hinting at a royale elegance. White tablecloths, as is the Smithfield way, feel unapologetic in an era where many have abandoned them.
The walls, some covered in handsome wool (one can only assume shawn from the family’s sheep), help improve acoustics – a thoughtful detail for comfortable conversation. Artwork depicting the family’s Provençal vineyard, Château De La Cômbe, adds a personal touch.
Executive Chef Graham Chatham, with 35 years of experience at esteemed restaurants like Rules and The Langham, has created a menu that celebrates nose-to-tail eating with serious flair. His mantra of ‘great taste, no waste’ is evident throughout the menu, where all meat is butchered in-house, and they make almost everything themselves, from charcuterie to sausages and beyond.
The Black Angus steak tartare with bitter leaves is impeccably prepared – hand chopped and enthusiastically seasoned, just as it should be – while the cold roast hogget with anchovy dressing comes across like a funkier, more farmyardy cousin of the classic Piedmotese vitello tonnato. It’s inspired.
Don’t miss the grilled Scottish langoustines with garlic and herb butter – a signature that alone justifies the journey (theirs and yours). They arrive halved and in a pleasingly chaotic pile, melted butter pooling at the sides and with an old-school half lemon wrapped in muslin, for those who can’t stand to see a pip hit the plate.
Mains are fully formed and gutsy, usually featuring a couple of different cuts from the same beast, one blushing pink and premium, the other turned into a sausage, braise or mini-pie. Sauces boast real clarity of flavour, and are protein-specific rather than something generic and overly reduced. It’s this kind of attention to detail that sets the restaurant apart.
The Sunday roast is a good shout if all your roasting trays need washing up and your mum’s version requires a train ride that you’re not willing to take hungover. The highlight is three gorgeous blushing slabs of Blank Angus topside, a Yorkie so flamboyant you’ll want to wear it as a hat, and a handful of spuds roasted in dripping until golden. True to form, there’s a tangle of sticky braised short rib buried under that Yorkie. It’s great value for just £32.
From the family’s own organic vineyard in Provence, Château De La Cômbe features prominently on the wine list and keeps prices relatively low, in this economy and city. Their ‘grape-to-glass’ approach means you’re getting proper French wines at prices that won’t make your credit card spontaneously combust, with bottles starting from £24 and rarely exceeding £58. Interestingly, all of the signature cocktails use Origin’s own vermouth, a byproduct of the wine from their vineyard.
The service staff performs a delicate dance between formality and friendliness. They’re knowledgeable enough to explain the precise Scottish hillside where your dinner grazed but won’t make you feel like an idiot for asking what hogget actually is. On Sundays, a charming complimentary non-alcoholic Bloody Mary cart sometimes makes the rounds, adding a special touch to the start of your meal but not perhaps dusting off that hangover as much as a boozy one would.
Having earned 2 AA Rosettes last year, Origin City has the makings of a London institution. It’s refreshing to find a restaurant that delivers on the farm-to-table promise without relying on the phrase as a marketing crutch.
Ideal for underground wine discoveries in atmospheric Victorian arches…
…Christ, let’s close with a stiff drink. Descend beneath Holborn Viaduct and discover one of London’s most atmospheric vinous sanctuaries. The Winemakers Club inhabits a labyrinth of 150-year-old arches that feel more cinematic than commercial—raw brick vaults illuminated by flickering candlelight, with bottles commanding every available surface.
While many places attempt to be all things to all people, The Winemakers Club embraces a singular focus: exceptional wines at honest prices in surroundings that could not exist anywhere else in London. The carefully curated selection celebrates vignerons and regions that prioritise quality and integrity over marketing, with staff who share their knowledge with evangelical enthusiasm rather than sommelier pretension.
The food follows this philosophy of deliberate restraint—exceptional cheese and charcuterie boards showcase carefully selected artisanal producers. Provisions supplies the cheese, Cobble Lane Cured provides the charcuterie, and the bread comes from St. John’s Bakery, completing a thoughtful offering that complements rather than competes with the wine. When it’s on the menu don’t miss the raclette toastie, which achieves the perfect complementary balance to a glass of bracing minerality. The emphasis of course remains resolutely on what’s in your glass, allowing the meticulously selected bottles to command centre stage.
Visit during quieter moments and you’ll find no better spot in the area for a date, with the architectural quirks of the space creating natural alcoves for private exchange. When the arches fill with the energy of a busy evening, communal tables foster spontaneous connections between neighbouring wine enthusiasts. Just don’t let the covetous bastards take too big a bite of that toastie. We’ve been there, and the conclusion was unseemly.
Oxford Street, the brash, bustling heart of London’s shopping scene, attracts tens of millions of visitors each year with its impressive array of over 300 shops (299 of which are American candy purveyors) and a whole host of iconic landmarks to boot.
As Europe’s busiest shopping destination, it boasts a daily footfall of around half a million people, outgunning other popular European streets such as Madrid’s Gran Via and Paris’ Champs-Elysées.
Served by four tube stops (the busiest of which is Oxford Circus), 270 buses an hour, and that famously high volume of shoppers – some hungry, many hangry, and more still simply needing a place to rest their weary feet a while – it’s no surprise that diners of all tastes and temerities are catered to here.
And whilst that luxury of options is certainly welcome for many, for others, the paradox of choice can grip as tightly as a parent’s hand as their child steps aimlessly into the path of a big red bus. Fear not, we’re here to guide you, away from the trains and traffic, and into the best restaurants near Oxford Circus, London.
Chishuru, Great Titchfield Street
Ideal for modern West African dining from one of the city’s most celebrated new chefs…
From fish-and-chip cart in Nigeria, to cooking competition winner in Brixton, to a shiny Michelin star in a shiny new establishment just off Oxford Street, it’s been quite the journey for self-taught chef Adejoké Bakare, chef-patron of the modern West African restaurant Chishuru.
The UK’s first black female chef to be awarded a Michelin star, it’s a story of tenacity, sure, but it’s also one of unstoppable, undeniably delicious cooking, a kind of ‘refined’ (for want of a better term) take on West African food that’s anchored in generosity and perfectly judged spicing. You’ll find both in a starter of fermented rice cake, pleasingly spongy and reminiscent of lo bak go, with thick slices of heirloom tomato and a sharp, close-to-fierce chilli and clementine sauce. Gorgeous stuff.
You’ll find it, too, in the crisp yet tender bean fritters, the centre a tacky textural delight. Served with a fermented rhubarb dressing that arrives lurid pink and tastes even more vivid than its colour promises, it’s superb.
Best of all from the current menu, a guinea fowl thigh, its skin blistered and burnished from the grill, is served dusted with smoky yaji spice and an incredible caramelised onion and lemon puree, its layers of heat and pungency coming at you in undulating waves, the sweetness of the onion soothing things just enough to keep you coming back for more.
Right now, that menu (it’s a set, no-choice affair with a vegetarian alternative) will set you back £55 at lunch and, for a longer version, £105 in the evening. An adjacent wine flight is available for £56, and is definitely worth going for, the complexity of Bakare’s cooking deserves thoughtful drinks pairing.
Only open weekdays, do make sure you book in advance, as Chishuru is quite rightly packed Monday through Friday. Yep, this is, for us, the best place to eat near Oxford Circus. Nab a table while you still can.
Ideal for refined Mexican ‘home cooking’ with a British accent…
Santiago Lastra, the chef behind Michelin-starred KOL, is becoming an increasingly ubiquitous presence, not only at Michelin awards ceremonies and World’s 50 Best galas, but also on the pages of Vogue and Esquire, his chiselled good looks and easy charm making him something of a crossover star even before he won his at KOL.
So, when it was announced in September 2024 that a London follow-up to KOL was on the horizon, and that it was going to be in Mayfair, assumptions (fears?) of something bank balance-busting and fancy af were only natural.
In actuality, Fonda is a slightly more ‘relaxed’ second act, bringing the warmth and conviviality of Mexico’s family-run mom-and-pop spots found across Mexico to a pink-washed corner of Mayfair. The restaurant takes its name from these humble establishments though admittedly, this interpretation is rather more polished than its inspiration might suggest.
The L-shaped dining room, awash in dusky pinks and terracottas, is gorgeous, sure, but also has the textures of a finger nail scratching across a chalkboard, somehow. That said, the woven chairs, handcrafted Mexican art pieces, and a giant agave-crafted monkey presiding over proceedings, certainly bring character. At its heart sits the comal – a traditional clay griddle that serves as both literal and metaphorical hearth of the operation. It’s where to exceptional house tortillas are on forever rotation.
Lastra’s commitment to British ingredients (there’s still no avocado or lime in sight) carries through from KOL, though here it feels more playful than prescriptive. Take the Sikil Pak, a clever take on guacamole that swaps out avocado for a silky mousse of toasted pumpkin seeds and pine oil. Or the Baja fish taco, where Cornish cod gets an umami boost from a touch of Marmite in the batter before being paired with a bright pistachio and mint sauce that almost makes you forget all about missing citrus. The Costra – a dish of aged ribeye topped with melted Swaledale cheese on a flour tortilla – exemplifies Lastra’s approach: Mexican soul, British ingredients, precise technique.
Perhaps the mission statement goes out the window a bit with the drinks list, leaning heavily into agave spirits, with a dedicated Paloma section that includes clever riffs like a rhubarb and gooseberry version made with Ocho Blanco tequila. There’s also a strong selection of natural wines that pair well with the food’s complex spicing. It’s all very delicious, if not just a touch subdued.
With mains hovering around £25-45 and small plates between £6-25, Fonda is certainly more accessible than its elder sibling KOL, though still firmly in special occasion territory for most. But then again, with cooking this accomplished and surroundings this convivial, special occasions are exactly what Fonda was built for.
Ideal for elevated pub grub fare in classy, retro-inspired surrounds…
Sitting just a five minute stroll from Oxford Circus and ideal for taking a load off after a long morning’s shopping, The Wigmore is a luxurious gastropub that’s perfect for both perfectly poured pints and plates of poise and precision. Or both; here, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, but can be, if you simply fancy a swift half before moving on to your third UNIQLO of the day…
Billing itself as a modern British Tavern that’s full of surprises, the menu features reimagined pub fare curated by Michel Roux Jr., holder of 2 Michelins stars for many years at Mayfair’s Le Gavroche before the restaurant’s closure in 2024.
Diners can expect British boozer classics with a little French flair thrown in for good measure, exemplified by the buttered then fried Wigmore Sourdough Toastie, which features three cheeses – Montgomery cheddar, Ogleshield and Raclette – and a lingering pungency from mustard and sliced onion. Arriving blistered and burnished in all the right places, it is, according to Observer food writer Jay Rayner, ‘’the best cheese toastie in town’’.
Housed in a historic banking hall, The Wigmore is part of the luxury Langham hotel, with a sense of prestige and pedigree palpable in the simple, leather-and-wood clad dining room. That’s not to say it’s forgotten its pub roots; there’s also outdoor seating and a pub quiz held every Monday evening.
Anyway, that sense of pedigree continues onto the plate. Aside from that toastie, there’s a superb cheeseburger, given the French gastronome treatment with a completely unnecessary but totally irresistible slice of pressed, grilled ox tongue.
A scotch-egg which comes spiced with masala and encased in fine vermicelli pasta instead of breadcrumbs (and touching down on the table looking like a porcupine, quite honestly) is another classic pub dish delivered with a Wigmore spin. It’s bloody delicious.
The indulgent takes on snacks continues. Toasted crumpets – here topped with a generous tangle of white crab meat held together with a brown crab mayo – arrive sitting in a pool of positively pelagic butter. Though your GP might not approve, by Christ we do.
Pair it with a pint or two (sorry doc) of the Wigmore’s signature house Saison, and you’re in for a real treat. No wonder the Wigmore and bar manager Andre Ferreira took home the prestigious Cateys Award for Best Pub and Bar in 2022.
Just don’t expect to return to the shopping with the same enthusiasm you had before lunch…
Address: 15 Langham Pl, London W1B 3DE, United Kingdom
It seems like you can’t escape Nieves Barragan, the former head chef of Barrafina, right now, whether it’s because of her appearances as a judge on Masterchef or because Sabor, her Michelin-starred, Andalusian-inspired tapas bar on Heddon Street, is regularly being named as people’s favourite London restaurant on the ‘gram.
Ubiquity has certainly not dampened the quality at Sabor, whichever level you choose to pull up a stool. On the ground floor, you’ll find a horseshoe-shaped counter where regional Spanish classics with a focus on fresh fish are served with finesse. Do not miss the txistorra tortilla, an unctuous, oozing spanish omelet filled and topped with paprika-spiked Basque sausage.
On the first floor, El Asador, things are really taken up a notch, with a selection of larger sharing dishes cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven from Castile. Whilst the brooding seafood rice is certainly a crowdpleaser, the headlining act here is without doubt the Segovian sucking pig, available in quarter, half or whole portions.
Though the full beast will set you (and hopefully some friends!) back £320, it’s an incredible piece of work, all hyaline skin shattering when you breathe on it and fatty, tender flesh beneath. The wait staff arrive to portion it with a plate, just to emphasise its succulence. It’s a lovely, silly slice of theatre. Do your own cutting through with a dry, citrusy rioja blanco – the Solar de Randez does the job perfectly – and you’ve got yourself one of London’s finest lunches.
Indeed, just a five minute stroll from Oxford Circus, we’d go as far as to say Sabor is our favourite restaurant close to Oxford Street.
Ideal for bouncy bao buns and other Taiwanese treats…
As if it needed any introduction except to say you can reach the restaurant from Oxford Street in just five minutes, the Lexington Street outpost of beloved Taiwanese restaurant BAO was founded by Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung, and Wai Ting Chung in 2015, a trio whose background in art and design has translated to the instantly recognisable aesthetics here (see the famous ‘Lonely Man’ logo’) and the uber-Instagrammable signature dish.
That’s not to say it’s all style over substance at BAO. Quite the opposite, in fact; the headlining ‘Classic’ bao bun, which features a slice of tender braised pork belly, peanut powder, coriander and fermented mustard greens, is as good as New York chef David Chang’s iconic version at Momofuku Noodle Bar. If not, whisper it, even more satisfying…
The lamb shoulder bao, which can only be found exclusively at this BAO branch, is another one not to be missed. Inside those headlining pillowy buns, slow cooked lamb is perfectly paired with a coriander sauce, garlic mayonnaise and soy pickled chilli. It’s a dreamy combination.
That said, you’d be foolish to remain safely ensconced in the pillowy embrace of the bao bun for the entirety of your meal. As any seasoned BAO aficionado knows, it’s in the Xiao Chi section of the menu that the real kicks are found, whether you’re elbows deep in the hard fried Taiwanese chicken with a truly piquant little hot sauce, or you’re making friends with a slab of peppery pig’s blood cake, topped with a soy-cured egg yolk that envelops and enraptures.
Finish with a fried Horlicks ice cream sandwich, and be on your merry way.
BAO Lexington Street has held a prestigious Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide since 2016. Oh, and if you’re keen to cook some of their classic dishes yourself, then the BAO cookbook was released recently and is ace.
Address: 53 Lexington St, Carnaby, London W1F 9AS, United Kingdom
Ideal for Istanbulite cuisine and terrific Turkish hospitality…
Located just off Carnaby Street, Zahter is a culinary gem led by the talented chef Esra Muslu that aims to reinterpret traditional Turkish cuisine.
With previous at Ottolenghi Spitalfields as well as a spell serving as executive chef at Istanbul’s Soho House, Muslu has made a name for herself in the culinary world for her forward-thinking Turkish cooking that explores hyper-seasonal, homestyle cooking far removed from the kebabs and flatbreads most associated with the country’s cuisine.
Esra opened Zahter in October 2021 after a successful Carousel residency in March 2018, earning rave reviews from critics and a full dining room ever since. It’s a mezze-focused affair, with hot and cold mezze making up the vast majority of the single page menu, the four protein-focused ‘platters’ feeling like almost an afterthought among the fresh vibrancy of the smaller plates.
Accordingly, Zahter is one of the best places for vegetarians to dine well in all of Central London, whether they’re getting stuck into Enginar Dolması – a whole artichoke flower presented as if in bloom and accompanied by spiced rice – or the insanely moreish Odun Ateşinde Patates – potatoes that are close to collapsing from the heat of the wood-fired grill, dressed in punchy gremolata.
The restaurant also boasts an impressive cocktail list, with our go-to order the Zahter’s Night, a visually pleasing drink inspired by Istanbul’s sunsets. This unique concoction features butterfly pea tea, gin, elderflower cordial and fresh lemon juice, creating a mesmerising kaleidoscopic effect when mixed.
In fact, the whole experience is an intoxicating one, particularly if you’re perched at the bar that sweeps elegantly around the wood-fired oven, swivelling in your stool trying to avoid getting too much smoke in your eyes as natural light streams in from all sides, watching the cooks at work. On a bright and breezy day in London, there’s no place we’d rather be…
Address: 30 – 32 Foubert’s Pl, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS, United Kingdom
Ideal for vegetable-forward cooking with fire and ferment at its heart…
Yotam Ottolenghi’s name on a restaurant practically guarantees a certain kind of experience: bold spicing, generous use of herbs, vegetables given centre stage. ROVI, his Fitzrovia outpost just north of Oxford Street, takes these signatures and runs them through a wood-fired grill, with a fermentation programme adding depth and funk to proceedings.
The 90-seat dining room is handsome; pale wood, travertine surfaces and floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with light. A large curved wooden bar dominates the centre of the room, its horseshoe shape allowing diners to perch and watch the action unfold. Above it precariously hangs a striking circular rack of glassware, while the seating – speckled black-and-white chairs that look like they’ve been attacked by a Dalmatian – adds a playful note. Enormous jars of house pickles and ferments line the shelves, hinting at the kitchen’s obsessions before you’ve even opened a menu.
The celeriac shawarma remains the signature dish, and rightly so: thick slabs of root vegetable, slowly roasted until yielding, served with bkeila and a punchy fermented tomato sauce. Elsewhere, beetroot pastrami borrows the spicing and curing techniques of the deli classic to brilliant effect, while cauliflower stem goujons – made from off-cuts across the Ottolenghi empire – are compulsively snackable. Those needing protein should look to the red gurnard skewer with tatbila sauce.
Small plates sit between £12-17.50, with larger sharing dishes at £35-40. Not cheap, but portions are generous, and flavours perfectly poised.
Ideal for delightful Damascene dishes that are perfect for sharing…
Next up, we’re ducking into Kingly Court and heading up several flights of stairs to Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, not only one of the best restaurants close to Oxford Circus, but one of our favourite places to eat in London, full stop.
The story of the restaurant has been well documented; restaurateur Imad Alarnab’s three successful restaurants in Syria’s capital Damascus ended up a victim of the cruel war being fought there, seeing Alarnab flee the country in search of a new life. He found it in London, where his Syrian Kitchen has been thriving, garnering praise from national critics and a coveted Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide.
It’s easy to see why; Imad’s Syrian Kitchen is a hugely likeable place, with the big man working the room with grace and warmth, and the hearty, generous (it’s very easy to over order) flavours of his homeland finding their way onto every plate here.
As Imad told Vice in a 2017 interview; “In Syria, we don’t do plates. We don’t ask, ‘What do you want to eat?’ We just serve lots of food and you can eat whatever you like, whenever you like. It’s like family”.
So come here with your nearest and dearest and order everything. Tear off a chunk of the restaurant’s house pita, drag it through the roughly-hewn hummus that’s been dusted generously in sumac, get stuck into the complex, no-one-bite-is-the-same fattoush, and prepare to feel very well-looked after, indeed.
Address: 2.14 Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby St, London W1B 5PW, United Kingdom
Ideal for authentic Portuguese piri-piri chicken in an elegant setting…
Following the runaway success of their London Bridge original, Casa do Frango’s Piccadilly outpost brings their celebrated Algarvian cooking to the heart of the West End. The bare-brick, light-filled dining room, adorned with traditional Portuguese tiles and verdant greenery, sets the perfect stage for what is, quite simply, some of the finest Portuguese cooking in central London.
While the restaurant’s name translates to ‘house of chicken’, reducing Casa do Frango to just its perfectly charred, subtly spiced piri-piri chicken (half chicken £14) would be doing it a disservice. Yes, that chicken is superb – grilled over wood charcoal and brushed with their secret piri-piri blend – but there’s so much more to discover here.
The menu reads like a love letter to Portuguese cuisine – start with the bacalhau fritters, their crisp exterior giving way to a creamy salt cod filling that’s perfectly complemented by a bright lemon aioli. The African-influenced corn ribs with roasted piri-piri sauce are another must-order, providing a masterclass in texture and heat.
For the lunch crowd, they offer an excellent value weekday special at £14, featuring either their signature piri-piri chicken or a charred cauliflower alternative, both served with hispi slaw and crisp though, admittedly, slightly anaemic fries. It’s one of the better lunch deals in the area, especially given the quality – and at just £2 for their excellent house-made pastel de nata, – those most beloved of Portuguese custard tarts – you’d be mad not to add a dessert. Go on; have a second.
The wine list is a careful curation of Portuguese varieties, starting at just £5.50 a glass for the Terra Franca from Bairrada, ranging through to some serious bottles from the likes of Howard’s Folly (a Vinho Verde which is excellent, as it should be for £49 a bottle). Their cocktail menu puts creative spins on classics – their Piri-Piri Margarita, spiked with chili, is a particular triumph.
For those seeking a more intimate experience, two private dining rooms – Sol and Mar – offer a familial setting for groups, while the hidden Green Room bar downstairs channels vintage Portuguese charm. On warmer days, the street-side terrace provides one of central London’s most pleasant spots for al fresco dining. You know what? A third pastel de nata might be in order…
Ideal for Spanish-Italian small plates and exceptional wines in Soho’s beating heart…
Taking its name from the Spanish word for ‘woodland pasture’ (where black-footed Iberian pigs roam free), Dehesa brings together the best of Spanish and Italian aperitivo culture in a warm, convivial setting just off Carnaby Street. Part of the Salt Yard Group – the same talented team behind Opera Tavern in Covent Garden and Ember Yard in Soho – this charcuterie and tapas bar has earned its stripes (and a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which it then inexplicably lost) by doing the simple things exceptionally well.
The jamón ibérico and manchego croquetas (£9) have achieved near-legendary status – crisp shells giving way to an impossibly creamy filling that somehow captures the essence of both cheeseboard and charcuterie plate in a single, umami-laden bite. They’re the kind of thing you’ll find yourself ordering a second round of before you’ve even finished the first (and then regretting that follow-up, as they’re deceptively filling).
Head Chef Marcin Ciesielski’s menu changes with the seasons, but certain dishes have become permanent fixtures due to popular demand. The courgette flower stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with blossom honey (£8.50) is one such creation – a perfect balance of sharp and sweet whose tempura batter exemplifies the kitchen’s lightness of touch. The Puglian burrata with heritage tomato is another standout, while the pil pil tiger prawns with roasted garlic and red chilli oil demonstrate the team’s ability to let superior ingredients shine without unnecessary flourishes. You get the picture here at Dehesa, and they’re painting it beautiful in broad brushstrokes using only the finest paint. Christ that’s a laboured metaphor…
It’s all designed to pair very well with wine, that’s for certain, and the wine list at Dehesa delivers – it’s an oenophile’s playground that spans both Italy and Spain’s finest regions. Start with a crisp Valimnor Albariño (£14.50 by the glass) from Rias Baixas, or dive into their Italian offerings with a robust Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino (£155 a bottle) if you’re feeling flush. The staff, particularly their on-site sommelier, show genuine enthusiasm in helping you navigate the extensive list.
Grab a spot on their heated corner terrace – one of the largest in Soho – and work your way through the small plates, or descend to their bijou wine cellar for a more intimate experience. The latter, which seats up to 14, offers an exceptional setting for private dining and wine tastings.
Ideal for a taste of Sri Lanka and creative cocktails served with a side order of energy…
Hoppers comes from London’s masters of playful, perfectly realised ‘theme’ restaurants, the Sethi family, and their JKS group. The list of places under their stewardship reads like your Instagram Explore highlights reel; there’s Bao, Gymkhana, Lyles, Trishna, Bubbledogs and Kitchen Table, Xu (RIP), Plaza Khao Gaeng, Speedboat Bar, Sabor and, of course, Hoppers. That is some role call; success and good taste is basically guaranteed.
Hoppers St. Christopher’s continues the rich run of form so popular at the inaugural Frith Street restaurant and doesn’t mess with the formula; Sri Lankan curries, dosas, the hopper itself and more – all of intoxicating, heady, just-off-centre spicing and playful delivery.
Check out our full review of Hoppers St. Christophers here.
Address: 77 Wigmore St, London W1U 1QE, United Kingdom
Ideal for one of the best burgers in the whole of London…
Arguably the only thing that our next entry shares with Sketch is its proximity to Oxford Street, but if you’re looking for a straight-up quality burger served swiftly and with minimal fuss or fanfare, then Honest Burgers is as good now as when it burst on to the scene more than a decade ago.
The secret behind Honest Burgers’ success lies in the commitment of founders Tom Barton and Phillip Eeles (two university graduates who share a passion for high-quality British burgers) to carefully-sourced and house-processed ingredients.
Indeed, the beef here has been butchered in-house and is minced daily to ensure freshness, their signature patties made from chuck and rib cap, which are skimmed off a rib-eye steak in the pursuit of juicier burgers with a ‘good bite.’
You can taste those efforts to ensure quality in the signature Oxford Circus Burger, featuring that Honest beef, smoked British mozzarella, honey and British nduja mayo, shoestring fries, rocket, and pickles. It’s banging. To go alongside, the fennel battered onion rings served with a side of bacon gravy for dipping is something we never regret ordering.
The restaurant also offers a selection of craft beers from local breweries personal to each restaurant, staying true to Barton’s childhood growing up in a country pub. It’s that down-to-earth, unswerving dedication to locality that keeps Honest Burgers growing (it now boasts over 40 restaurants across the UK), with even this most central of Central London restaurants offering its own unique identity and flavour. We just love it.
Address: 4 Market Pl, London W1W 8AD, United Kingdom
Ideal for spicy and complex Southern Thai food found in the Arcade Food Hall…
We end at Arcade Food Hall, close to Tottenham Court Road Station. Housed in the Centre Point building on New Oxford Street, and just a few second’s stroll from Tottenham Court Road station, Arcade Food Hall offers a veritable feast of global cuisines, with nine restaurant concepts currently operating here, and a fully-fledged Southern Thai joint on the mezzanine above the communal dining area.
That Southern Thai restaurant is Plaza Khao Gaeng, which, despite being a relative newcomer, is already doing some of the most faithfully composed, fiery food from The Kingdom anywhere in the city. It’s one of our favourite Thai restaurants in London, and as good a place as any to bid you farewell.
Address: 103-105 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1DB, United Kingdom
There is something about a Friday afternoon that makes London feel smaller than it is. The commute compresses, the flat closes in, the weekend stretches ahead with nothing but a sofa, a subscription service and a biiiiggg pot noodle.
The antidote isn’t (necessarily) a two-week holiday or a transatlantic flight. It’s a micro-adventure: a single night, maybe two, somewhere close enough that you can leave after work and be back by Sunday lunch, but far enough that the city feels like somebody else’s problem. And yes, we’ve got that viral Gary Neville clip in our minds right now, too…
These five trips are all reachable by train from central London in under two hours. No car necessary, no elaborate planning, no annual leave. Just a bag packed the night before and a willingness to sleep somewhere that isn’t your postcode.
The Seven Sisters Cliff Walk, East Sussex
The train from Victoria to Seaford takes about ninety minutes, changing at Lewes, and from Seaford station you can be on the Seven Sisters cliff path within twenty minutes. The walk east to Eastbourne covers roughly thirteen miles and follows the chalk edge of the South Downs as it rises and falls across seven peaks before dropping into town. The views face south over the Channel and they don’t let up.
Cuckmere Haven, about a third of the way along, is the postcard shot, its white cliffs curving around a shingle beach that has stood in for the White Cliffs of Dover in more than one film. Birling Gap, further on, has a National Trust cafe and a staircase down to the beach. The Seven Sisters Country Park visitor centre at Exceat is worth a stop on the way through if you want route maps or context on the geology.
This is not a technical hike but the cumulative elevation adds up, and the path is exposed to wind for the entire stretch. Good trail shoes, a decent layer, and at least a couple of litres of water are non-negotiable.
From Eastbourne, direct trains run back to London Victoria every half hour. The smart move is to book an overnight stay in Eastbourne and walk the seafront promenade at dusk, when the pier lights come on and the fish and chip shops are still warm.
Stargazing On The South Downs
The South Downs National Park has held International Dark Sky Reserve status since 2016, one of only around two dozen in the world. That this exists barely an hour from one of the most light-polluted cities on earth is the kind of fact that sounds made up until you stand on Bignor Hill at midnight and see the Milky Way with your own eyes.
The best stargazing runs from October to March, on moonless nights with clear skies. Butser Hill in Queen Elizabeth Country Park has car park access and wide horizons, but for something more committed, Ditchling Beacon or the area around Birling Gap on the coast combine dark skies with a backdrop of sea.
The South Downs National Park Authority maintains a full guide to its dark sky sites, and the annual Dark Skies Festival each February runs guided walks, telescope sessions, and talks from local astronomical societies. Outside of festival season, Brighton Astro runs regular public star parties on the seafront near the i360.
No specialist kit is required beyond warm clothing, a red-light head torch (white light kills your night vision), and twenty minutes of patience in the dark for your eyes to adjust. It sounds simple because it is. The hard part is accepting that the sky above Sussex looks like this every clear night and you’ve been ignoring it.
Cycling The New Forest, Hampshire
Brockenhurst is ninety minutes from London Waterloo by direct train, and the moment you step off the platform you’re in a national park. The New Forest has over a hundred miles of waymarked cycle routes running through ancient woodland, open heathland, and past the free-roaming ponies, donkeys, and cattle that have grazed here since William the Conqueror designated it a royal hunting ground nearly a thousand years ago.
Cyclexperience, based right next to Brockenhurst station, rents mountain bikes and e-bikes with route maps that clip to your handlebars. The Ornamental Drive loop through the woods north of town is a gentle start, mostly flat gravel tracks under a canopy of oak and beech.
For something longer, the route south to Lymington follows quiet lanes to a Georgian harbour town where you can catch the ferry to the Isle of Wight or eat oysters on the quay. And if the trails through the forest put you in the mood for something with a bit more power, a 4-wheel off-road electric scooter is worth a look for exploring terrain that sits between cycling and driving.
The New Forest is predominantly flat, which makes it forgiving for all fitness levels. Summer weekends draw crowds, so spring and autumn are better bets: fewer people, softer light, and the woodland colours at either end of the season are extraordinary.
The Chess Valley Walk, Chilterns
You can reach the Chilterns on the Metropolitan line, which makes this the only micro-adventure on the list that only requires an Oyster card. Amersham station, about forty-five minutes from central London, sits at the edge of the Chilterns National Landscape, and from there a circular walk drops into the Chess Valley and follows the river through some of the prettiest countryside in the Home Counties.
The valley floor is gentle, the path well marked, and the distance manageable at around five miles. The River Chess is one of England’s chalk streams, a globally rare habitat fed by underground springs that keep the water clear enough to spot trout from the bank. The walk passes through Latimer, a small estate village, and loops back through beech woodland to the station. In spring, the Chilterns are blanketed with bluebells. In autumn, the beeches turn copper and gold.
This is the shortest and most accessible trip on the list, which is the point. A micro-adventure doesn’t need to be epic. Sometimes it’s a three-hour walk that gets you home in time for dinner, with mud on your boots and the feeling that you’ve been somewhere.
This one asks a little more of you. A bivvy bag, a sleeping mat, and a willingness to sleep on a hill in Surrey is all it takes, but that last part is the barrier most people never get past. The North Downs Way runs from Farnham to Dover, and sections of it are reachable by train from London in under an hour.
Box Hill, near Dorking, is the classic starting point: a steep chalk escarpment with views south across the Weald that justified its status as a beauty spot long before the 2012 Olympic road race put it on television.
The idea is simple. Leave work, catch a train, walk until dusk, find a spot away from the path, roll out your bivvy, and sleep. No tent, no campsite, no booking. In England, this sits in a legal grey area, but the practical reality is that if you’re discreet, arrive late, leave early, and take everything with you, nobody minds. Alastair Humphreys, the adventurer who popularised the term micro-adventure, spent years doing exactly this on the hills around London and was never once moved on.
The reward is disproportionate to the effort. A sunset from a high point on the Downs, a sky full of stars (the North Downs are surprisingly dark once you’re away from the settlements), and a sunrise over the Surrey Hills that you have entirely to yourself. Pack light, sleep warm, and be back at your desk by Monday morning with a story that nobody in the office will believe.
The Bottom Line
None of these trips cost much. A train ticket, maybe a bike hire, possibly a pub dinner. The point of a micro-adventure is that the adventure is the thing, not the logistics around it. London is ringed by some of the best walking, cycling, and wild country in southern England, almost all of it reachable by public transport in the time it takes to watch a film. The only thing standing between you and a Friday night on a hilltop is the decision to actually go.
