The best sustainable restaurants in London

What is it? The world’s very first ‘zero waste’ restaurant. 

Why we love it: Sustainable credentials don’t get much more impressive than the east London restaurant that refuses to have a bin. Silo started life in Brighton before moving to the space above Hackney Wick’s much-loved Crate Brewery in 2019. Chef-owner Douglas McMaster’s ‘leave no trace’ ethics mean that everything at Silo, from the upcycled furniture to the kitchen counter made from recycled plastic bottles, shows the eEarth some love. ‘Billed as the world's first zero-waste restaurant, Silo has been a pioneer in the field of sustainable gastronomy for years,’ says the Michelin board, who awarded Silo a coveted ‘Green Star’. There’s no a la carte, only a set tasting menu, but you’ll be more than catered for, with ‘siloaf’ - bread using in-house milled flour - and anything from venison with caramelised cream and kale to sourdough XO dumplings with whole egg fudge. The menu can also be altered for vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diners. As well as having a Green Star, Silo also features on the We're Smart Green Guide and is B Corp certified. 

Time Out tip: Book dinner before 7pm and you’ll be able to order the cheaper - but no less tasty - shorter tasting menu, which is just £45. 

Address: Unit 7, Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN.

Opening hours: Wed-Fri 5.30-11pm, Sat 12-11pm.

Expect to pay: The full tasting menu is £75, with a £65 wine pairing.

What is it? A slick, Michelin star tasting menu focusing on produce from the British Isles. 

Why we love it: St Barts Restaurant boasts the double whammy of Michelin greatness; a classic star and a green one to boot. Founded by the same team as east London’s Nest, Restaurant St Barts opened at the end of 2022 and quickly plonked itself in the upper echelons of the London fine dining scene. ‘We want to create an experience that focuses on respect – towards the natural environment, the incredible produce that comes from it and everyone involved in the process,’ explains exec head chef Johnnie Crowe of his multi-layered tasting menu, which delivered the best produce from small-scale farmers and conservationists across the UK. Expect a 12-or-so-course offering, that might include the likes of shellfish served with preserved white asparagus, turbot with house miso and yuzu, and BBQ mallard with ‘British satay sauce’. The chic space too prides itself on its sustainable credentials, with wood from fallen London plane trees used in the handmade tables made by woodworker Archie Faber.

Time Out tip: For the best value visit, come for the ‘Business lunch hour’ menu, which runs from Tuesday to Friday, with seatings from 12-2.15pm and costs £55.

Address: 63 Bartholomew Cl, EC1A 7BF.

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 12-2.15pm, 6–7.30pm, Fri-Sat 12-2.15pm, 6-8pm (seating times).

Expect to pay: The signature tasting menu is £160, but there’s a shorter £120 option if you dine before 7.30pm from Tuesday to Thursdays. Wine pairing, £95.

What is it? Vegetarian and vegan pizzas with a progressive purpose.

Why we love it: Don’t worry, Flat Earth Pizza isn’t run by rampant conspiracy theorists - it’s the project of people who think being kind to the planet is better than shipping in ingredients from far-flung climes and munching down on meat. Another recipient of the three-star rating for the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Standard, this east London pizzeria has a root-to-tip approach to veggies and is anti food waste and has a zero-to-landfill ethos. They work directly with growers at Forty Hall Organic Farm in Enfield for hyper-seasonal veg, and ferment and pickle to extend the lifespan of the produce. Which is all well and good, but what do their pizzas taste like, we hear you ask? Happily, they’re absolutely delicious. The ‘KFM’ is scattered with Korean-inspired fried oyster mushrooms, gochujang, piquillo peppers, pickled spring onions, and toasted sesame, while the house favourite is the kimchi fiorentina; with house-made kimchi, three cheeses, egg, and a beetroot crumb. Bases are slow proved and made from a blend of Gilchester’s organic heritage grain and Wildfarmed flour. 

Time Out tip: Swap any dairy cheese for plant-based mozzarella to make your pizza vegan. 

Address: 288 Cambridge Heath Rd, E2 9DA.

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 12-10pm, Sun 12-7pm.

Expect to pay: Pizzas are around £16 each. There’s also a great weekday lunchdeal; £10 for a marg and a caesar salad.

What is it? Proof that sustainability can be experimental and fun, too. 

Why we love it: Fallow’s sustainable principles are hard to beat. They’re on the We're Smart Green Guide as well as being B Corp certified, meaning Fallow meets their high standards of social and environmental performance, as well as transparency and accountability. They call it ‘conscious gastronomy’, we call it ‘utterly delicious’. Headed up by Dinner by Heston Blumenthal alumni Will Murray and Jack Croft, Fallow started out as a post-pandemic pop-up and is now one of the busiest restaurants in St James’s. People come for the full-on flavour punch of the dishes here, as well as the fact that they grow their own produce and do their own whole-animal butchery as well as sprouting their own edible fungus in a dedicated on-site mushroom room. Food here is super indulgent, showing that humble, often overlooked ingredients can make really rich, decadent grub. Their famous smoked cod’s head with house sriracha sauce and leek oil is something special, as is their vegetarian hen of the wood burger with crispy mushroom. Check out sister restaurant Roe in Canary Wharf for more of the same.

Time Out tip: Open from 7.30am on weekdays, early birds can indulge in a Fallow full breakfast of smoked bacon, black pudding, sausage herbed mushrooms, fried eggs tomatoes and sourdough toast. 

Address: 52 Haymarket, SW1Y 4RP.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 7.30am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 11.30am-10pm.

Expect to pay: Small plates are around £15-20, while large plates can be anything from £20 to £60. The best deal is the £19 aged dairy cow burger.

What is it? Fresh, veg-forward cooking in a surprisingly casual Mayfair space.  

Why we love it:  Chef-owner Chantelle Nicholson isn’t new to the sustainable dining scene. She first received a Green Michelin Star for her work at her former restaurant Tredwells, and Apricity quickly joined the ranks thanks to its dedication to hyper-seasonality, regeneratively farmed meat, sustainably caught fish and low-waste cooking. Nicholson and head chef Eve Seemann’s tasting menu contains over 30 different plants and veg, and you can expect the lavish sounding likes of Crown Prince squash with pink flamingo pea, almond butter and vadouvan, or East Devon venison pithivier with Sussex parsnip and raspberry ketchup. Ordering a la carte is also an option here, and sides and desserts are equally earthy, with pear and ginger cake served with pear sherbet and pumpkin seed cream making for a perfect pud. The space is sustainable too, with recycled and reused interiors, including chairs made from old Coca-Cola bottles to second-hand sinks in the bathrooms. As well as a Green Michelin Star, Apricity was awarded the highest, three-star rating for the Sustainable Restaurant Association's Food Made Good Standard.

Time Out tip: The wine list is as impressive as the main menu, with biodiversity and soil regeneration a top priority. Ask for recommendations by the glass and you’ll be wildly impressed. 

Address: 68 Duke St, W1K 6JU.

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 12-2.15pm, 5.30-9pm, Sat 12-2.30pm, 5-9pm.

Expect to pay: You can go a la carte - mains are around £30 each - but the five course tasting menu is £85 with a four glass wine pairing for £60, while the seven course menu is £99 with a six glass wine selection for £75.

What is it? The UK’s first Michelin star vegan restaurant. 

Why we love it: Plates opened in the summer of 2024 to a vast waiting list for tables and an almost immediate We're Smart Green Guide inclusion. An online guide to places that celebrate fruit and veg on their menus, Plates more than fits the bill; a swanky spot that shuns meat, fish and dairy in favour of a totally vegan, plant-based offering. Chef-founder Kirk Haworth heads up the kitchen, rattling out dishes that he perfected on BBC1’s Great British Menu (he was crowned Champion of Champions in 2024), with dishes such as mung and urad bean lasagna with a miso and chive sauce, wild garlic soup with potato dumplings served with a sour apple and buckwheat truffle, and slow cooked leeks with chestnut cream, jalapeno and gooseberry dressing and frozen verjus.  

Time Out tip: Scoring an oversubscribed table here might take some time, but subscribe to the Plates newsletter via their website and you’ll receive regular availability updates.

Address: 320 Old St, EC1V 9DR. 

Opening hours: Wed 6-10pm, Thu-Sat 12-3pm, 6-10pm, Sun 12-4pm.

Expect to pay: The standard seven course tasting menu is £75, but you can have a jazzed up version with an extra dish for £90.

What is it? A verdant dining space in a ravishing part of Richmond. 

Why we love it: Part greenhouse, part fine dining paradise, Petersham Nurseries Restaurant is as committed to the slow food ethos, as it is making you feel as if you’re in a period drama. The first thing you’ll notice is just how goddamn pretty the whole place is, with a canopy of bougainvillea and jasmine swinging above you as you dine. A trip to Petersham Nurseries is a bit like stepping into an Evelyn Waugh novel, full of fabulously wealthy country types, and there just so happens to be a restaurant amongst the kitchen garden and plant nursery. Produce is grown on-site, and the menu is unsurprisingly plant-forward, with an Italian-ish take on British ingredients. Expect the likes of fresh rigatoni with wild mushrooms; loin of pork with roasted root veg; venison tenderloin with chard; and langoustine and crab bisque with lemongrass oil. This Michelin Green Star spot also uses meat, eggs and produce from the family-run, no-waste and regenerative Haye Farm in Devon, which is Soil Association assured, and has the highest pig welfare score by Farms Not Factories.

Time Out tip: Look out for the regular ‘wine lunches’, which are hosted in conjunction with Petersham Cellar. As well as great booze, you’ll get to dine in the private kitchen garden greenhouse.

Address: Church Lane, Off Petersham Rd, Richmond, TW10 7AB.

Opening hours: Tue-Wed, Sun 12-5pm, Thu-Sat 12-5pm, 6.30-11pm.

Expect to pay: Arrival cocktail and four courses is £95, or two courses for £65 and three for £75.

What is it? A longstanding fine-dining space with a bold, British menu. 

Why we love it: Awarded three stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association for its super seasonal and daily changing menu, Lyle’s has long been one of the tastiest fine dining spots in east London. Celebrating a decade of deliciousness in 2014 (it was awarded its Michelin star in 2015), Lyle’s works with a network of British farmers and fishers in order to secure the most sustainable produce and catches, with founder James Lowe (former head chef at the nearby St John Bread & Wine) whipping up some of the most innovative dishes in town. Last time we were there we enjoyed oysters with pink rosette apples, a tangy tartare of Cornish tuna toast, and smoked cod’s roe with fresh summer vegetables that seem plucked straight from a Beatrix Potter illustration. A true icon of the new wave of British dining.

Time Out tip: There’s a vegetarian tasting menu for £99. And try their fermented house sodas for an excellent non alcoholic tipple. 

Address: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High St, E1 6JJ.

Opening hours: Wed 6-9pm, Thu-Sat 12-2.15pm, 6-9pm, Sun 12-3.30pm.

Expect to pay: The regular tasting menu is £119, with a £65 wine pairing. You can also order a la carte, with starters from £19-£27 and mains around £33-49.

What is it? Ravinder Bhogal’s ‘mixed heritage’ restaurant, with dishes that span Asia, the Middle East, east Africa and the UK.

Why we like it: Another B Corp certified joint, Jikoni means ‘kitchen’ in Kiswahili and blends Asian, African and Middle Eastern cuisines in what chef-founder Ravinder Bhogal calls ‘cooking across borders’. If you’re looking for ‘authentic’ food from any of those regions, you’d better go elsewhere, but if you want a charming and playful evening of culinary surprises, Jikoni won’t disappoint. Come for the prawn-toast scotch egg with banana ketchup and pickled cucumbers, cauliflower popcorn with a zingy black-vinegar dipping sauce or pressed shoulder of Cornish lamb with ras-el-hanout and burnt aubergine. Jikoni is also Climate Neutral certified, which means its carbon neutral, and powered by wind, solar and green gas energy. 

Time Out tip: Weekend brunch here is a vibe. Feast on those prawn toast scotch eggs, alongside butterbean and chorizo stew, fishcakes with mint stuffing and spicy hollandaise, and a long list of quirky cocktails.

Address: 19-21 Blandford St, W1U 3DH.

Opening hours: Tues 5.30-10pm, Wed-Fri 12-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm.

Expect to pay: Starters and small plates are around £10 to £22, with larger plates from £26 to £44.

What is it? A global and seasonally-inspired spot in Soho from the Ottolenghi group. 

Why we love it: A Sustainable Restaurant Association-approved spot, Nopi was the first full-service restaurant from Yotam Ottolenghi’s culinary empire, and remains one of his best. With a menu that draws from across the world, you can expect to feast upon charred tiger prawns with lime leaf, tamarind, guava and Thai basil one day, and then sea bass with sun dried pepper and crispy couscous tabbouleh the next. Vegetarian dishes here are especially good; come for the maple beetroot with agrodolce, whipped goat’s cheese and pickled herbs, as well as courgette manouri fritters with cardamom yoghurt. 

Time Out tip: A pre-theatre sharing menu is available every weekday from 5pm until 6.30pm, and you’ll get to try at least five dishes from the lengthy main menu. 

Address: 21-22 Warwick St, W1F 9LD.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11.30am-3pm, 5-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 11.30am-10.30pm, Sun 12-4pm

Expect to pay: Veg sharing plates are up to £20, fish and meat to £29. Mains are around £29 to £41.

What is it? An artsy enclave for fine dining in Mayfair.

Why we love it: A Sustainable Restaurant Association-approved spot, Mount St Restaurant is beloved not just by London’s art world (there’s millions of pounds worth of masterpieces from gallerists Hauser & Wirth on the walls here), but by the eco-conscious dining squad, too. The Brit-focused menu is made up of super fresh seasonal produce that comes direct from farmers and growers around the UK, and there’s a tailored waste management programme in place to ensure waste is kept to a minimum (yum!). The menu is made up of trad Brit classics given a chic, modern-ish makeover. Think; grilled Cornish mackerel with blood orange ponzu, monk’s beard and caviar; Orkney scallop scampi with warm tartare sauce: and Merrifield duck breast with sausage, cherry and beetroot.  

Time Out tip: If the Mount St Restaurant menu is a little out of your price range, then come for snacks at the Audley Public House. The pub downstairs is run by the same Artfarm folk, and their menu includes scotch eggs, sausage rolls and fish finger sarnies. 

Address: First Floor, 41-43 Mount St, W1K 2RX.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-10pm, Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 9am-5pm.

Expect to pay: It’s not the cheapest of spots (this is Mayfair, after all), with starters around £20 to £30, and mains from £28 to £65, with their famous lobster pie for two at £110.