The best restaurants in London you should be booking

What’s the deal? This marvellous modern-Malaysian joint moved from a food market in Peckham to a real restaurant in Clapton at the end of 2023, with chef-owner Abby Lee at the helm. Her intensely flavoured dishes are served up in a welcoming, casual style and so goddamn beautiful it’s impossible not to swoon over them.

Why go? To enjoy some seriously inspired flavours far away from the regular Soho cabal, and support a small, independent restaurant run by a true talent in the process. 

Order this Abby takes hints from her grandmother’s own recipes – make a beeline for anything fish-based, such as charcoal-grilled sardines served with pomelo and fried shallot salad.

What’s the deal? A west African tasting menu of dreams in Fitzrovia, with 10-odd courses. The kitchen was taken to Michelin star glory at the start of 2024.  

Why go? This laidback and airy room is fancy without the faff – there’s no fiddly, fussy food here, but rather huge, innovative flavours that draw on old family recipes and flavours from across Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

Order this You’ll have to plump for the tasting menu, as there’s no a la carte option, but you will have zero regrets; expect hunks of lobster tail, scotch bonnet soup and extremely moreish jollof rice. 

What’s the deal? A full-throttle but still surprisingly demure bistro at the top of a 300-year-old boozer in Farringdon. Storied chef Henry Harris has made this spot home to London's most in-demand tables. 

Why go? To enjoy a menu that is unashamedly French, with humble roots and an emphasis on hearty food. Fans of butter and cream, your time is now. The room too, is a delight - a bit like a 1930s nanna’s bedroom, but sexy. 

Order this The tête de veau (‘calf’s head’): the veal is poached and soft, melting and rich, and eaten with dollops of mayo-like ravigote. Oof.

What’s the deal? It’s one of Chinatown’s most recent inhabitants, but Speedboat Bar has already made a proper name for itself. Bright and boozy, it offers fun Thai food inspired by the canteens in Bangkok’s own Chinatown. Sweetcorn fritters are crunchy pop-in-the-mouth fun and chicken skins with zaep seasoning the very definition of zingy. 

Why go? Did we mention there’s a pool table upstairs? This is a drinker’s restaurant, with cocktails like the Magic Inhaler, a shot-glass version of St John’s notorious Dr Henderson – a potent Fernet-Branca/Crème de Menthe mash-up that shouldn’t work but very much does.

Order this Tom yam mama noodles with squid, pork and prawns, which come swimming in a creamy broth. This dish has serious big-bowl energy.

What’s the deal? A family-run gem serving up sensational Uyghur cuisine on Walthamstow’s main Hoe Street drag. This was one of the first places in London to serve the addictive Xinjiang flavours of northwest China, and is rightly the stuff of local legend. 

Why go? So you can spy on all of London’s best chefs, who regularly rate Etles as one of their favourite low-key spots for a flavour-packed feast on their nights off. 

Order this It’s got to be the large plate chicken, with hand pulled flat noodles, potatoes, garlic and ginger in peppered sauce. Share with some pals, and BYOB too. 

What’s the deal? The OG of nose-to-tail London restaurants, St John opened back in 1994 and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Why go? It’s got a Michelin star, but doesn’t bang on about it, happy instead to be a go-to spot for anyone wanting a classic British meal with class, character and charm. We also can’t think of a chicer spot in London that the St John bar – which always has tables for walk-ins, as well as a short menu, and the chance to people-watch a continuing succession of the city’s most interesting characters. 

Order this Anything goes, but do make sure you add a roast bone marrow & parsley salad and gooey cheese rarebit on the side. 

What’s the deal? Believe the hype – and brave the epic lines. The queues stretch out of the door nightly for this King’s Cross Cantonese restaurant, but once inside it’s a vibey spot full of in-the-know London diners.  

Why go? For their particularly plump prawn dumplings, and huge xiaolongbao soup dumplings, alongside a whole host of Cantonese classics, including roast duck and beef ho fun.

Order this Get the razor clams. They’re served with generous portions of garlic and vermicelli noodles in a umami saucy broth.

What’s the deal? A slick spot in Smithfields, where experiential dining doesn’t feel like a drag. Here you’ll be hypnotised by 15-odd courses of prime British seafood and meat, and cooked with the ingenuity, focus and care of the Scandinavian greats. 

Why go? Not only has it been newly minted with its first Michelin star, Restaurant St Barts is also the only London restaurant to hold both a Michelin star and a Green star – Michelin’s gong for impressive sustainable and ethical practices; the duck you’re eating here lived a good life. 

Order this It’s a tasting menu, so you’ll get what you’re given, but keep an eye out for the house cured meat that opens up the meal. Magical.

What’s the deal? Sat in the garden of a former school off Arnold Circus in Shoreditch, Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson’s idyllic bolthole is a vision of simplicity and good sourcing. Think St John (Fergus Henderson is Mr Margot) without the wine-sloshing brouhaha – and with less offal.

Why go? Because lunches are rarely more idyllic, especially in the spring. 

Order this Uncomplicated constructions sum up this place’s ethos, so pick one a simple starter such as clams, chilli and garlic. Don't ignore the old school puddings, especially the ones drowning in custard.

What’s the deal? One of the grandest dining rooms in town, Zedel’s art deco majesty is welcoming to tourists and locals alike. At this deeply democratic bistro live jazz, French 75s and snails in garlic and parsley butter go hand-in-hand.

Why go? To enjoy the unadulterated glamour of a pre-dinner cocktail in Zedel’s adjoining Bar Américain, followed by the nightly hubbub inside this massive, subterranean space.

Order this The £16.95 prix-fixe menu might not be as cheap as it once was, but it’s still extremely good value for a sit-down meal in the middle of town. Dressed, shredded carrots followed by steak haché in peppercorn sauce with French fries might just be Soho’s most iconic meal.