Looking for the most delicious places to eat in London? Love big explosions of flavour? You’re in the right place! Keep reading for my favourite best restaurants London.
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The Best Restaurants London
BREAKFAST + COFFEE
Ottolenghi Marylebone
There’s only one table at this Ottolenghi outpost because they mainly focus on takeaway and catering. But their breakfast menu is worth getting up early for. As are the reliably awe-inspiring displays of sweet treats. And make sure you have room in your suitcase to stock your pantry with flavour bombs for when you get home.
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The Best Restaurants London
LUNCH or DINNER
St John Marleybone
A visit to London isnt complete without a meal at one of the St John restaurant. Full disclosure my Irishman and I are total St John tragic fans. We once stayed at their now closed St John hotel and 9 months later Fergal ‘St John’ was born. So we love Fergus Henderson for more than his exemplary nose-to-tail eating.
Marylebone did not disappoint. If they have the deep fried Welsh Rarebit on the menu you MIST order it (unless of course you ha e a dairy in tolerance) Actually everything will be amazing. Just book yourself a table and if you need to fly 1/2 way around the world it will be worth it.
We opted for the Eccles cake for dessert but I’m still wishing we went for the Madelines- next time!
Honey & Smoke – Marylebone
I’ve been wanting to get to Honey & Co for years and years since cooking my way though their first cookbook. So I couldn’t wait to eat at Honey & Smoke – their Marylebone restaurant special in cooking with (you guessed it) fire .
Our first attempt at dinner at Honey & Smoke was cut short by jet lag with 2 small boys literally falling asleep at the table. So on my home journey we booked in for a long leisurely jetlag-free lunch and we weren’t disappointed. One of those places where EVERYTHING is super delicious. I especially love the cabbage with labneh and fried onions and the tuna skewers with a red pepper and walnut sauce. And of course the lamb with babaganoush. Just thinking about this is making me itch to book a return trip to London.
Honey & Smoke Website
St John Bread & Wine – Shoreditch
Love love love this place! It’s a casual shared plates type of place just the type of restaurant I love. Our highlight was actually a vegetarian dish of slow cooked zucchini with butter beans and goats curd. So delicIous!
On previous visits to London I’ve eaten in the original St John restaurant which is not exactly formal, just a bit more restauranty. Make sure you visit at least one of them!
Ottolenghi
When wee get to London the usual procedure is to pretty much dump our bags at the hotel and head straight to the nearest Ottolenghi outlet.
If you love your veg and salads you must make time for lunch or dinner here. The deal is you choose from a selection of salads, veg and proteins. I love that you get to try lots of different things but it’s still tough trying to choose!
And if you have a sweet tooth you’ll also be in heaven with all the cakes and pastries.
On our most recent vidit we has breakfast at the Marylebone outlet which does more catering / takeaway and only has one large communal table so come early if you want to get a spot.
The River Cafe
– An iconic London restaurant a bit out of the way but well worth a visit to see where Jamie Oliver got his break and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall got sacked! But the real reason to go to the River Cafe is to experience their beautiful simple Italian food. I also love Rose Greys podcast where she interviews famous guests who have eaten at the River Cafe over the years.
The Perfectionists Cafe
– Heathrow Terminal 2.
Don’t you love when your flight gets delayed so you ‘have to’ eat somewhere and the closest place is run by Heston Blumenthal. Loved sitting at the bar watching the chefs at work on their ‘perfect’ pizza and ‘perfect’ fish & chips.
The Perfectionists at Heathrow Website
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The Best Restaurants London
DINNER
Moro
You know when you have all the cookbooks from a restaurant and have super high expectations? Yes it often leads to disappointment. And I’m afraid this is what happened to me and Moro. While our dinner was tasty, it didn’t ‘blow me away’ like I was hoping it would. If I lived closer I’d definitely return with more reasonable expectations. Next time.
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On my List for Next Time
Honey & Co – after thoroughly enjoying their cooking with fire restaurant Honey & Smoke I’m dying to try the original.
The Ledbury – for when I’m feeling much richer! Currently has 2 Michelin stars.
Nopi – the more ‘restauranty’ offering from the Ottolenghi crew.
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Where to Stay in London
The Holmes Hotel – Marylebone
Right next to Baker St I loved the location of this hip part of the Radisson chain. If you want an early check in make srure you call them ahead of time instead of sending a quick email and assuming it would be sorted. The hotel restaurant does a pretty decent breakfast but you’ll get a much better feed if you head out to Ottolenghi down the road.
Radisson RED Heathrow
We loved our room at the Radisson RED as much as we loved the super central location – perfect if you have an early or late flight and want to crash somewhere close to Heathrrow – it’s literally next door to the airport but they’ve done a fantastic job with the sound proofing -we didn’t hear a single thing.
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More restaurant recommendations (from all around the world) see the Stonesoup Guide to Tasty Travel.
Hope you enjoy your visit to London as much as we did!
If there’s something I’ve missed – please email jules@thestonesoup.com and let me know
Love
Jules x
Updated: November 2023