Marylebone. Though we’ve read it hundreds of times, we’ve still got no idea how to pronounce the name of this well-heeled West End district. What we do know, however, is just where to eat in Le Bone. Or, should we call it Mary for short? How about Boney M? Who cares? We were always taught not to speak with our mouths full anyway…
From Michelin-starred Mexican to traditional British pub classics given a twist or two, there is something for everyone in this food lover’s paradise. With that in mind, here are the best restaurants in Marylebone, London.
St. John Marylebone, Marylebone Lane
Ideal for nose-to-tail dining and a bloody brilliant British culinary experience…
The newest addition to the burgeoning family has arrived, bringing with it a fresh and vibrant approach that is both unmistakably St. John and uniquely tailored to the sensibilities of its chic London neighbourhood, and is already one of Marylebone’s very best places to eat.
Its instantly recognisable, clinical bright white interiors tell anyone who’s previously dined at a Fergus Henderson restaurant that you’re going to get fed very well indeed, and St. John Marylebone delivers on that promise.
The menu here is tighter – daintier, even – than at both the mothership and Bread & Wine, but there’s still some famous flourishes to be found. Here, the iconic Welsh rarebit appears in croquette form and is a gorgeously funky piece of work. Those ”nose to tail” leanings are all present and correct, too, with a recent dish of gently pink lamb’s liver and horseradish a bracing, bruising but utterly memorable affair.
A little earlier in the year, a plate of lamb sweetbreads, wilted young lettuce leaves and the sprightly lift of tarragon have lived in the memory even longer.
With plenty of wine being poured with a flourish by the glass, these smaller plates just feel right as you take your place at a window stool, watch the passing foot traffic of Marybelone Lane and ponder just how far we’ve sunk. It’s obligatory to order a plate of madelines (£5.50 for a small one, but you know you want the larger batch for £11) for the road.
Make sure to check the daily menu to see what’s ripe, ready and in store; it goes online – posted as a snap of the restaurant’s blackboard – at 11.30am for lunch and 5.30pm for supper.
Address: 98 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2QA
Website: stjohnrestaurant.com
Royal China Club, Baker Street
Ideal for refined Cantonese dining with a side of theatre…
The jewel in the Royal China crown sits rather demurely on Baker Street, its elegant dining room a canvas for some of London’s finest Cantonese cooking. Award-winning chef Billy Wong’s menu reads like a greatest hits of Chinese gastronomy, though it’s the dim sum offering that really sings.
Those familiar with the group’s other outposts might experience a touch of sticker shock here – steamer baskets hover around the £10 mark, with the prawn and bamboo shoot dumplings (har gau) at £10.80 and the Shanghai-style xiaolongbao with crab meat at £9.80. Still, the cooking justifies the prices. The dumplings arrive gossamer-thin and gloriously translucent, while the xiaolongbao, inevitably compared to those at Din Tai Fung down the road, more than hold their own, their delicate wrappers containing a generous splash of hot soup alongside minced pork and crab meat.
Evening brings dishes of serious ambition. Emperor king prawns (£33.80 each) can be prepared in myriad ways (we’re partial to the ‘crispy with garlic & chilli’ preparation) while more innovative plates like pan-fried dory fish with foie gras sauce showcase the kitchen’s creative, opulent side. A plate of Iberico pork with cordycep – that phallic-looking fungi – flower feels almost restrained in comparison. It’s equally good, though.
The generous dining room, recently refurbished, manages to feel special without being stuffy, its white tablecloths occasionally splattered with XO sauce as enthusiastic diners get stuck in. Service strikes that sweet spot between efficiency and warmth that characterises the best Chinese restaurants in the capital.
An early evening meal here, watching the sun set through those huge windows while dipping into a procession of perfectly executed classics, is one of Marylebone’s great pleasures. The kitchen runs a full service from noon until late (10:30pm most nights, extending to 11pm on weekends), though you’ll want to book ahead – this place fills up fast.
Address: 40-42 Baker St, London W1U 7AJ
Website: royalchinagroup.co.uk
Trishna, Blandford Street
Ideal for Michelin-starred coastal Indian cuisine…
For those seeking a focused, flavour-forward dining experience, Trishna is a must-visit. This Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in coastal Indian cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh British seafood cooked with spice and verve, which sounds like all of the ingredients for a great meal in Marylebone, don’t you think?
Sitting rather ironically on Blandford Street, there’s nothing bland (sorry) about chef Sajeev Nair’s contemporary interpretation of the food of his homeland. Having grown up in Palakkad, Kerala, Nair understands the ins and outs of Indian coastal cuisine intimately, and the signature of funky, rich Dorset brown crab with butter, pepper, and garlic, all mashed and spoonable, has to be one of London’s most satisfying shellfish dishes.
Another Trishna crab classic is the nandu varuval – crispy soft shell crab, green chilli, a rocher of white crab meat, and a smooth tomato chutney all pull in the same direction to great effect. Just delicious.
The early evening menu, running from 5pm to 6:15pm, is a snip at £45 for four courses.
Address: 15-17 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DG
Website: trishnalondon.com
Boxcar Bar & Grill, New Quebec Street
Ideal for beautifully marbled, homegrown steaks…
Sitting pretty in the somewhat secluded area of New Quebec Street, a welcome breather from the carnage and caper of Oxford Street, Marylebone High Street and Edgware Road, Boxcar Bar and Grill has a real neighbourhood gem feel to it. That is, if your neighbourhood gem happened to have beautifully marbled steaks and swinging lamb legs hanging out in a fridge out front…
This stylish eatery, part of the eclectic Portman Village, has steadily built a reputation for serving satisfying, ingredient-led dishes, thanks to its focus on premium, ethically sourced British produce.
Boxcar’s menu is a robust, flavoursome affair, with a particular emphasis on prime cuts grilled over a charcoal flame until they’ve got that all-important bark. Speaking of bark, actually, the dining room is rendered in all kinds of soothing wooden shades, with a little floating foliage thrown in for good measure. It’s the type of place where an evening feels almost cleansing, were it not for all the wine and steak you’d thrown back.
Not only does the restaurant now flaunt a redesigned al fresco area and an intimate chef’s table, but the atmosphere inside exudes a perfect blend of Manhattan speakeasy vibes intertwined with the informality and lush greenery reminiscent of a cosy British pub.
It’s a pleasant place to set about a tight, confident menu. The Herdwick lamb croquettes are a must order for that initial grazing session; a little funky from a long braised, fatty cut of lamb, in the best possible way. Dots of lovage emulsion bring a welcome jolt of aniseed that balances everything out just right, and lingers until your steak (Hereford rib eye, 225g at £31, for us anyway) hits the table.
What more can you say about a steak cooked well in a restaurant? It’s got barmarks. It’s blushing in the centre. It has a crust that’s speckled with chunky flakes of sea salt. It tastes nicely pastoral. It’s ace, but if you’re not quite such a carnivore, Boxcar has a quartet of lighter mains, the pan roasted cod with peas and broad beans (with their outer sleeves removed – rejoice!) the pick of the bunch.
The desserts, much like the rest of the menu, are executed with finesse, while the cocktails, particularly the Twice Smoked – a spirited mix of Calvados, Laphroaig 10, apple, and maple – provide the perfect nightcap.
That is, unless you were here for the laughably good value ‘quick lunch’, which is priced at just £19. We wouldn’t recommend a cocktail of that magnitude if you’ve got anything to do in the afternoon, or you, too, will feel twice smoked.
We’re not actually sure that even works as a line, but Boxcar Bar and Grill most certainly does.
Website: boxcar.co.uk
Address: 23 New Quebec St, London W1H 7SD
Lita, Paddington Street
Ideal for meticulously crafted Mediterranean plates at admittedly premium prices…
A modern Mediterranean bistro with open fire cooking in the heart of London… We could be describing the vast majority of recent restaurant openings in the city, to be honest…
…but Lita isn’t your everyday place, let’s be clear. Short for ‘abuelita’, which means ‘granny’ in Spanish, Lita isn’t really your grandma’s homecooking kind of place, either.
Unless your grandma is a young protege with time spent at Michelin-starred The Clove Club, its acclaimed sister restaurant Luca, and as head chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair, all before they turned 30.
This is damn convoluted, but we’re describing the career trajectory of Lita head chef Luke Ahearne, who boasts an impressive culinary pedigree. He’s continued that trajectory in some style. Though Lita has only been open a couple of months, it’s already garnered several fawning national reviews, with Jay Rayner ‘in heavenly raptures’ and Jimi Famurewa breathtaken. Christ, that’s a scene we don’t want to play out in our mind every again.
It’s easy to see why they loved it, though; the food here is genuinely magnificent, with an admirable attention to detail paid to the most seemingly simple of dishes. Two smoked basque sardines, meticulously pin boned before being – at least, visually – bonded back together, arrive over a gorgeously smooth ajo blanco and piquant cherries. It’s a case in point of the kind of cooking Lita has already mastered, boasting a depth of flavour that knocks you back.
Don’t let it disarm you too much; you’ll want to regain focus for the briny, brilliant Dorset clams with artichokes done in the Roman style. That is, braised until giving in a mix of white wine and olive oil. It’s excellent, and you’d hope so too for £28.
Okay, the hulking Galician dairy cow in the room; Lita is expensive. Yes, we know it’s somewhat uncouth to mention prices quite so explicitly, but fuck me; there are snacks in the mid twenties, starters topping £30 and several mains over a hundred.
No pan con tomate in the world should cost £17, even one draped with Cantabrian anchovies, but this is admittedly a very good one. There are few bottles of wine available at Lita below £60. Desserts are stubbornly in the mid-teens.
Yep, this is most certainly a special occasion place, but what a place to sink into. The interior showcases a warm, earthy palette with reclaimed terracotta tiles, a timber-clad bar with a deep red, veined marble top, blood-orange banquettes, and restored antique tables, all reminiscent of a grand chateau kitchen that your nan might have helmed a half a century back. She’ll have balked at the prices here, sure, but she wouldn’t half have been proud to send out some of these dishes.
Address: 7-9 Paddington St, London W1U 5QH
Website: litamarylebone.com
Orrery, Marylebone High Street
Ideal for refined French elegance bathed in natural light…
Orrery, named after a mechanical model of the solar system, is an elegant French restaurant located on the first floor of a converted stable block. The abundance of natural light hits you the moment you walk in, the restaurant’s huge arched windows and skylights letting in so much that sunglasses are genuinely needed on London’s brighter summer days. The reflective quality of the starched white table cloths only serve to pronounce this.
The refined menu, designed by Chef Igor Tymchyshyn, features classic French dishes with a modern twist. Though menu descriptions verge on the prosaic (Salmon, polenta, asparagus, veloute, or seabass and chive sabayaon, for instance), presentation is anything but, with artistic flourishes of dots and scrapes occasionally reminiscent of a Masterchef several seasons back. There’s no denying the clarity of flavour here, though.
Though you might tend to prefer a smoke at the end of your meal, the chicken parfait cigar here is the ideal way to start it. Close, instead, with a summery elderflower and strawberry pannacotta, adorned with a big puck of champagne jelly. Boom!
With its stunning rooftop terrace (start with Orrery’s signature Old Fashioned up here) and views of St. Marylebone Church, Orrery is perfect for a special occasion or a leisurely lunch, and stakes a fair claim to being one of Marylebones top restaurants.
Address: 55 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5RB
Website: orrery-restaurant.co.uk
Pachamama Marylebone, Thayer Street
Ideal for a celebration of Peruvian soil and British terroir…
Pachamama, which translates as ‘Mother Earth’, is all about bold Peruvian flavours using British ingredients, placing an emphasis on seasonality and sustainability that we can very much get behind.
The menu here is divided into Raw, Snacks, Sea, Land and Soil, the former section a quadruplet of really very good ceviche, the highlight thinly sliced pucks of scallop, so fresh they appear to be pulsating, dressed in a spicy aji verde whose rougher edges are smoothed with a delicate cheese. Because it’s March, climate change, and we’re in the UK, wisps of the first finely mandolined asparagus act as a fresh af garnish.
Anticucho skewers, available in both lamb and chicken, are given lift and intrigue via their a red wine vinegar marinade, their corners gnarly from the grill. The beef short rib croquettes here are perhaps even more addictive.
If you’re coming with your crew, order the seafood platter of grilled prawns, octopus, squid, scallops, sea bass fillet and roasted lemon. Save room for the churros. Speaking of which, a PSA of sorts; if they’ve got the crab churros on, reminiscent of the iconic Chiltern Firehouse crab doughnuts of the restaurant’s heyday, do not miss out on them.
Alongside, and considering Pachamama is billed as a ‘’pisco bar’’ first and foremost, it’s pretty much obligatory to have a pisco sours or two, the version here perfectly poised. Seeing as the place closes at midnight, it would be rude not to have a couple more, don’t you think?
Address: 18 Thayer St, London W1U 3JY
Website: pachamamalondon.com
Read: The best Peruvian restaurants in London
L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Baker Street
Ideal for trying one of the world’s most celebrated, proudly Neapolitan pizzas…
Dubbed ‘The Best Pizza in the World’ and iconised in the film ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, L’antica is a superb, eminently affordable place for a swift, sprightly lunch or dinner.
Forget the unfortunate dispute that disrupted the opening of the first London site in Stoke Newington, the second branch in Baker Street is still proudly serving Neapolitan pizzas of the highest quality. If you’re looking for something that’s full of toppings, this isn’t the place. Here, less is more and the classics are done right.
One thing that perhaps isn’t traditional is their ‘Marita’ pizza a half’n’half (margherita and marinara) that’s one of their bestsellers. It does bloody work, though.
There are now outposts in Soho and Manchester, too, for those not keen to make the trek to Marylebone.
Read: The top 10 pizzerias in Naples
Address:199 Baker St, London NW1 6UY
Website: anticapizzeriadamichele.co.uk
Fischer’s, Marylebone High Street
Ideal for schnitzel, spätzle and plenty of sweet treats…
Another of our favourite restaurants in Marylebone, Fischer’s is a Viennese-inspired brasserie that transports diners to early 20th-century Austria. With its dark wood panelling, period artwork, and traditional uniforms worn by the staff, this cosy eatery exudes old-world charm. The menu features Austrian classics such as wiener schnitzel and spätzle, whilst the desserts and cakes are, unsurprisingly, the highlight.
Open all morning through night without a break in sight, Fischer’s is perhaps at its very best when dropping in for elevenses. An Austrian classic, the ‘Franz Joseph Kaiserschmarrn’, feels appropriate at this time; a chopped pancake with cherry compote satiates all kinds of cravings. For something more savoury but still within the realms of ‘brunch’, the Holstein Schnitzel with anchovy, capers and egg is ace, too.
When it comes to the sweet side of the menu, we’re huge fans of the ‘Coupe Liegeois’ made with vanilla and chocolate ice creams, whipped cream and bitter chocolate sauce. Alternatively, go for the rich, indulgent sacher torte with the obligatory mountain of whipped cream, here balanced out smoothly with the addition of layers of apricot jam. Either way, order an espresso to round things all off.
Or, come for a proper feast in the evening; the restaurant boasts a fine selection of Austrian wines and beers and plenty of hearty, meat-heavy dishes to go alongside.
Address: 50 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5HN
Website: fischers.co.uk
Cavita, Wigmore Street
Ideal for a light and invigorating Mexican spread in swanky surroundings…
Can’t get a reservation at Kol? Cavita is another beautifully designed Mexican restaurant whose ‘see and be seen’ backdrop fortunately never detracts from the excellent food on offer here. Be sure to try the divine pig’s head tamal and split the whole grilled octopus if you’re dining with a group, both full of textural intrigue and bursts of piquancy, the celebrated chef Adriana Cavita having a commendable lightness of touch and a wicked way with protein. It’s the perfect combination.
You can read more about Cavita and the aforementioned KOL in our round-up of the best places to eat magnificent Mexican food in London.
Website: cavitarestaurant.com
Jikoni, Blandford Street
Ideal for pitch perfect fusion food, anchored in the Indian subcontinent…
Jikoni, simply meaning ‘kitchen’ in Swahili, is a cosy and colourful restaurant that celebrates the diverse culinary heritage of its owner, chef Ravinder Bhogal. The menu is inspired by her Indian, Kenyan, and British roots, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavours, and a mentality of ‘’cooking without borders’’.
Standout dishes include the iconic prawn toast scotch egg – as good as it sounds and then some – and a pressed, crisped shoulder of lamb with a house ras el hanout, served with flatbread. Oh, and the banana cake with miso butterscotch and Ovaltine kulfi is the one.
Jikoni’s Weekend Brunch, running from 11am to 3pm is a hoot; booking in advance for this one is very much recommended.
Address: 19-21 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DH
Website: jikonilondon.com
Locanda Locatelli, Seymour Street
Ideal for an extravagant meal at an Italian dining institution…
A Michelin star holder for twenty years now, and helmed – in name at least – by the charming, twinkly-eyed celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli, the eponymous Locanda Locatelli focuses on traditional Italian cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Housed in the 5-star Churchill Hotel on Seymour Street (opposite KOL, incidentally), executive chef Rino Bono and his head chef Sergio Fontana are now charged with executing Locatelli’s signature dishes, including the generous oxtail ravioli with wild mushrooms, and chargrilled mackerel with agrodolce onions and capers that calls to mind the sweet, sour interplay of the best Sicilian cooking.
Settle into the generously proportioned banquette seating, enjoy the equally generously portioned food, and get stuck into a bottle or two from the restaurant’s all-Italian wine list, and you’ve got yourself one of London’s best leisurely lunches. One that, it should be noted, isn’t cheap; mains don’t fall shy of £35 and pasta dishes remain resolutely in the mid-twenties. Still, if you’ve got the means, there are certainly worse Central London restaurants to splash the cash!
Address: 8 Seymour Street, London W1H 7JZ
Website: locandalocatelli.com
The Grazing Goat, New Quebec Street
Ideal for handsome, honest British pub classics, enjoyed on a sunny terrace when the weather’s right…
Marylebone may not be especially known for its pubs, but The Grazing Goat is an exception. You know you’re in good hands when you see Coombeshead Farm bread and butter opening the festivities, and those hands also make a mean Scotch egg, its anchovy mayonnaise so salty it’s almost spicy, but in the best possible way. It’s giving devilled eggs, but with a difference.
Don’t stray from the snack section, where most of the best cooking is found; a plate of crispy lamb and black cabbage salsa – lightly fermented, sauerkraut-style – is the perfect accompaniment to another round of pints.
If you’ve come hungry, the pub does a mean pie, too. Currently, it’s an excellent chicken and bacon affair, the familiar gravy here substituted for a pungent Montgomery cheddar sauce. At £23, it’s a pretty premium pie, but it can comfortably feed two. The Sunday roast is also worth writing home about, but we’re writing online rather than to our folks, so for now we’ll leave it here…
With an outdoor terrace for sunny days, The Grazing Goat is perfect for post-work or pre-dinner drinks and bites. Mine’s a Doombar, please.
Address: 6 New Quebec St, London W1H 7RQ
Website: cubitthouse.co.uk
BAO Mary, James Street
Ideal for a predictably idiosyncratic and delicious take on a Taiwanese dumpling house…
Another branch of BAO, another knockout restaurant that gets all the finer details just right. At this point, it’s tempting to ask; do these guys ever miss?
As has become the way with new BAO openings, there are points of difference and specialities here that set this outpost apart from the others across the city, from Battersea Power Station to Shoreditch and beyond. The Marylebone rendition of the all-conquering Taiwanese street food group, open ‘all day’ from 10am to midnight, focuses first and foremost on dumplings.
Unsurprisingly for a restaurant so dexterous with dough, they’re superb, with the mutton dumplings in chilli oil particularly pleasing, the body-odour hum of cumin anchoring everything in a pleasing mustiness. And if you don’t find that pleasing, we feel sorry for you…
…Also much trailed and most pleasing are the pan-fried beef dumplings, served as a set of five but arriving as a kind of homogenous single unit, its surface caramelised and its shredded beef interior hotter than the actual sun if you tuck in too soon. Allow them to cool a little and get stuck in, there are fewer things more texturally satisfying on the planet.
Of course, the eponymous headliners are all present and correct at BAO Mary, the classic version perhaps heavier on the peanut powder than normal, but as satisfying as ever nonetheless.
Address: 56 James St, London W1U 1HF
Website: baolondon.com
Florencio, Seymour Place
Ideal for Argentinian-influenced pizza that hits different…
From the team behind modern Argentinian grill Zoilo comes this intimate pizzeria that manages to feel both thoroughly modern and charmingly old school. Chef Diego Jacquet might be known for his Argentinian cooking at Zoilo, but Florencio represents a different passion – one born from his global travels and the Italian immigrant influences of his homeland, plus time spent in New York’s vibrant pizza scene.
The pizzas here start with a 48-hour fermented dough that yields a crust with proper integrity – chewy yet crisp, and robust enough to handle some weighty toppings. We didn’t know we needed Argentinian pizza in our life but the Pituca (at £16.90, it’s admittedly weighty on the wallet) changed our mind; earthy mushrooms and sharp parmesan sit atop a white base that allows both ingredients to really sing.
Meanwhile, the Stracciatella (£16.90), smattered with pools of creamy cheese over a fragrant marinara sauce, makes a strong case for simplicity. The Negroni (£9.90) here is a gold standard version, and is an excellent aperitivo obvs, while the wine list offers plenty of good options by the glass.
Evening sees the tiny space transformed by some seriously flattering lighting (your phone camera will definitely switch to night mode), making it an ideal spot for those seeking both sustenance and atmosphere. They operate Tuesday through Saturday, noon till 10pm – perfect for a leisurely lunch or dinner – but plan ahead for Sunday roast alternatives in the area as they’re closed Sundays and Mondays.
Try to snag a corner table and settle in until closing time, especially if you’re planning on getting the excellent banana split for dessert – a gloriously retro affair complete with chocolate chips and dulce de leche.
The wine list, curated by general manager Sebastien Guilleminault, focuses primarily on Italian and French bottles, though guests can also dip into Zoilo’s impressive Argentine cellar next door if they’re feeling curious. Either way, there’s plenty worth drinking, whether you’re after something by the glass or settling in for the full bottle experience. Either way, the hospitality is genuinely warm, and the pizzas are among the most interesting in the neighbourhood.
Address: 14 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NF
Website: florenciopizza.com
Alley Cats Pizza, Paddington Street
Ideal for New York-style slices that are worth the wait…
If the queue snaking (‘prowling’? Nah) down Paddington Street is anything to go by, Alley Cats has already established itself as one of Marylebone’s hottest tickets. This walk-in only spot channels pure NYC energy, from its exposed brick walls and chequered tablecloths to episodes of The Sopranos projected onto the wall.
The 14-inch pies here are properly thin and crispy – the kind you can fold into a perfect triangular pocket without the structure giving way. A classic marinara crowned with ice-cold – as it should be – stracciatella (£17) shows they can nail the basics with a keen eye on the finer details, while the vodka sauce option (£16) offers a more indulgent, increasingly ubiquitous path. The latter, rich and creamy with just the right hit of booze and chilli heat, might have purists clutching their pearls, but it works gloriously well. If you’re feeling thirsty, canned Moth margaritas at £12 each make for a fitting accompaniment.
Those crusts, chewy and characterful, deserve to be dipped in something – the scotch bonnet sauce provides a proper kick, while the ranch offers cooling relief. Actually, order both; you’ll want to alternate between them as you work your way around the circumference of your pie.
The room might be industrial in aesthetic, but there’s genuine warmth to the service, and the buzz of happy diners (when you can hear them over the general hubbub – it’s fucking loud in here) suggests this place is here for the long haul. Getting a table might require a bit of patience, but hey – good things come to those who wait. The good news is they’re open daily from noon to 11pm, so you can get your fix whether it’s a lazy weekend lunch or late-night slice you’re after.
There’s a second branch in Chelsea now, too, for those who do their business south of the river.
Address: 22 Paddington Street, London W1U 5QY
Website: alleycatspizza.co.uk
Actually, you should head to our guide on London’s best pizza restaurants for 2024 first, where you can read more about Alley Cats and a whopping 21 other places. Go on, you know you want to…