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When in London, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out, and deciding where best to indulge may require some guidance. Especially with the food scene in the capital never more exciting or diverse, and some of the best chefs in the world calling it home.
Many having trained abroad only to bring new flavours and ideas back with them to the ever-changing London food scene. Whether it’s fine dining, a tasting menu or sharing plates you seek out, there are numerous top restaurants not to miss in the capital. The stalwarts, the trailblazers in flavour and fusion, the leaders in sustainable practices, and the creators of new and delicious, globally influenced, edible things. So when deciding where to eat, yes – follow the food, atmosphere, service, wine list and overall experience. But take a chance on the up-and-coming, the dreamers and the passionate culinary trendsetters too.
The BusinessClass.com guide to the ten Best Restaurants in London:
1. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is a must if you can get in. Holding three Michelin stars for over two decades, it pairs unparalleled service and fine dining with an intimate atmosphere. Established in 1998, Gordan Ramsay’s flagship restaurant serves modern French cuisine using the finest seasonal ingredients and employing both classic and modern techniques in the prep. Under the guidance of Head Chef Matt Abe, the real genius is the pace, the portion sizes and the time between courses which is perfected to leave diners always wanting more.
The Restaurant’s Inspiration Table seats four and is a hub of genius that brings you closer to understanding the art and science behind creating exquisite dishes, and where the most exciting and current dishes are trialled. Celebrating the process above all else, every morning a team of about 20 chefs tackle the day’s prep before service – from freshly baked bread to intensely flavoured sauces. Every element relies on the very best produce, making the suppliers as important as the chefs themselves. Matt feels strongly that he and his chefs should fully understand what goes into each ingredient and visits to suppliers is an important part of the process – and success.
Address: 68 Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HP
Where to stay: Bulgari London
2. A Wong
Andrew Wong of A Wong took over his parent's traditional Chinese restaurant in Victoria back in 2013, proceeding to shake up the SW1 dining scene. It now has two Michelin stars! Taking inspiration from his extensive travels through the provinces of China, Andrew presents his unique interpretations of dishes from all its regions on the menu. For the full experience, the ‘Taste of China’ menu takes you on a 3-hour culinary voyage through the country’s 3000-year history, while the Pimlico Chinese offers the best of the country’s regional cuisines.
If you’re struggling to decide, A Wong will create a selection of dishes for sharing at your table. Seats at the bar bring diners to the theatre of the kitchen, and to Andrew who’s always ready to answer questions. Forbidden City Bar is on the lower ground floor of the restaurant and includes a selection of the best wines, spirits and champagne, as well as A Wong inspired cocktails. Go at lunchtime for dim sum, it's arguably the best in London! And make sure you don’t leave without trying the sublime desserts.
Address: 70 Wilton Rd, Pimlico, London SW1V 1DE
Where to stay: The Goring
3. Chiltern Firehouse
Chiltern Firehouse was an instant success after opening in 2014. A happening West End hotspot serving modern American cuisine, it was established by André Balazs in a red brick building and former fire station that dates back to the 1880s – hence the name. The hotel has 26 rooms including 16 suites and lofts, a courtyard, wine cellar, and top amenities. The Chiltern Firehouse’s restaurant celebrates ingredient-led cooking, with underlying American accents. Executive Chef Richard Foster has created a menu of reimagined classics and bold new flavours, placing emphasis on seasonality and healthy eating. The sprawling dining room has the original glazed wall tiles, fire doors and firemen’s poles left intact.
Outside, you’ll also find a private dining terrace with striped awnings, and an outdoor fireplace crackling in the colder months. The hotel bar, known as the Ladder Shed bar, has plants suspended from the ceiling, with bartenders serving classics and modern mixes. Settle into one of the dark green velvet chaise lounges or on a stool at the sunken marble bar while the mixologists work their magic. Try the jalapeno-laced signature cocktail called Playing with Fire, or a simple classic Negroni or champagne cocktail.
Address: 1 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7PA
Where to stay: COMO Metropolitan
4. China Tang at The Dorchester
China Tang at The Dorchester in Mayfair is widely known as home to some of the finest Cantonese food outside China in a chic setting that evokes 1930s Shanghai. Bearing the unmistakable character of its flamboyant creator, Sir David Tang, it is dressed to impress London’s most glamorous clientele. The dining room serves classical Cantonese dishes prepared in a time-honoured manner, using the freshest ingredients to showcase centuries’ of perfected recipes.
Executive Chef Menex Cheung has brought his brand of culinary experiences since 2019. After a 20-year career in Hong Kong and after leading fine restaurants in Shanghai, Beijing and Magnolia’s Hohhot, his extensive knowledge of traditional Chinese cuisine has seen the development of new and exciting signature dishes that celebrate a unique fusion of China’s distinct regional cuisines. The Bar is a 1930’s-styled re-imagination of Sir David’s living room and welcomes you to experience a unique Cantonese afternoon tea or to sample a selection of London’s finest beverages while enjoying the live music.
Address: 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA
Where to stay: The Dorchester, London
5. Core by Clare Smyth
Core by Clare Smyth is one of the very best in town and has received numerous awards since opening in 2017, including Three Michelin Stars in 2021. The debut restaurant of Clare Smyth, an award-winning chef who grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland. Clare moved to England at the age of 16 and worked her way up to become Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where she spent 8 years. She has since received the World’s Best Female Chef Award by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and an MBE for services to hospitality, among other awards. Her restaurant is a light-filled discreet, elegant space with a serene feel. Delicate flowers and accessories on the wooden tables echo the seasons and the crockery has been specially commissioned to match the mood.
There is a choice of two different tasting menus – ‘Core Classics’, which features dishes that Clare has continually refined over the years, and ‘Core Seasons’, which has a more luxurious edge and elevates humble Britain’s most beloved ingredients. Alternatively, there’s the à la carte which includes all of the dishes from both.
Address: Notting Hill, 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN
Where to stay: The Laslett
6. Ikoyi Restaurant
Ikoyi Restaurant has just reopened at 180 The Strand, after closing its St James’s location year last. One of London’s most exciting restaurants named after a neighbourhood in Nigeria’s capital, Lagos, it is the brainchild of school friends Iré Hassan-Odukale, who was born in Ikoyi, and Chinese-Canadian Chef Jeremy Chan, who heads up the kitchen. It took London a while to grasp the concept, but the restaurant has established itself as one of the most exciting in the capital, receiving a Michelin star in 2018, and a second in 2022. In 2022 it placed on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time.
Ikoyi may take its influence from West African food, but it is not a West African restaurant. Dishes aren’t designed with authenticity in mind, they’re designed to be complex, perfectly balanced and delicious in their own right, and Jeremy does that by using powerful umami flavours throughout the course of the meal. It’s refreshingly modern with the team simply serving what it is cooking that day, at Michelin star level. In so doing they create a vibrant, exciting and ever-changing experience.
Address: Ikoyi, 1 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4AH
Where to stay: The Ritz
7. Bombay Bustle
Bombay Bustle in Mayfair is inspired by the bustling metropolis of Mumbai and pays homage to the Indian city’s culture and people with a menu that recreates some of the city's most loved dishes. A place that is well suited to a leisurely dinner with friends or a quick lunch for one. Designed by Fabled Studio, the space and design reflect the Art Deco building against the organised chaos of modern Mumbai. The menu sees Indian comfort food alongside family recipes from Founder Samyukta Nair and Executive Chef Surender Mohan. Favourites include Bambaiya Ragda topped with dry peas and honey yoghurt, the Bustle Tandoor Platter, Kerala Fish Curry and Dum Lamb Biryani.
Inspired by the old first-class railway coaches of India, the pewter bar upstairs is the perfect place for one of Bombay Bustle's classic cocktails such as Old Gold Fashioned or Signature G&T made with Nagpur Orange Bitter and Gin distilled in 100 years copper pot. Small booths around The Carriage are perfect for intimate groups of four. The Dining Room at the end of the Carriage reflects the presence in Mumbai with vibrant pink clay plaster walls and bottle green leather and candy pink upholstery.
Address: 29 Maddox St, London W1S 2PA
Where to stay: 45 Park Lane
8. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is an elegant expression of artistry with personally tailored menus in a stylishly designed dining room. A three Michelin-star restaurant where each dish is grounded in the seasonal produce sourced from the farmers, makers and growers carefully chosen by Hélène. After a recent reinvention, the room is even more feminine and less formal, warmer and more relaxing. When it comes to cooking under the watchful eye of Hélène’s head chef, the focus remains firmly on the main ingredients.
Pierre Yovanovitch’s interior design sets the perfect tone for this intimate dining experience. A blown-glass chandelier and exposed wooden tabletops add a contemporary edge. For the Chef’s Table and overlooking the pass, you’re seated at a pink marble table surrounded by stunning art while the team creates a bespoke menu just for you. The flavours, with occasional international influences, result in dishes that stay long in the memory. A meal here will have you dining on the moment for years.
Address: The Connaught Hotel, Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL
Where to stay: The Connaught
9. Murano
The Murano is Angela Hartnett's Michelin Starred Restaurant in the heart of St James’s. Serving fine modern European cuisine in a sophisticated space with a deliberately light mood. The food at Murano is a reflection of Angela’s upbringing cooking alongside her Italian grandmother and aunts. The menu features seasonal, modern Italian dishes that use the best of British and European produce in approachable ways. The menu is divided into five sections and allows the diner to choose any number of dishes in the order they prefer. The wine list focuses on small sustainable producers. Italian wines are a speciality with the classic regions of France featured too.
The restaurant is relaxed and inviting and intended that you drop in and eat every day. Murano opened in 2008 and within 4 months achieved a Michelin Star, followed by 4 AA Rosettes. Combined with exceptional food and wine, Murano makes guests feel instantly at home. The flagship restaurant is full of warmth and showcases the best of her homeland’s cooking, reminding why Hartnett remains of the country’s greatest chefs.
Address: 20 Queen St, London W1J 5PP
Where to stay: The Stafford
10. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants and holder of two Michelin stars. Located in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, it offers elegant, contemporary dining with a twist, and a menu inspired by British culinary history. The story of Dinner began in the late 90s with Heston Blumenthal’s fascination with historic gastronomy.
After researching 14th-century cookbooks such as those by King Richard II’s royal chefs, reading up on Lewis Carroll’s flights of fancy and working with food historians, Heston tapped into a very modern exploratory dining experience and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was born and is dedicated to reimagining those recipes and bringing exciting and playful experiences to the diners of today. For a behind-the-scenes experience, the Chef's Table offers an intimate insight into the energy and activity of the kitchen. Go with an open mind and an adventurous culinary interest.
Address: 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental, London
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Where to stay: 43 Best Hotels in London
