The best Covent Garden restaurants
The area surrounding Covent Garden's covered market used to be a culinary desert, all grey steaks, chain restaurants and tired old tourist traps. But all of a sudden Covent Garden has become a foodie destination in its own right, staking claim to some of the best restaurants in London. To find them, we've put together our edit of the best Covent Garden restaurants, in no particular order. For the latest restaurant openings in London, subscribe to our foodie newsletter.
Henri
Gallic flavours in a London setting – it’s a tale of two cities at chef Jackson Boxer’s latest venture, Henri. The renowned British chef behind Notting Hill’s Orasay has joined forces once again with French hospitality and cocktail connoisseurs Experimental Group to launch this Parisian-inspired restaurant in Covent Garden’s Henrietta Hotel. Similar to their Cowley Manor partnership in the Cotswolds, Henri serves all-day French cuisine. The starters and snacks stole the show: the classic Parisian fried pied de cochon with Agen prunes and beer mustard was a winner, closely trailed by the oysters in a refreshing apple and Chartreuse granita. But the crunchy allumettes fries sprinkled over raw beef, though enjoyable, didn’t particularly excite despite the added bed of duck liver. Galia melon chunks successfully livened up what might’ve been a bland raw tuna. Pick of the charcoal grill were the Brixham cod, crab bisque and lime leaf; and the juicy roast duck slices in blood orange sauce and green olives. Experimental brought their reliably strong cocktail game with concoctions like the ‘Annette’ (Hine VSOP Cognac, cherry liqueur, gin, lemon, strawberry and raspberry). The restaurant’s 19th-century townhouse dimensions make for cramped seating in parts, the tables squished together so tightly they unintentionally create a communal dining arrangement that trapped me in my seat – diners may win new friends but a strong bladder might be in order. Still, I would return here for the riz au lait dessert alone, with its build-your-own topping of apricot, dulce de leche and rice krispies. Pure heaven. Noo Saro-Wiwa
Address: Henri, 14-15 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8QH
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David RobsonOriole
Oriole comes from the group behind Bar Swift and Nightjar, the latter of which is regularly named as one of the best bars in London, so it goes without saying that the cocktails are some you’ll recommend to friends from the moment they touch your lips. Upstairs, there’s a chic, small area serving a selection of cocktails (on tap – but still hand-mixed) and bites, where revellers relax and chat after work. Downstairs, though, the pace changes to something slower and sultry, all low-lighting and small tables facing towards a small stage, where a band plays a show every evening. The food itself is unique and enticing, inspired by chef Gustavo Giallionardo’s Argentinian heritage, so expect dishes including pumpkin with green curry ice cream and peanut sambal, short ribs and a dulce de leche dessert worth calling out to finish things off. Of course, everything is accompanied by a well-thought-out cocktail menu inspired by areas around the world, and the final result is an evening that feels a world away from the small plates restaurants we’re used to seeing in London. Abigail Malbon
Address: Oriole, 7-9 Slingsby Place, London WC2E 9AB
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Story Cellar
The second London restaurant by Nottingham-born Tom Sellers is a continuation of the ‘Story’ brand, yet entirely different from its Michelin-starred counterpart found near London Bridge. Whereas Restaurant Story, which relaunched in early 2024 following an extensive refurbishment, is a gastronome's go-to for its nine-course tasting menus and opulent atmosphere, Cellar tones down the refinement just enough to become a casual, yet exceptional, spot for lunch and supper. Both the interiors and the menus are inspired by Paris' rotisserie-style restaurants so, while chicken dishes in many London restaurants are reserved for more conservative palates, it's a must here, served alongside a crunchy salad and helpings of crisp French fries. For the most part, it's simple food done very well; head chef Rob Homer's kitchen highlights include perfectly cooked steaks and dry-aged pork chops, so this team knows how to handle their meat. Put your reservations aside and start with the snail bolognese on toast with parsley butter – an earthier take on a favourite. Dishes roll out the pass quickly, thanks to the restaurant's small footprint and the team's efficiency. This is one to bookmark for a slap-up midweek business catch-up just as much as it suits long, celebratory evenings fuelled by rare wines, many of which are tricky to track down by the glass anywhere else. Connor Sturges
Address: Story Cellar, 17 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP
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Haydon PerriorPortrait at The National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square
The National Portrait Gallery is the London attraction on everyone’s lips right now. After a three-year renovation, one of the capital’s most-visited galleries is open again, with a shiny new restaurant to boot. Much like the rest of the National Portrait Gallery, the Portrait has undergone significant changes since its doors closed three years ago. Renowned chef Richard Corrigan is the chef patron here, with talented Simon Merrick named head chef.
The restaurant offers a (literally) elevated dining experience, complete with widescreen views over London. It’s bright and airy, coupled with warm earthy tones – which is also a fair description of the food, which is at times elegant, bright and innovative, and at times hearty and soul-warming. The kitchen is open but in an obtrusive sense towards the back of the restaurant. And while you may love to watch the chefs at work, that means sacrificing your birdseye view of the city. Choose one view to avoid whiplash.
Onto the food – to start, we’d suggest the Créme DuBarrey with salmon, a creamy kick-off to ease the taste buds in. Next up, the halibut fillet with brown crab hollandaise is flaky and fresh, but the real showstopper for us was the humble smoky pork chop matched cleverly with a sweet apricot Mostarda. The winner among the puddings, in my eyes, is the pot de crème with gooseberries – a topless crème brûlée to you and me – which is a custardy delight that somehow left me scraping the bowl for more. A perfect day here is practically laid-out for you, with a morning spent meandering the gallery, followed by a light lunch in the café, perhaps a cocktail at Larry’s bar in the basement, before topping it all off with supper at The Portrait as the sun slips below the glittering London skyline. Lucy Bruton
Address: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE
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Xavier BuendiaFatto a Mano
You’ll hear it before you see it – a welcoming cacophony of animated chatter and clinking cutlery along bustling St Martin’s Lane. Fatto a Mano started out in Brighton in 2015 and soon made the jump to the capital. It took Italophiles no time to snap up tables at the Covent Garden opening – there’s now a second site in King’s Cross. Despite scaling, these restaurants retain all the charm of an independent trattoria, the striped awning shading al-fresco diners while others shelter in the cool tiled interior. The dough is made with the best Italian 00 flour, proven for 24 hours for a super pillowy texture. Pizzas slide out of the ovens, toppings such as fiery nduja and fried aubergine sizzling atop the bubbling tomato sauce and pools of creamy mozzarella. Monthly specials are adorned with a generous jumble of toppings, from chunks of plump burrata to Lyme Bay mussels. Pizza is undoubtedly the main draw, but spare a moment for the sides that too many full bellies won’t get to – from earthy mushroom arancini to Caesar salads doused in smoked garlic and parmesan dressing. Even with a refreshing spritz or bottle of house wine, it’s still one of the most reasonably priced meals in this corner of town.
Address: Fatto a Mano Covent Garden, 30 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ER
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David LoftusJamie Oliver Catherine Street
It's been a long road that led Jamie Oliver to this – a brand-new flagship restaurant that's turning heads in Covent Garden. The opening – in twinkly and festive late-November London – comes a few years after his chain of self-titled Jamie's Italian restaurants shuttered doors across the country. For those years, while hardly laying low, Jamie broadly kept out of the restaurant business, doubling down on his best-selling cookbooks and a new venture, Yes Chef, which provides cooking classes digitally. Now he's back – if not behind the pass himself then very much at the forefront of a Catherine Street outpost that has his name proudly above the door. The team of merry men and women he's assembled (head chef Chris Shaill and pastry chef Emma Jackson are both ex-Barbecoa, Jamie's former flagship steak restaurant) have crafted a menu that tracks with the sort of food the celeb chef is now well-known for: homely, British food with a twist. The result is basically an ode to Jamie's upbringing above his parents' pub in Essex – think deviled eggs; scampi and chips; Sutton Hoo chicken to share with stroganoff sauce and shoestring fries. As a man with a reputation for putting stock into provenance and seasonality, it comes as no surprise that he puts his suppliers front and centre. Sourdough is from Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall, for example, while the Scotch egg comes with Stornoway Black Pudding. Don't miss the chocolate-cake-chocolate-mousse hybrid for pudding, while sinking into the joyously comfortable chairs (interiors were all chosen to be as relaxed and informal as possible). This is an unbuttoned place for dinner from one of Britain's best-loved chefs making his comeback at last. Sarah Allard
Address: Jamie Oliver Catherine Street, 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JY
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Savoy Grill
It’s somehow been 11 years since my first and only visit to Savoy Grill. The iconic spot's revamp was completed in April 2023, and I feared the place might have been given an overly-modern makeover, but I needn’t have. Not only has this spot retained its original charm, but it now feels glitzier than ever. Art Deco glam is the name of the game, with deep red squashy velvet booths, ginormous crystal chandeliers and tables decked in the crispest of white tablecloths – all dimly lit just enough to ensure you can see your dinner date but not enough to distract you with taking snaps for your socials. Jazz plays softly over the chatter of diners, who are as excited to eat at Savoy Grill on a Friday night as we are. There’s a real sense of celebration; wine bottles crunch into ice buckets, and glasses clink to toast special occasions.
Although it’s Gordon Ramsay’s name over the door, head chef Arnaud Stevens is at the helm, creating a menu that uses seasonal produce and artistic flair to elevate every dish. Savoy Grill manages to feel grand without a hint of stuffiness, thanks mainly to the attentive staff, who are as charming and welcoming as they are knowledgeable. Our waitress guides us through the options, highlighting new additions alongside Savoy Grill classics. The classics call to us, starting with the Arnold Bennett soufflé – a rich, cheesy, double-baked delight with a tangy beurre blanc. The beef Wellington is perfectly pink, with the kind of crisp, buttery pastry you could never hope to replicate at home in a million years. We finish with a picture-perfect eclair filled with smooth hazelnut praline and drizzled with chocolate orange sauce. We roll home, vowing not to leave it another 11 years before we return. Sarah Allard
Address: Savoy Grill, 100 Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
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Fatt Pundit
Dimly lit, cosy corners are dotted with dark wood furnishings, lined by deep green walls, and the smell of sandalwood incense fills the air. Huzefa and Hamza Sajawal first opened Fatt Pundit in nearby Soho in 2019; a few years later, they introduced the popular Indo-Chinese restaurant to the Covent Garden food scene. The fusion of these Asian cuisines dates back hundreds of years when Chinese travellers headed west and settled in Kolkata and Mumbai, bringing with them local flavours and ingredients, such as Sichuan and soy, and blending them with spices like chilli and saffron. The combination of bold local flavours and skilful ancient cooking techniques makes for a super indulgent and flavoursome spread.
The menu is designed for sharing and should start with momos – steamed soft pockets stuffed with either masala goat, sweet chicken, spicy beef, or mixed vegetables. Other dishes we recommend include the crispy honey duck served with a warm basket of pancakes, crackling crispy spinach topped with sweet yoghurt and pomegranate seeds, and the Malabar monkfish curry, best served with a side of buttery bing bread for scooping up the buttery coconut sauce. Sophie Knight
Address: Fatt Pundit, 6 Maiden Lane, London WC2E 7NA
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Gaucho
Gaucho is a staple when choosing a steakhouse, and rightly so. New to Covent Garden, this dimly lit, modern, shiny interior restaurant has plenty of space for dinners; over two floors, with tables for large groups and cosy booths for dates. Choosing a cut from the extensive menu is pretty overwhelming, especially if you aren’t a pro when remembering the difference between a chateaubriand and a rump. Luckily servers will bring you a board displaying every cut and walk you through the flavour and cooking style should you need. We went for the recommended and delicious Churrasco De Lomo – a spiral cut marinated in garlic parsley and olive oil cooked medium-rare. If steak isn’t your thing, there are a few other mains, including a wagyu burger, pesto gnocchi and grilled spatchcock. Sophie Knight
Address: Gaucho, 8-9 James Street, London WC2E 8BT
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Justin de SouzaFrog by Adam Handling
Take your seat for the most theatrical supper in London. All tables face the open-kitchen-come-stage, where you’ll watch chefs placing garnish with tweezers, dripping sauces from a height, and intricately arranging every plate to create edible works of art worthy of a Turner prize. The 12-course tasting menu brings plenty of surprises along the way – think ceramic eggs filled with truffle and emulsion served on a bed of free-flowing dried ice, sauces hidden in a bowl of foliage, chicken skewers placed in a ceramic dish of hay and feathers and more – we won’t ruin the fun. We could shout about the presentation, show-stopping performance and impeccable service all day. But it’s all about the food. Adam Handling spotlights sustainable, seasonal ingredients. Our favourite plates include the warm baked bread with soft chicken butter, Herdwick lamb with asparagus and mint, and BBQ scallop with squash and fermented cauliflower leaves before it all ends with an intriguing treasure chest of sweets and chocolate. Sophie Knight
Address: Frog by Adam Handling, 34-38 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7HF
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Mr. TripperStereo
I’m a little ashamed to admit that in the two minutes between arriving at Stereo’s mysterious double doors and descending into the dimly lit basement, I had forgotten my sadness that Roadhouse was no more (a little OTT considering it’d been a few years since I’d found myself there when the after-after work drinks inevitably led that way). Experimental Group (Experimental Cocktail Club, Henrietta Hotel) has completely reimagined the space with an altogether more sophisticated experience in mind. Cleverly designed by London-based studio Afroditi, there are zones for each part of your evening. Guests can sip cocktails at low squashy sofas around glossy tables and head through to a New York-meets-Paris-style restaurant at the back to sample fare from resident chef Andrew Clarke, all while listening to live music from the stage. Clarke’s dishes are exactly what you want to eat in this buzzy, moody, cocktail-fuelled setting; his menu is full of American classics with French influences, including steak & eggs, cheeseburgers and hot wings. The shrimp cocktail was one of the best we’ve had – overflowing with prawns and topped with a sprinkling of trout roe, while the fried delica pumpkin was light and crisp, with a burnt scallion crema for dipping. The lobster and fish pie is pure comfort and, if there’s still room, the pecan pie is worth grabbing a couple of forks for.
You could easily lose a whole evening at Stereo – arriving to stay for cocktails and supper and then, several hours later, accidentally finding yourself dangerously close to the dance floor – and we’re not mad about it. Sarah Allard
Address: Stereo Covent Garden, 35 The Piazza, London WC2E 8BE
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Simon UptonThe NoMad Restaurant
Since it opened its doors in 2021, NoMad has been the buzziest hotel in London. It’s easily the most beautiful, too – if you’re yet to see the sunken glass atrium restaurant in person, you’ve likely seen it on Instagram. During the day, the terrarium-esque room is bathed in natural light and buzzing with the brunch crowd. At night the mood shifts to sultry. Arrive early and order the Sergeant Pepper at the Atrium bar – a tropical tequila-based cocktail served in an elegant coupe with a green pepper and jalapeno kick. On a Saturday night, you’ll find couples curled up on green velvet booths, feasting on the creedy caver chicken for two. How good could roast chicken possibly be, you might ask? So good that it’s a NoMad signature, imported from the New York locale and stuffed with a lux London twist – brioche, foie gras and black truffle. The same could be asked of the garlic bread (so soft it's almost a croissant, served with goat’s butter bordering on whipped cream) and even the carrot starter (served as a wonderfully zesty, nutty and creamy tartare topped with a quail egg). For main, the scallops are a worthy alternative to the chicken, cooked to perfection and swimming in a lobster sauce with grapes and wonderfully smokey celeriac. If there’s room, the sticky toffee is a punchy little dish to end the night. In the end, you might be so full you can’t move, but what's the rush with a room this beautiful? Lauren Burvill
Address: 28 Bow Street, London WC2E 7AW
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Ekstedt At The Yard, Whitehall
As an elevator pitch for a restaurant concept, it’s possible that Ekstedt at The Yard might raise a few eyebrows: Famous Swedish open-fire chef Niklas Ekstedt opens his first UK restaurant in Whitehall’s Great Scotland Yard Hotel, a place that while not quite prison-themed, certainly doesn’t underplay its storied past as the former headquarters of the Metropolitan police. If there’s something that rings true for both the restaurant and the hotel, though, it’s a certain tension between the primal and the refined: in the hotel, which I found surprisingly charming, walls of darkly comedic paintings and Grayson Perry-ish ceramics by British prisoners; in the low-lit restaurant, an open kitchen that looks like a mediaeval blacksmith’s forge, but turns out dishes of subtlety and deceptive playfulness.
While so many London open-fire restaurants, from Temper to Smokestak, tend to lean into a certain straightforward smoky masculinity, there’s surprise and whimsy to Ekstedt’s creations here, which use some of the best ideas from his pioneering Stockholm restaurant. Think rich oysters cooked with beurre blanc, juniper and smoked apple, cooked in a flambadou iron cone with beef fat heated to 600 degrees; or a trout baked on birch embers, with charcoal cream and the roe of vendace, a white freshwater fish. Like the Swedishness, the fire-ness of the food is played lightly. While a gutted, google-eyed halibut hangs above the kitchen open fire in proper caveman style, the actual dish is a lovely gentle thing, charred just a touch around the edges. The tender hay-smoked goose feels pure Michelin, as does a Baked Alaska flambeed with aquavit at the table, while a long wine list leads to thoughtful pairings, including complex dessert wines from Hungary’s Tokaj region. On the day we visited, the kitchen was overseen by talented Swedish sous chef and recent MasterChef contestant Therese Andersson, who has followed her new boss for more than a decade. She’s clearly excited about the alchemy she’s performing with all that fire and heat – and rightly so. Toby Skinner
Address: Great Scotland Yard Hotel, 3-5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HN
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Irina BoersmaIkoyi
Ikoyi built a solid reputation for itself at St James’s Market. Now nestled on the streets of Temple, Ikoyi’s larger location expands on their existing earthy copper and butter yellow decor. Additional elements of boldness are obvious as light glows in the curved walls and steel mesh ceilings maximise the space. The modernity of the atmosphere is reflected in the tasting lunch or dinner menus, which change with hyper-seasonal and local ingredients that are served in their optimal state. Superchef Jeremy Chan’s experience and takes on flavour are mirrored in dishes such as the smoked beef served with coal-roasted pumpkin, or the crowd-pleasing plantain garnished with roasted peanut and served with a spiced efo emulsion. Choose between the wine or tea pairings for five or eight courses, or select one of their balanced cocktails like the malt & apricot sour made with with ogogoro and barley. Reservations open two months in advance to accommodate demand, so booking is essential. Vivienne Dovi
Address: Ikoyi, 180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA
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Georgia RuddThe Barbary Next Door
A tale of two siblings embarking on a business venture together is rarely a story of success; a tale of a high-profile DJ who leaves the world of music to open a restaurant even less so. Yet when brother and sister Layo (formerly of Layo and Bushwacka! DJ duo) and Zoe Paskin opened The Palomar in 2014, Londoners swarmed the site. Now, the pair have opened a ‘little sister’ to their Covent Garden site. The menu here blends North African cooking with the smokey flavours of Moorish Spain. Split into nibbles, bread and dips, starters, salads and mains, the chefs recommend at least one dish from each. We started with the quail eggs dipped in cumin salt – the simplest yet most delicious way to start – before taste-testing our way through the selection of dips. Tear off pieces of fluffy, warm Afghan khobz to scoop up the dips: zaalouk is a Moroccan dip made with aubergines slowly cooked down into a rich tomato sauce; matbukha is a garlicky blend of chillies, red peppers and tomatoes and machluta whips sweet, slow-roasted courgettes together with parsley, lemon, cumin, coriander and cardamom. The drinks list is overseen by the wine director of the entire group, sommelier Honey Spencer. We tried a light orange from Granada, an aromatic glass that brought out some of the zesty flavours in the dishes. Sharp, well-rounded and only just getting started. Olivia Morelli
Address: The Barbary Next Door, 16A Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP
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OLA O SMITToklas
Back in the very early 1990s, when Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover were publishing Frieze magazine from their bedrooms – you know, before it became an Atlantic-hopping contemporary art fair – what they’d actually wanted to do instead was open a gastropub. It probably would have been an amazing outlier gastropub, full of drunken YBAs falling around and throwing baba ganoush at each other, but it never happened. Thirty years later, though, the pair have opened their first restaurant, in a brutalist former car park just off the Strand. It’s not Frieze the Restaurant – though the offices are just upstairs and London gallerists are often spotted grazing – but Toklas, named after Alice B Toklas, lover of Gertrude Stein and an avante-garde sort who famously wrote a cookbook. Her recipes included one for the hash brownies that, she mischievously says, ‘is the food of Paradise; and might provide an entertaining refreshment for a Ladies’ Bridge Club’. There’s also one that involves injecting a leg of lamb with orange juice for a week – but don’t worry, chef Yohei Furuhashi, formerly of Petersham Nurseries and Hammersmith's River Café, studiously ignores Ms Toklas’s advice (and the brutalist architecture, though the sourdough, made in the Toklas bakery next door, may graze you a little if handled badly) and insists on taking lovely ingredients for a menu that sings of the Mediterranean and leans towards fish. Baked peaches with hunks of torn bufala mozzarella; a simple plate of pea pods and pecorino; pork chop strewn with pine nuts and raisins, two crinkly halves of an aubergine filled with ratatouille and yellow beans; a whole peperonata-sloshed lemon sole to slide off the bone and onto your plate. A simple lemon sorbet arrives and hits your palate like a snowball out of Sorrento. The space is a vision of Seventies-era beech, with curvaceous green booths; a huge Wolfgang Tillmans photograph of aubergines and tomatoes peers down from one wall, posters of art shows line another – but book a seat on the large terrace, where it feels like eating atop in a secret space in the Barbican, wondering if your near neighbours are artists you should know about. It’s quite the best brutalist former car park we’ve ever eaten at – who needs gastropubs anyway? Rick Jordan
Address: Toklas, 1 Surrey Street, Temple, London WC2R 2ND
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Louie
The energy radiating from the manned front doors – clipboard, headpiece, pleasantries – feels distinctly NYC here. Undoubtedly, it’s the clever choreography of Guillaume Glipa, the man behind Zuma, Chiltern Firehouse and Coya, all of which exude the same heady thrill found within Louie’s warm, Jazz Age interior. In a joint venture with Paris Society, the club-like scene sets the stage for fabulous chefs. The ground-floor restaurant revives the classic brasserie with its casually chic vibe, where foodies graze and pick at little plates, plus fresh seafood from the raw bar. Upstairs, the dining room offers plush and sultry décor and is the perfect backdrop for wine aficionados to discover hidden gems and enjoy highlights from the new Spring menu, including the oyster po’boy and signature favourites such as the Whole BBQ lobster. Finish a delicious evening in The Alligator Bar, where smaller portions of the dining room's dishes are available should you want seconds – or thirds.
Address: Louie, 13-15 West Street, London WC2H 9NE
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Jérôme GallandAve Mario
When it opened in 2019, Gloria caught the city’s attention for all the right reasons. A second outpost, Circolo Popolare in Fitzrovia, followed later that year – this time taking its inspiration from Sicily. Then in summer 2021, big, bombastic and bold Ave Mario finally opened over three floors on pretty Henrietta Street. Ave Mario is a geometric assault of black and white stripes (meant to emulate Florence’s Duomo), red velvet booths and neon signage. There’s the requisite huge bar at one end of the main dining room and – as with all Big Mamma joints – the bathrooms are well worth a visit, with rainbow tunnels in each cubicle that made us feel like we were in a club. Like the decor, dishes are inspired by Tuscany, as well as elsewhere in Italy. Fair warning: this is not the spot for a light meal. Dishes are gluttonous, rich and more often than not smothered in cheese. Start with the creamy truffle burrata and slithers of prosciutto or Parma ham with fluffy focaccia. Main dishes run from pillowy pizzas designed to share to fresh pasta (the must-order is the giant carbonara-stuffed ravioli, which oozes with smoked egg yolk and is every bit as heavy as it sounds) and secondi such as a giant veal cutlet. All Big Mamma restaurants have a flagship pudding, and here, it's the 60cm-tall stracciatella ice-cream cake that’s cut at the table. If you want a quiet, low-key supper, don’t come here. But if you’re after a ridiculous evening out fuelled by pasta and cocktails, this is the place to book. Sarah James
Address: Ave Mario, 15 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8QG
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Petersham Nurseries
Petersham Nurseries Café – one of London’s most beloved restaurants – famously won a Michelin star under chef Skye Gyngell in 2011. Owned by Gael and Francesco Boglione, Richmond’s enchanting glass-house holds prime spot as one of London's most romantic restaurants. This, their second opening under the same name, is spearheaded by their daughter Lara (whose taste is as spot on as that of her parents). Along with flower installations and festoon bulbs, anyone who has been to the Richmond restaurant will recognise the signature wrought-iron tables and chairs. Chef Director Damian Clisby (formerly of HIX and J Sheekey) has spent the last four years at the Richmond Petersham and works closely with Lara’s brother Harry, using ingredients from his farm on the Devon/Dorset border. This is simple food beautifully served and well worth the visit, especially if you can get an outdoor table in the courtyard on a sunny day. Tabitha Joyce
Address: Petersham Nurseries, Floral Court, London, WC2E 9FB
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Kebab Queen
Young-gun team Stephen Tozer along with Edward Brunet and Manu Canales, who worked together at Michel Roux Jr’s two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, are behind clandestine fine-dining joint Kebab Queen. It’s hidden below street level at Maison Bab, with a façade that’s a convincing reimagining of a typical British takeaway, down to the flickering fluorescent sign. Enter through a kitchen and duck into the dinky dining room, where the similarities with a dodgy fast-food place end. There are no plates or cutlery: dishes are served straight onto the countertop, which is kept warm to double as both table and plate and guests are encouraged to eat with their hands to really emulate that authentic kebab experience. The six-course tasting menu is the only option available. First, Ibérico secreto, a cut of pork favoured by Spanish butchers is silky soft after being briefly chargrilled over the flames and coated in a crispy couscous, followed quickly by a smoky, barbecued slither of foie gras. The doner risotto takes the notion of rotisserie meat a step further; rich and with a depth of umami flavour, it really does taste like a proper kebab. The main event comes in the form of impossibly thin slices of spit-roast duck, served as a deconstructed (very posh) traditional kebab with pickled vegetables and salad, and sweet chilli and garlic sauce. Go for the tasting flight, which matches a line-up of slightly unexpected drinks with each course. And be warned, you’ll keep talking about this leftfield but truly delicious meal long after leaving. Sarah James
Address: Kebab Queen, 4 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9FA
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Carol SachsThe Barbary
Chef Eyal Jagermann has come over to The Barbary from The Palomar, bringing with him the same sense of fun and faultless cooking, taking inspiration from the Barbary Coast of North Africa and Jerusalem. While you wait for a seat, order some flaky pastry cigars stuffed with fish and a round of pita pouches of lamb as comforting as mittens in winter. 'Ouch' is the cry from diners who tear too readily into the just-baked pillow of naan - but to catch it fluffed up is absolutely worth scorching speedy, greedy fingers for! Use it as a vessel for melted tomatoes and divine baba ganoush. It's difficult to separate stand-out dishes, but the charred octopus tentacle and neck of pata negra pork are both contenders. A talking point round the bar, the pistachio-filled 'hashcake' comes with the satisfyingly smoky aftertaste of a joint. This place is still as popular as when it first opened so prepare to queue for one of the 24 seats at the horse-shoe bar counter surrounding the tiny kitchen - even at 6.30pm on a Tuesday evening. Hazel Lubbock
Address: The Barbary, 16 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2
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Amber RowlandsSpring Restaurant
Perhaps the prettiest restaurant in London is hidden in the splendour of Somerset House. Nab a seat in a bay-window banquette overlooking Waterloo Bridge and don't skip a trip to the pink-tiled bathrooms. It's not just Spring's decor that's got us drooling though. Aussie chef Skye Gyngell (previously at Petersham Nurseries) is tackling the issue of food waste with her pre-theatre Scratch menu that reimagines last night's leftovers in ingenious ways. The three-course set menu changes daily, depending on surplus from service the night before. Expect delicious, simple food (without any frills) conjured from the best organic and seasonal ingredients. Beetroot tops and potato skins might be turned into soup, served with warm bread made from yesterday's boiled porridge oats. A main might be a roasted saddle of rabbit on a pillowy bed of white polenta, or homemade pasta baked and oozing with leftover cheese. Puddings could include bread sponge with tangy Fern Verrow gooseberry jam. At £25 a head, the Scratch menu (available between 5.30pm and 6.30pm Wednesday to Saturday) is a happy (and very affordable) way to experience Gyngell's enchanting set-up. Alice Riley-Smith
Address: Spring, Somerset House, New Wing, Lancaster Place, London WC2R 1LA
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Red Farm
Landing just off London’s Covent Garden Piazza, USA-transfer RedFarm fits instantly with its surroundings; a glossy, black-fronted restaurant with a small queue of people waiting outside. It could be in danger of veering into see-and-be-see’ territory but that’s avoided by super-attentive staff and a buzzy atmosphere. No one is taking themselves too seriously – least of all the chefs. The menu is substantial, offering enough memorable starters, salads and dim sum to fill you up before you’ve even moved onto the mains. To navigate it deftly, we’d recommend trying the classic spicy crispy beef and an order of the pastrami egg rolls. Don’t dismiss ordering the Pac Man shrimp dumplings. They might be a social media hit, and yes, they are utterly bonkers (a deep-fried wedge of sweet potato, with a blueberry ‘eye’, looms over four candy-coloured dumplings), but filled with tasty fish and served on smashed avocado, they’re also completely delicious. For main (if you still need one), the roast duck with wide noodles is full of smoky flavour (and big enough to share between two). Cocktails are on the blow-out side of most budgets but special enough to justify ordering at least one while you scan the menu. If you like your supper taken seriously, book elsewhere. This is a tongue-in-cheek, quirky take on a classic Chinese, with a menu to make you smile, and a loud, tinkly atmosphere that makes it perfect for a group. Sarah James
Address: RedFarm, 9 Russell Street, London, England WC2B 5HZ
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Alex MaguireCora Pearl
The frenziedly anticipated follow-up from the team behind Kitty Fisher’s, Cora Pearl is also named after a well-known 19th-century British-born courtesan. This alluring little spot certainly ensures a good time too, with a jazzy, bluesy soundtrack humming gently over the turning of rattan ceiling fans above bottle-green velvet banquettes. Chef George Barson (who now oversees both restaurants) applies a lighter touch to the menu here but with a similarly simple, ingredient-led style. For starters, creamy pasta parcels of cow-curd agnolotti are cut with the summer-garden freshness of a puddle of pea purée and a satisfying crunch of walnuts. For the main, a gloriously fat, flaky chunk of curried cod partners up beautifully with a rich devilled crab. And what is fish without chips? Here they are perfectly crisp but fluffy, garlic- and thyme-flavoured, triple-cooked, fat Jenga blocks of potato. This place is an instant classic: smart cooking in a seductive setting. Book now and ask for the booths in the window to survey the scene. Fiona Kerr
Address: Cora Pearl, 30 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8NA
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The Delaunay
The Delaunay – the brassy Viennese-style brasserie from restaurant supremos Corbin and King – is one of those classic places where you can book a table and know, never-failingly, that you will be looked after very well indeed. The Covent Garden restaurant is always twinkly and humming; it feels old-world European and yet properly British. There are age-spotted mirrors, long-aproned waiters and low lighting that makes it feel as if you’re sitting in a delicious jar of honey. For good reason, the prawn cocktail with avocado is the most popular dish on the menu: plump king prawns in a tangle of crunchy iceberg lettuce and a generous helping of Marie Rose sauce, made in-house with a kick of brandy, all served in a silver bowl. To follow there are super-sized schnitzels topped with a fried egg, lamb goulash with nobbly spätzle noodles and beef stroganoff with buttery rice – take the advice of the lovely Italian waitress Monica and order a side of pickled cucumber to cut the gutsy richness of it all. You’ll think you’re too stuffed for pudding until you spy the sugar-dusted dessert delivered to the table beside you in a copper dish – kaiserschmarren, as it turns out, a confection of shredded pancake with a tangy plum compote named after a sweet-toothed Austrian emperor. This is an all-day affair where you’ll want to stay all night. Gráinne McBride
Address: The Delaunay, 55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB
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Cinnamon Bazaar
Cinnamon Bazaar is a joyous riot of colours and flavours: the menu jumps from Indian street-food classics to regional specialities and British colonial cooking; the dining room dazzles with burnished gold, twinkling lights and acres of rosy fabric. Start with the Kolkata crab bonda, cloud-light croquettes stuffed with flaky crabmeat and beetroot, before crossing the subcontinent for Iranian chicken haleem on masala sourdough toast. These small plates are best paired with a tangy chaat – sweet and sour pots of potatoes, chickpeas, yoghurt and spices topped with swirls of tamarind chutney. The main courses are equally experimental and reveal unexpected, far-flung influences. The tender vindaloo of ox cheek recalls the days of the Raj with its decadently rich, meaty flavour. Cocktails were designed by Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan. Adventurous diners will be delighted by his inventive riffs on traditional Indian desserts: the Falooda Swizzle combines the sweetness of a North Indian rose-flavoured pudding with gin and creme d'abricot; the Gajar Army & Navy with carrot-infused Colombo Gin and honey-cashew orgeat tastes like gajar ka halwa (a Punjabi pudding with candied carrots). Radhika Seth
Address: Cinnamon Bazaar, 28 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E
Website: cinnamon-bazaar.com
Sushisamba
It’s not quite as high up as the original London restaurant, which is on the 39th floor of the Heron Tower, but the group’s second opening does have some pretty good views. It’s located in the Grade-II market building’s Opera Terrace, in the middle of the Piazza, and the design is very smart – as soon as you walk in you’re struck by the soaring glass ceiling draped with tropical greenery and the graphic, monochrome tiled floor. The menu – Japanese, with influences from Brazil and Peru – is potentially hard to navigate as there’s so much on there. Large plates, including black cod and sea-bass tempura are delicious, but also pricey – so we recommend you pick and choose between the small plates (perfect shrimp tempura with snap-pea julienne and a decadent black-truffle vinaigrette, crispy lobster taquitos) and the sushi rolls (California maki rolls made with snow crab and Cornish brown crab, avocado and sesame, tuna belly with pickled wasabi and shiso leaf). And the puddings are even prettier than the rest of the menu – we loved the chocolate banana cake with maple butter, thin curls of plantain and vanilla rum ice cream. Save supper at Sushisamba for a special occasion and you’ll be pleased you did.
Address: Sushisamba Covent Garden, 35 The Market, London WC2E 8RF
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Paul Winch-FurnessThe Ivy
Nowhere does old-school class quite like The Ivy, and you'll need to dress for the occasion. The restaurant reopened in 2017 after a ridiculously expensive refurb by the Martin Brudnizki Design Studio for its 100th anniversary. Executive Chef Gary Lee's new menu celebrates its most loved dishes with some Asian-inspired additions such as popcorn shrimp and scallops with sticky pork and shiso leaves. Traditionalists should order the cream-laden shepherd's pie – it's been on the menu pretty much since the start and is as rich (and delicious) as the restaurant's history.
Address: The Ivy, 1-5 West Street, Covent Garden, London WC2
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Café Murano
The little sister of Angela Hartnett's Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair, Café Murano, is a laidback take on traditional Italian fine dining. Sit up at the smart marble-trimmed bar or recline on leather banquettes and start with golden balls of truffle arancini or a pea-and-hazelnut-pesto bruschetta doused in ricotta salata. A beautiful artichoke heart comes with lemon cream and a soft burrata with just a hint of spice from roasted Romano peppers. There's a primi pasta menu which is so good you might want to plus-size it: sausage and fennel ragu with homemade conchiglione; lamb shoulder on pappardelle; broad-bean and ricotta ravioli. Squeeze in a main; Milanese veal escalope comes with rocket and parmesan, spatchcock baby chicken with fennel, radicchio and walnuts. For pudding pick up fresh cannoli from their Pastificio next door.
Address: Café Murano, 36 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PB
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Balthazar
This is the first outpost of Parisian-style brasserie and New York institution Balthazar. Expect French classics such as bouillabaisse and côte de boeuf; and, from the bakery, gorgeous cakes, quiches and pastries that taste as good as they look. The original is in every Manhattan guidebook and always far too busy to be a walk-in-and-dine place – and it's no different at its London sister.
Address: Balthazar, 4-6 Russell Street, London WC2B 5HZ
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Margot
They say first impressions matter, and being welcomed by a suave dinner-jacket-donning Greek gentleman called Vasilis is as good a start to a meal as any. Setting expectations high, the charismatic service doesn’t stop there, and neither does the elegant set up at Margot. Head chef Alessio Piras's pasta is not to be missed, his regional menu polished and unfussy – from the buttery, rich ravioli parcels served simply with toasted hazelnuts, to the chicken wrapped in delicate Parma ham and tucked into a bed of sage and shredded rapini – while the wine list is as long as the wait for food was short. The unfeasibly light burrata starter and the formaggio being whisked past us to other tables made us long for more room to accommodate a platter – this copper-trimmed, leather-boothed, jazz-infused space is the ideal place to drop in for cheese and wine before hitting the West End. Anna Prendergast
Address: Margot, 45 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AA
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Paul Winch-FurnessJ Sheekey
Star-studded photographs line the walls of A-list favourite J Sheekey, tucked away in St Martin's Court. The glitzy oyster and Champagne bar and adjoining fish restaurant have been in business for more than 100 years, and have earned serious foodie credentials on the London restaurant scene. Fish is fresh and kept simple: smoked salmon with a squeeze of lemon; lobster mayonnaise with a crisp green salad; and market fish, grilled or pan-fried, with seasonal vegetables on the side.
Address: J. Sheekey, 28-32 St Martin's Court, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4AL
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Christopher's
Christopher's is where well-heeled Americans go when they have a touch of homesickness and a hankering for surf'n'turf. It's a grand old place in an imposing Georgian building – once London's first legal casino – with a discreet entrance that suggests a private club, and indeed the martini bar on the ground floor feels like one. Then up the beautiful candle-lit spiral staircase, to an elegant dining room, with panelled walls painted grown-up dark grey, furniture on-trend yellow.
Service is formal, the atmosphere hushed. It has the feel of a members bar; despite its theatreland location it is quiet midweek – perhaps the prices are high enough to keep out the show crowds (though there is a theatre menu). The food is superb, and so is the wine. Steaks are a speciality and come from all over: Kansas, Scotland, Australia, Wagyu from Japan. There is lobster, grilled and thermidor; delicious Maryland crab cakes, Missouri lamb, Boston baked beans. It's Modern American and, like modern America, it's truly international: the raw bar features delicate carpaccio, ceviche, tartare. And what you will wake up pining for the next morning is not home, but the Chocolate Brioche French Toast, rich and puddling with chocolate sauce, and somehow gone in seconds.
Address: Christopher's, 18 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London
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Ochre, Trafalgar Square
Most Londoners prefer to avoid Trafalgar Square’s confusing communion of landmarks, traffic and chain restaurants. Yet this is also home to a number of London’s most iconic museums – including the National Gallery. Housing European art as far back as the 13th century, it’s certainly impressive, but you might think it an unlikely destination for food. You would be wrong.
Nestled inside its walls is Ochre, titled after the elusive shade of brownish-yellow. A hue favoured by painters for centuries. it’s only right that this should be a place of beauty. The space is a play on colour; yellow, gold and earthy tones sit together in harmony. Step inside what feels like a contemporary take on a 1920’s high-society drawing room, where velvet cushioned seating brings a relaxed glamour to the imposing panelled walls and ceiling-high windows.
But style does not precede substance here. Small plates, designed for sharing, are as artful in flavour as they are in presentation. The accessibility of their menu was very welcome too, offering refined takes on popular favourites such as steak, chips, tacos and buttermilk chicken. The scallops, served with chorizo, preserved, lemon and cime de rapa were soft and meaty mouthfuls of the fresh open sea. Meanwhile, the puddings popped with unexpected flavours we didn’t know we craved; balsamic in the Eton mess brings a savoury tartness to the dish, and the caramelised crunch in the apple tarte cut through its sweetness. Paired with delicious wine and inventive cocktails, we soon found ourselves the last people left. A telltale sign of a great supper. Lily Bonesso
Price: £££
Address: Ochre, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
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