The Best Restaurants In London According To The Handbook Team

Holy Carrot

Spitalfields

While I must admit, I was slightly sceptical of Holy Carrot’s second location given Notting Hill’s very minimalist, almost blindingly beige interiors – the Spitalfields location couldn’t be any more different from its predecessor. For a start, it is comfortingly bistro-like in its interiors, making for a fabulous friendly lunch as well as a flirty date. Moreover, it is not vegan, but vegetarian… and it is good.

It is here that reminds us the label of “vegetarian” should not be considered a dietary restriction, but a means for which to colour outside the lines. This new home embraces a vegetarian-first approach, introducing eggs and dairy without compromising the philosophy that made it so compelling in the first place; still rooted in live-fire cooking, fermentation and an incredible attitude to reducing waste.

Where: 61, 63 Brushfield St, London E1 6AA
Website: www.holycarrot.co.uk

Impala

Soho

Impala is one of the greatest openings of 2026, it seems. It’s seemingly a new restaurant that people are keeping slightly under the radar post-opening, and failing. This, of course, only makes it more appealing.

There’s a lot of talk around bold, spice-led cooking and a menu that is innovative although simple; a win. It’s the kind of place I imagine going to with a group, ordering in abundance, and realising halfway through that it’s a favourite — classic Super8.

The entrées set a high standard. The sheftalia stood out as a clear favourite on the table, rendering my party temporarily speechless, before describing it as ‘the best sausage they’ve ever had’. The hot grilled short rib has everything to love about slow-cooked meat, while the squid salad brought some welcomed freshness. For dessert, the date and pistachio tart is a good choice if you prefer something less sweet. It’s all about balance at Impala… balance and prodigality.

Where: 13, 14 Dean St, London W1D 3RS
Website: www.impalasoho.com

Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill

Mayfair

If you know me, you know I love oysters. There is a specific kind of finesse that makes a good oyster great. They are few and far between in the capital, I think. Many good, a few great. Bentley’s Oyster Bar is, has been, and forever will be great.

Shuckers are behind the bar, plating “roughly 600 to 800” a day. They told me this, shrugging a shoulder as if that were nothing. The kitchen runs like a machine, and the seafood served here is rivalled probably only by a coastal shack. The Cornish dressed crab is to die for, picked simply and served more than generously, enough to split between two (a shocking feat for a London crab dish).

If I were made of money, I’d be here every day, making my way through a menu that was either designed specifically for the summer version of myself, or for a tiger shark, trolling the ocean floor for any fresh seafood it might find. It’s brilliant, classic, grounded by the tradition of 110 years in that very spot, anchored by the genius of Richard Corrigan.

Where: 11 – 15 Swallow Street Piccadilly London W1B 4DG
Website: www.bentleys.org

2 Veneti

Marylebone

A generous bread basket arrives immediately at the table: soft focaccia, crusty rolls and delicate breadsticks served alongside olives and olive oil. Aperol Spritzes and Campari flow freely, setting the tone for a meal that felt so indulgent in the most relaxed, holiday-like way.

For starters, Salt cod served over creamy polenta is perfectly creamy, while the raw salmon rivals some of the best I’ve had in London. Then comes the Primi: handmade pasta, perfectly cooked. But it’s the secondi that truly stole the show. The fritto misto is easily one of the finest versions I’ve tried with courgette, prawns and fresh fish fried to perfection and served with tartare sauce.

For dessert, the Venetian classic salami e cioccolato tastes just like the one I tried in Venice, while Nonna’s tart paired with a golden dessert wine provides the perfect finish to a meal rooted in warmth and tradition. If you’re searching for a restaurant in Marylebone that captures the feeling of being on holiday in Italy, 2 Veneti is not to be missed.

Where: 10 Wigmore St, London W1U 2RD
Website: www.2veneti.com

Bar des Prés

Mayfair

From a Frenchman born and raised, the last thing one might expect is for him to set up shop in Mayfair to present London with a more than fabulous, almost extraordinary Japanese bistro. But this is what Cyril Lignac has done, and his restaurant has just moved into an even better, more comfortable space on South Audley Street.

While the crispy rice with tuna or salmon is what one always envisions on those routine days where one craves crispy rice, and the paper-thin sea bass sashimi is somehow outlandishly different from the rest, there are two dishes that will surprise any diner. The first being vanilla mashed potatoes… yes, vanilla mashed potatoes. As if the world’s greatest chef dipped chips in a McDonald’s shake and ran with it — spectacular. Secondly, this very well may be one of the best restaurant burgers in London. I fear there is no better way to describe it than that statement: “best”. It is warm, decadent, juicy, saucy, and yet, simple, light, fluffy and elegant. A fabulous dish, a fabulous spot, a fabulous team and a fabulous Mayfair reservation.

Where: 41a S Audley St, London W1K 2PS
Website: www.bardespres.com

L’oscar

Covent Garden

Hidden inside L’Oscar London, L’Oscar Restaurant feels wonderfully opulent from the moment you walk in, with theatrical interiors, rich velvet textures and low lighting that makes the whole room glow. The service is just as polished: attentive without being overbearing, with staff who know the menu inside out and guide you through it with ease.

The standout dish is the tagliolini with caviar, buttery and delicately lemony with just the right amount of saltiness from the caviar cutting through it all. It’s indulgent without feeling heavy, and one of those dishes you immediately want to order again. Paired with a strong wine list and a buzzy but intimate atmosphere, this is very much an IYKYK kind of spot — perfect for a special occasion or simply when you’re in the mood to treat yourself.

Where: 2-6 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AA
Website: www.loscarlondon.com

Teal by Sally Abé

Hackney

On a short block in Hackney lies not only a fabulous wine bar (Wilton Way Deli & Wines) serving £7 aperols out of a window hatch, but also Teal by Sally Abé. There is much to be said about Teal before even getting to the food itself. First of all, Sally Abé is a gem of a human — warm, talented, and a fabulous representation of the next best generation of chefs. Second, this little British bistro has taken Londoners by storm as it has interpreted old-fashioned, even medieval, tradition into modern and appealing choices for four courses. £1 penny lickers for pudding and savouries for starters, served by a team which embodies some of the best craic the hospitality industry has seen.

Takes on rarebits, baked bone marrows with snails, corn fed chickens, and Cornish mussels, finished with buttermilk puddings or marshmallow teacakes… might I be dreaming? No, Abé’s done it, and she’s done it fabulously. I hope to sit at that very same spot again in a year, 10 years, 50 years, until I’m old and grey, and probably a bit fat from all of the scotch eggs I have consumed — may it stay forever.

Where: 52 Wilton Way, E8 1BG
Website: www.tealbysallyabe.com

Patron French Firehouse

Kentish Town

There is simply nothing I love more than a neighbourhood bistro. There’s something incredibly heartwarming and completely comforting about watching regulars come in and greet managers and servers with hugs, being led to tables as you sip on carafes of French wine. The best of it is Patron, and Kentish Town is its neighbourhood. The style of Patron is that you move around; a drink on the terrace first, perhaps, then dinner in the dining room and pudding in the bar. This is everything to me — following the manager, Bob, around as if he were a beacon of light.

The duck, something that many travel far and wide for, which has never not been on the menu, is the most fabulous duck I’ve ever had, second best only to the chocolate mousse — a three-ingredient recipe from the owner’s mum, scooped out of the bowl and plopped on the plate in front of you before fighting for last bites. In essence, Patron is a pot of gold in terms of neighbourhood favourites — one to travel for.

Where: 26 Fortess Rd, London NW5 2HB
Website: www.patronrestaurant.com

The Palomar

Soho

Counter seats over open kitchens are more than frequent in London these days — boy, am I pleased. Counters are, in my opinion, the best seats in the house. They are amusing, they are intriguing, you learn, and you wholeheartedly connect to the food that you watch transform from nothing to something right in front of you.

At The Palomar in Soho, it transforms into food influenced by Southern Spain, North Africa and the Levant, marrying some of the richest and most distinct cuisines on a plate. I went on the first night of their new Chef series concept, where, monthly, a new chef comes in to do the specials. It was a place where I couldn’t figure out what dish was my favourite, when usually, I have a clear winner. A spot for a martini, bread and dips, or a spot for lamb chops, salads, puddings, and a bottle of wine — it is the perfect recommendation to have up your sleeve.

Where: 34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN
Website: www.thepalomar.co.uk

Auguste

London Fields

Auguste is far and away one of my favourite openings of 2026 so far. It is the definition of a neighbourhood spot, with kisses on cheeks and £5 camparinos flying around the gaff. The team are brilliantly kind, telling stories of inspiration for chicken wrapped in prosciutto and dropping subtle secrets on what’s actually inside the capelleti (my favourite).

Time slips fast, as it often does on a visit to London Fields, but Auguste is homely and warm and comforting and familiar despite its newness to the scene. Come for the arrosticini — lamb or wagyu flame grilled on skewers — but stay for the never-ending servings of Campari and olives and the bottomless pit of positive energy.

Click here for the full Auguste review.

Where: 373 Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3DQ
Website: www.instagram.com

Belly Bistro

Camden

Belly Bistro in Camden is a super cool Filipino spot that feels like you’ve stumbled across a neighbourhood gem, packed with insane flavour. The space has a laid-back charm that makes it easy to settle in and work your way through the menu, which is full of bold, fun dishes.

While I was blown away by everything I tried, the dessert menu was genuinely mind-blowing. From bright purple tiramisu to caviar ice cream and a chocolate fondant topped with popping candy, each dish felt playful, unexpected and completely delicious.

Belly reminded me of just how fun food can be.

Kitty, Social Media Director

Where: 157 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8PD
Website: www.bellylondon.com

Lilibet’s

Mayfair

There are certain restaurants that seem to exist permanently in conversation, passed between people whose taste you trust without question. Lilibet’s is one of those. It’s a place that comes up mid-dinner elsewhere, usually followed by “you haven’t been yet?”.

Created by Ross Shonhan, the menu focuses on refined, flavour-led seafood cooked over a wood-fire grill, with highlights including delicate crudo, expertly grilled fish, indulgent lobster mash and standout cocktails. With its warm yet polished service, lively atmosphere and an intimate private dining room, Lilibet’s feels like an elevated dinner party delivering both substance and style in one of London’s most exciting new openings. It leans into that low-lit, slightly chaotic, deeply charming energy that London does so well when it wants to. Small plates, big flavour, and a menu where you accidentally order the whole thing (if your pockets are big enough).

Where: 17 Bruton St, London W1J 6QB
Website: www.lilibetsrestaurant.com

Harar Restaurant

Lambeth

Something I am not very familiar with, but am working on, is my knowledge of African cuisine. Recently, I began with Ethiopian at Harar Restaurant in Lambeth. This is one of the best, most exciting experiences I have had over dinner, which is saying something as this spot is as stripped back as it could possibly be. I mean it, there is nothing out of the ordinary about this place, besides the fact that the food is, in every sense, out of the ordinary.

This is the ideal place to get acquainted with Ethiopian food. It’s also phenomenal on a budget (£3 Ethiopian beers). I probably had 2 beers, split a bottle of wine for the table and had a sharing platter (mixed kirchat) for 4, which resulted in a full takeaway box to bring home. It left me £25 lighter and with a very, very heavy heart for having left.

Where: 49 S Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1RH
Website: www.hararrestaurant.co.uk

Orrery

Marylebone

I went to Orrery fully expecting a stuffy, old-fashioned, perhaps even outdated fine dining experience; what I got was the complete opposite. While Pierre Minotti embodies the style which has given fine dining the meticulous reputation that it has, he does so with a sort of whimsy that I sometimes feel it lacks. A champagne reception alongside a chartreuse break at the bar in the middle, light billowing into a blue carpeted gallery hall of a dining room. The staff, playful and kind, walk you through some of the most visually appealing dishes in the city. This is a special time capsule, a return to the splendour of food led confidently and boldy by Minotti.

Where: 55 Marylebone High St, London W1U 5RB
Website: www.orrery-restaurant.co.uk

Punk Royale

Mayfair

Punk Royale brings a theatrical, immersive tasting-menu experience from Stockholm to Mayfair, where fine dining meets party energy. The restaurant serves a fixed multi-course menu (around 20 courses) that blurs food with performance — expect signature “caviar bumps,” vodka shots from petrol cans, spoon-fed lobster and inventive small bites delivered amid lights, music and an irreverent atmosphere. Phones are locked away on arrival to encourage genuine presence at the table, and the overall vibe combines Nordic programme precision with playful, unpredictable service. While it isn’t for everyone — I mean that some find it chaotic — for those who lean into the momentum, it delivers a one-of-a-kind meal that you definitely won’t forget… we think.

Click here for the full Punk Royale review.

Where: 6 Sackville St, London W1S 3DD
Website: www.punkroyale.com

Brunswick House

Vauxhall

After loving Dove, it felt inevitable to visit Jackson Boxer’s Brunswick House — a restaurant tucked inside a salvage yard near Vauxhall that feels as unlikely as it does atmospheric. What follows is thoughtful, seasonal cooking that’s highly confident rather than showy. The grilled potato bread with wild garlic butter is reason enough to book, and the monkfish with grapefruit and brown shrimp — shared alongside a generous plate of chips — strikes a sharp, rich balance that Boxer consistently does so well. Cocktails are strong, and if you’re not ready to call it a night, the cellar bar, The Black Duke, is waiting downstairs.

Where: 30 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2LG
Website: www.brunswickhouse.london

Acre

Notting Hill

Golborne Road is, in my opinion, one of the best small pockets of London for restaurants. Knowing this, Thomas Straker has set up not one but two food venues on the stretch. While Straker’s is, in all of it’s viral glory, a great restaurant, Acre wowed itself onto this list with a yuzu lemon drop and a cheeseburger.

The burger, simple but elevated with pickled chillies and a respectfully sloppy dose of burger sauce was one of the more exciting burgers on a trendy menu in London. The drinks list is on another level, though, with tomato martinis, green tea vodkas, and sbagliatos. If you’re one for a casual celebrity spotting alongside a burning hot bite of prawn toast, Acre is confirmed worth the buzz.

Where: 60 Golborne Rd, London W10 5PR
Website: www.acre-london.com

Marjorie’s

Soho

Tucked into Soho, Marjorie’s delivers that effortless French sensibility London does so well. The wine list is the headline act, and rightly so. Everything feels thoughtfully chosen, but the Banyuls, a luscious, velvety dessert wine, is the one I can’t stop thinking about. And then there’s the whipped brown sugar butter, lavishly spread onto a fresh baguette. Perfection.

Where: 26 Foubert’s Pl, Carnaby, London W1F 7PP
Website: www.marjorieslondon.co.uk

Smoking Goat

Shoreditch

Little restaurants are as recommended by me as Smoking Goat, I’ve been loyal to it for going on six years now, since the moment I first stepped in and tried their acclaimed chicken wings. Ever since, I have loved it for several reasons.

The first being the location. Smack dab in the middle of Shoreditch, surrounded by some of the best boutiques and restaurants in London, surrounded by cobblestone streets and buzzy bars, it is the ideal Friday night dinner.

Second, the prices are wonderfully reasonable for both the location and the portions. Plus, the drinks are, from what I’ve seen, unmatched, with cocktails ranging from £6-12 without compromising on taste and mastery. As anyone would say about Smoking Goat, you mustn’t leave without the fish sauce chilli wings, but if I had a stomach as big as my eyes, I’d simply say get it all.

Where: 64 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ
Website: www.smokinggoatbar.com

The Eagle

Farringdon

It is not often that I get completely blown away by a pub meal, but The Eagle is the pub meal to end all pub meals. It’s entirely unpretentious, working first come first serve with tables, just the bar separating diners from the kitchen.

A chalkboard presents the menu for the day, highlighting the likes of pork chops, steak sandwiches, and fish, which are all cooked over fire right over where the runner is roughly slicing bread by hand to accompany your bottle of wine, which was picked from a geniusly compiled list (also on a chalkboard). It almost feels like your best mate’s mum opened up a kitchen in your favourite pub. Make sure that you get something from the grill, and don’t underestimate dessert.

Where: 159 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3AL
Website: www.theeaglefarringfon.co.uk

Khao Bird

Soho

The moment I knew that Khao Bird was one of my favourite restaurants I had been to was the moment that I tried the tofu. To me, the silken tofu — by that I mean crispy fried Burmese tofu with crispy garlic, and pickled mah kwaen pepper — represented the Khao Bird team’s excellence in making the ordinary extraordinary. This continues throughout the meal; through cola-glazed meatballs, mutton fries, pickle martinis and whole roast fish. Khao Bird has this humble wow factor, an approachable sense of unattainability in a dimly lit bar crowned with humming neon signs.

Click here for the full Khao Bird review.

Where: 24 Brewer St, London W1F 0SN
Website: www.khaobird.com

Noble Rot

Lamb’s Conduit

If you know my restaurant style, you might know that there is nothing I adore more than a mid-afternoon restaurant at a table outside. This is why the Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit is my perfect lupper (lunch supper) date spot. Watching the people stroll by with La Fromagerie bags or baby strollers in tow as you slowly work away at your bottle of ChinChin is one of the simplest of pleasures. Not only that, but Noble Rot sits so highly on my list for the food, of course, some of the most refreshing menus in London, but also because they have the best bread basket in London. A true sign of a perfect table.

Where: 51 Lamb’s Conduit St, London WC1N 3NB
Website: www.noblerot.co.uk

Wild By Tart

Belgravia

When it comes to going out for lunch, I either want to get stuck into the pub for the whole day (somewhere like The Eagle) or I want to embrace lightness, with anticipation of a long walk through town. In those cases, I always crave Wild By Tart. While the dining room is roofed with a skylight, the whole venue feels almost open-air, with vines growing throughout and sunlight streaming in, whatever the forecast.

The menu is ever-changing, bending with the seasons, meaning every time I go, it’s an entirely different experience with a dozen entirely new small plates. The best way to go about it is to, of course and in any case, share a little bit of everything. A dip, a small plate, a fritter, a flatbread, and whatever the farmers deemed fit for the season’s menu. Even better, just let your server order for you; that’s what I do.

Where: Eccleston Yards, London SW1W 9AZ
Website: www.wildbytart.com

Wildflowers

Pimlico

It’s hard not to recommend everything at Wildflowers, which is exactly why it remains a favourite. The interiors are beautifully done — plus the bathroom is outstanding (good sign of a great venue). Wildflowers is a time trap where each visit lasts a couple of hours, always ordering a bit more if you have the space for it. The food is exceptional, some of the very best in London, and it arrives with the ease of a very confident kitchen. It’s a restaurant built for long lunches, slow dinners, and return visits. It’s also the perfect kind of restaurant to have in your back pocket for out-of-towners.

Where: Newson’s Yard, 57 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NE
Website: www.wildflowersrestaurant.co.uk

Berenjak

Soho, Borough, Mayfair

Berenjak is a big name on the streets, growing in popularity since opening in 2018 and practically sticking to the pavement ever since. It’s easy to look at images, reviews, viral videos, and general buzz and think there must be some aspect of this heat which is exaggerated. Barenjak’s hummus alone squashed that apprehension. It is deserving of attention, deserving of overhead images of the table, deserving of booked-out dining rooms, deserving of our love and affection. Barenjak, in the form of one simple dish, earns its place, and with the other dishes, it maintains it.

Where: Multiple locations
Website: www.berenjak.com

St. JOHN

Marylebone

Marylebone’s St. JOHN location has never fallen short of an ideal meal. The truth is, I always leave full and drunk, continuously offered one more of everything by some of the best staff in the city. A shot of whiskey, perhaps? Only one rarebit? Why not the bottle? St. JOHN is a place that makes you feel like a regular after only one visit.

It’s also a place that makes you feel like you read the newspaper crossed-legged at a circular, pavement table with a smoking ashtray at your elbow, sunglasses on, Bourdain style. Of course, the rarebit is a non-negotiable in its unconventionality. It is deep-fried. Should I go any further than that? This should be ordered alongside the langoustine and the beetroot (if you’re so lucky to see that menu). Wash it down with a Negroni. Soak it up with some Madeleines.

Where: 98 Marylebone Ln, London W1U 2QA
Website: www.stjohnrestaurant.com

Don’t Tell Dad

Queens Park

Don’t Tell Dad in Queen’s Park is a must. Part bakery, part French bistro, it works just as well for a proper date night as it does for dinner and drinks that turn into a late one. The room hums with the vibe of a house party, the cocktails are sharp, and the food lands somewhere between comforting and indulgent. Order the oxtail crumpet — it’s the reason we haven’t shut up about it.

Don’t Tell Dad in Queens Park is my must-visit recommendation, it’s to die for.

Elle, Senior Venue Partnerships Manager

Where: 10-14 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD
Website: www.donttelldad.co.uk

Hanbaagaasuuteeki

Victoria

The burger scene in London is phenomenally fruitful this year, but in all honesty, I hadn’t been completely blown away by a particular one until I went to Hanbaagaasuuteeki. Despite my inability to pronounce the name, I was more than capable of downing several burgers here.

The classic smash is under £10 with one of the crispiest smash skirts in the business, but the fried chicken burger is something to go out of your way for. The Aleppo pepper pushes through from inside the batter, and past that, the juiciest chicken thigh sits between the softest potato bun. To be quite honest, this Japanese burger joint puts many other fast options to shame. An innovative force in the hamburger Olympics of London.

Where: 36 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0RE
Website: www.hanbaagaasuuteeki.com

Moi

Soho

If you’re looking for a buzzy new spot to take your mates for a nice dinner in Soho, Moi is just the ticket. Enjoy working your way through the cocktail menu as you tuck into some of the best sushi you’ll ever eat, coupled with a range of impeccable small plate starters. My top tip is to be more generous with these quantities, so you can make an incredible meal out of it, peppering in some skewers from the binchotan for a different flavour dimension.

You heard it here first: this is the best sashimi I’ve ever had.

Natasha, Digital Editor

Click here for the full Moi review.

Where: 84 Wardour St, London W1F 0TQ
Website: www.moirestaurant.com

Mountain

Soho

There are very few openings that have had the sort of sustained attention that Mountain has managed, without it ever feeling overhyped. A reservation is almost like a rite of passage for foodies. If anything, the longer it sits on the list, the more certain I am that it’s justified.

Everything I’ve seen — from the open-fire cooking to the sheer scale of some of the dishes — suggests a restaurant that understands both restraint and excess in equal measure. Not how to follow trends, but how to be the trend. A near-guaranteed future addition to the main list.

Where: 16-18 Beak St, London W1F 9RD
Website: www.mountainbeakstreet.com

Bouchon Racine

Bouchon Racine

Bouchon Racine is an iconic name that carries a huge authority. It’s less about buzz and more about reputation — the sort built over time, through people who really know what they’re talking about.

All signs point to unapologetic, classic French cooking, which, more often than not, is exactly what you’re looking for in a nice reservation. No reinvention, no gimmicks, just richness, precision and the confidence to leave things exactly as they should be. It’s been described to me as a place you think about long after the meal, which is reason enough to prioritise it.

Where: Upstairs, 66 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BP
Website: www.bouchonracine.com

Trullo

Highbury & Islington

It almost feels overdue at this point. Trullo is one of those restaurants that has been consistently recommended by so many people that it’s surprising it’s still sitting in the “haven’t been” category.

Simple, seasonal Italian cooking, done with care and without any unnecessary interference, built for long lunches that turn into evenings. It has all the markers of somewhere that becomes part of your regular rotation without you even realising it. A classic in waiting.

Where: 300-302 St Paul’s Rd, London N1 2LH
Website: www.trullorestaurant.com

Ikoyi

Temple

Ikoyi sits slightly differently on this list — less casual recommendation, more landmark. It’s a restaurant that people speak about with a level of seriousness that’s hard to ignore, and one that feels less like a meal and more like an experience you commit to, an institution for Japanese food in the capital.

The flavour combinations, the precision, the constant evolution of the menu — everything suggests something operating at a very high level. It’s not a spontaneous booking; it’s a planned one. But from everything I’ve heard, it more than earns that level of intention.

Where: 180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA
Website: www.ikoyilondon.com