
Best Restaurants in London
A culinary capital offering everything from traditional British fare to innovative international cuisine. Discover Michelin-starred restaurants, historic pubs, and vibrant food markets.
London
14 CURATED DINING EXPERIENCES
Featured Spotlights
In-depth reviews and stories from London's finest restaurants
CORE by Clare Smyth
Clare Smyth has created something extraordinary at COREāa restaurant that embodies the very essence of modern British cuisine while remaining refreshingly unpretentious. Every visit feels like a journey through Britain's culinary landscape, where seasonal ingredients are elevated to their absolute peak through masterful technique and genuine passion. The dining room strikes the perfect balance between elegance and warmth, creating an atmosphere where you can truly focus on the remarkable journey unfolding on your plate. Each dish tells the story of British terroir, from the first bite to the final, lingering flavor that leaves you planning your next visit before you've even finished your meal.
Three Michelin stars speak volumes, but what truly sets CORE apart is Clare Smyth's unwavering commitment to showcasing British ingredients with a refinement that never loses sight of hospitality and warmth.
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Miga
Walking into Miga feels like discovering London's best-kept secret tucked away in the vibrant streets of Hackney. This isn't your typical Korean restaurantāit's an intimate love letter to modern Korean cuisine, where every dish tells a story. The moment you step inside, you're enveloped by the warmth of a truly family-run establishment, where the passion for authentic flavors meets innovative presentation. The beef tartare yughwe is nothing short of revelatoryādelicate, perfectly seasoned, and presented with an artistry that speaks to the chef's dedication to their craft. Each bite of the braised short ribs melts in your mouth, rich with umami and comfort that transports you straight to Seoul's finest establishments.
Time Out's #1 restaurant for 2025 isn't just a titleāit's a testament to Miga's extraordinary ability to elevate Korean cuisine to new heights. This family-run gem has created something truly special: an intimate dining experience where modern Korean flavors dance on your palate with each carefully crafted dish.
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Oma
There's something almost primal about watching flames dance around fresh ingredients at Oma, nestled in the heart of Borough Market. This isn't just dinnerāit's theater. The open kitchen becomes a stage where ancient Greek cooking traditions meet modern London sophistication. The minimalist design forces your attention to what truly matters: the intoxicating aroma of seasonal fish kissed by fire, the satisfying crack of perfectly blistered flatbreads, and the passionate choreography of chefs who treat each ingredient with reverence. Every meal here feels like a celebration of the Mediterranean spirit, where simplicity isn't just a cooking philosophyāit's an art form that transforms the finest seasonal produce into something transcendent.
Earning both Time Out's #2 spot and Michelin recognition isn't luckāit's the result of Oma's unwavering commitment to live-fire Greek cooking that captures the soul of the Mediterranean while embracing London's diverse culinary landscape.
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Plates
History was made at Plates, and you can taste the revolution on every single plate. This isn't just another vegan restaurant trying to replicate meatāit's a bold reimagining of what plant-based cuisine can achieve when creativity knows no bounds. Walking through Shoreditch to reach this groundbreaking establishment feels like a pilgrimage to the future of fine dining. Each course arrives like a work of art, challenging every preconception about vegan food with inventive flavor combinations that would make even the most devoted carnivore question everything. The artistic presentation isn't just Instagram-worthyāit's museum-quality, with each dish telling a story about sustainability, innovation, and the incredible potential hidden within plants.
Being the UK's first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant isn't just a milestoneāit's a testament to Plates' revolutionary approach to plant-based fine dining, proving that creativity and sustainability can create extraordinary culinary experiences.
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The Ledbury
Top-tier modern European cuisine. Known for exceptional service and precision in every course.
Two Michelin stars. Consistently ranked among London's finest for modern European excellence.
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Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Step into Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and you're entering a temple of classic French cuisine that has defined London's fine dining scene for over two decades. This isn't about celebrity chef dramaāit's about pure, unadulterated culinary excellence that has stood the test of time. The restaurant exudes a timeless elegance that whispers rather than shouts, where every detail from the crisp white tablecloths to the perfectly polished silverware speaks to an unwavering commitment to perfection. Each dish arrives as a masterclass in traditional French technique, executed with a precision that borders on the sublime. The flavors are bold yet refined, familiar yet surprising, creating an experience that reminds you why French cuisine has long been considered the gold standard of fine dining.
Since 2001, those three Michelin stars haven't just been maintainedāthey've been earned anew with every service, cementing Gordon Ramsay's flagship as London's definitive destination for classic French haute cuisine.
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Helene Darroze at The Connaught
Artful French cuisine in a luxurious hotel setting. Emphasis on detail and ingredient stories.
Three Michelin stars in Mayfair's most luxurious hotel. French artistry meets impeccable service.
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Sketch (Lecture Room)
Sketch defies every convention of fine dining, transforming a meal into an immersive art installation that challenges your senses before you've even looked at the menu. The Lecture Room isn't just whimsicalāit's wonderfully mad in the best possible way, where pink velvet meets contemporary art in a collision of creativity that somehow makes perfect sense. Every course arrives like a scene from a surreal dream, with French-inspired flavors that dance between the familiar and the fantastical. This is dining as performance art, where the boundary between chef and artist dissolves completely. You don't just eat at Sketchāyou experience it, remember it, and find yourself describing it to friends for months afterward.
Three Michelin stars and London's most theatrical dining room create an experience where French-inspired cuisine transcends food to become pure artistic expression that challenges and delights in equal measure.
Signature Dishes
Gymkhana
Gymkhana transports you to the golden age of colonial India, but with a sophistication and attention to detail that feels distinctly modern. The moment you descend into this Mayfair basement, you're enveloped by the warm glow of colonial club eleganceāthink rich mahogany, vintage photographs, and the gentle hum of refined conversation. But it's the food that truly captivates: those legendary tandoori lamb chops arrive perfectly charred yet impossibly tender, while the biryanis are fragrant monuments to North Indian culinary artistry. Every dish speaks to the complex, layered history of Indian cuisine, presented with a refinement that honors tradition while embracing contemporary excellence.
Two Michelin stars in the heart of Mayfair represent more than accoladesāthey're recognition of Gymkhana's ability to elevate Indian cuisine to the highest echelons of London's dining scene while maintaining authentic soul.
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Ikoyi
West African-inspired tasting menus with British ingredients. Unique spice profiles and plating.
Michelin starred West African cuisine. Innovative fusion of African spices with British ingredients.
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Mary's
Jason Atherton's bold reimagining of his flagship Pollen Street Social space brings live-fire cooking and exceptional grills to Mayfair. This sleek new restaurant showcases expert technique with perfectly executed steaks, innovative sharing plates, and an outstanding smash burger that has quickly become legendary among London food lovers. The restaurant features a sophisticated Blind Pig cocktail bar that's worth visiting separately.
Grace Dent praised Mary's as 'hugely enjoyable' in her review, highlighting chef Alex Parker's excellent dishes and exceptional grill work that proves Atherton's autumn relaunch was an unqualified success.
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Kiazim at Old Bailey
Former Oklava chef Selin Kiazim returns with this modern Turkish restaurant in the stylish new Hyde hotel. The menu showcases exceptional British ingredients prepared with Turkish techniques, featuring stone oven-baked lahmacuns, Welsh lamb kebap with dripping pide, and innovative bƶreks. The breakfast menu offers unique Turkish-British fusion dishes.
Selin Kiazim's highly anticipated return to London's dining scene brings her signature modern Turkish approach to the historic Old Bailey location, combining exceptional technique with premium British ingredients.
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The Barbary Coal Drops Yard
The highly anticipated expansion of the beloved original Barbary brings their signature Barbary Coast-inspired cuisine to the vibrant Coal Drops Yard. This larger venue features both traditional booth seating and their famous counter dining, serving elevated versions of their classics alongside exciting new dishes like duck confit cigars, monkfish tempura, and coffee rub chicken.
The first proper new Barbary since the original represents a successful expansion of their unique concept, bringing the intimate counter dining experience to a much grander King's Cross venue while maintaining the exceptional quality that made the original a London icon.
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St. James
Jeremy King's triumphant return to London dining brings classic European brasserie elegance to Arlington Street. This stylish restaurant captures the spirit of Le Caprice with exceptional execution, featuring timeless dishes and impeccable service. The restaurant has quickly become the new place to be seen, attracting celebrities and food lovers alike with its throwback glamour and consistently excellent food.
Giles Coren praised the food as 'just great,' while Grace Dent noted it 'ain't broke, and neither is its clientele.' Critics agree this represents Jeremy King at his finest, delivering the sophisticated brasserie experience London has been missing.
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Showing 14 restaurants in London
About Dining in London
A culinary capital offering everything from traditional British fare to innovative international cuisine. Discover Michelin-starred restaurants, historic pubs, and vibrant food markets.
Best Restaurants Near You in London
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Discover amazing London restaurants offering diverse cuisines, from traditional local dishes to international flavors. Each restaurant has been carefully selected based on quality, reviews, and dining experience to ensure you find the perfect place to eat in London.