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Shoreditch restaurant Lyle’s – which celebrates its tenth birthday in April this year – has been named the best restaurant in London.
The new list, from independent restaurant guide SquareMeal, rated Lyle’s as a ‘perennial high-flyer’, saying the modern British fine dining spot ‘blew us away when we revisited it this year. With its stripped-back geometry and whitewashed walls, Lyle’s juxtaposes London’s more glitzy, maximalist restaurant interiors, whilst the kitchen delivers some of the very best food anywhere in London.’
Lyle’s was opened by head chef James Lowe in 2014, and was awarded a Michelin star the following year. Other restaurants to make the top ten include the double Michelin-star awarded Da Terra in Bethnal Green, Humble Chicken in Soho, Akoko in Fitzrovia and The Ledbury in Notting Hill.
The first restaurant on the list with a female head chef was Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Rambutan in Borough Market, which came in at number 16.
SquareMeal’s Managing Editor, Ellie Donnell, said of the list: ‘In Lyle’s, we have a restaurant that has not only stood the test of time, but continues to push the boundaries of what modern British food means today. James and his team have managed to capture the very essence of casual fine dining in a truly timeless restaurant, where a focus on UK-grown produce, exceptional plates and friendly service will never go out of fashion. Bravo!’
The top 20 best restaurants in London according to Squaremeal, are:
- Lyle’s, Shoreditch
- Da Terra, Bethnal Green
- The Ritz, Mayfair
- Humble Chicken, Soho
- Evelyn’s Table, Chinatown
- Bibi, Mayfair
- Akoko, Fitzrovia
- Pollen Street Social, Mayfair
- Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Mayfair
- The Ledbury, Notting Hill
- The Parakeet, Kentish Town
- Counter 71, Shoreditch
- Midland Grand Dining Room, King's Cross
- Brat, Shoreditch
- Fallow, St James's
- Rambutan, Borough Market
- Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal, Piccadilly
- Sola, Soho
- Ikoyi, Temple
- Mountain, Soho
You can take a peek at SquareMeal’s full list here.
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