16 Of The Coolest Restaurants In London Right Now
It’s fair to say we are positively spoiled for choice with the restaurant landscape in London: whether you’re looking for a buzzy and stylish night out with a group of mates or a traditional, romantic meal for two, the city has something for you.
Here at The Handbook, we’ve got the lowdown on the coolest restaurants to eat in town right now, including freshly made pasta, enviable wine lists and the most hyped new opening in the capital…
The Dover
New York glamour meets Italian charm at The Dover, which self-identifies as having been inspired by Sophia Loren in the ’70s. The dining room is grand and moody in the best way – the sort that feels ripe for high-society scandal. You could order a burger from the menu and feel fancy. The vibe is great, but so is the food – from spicy tuna with yuzu and chilli, aubergine parmigiana, and rib-eye steak.
where: 33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
website: www.thedoverrestaurant.com
Caravel
Originally converted to create extra dining space during Covid, an ex-office barge is the location of this restaurant from the Spiteri brothers. Moored along their pontoon, they have turned this Dutch barge into a 40-seater dining room with an open kitchen and bar. With a modern European and classic British menu, expect dishes like fresh pasta and hearty braises.
They have turned this Dutch barge into a 40-seater dining room with an open kitchen and bar…
where: 172 Shepherdess Walk, N1 7JL
website: www.Thestudiokitchen.co.uk
BiBi
BiBi, which means ‘The lady of the house’, is the brainchild of chef Chet Sharma. This is a contemporary Indian restaurant in Mayfair, serving chaat and grills, which are perfect for sharing, and which embrace the full multicultural span of Indian cuisine. Sharma has drawn on the years he spent cooking and sourcing ingredients for some of the most esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK to create dishes that combine the best produce from both here and India.
BiBi, which means ‘The lady of the house’ is the brainchild of chef Chet Sharma
where: 42 North Audley Street, W1K 6ZP
Website: www.Bibirestaurants.com
Sessions Arts Club
Sessions Arts Club is an urban sanctuary that sits in a grand Grade II* listed building in Clerkenwell, with a dining room that is surrounded by three terraces with fireplaces, a rooftop bar and garden. They pride themselves on having been built on a studio ethos, combining their restaurant, bar, and an art and performance space that moves and shifts with the seasons via its curated collective program.
Sessions Arts Club is an urban sanctuary that sits in a grand Grade II* listed building in Clerkenwell.
where: Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0NA
Website: www.Sessionsartsclub.com
Jolene
Ask anyone in the Hackney area where their favourite place to eat is, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t say it’s Jolene. It’s the quintessential ‘East London small plates’ restaurant that also functions as a bakery in a roomy, industrial-chic spaces. The menu is updated daily and posted on their Instagram, but think ricotta gnocchi with peas & wild garlic, with a nduja honey bun chaser to go. This site is their original, but there are two new satellite sites in Redchurch Street and Colebrooke Row.
Think ricotta gnocchi with peas & wild garlic, with a ‘nduja honey bun chaser to go
where: 21 Newington Green, N16 9PU
website: www.Jolenen16.com
Tollington’s
Iberian fish bar Tollington’s has stolen the hearts of North London and become one of the most city’s buzziest spots. The team behind Four Legs took over what was the old fish and chip shop on Finsbury Park, keeping the same old-school vibe and impeccable quality. You can get a takeaway from the bar or choose to eat in, with a handful of tables and stools available in the back.
where: 172 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 3AJ
book here
The people behind Forza Wine launched the Peckham restaurant knowing the importance of branding, and it worked
Forza Wine
A truly cool restaurant is hard to define, but having your own branded line of tote bags – especially ones that people actually wear – is a good sign. The people behind Forza Wine launched the Peckham restaurant knowing the importance of branding, and it worked. They recently opened their third site at the National Theatre on Southbank. Not too shabby, then.
Their ever-changing menu focuses on Italian-style tapas, smaller bites like aubergine caponata and pork collar steak served with an enviable selection of wines and cocktails.
where: The Rooftop, 133A Rye Ln, London
website: www.Forzawine.com
Noble Rot
A London institution at this point, Noble Rot has restaurants in Bloomsbury, Soho and Mayfair.
It had the rather strange journey of starting out as a food magazine, before launching a full-blown restaurant off the back of its success. They still run the magazine on the side, and have recently interviewed the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi, Keira Knightley and Kano.
Executive Chef Stephen Harris oversees an a la carte menu of ‘Franglais’ cooking (we’ll let you decipher that one) paired with a world-class wine list that was voted best of the year at the World Restaurant Awards in 2019.
where: 51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London
website: www.noblerot.co.uk
Mountain
The newest opening on this list, Welsh chef Tomos Parry’s sophomore effort after Brat, opened to the kind of buzz usually reserved for the co-release of antithetical films or a World Cup run. It has become London’s hottest culinary ticket, and the hype is justified.
We’re talking fire-roasted red mullet, organic sobrasada sausage on toast with honey and guindilla peppers, and cinnamon caramelised brioche soaked in buttermilk custard with blackberries. Yes. Please.
where: 16-18 Beak St, London
website: www.mountainbeakstreet.com
Mambow
A true labour of love: Mambow has gone from Peckham pop-up to a permanent East-London restaurant thanks to a fiercely loyal fanbase and incredible food from Chef Abby Lee. Based on the Malaysian cuisine of Lee’s childhood, it has become one of London’s most talked-about and coveted spots.
The menu changes regularly with chalkboard-written specials, but favourites like umai (Sarawak-style ceviche), black pepper curry chicken, and red curry prawn toast are staples. A must-visit.
where: 78 LOWER CLAPTON RD, LOWER CLAPTON, LONDON E5 0RN
website: www.MAMBOW.CO.UK
Oma
One of the best new openings of 2024 and recipient of a Michelin star earlier this month, Oma brings the flavours of the sun-soaked shores of the Greek Isles to London. Located in Borough Market, it draws its name from the Greek word for ‘raw’, featuring both a crudo bar and an open-plan, live-fire kitchen.
Jorge Paredes, formerly executive chef of Sabor, is leading the kitchen alongside David Carter (Founder of SMOKESTAK and Manteca). The menu is a haven for sharing, with options including reimagined Aegean dishes like squid ink giouvetsi, charred lamb belly with hummus, shallot and mint salata, and seabass crudo with jalepeño, lime and ginger.
where: 3 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
Website: www.oma.com
Cafe Cecilia
Hackney restaurant Cafe Cecilia comes from Irish Chef Max Rocha and is something of a family institution. The layout and design were hand-drawn by his father, fashion designer John Rocha and the Waiting Staff’s uniforms were designed by his sister, Simone Rocha – also a fashion designer. Despite experience in legendary restaurants St. John’s, Spring and The River Café, Max took inspiration from his mum Odette when coming up with the daily-changing menu (her Guinness bread is a staple).
With influence like that, it couldn’t be anything but a hit – and since opening in 2021, it’s become exactly that and a favourite amongst Hackney locals.
where: 32 Andrews Rd, London E8 4FX
Website: cafececilia.com
Rochelle Canteen
This restaurant, situated in the converted bike shed of a school turned arts and media complex, is strictly on a need-to-know basis. Entry is difficult – you have to find the unmarked door on a garden wall and ring the buzzer – but once inside you’ll be treated to a delicious fusion of classic British and modern European cooking.
With dishes like monkfish with cime di rapa and chili and a guineafowl, bacon, and wild garlic pie, there’s a reason this place has only gone from strength to strength since opening in 2004.
where: 16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA
website: www.rochellecanteen.com
Twenty8 Nomad
Have you seen a more beautiful dining room? The NoMad Hotel opened its doors in 2021 and immediately gained attention thanks to its noteworthy interiors, moody/cool atmosphere and stunning dining room, recently redesigned by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS), putting a fresh, fun spin on the classic palm court that celebrates grandness and intimacy at the same time – especially when the sun goes down.
The cuisine is a New York-inspired bistro that celebrates local and seasonal ingredients. The menu has a huge seafood tower, outstanding steak frites and a dedicated martini section, as well as an open wood-burning grill at the front of the dining room, where meat is cooked before you.
Where: 28 Bow Street, WC2E 7aw
Website: www.thenomadhotel.com
Bambi
A small plates-slash-wine bar-slash-listening bar in Hackney was always destined for this list. On the food side, there’s grilled peaches with whipped mascarpone and hazelnuts, fried feta with pickled chilli and Thai short rib salad, paired with a diverse wine list and enviable record collection. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ sets take over until after midnight, so you can burn off the calories straight away.
where: 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL
Website: www.bambi-bar.com
Speedboat Bar
Restaurants open until 1am are exceedingly rare in London, but this Chinatown favourite is one. Inspired by the Chinatown of Bangkok, it is the perfect spot for a late-night bite to eat, featuring a central bar, pool table, Thai pop and rock beats.
Their Tom Yam Mama soup, inspired by a dish from a long-standing khao tom restaurant in Bangkok called Jeh O Chula, has gone viral online – not a surprise based on how good it looks.
where: 30 Rupert St, London W1D 6DL
website: www.speedboatbar.co.uk
