The London Restaurants That Actually Live Up To The Hype
Every week in London, it seems like there’s a flurry of new trends, restaurants and dishes you need to try. New dessert combos, giant, structurally unsound sandwiches, and the endless, sisyphisian quest to find ‘the best Guinness in London’ – it’s all too much to keep track of.
Amongst all the flash and hype are gems, staples, and landmarks that genuinely are as good as everyone says. Here is our list of the culinary equivalent to Dune Part Two—worth the hype.
Chishuru
Famous for: Vibrant West African cooking
West African cuisine in London is pretty special – Ikoyi, Akoko, Akara – and Chishuru stands among the very best. Originally a supper club, Chishuru first became a permanent fixture in Brixton, and then moved to Fitzrovia in 2023, boasting a modern menu that blends age-old recipes with modern flavour.
It received its first Michelin Star earlier this year and boasts a modern West African menu that blends age-old recipes with modern flavour.
where: 3 Great Titchfield St., London W1W 8AX
website: chishuru.com
Mountain
Famous for: The new go-to foodie spot in Soho
Tomos Parry, the buzzy chef behind Brat, opened Mountain last year to great fervour. It instantly established itself as one of the city’s hottest spots and received a Michelin star within six months. So, it’s not a bad start, then.
The food is stunning, the sort that is undeniable. Think 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 W1F 9RD
website: mountainbeakstreet.com
Crisp Pizza
Famous for: The best pizza in London
Crisp has managed to do what few have before: make people queue for pizza. What makes this such a difficult task is that bad pizza is still pretty good food, so why give up half an hour of your life for what is, ultimately, a marginal game? Not with Crisp.
Nestled in Hammersmith pub, The Chancellors, queues have been rumoured to snake all the way to Putney Bridge. They are media-savvy here (one pizza is named ‘The Vecna’ after the Stranger Things villain) but also smart enough to know that to sustain past the hype, the quality needs to match – and it does.
where: 25 Crisp Rd, London W6 9RL
Cafe Cecilia
Famous for: Chic East-London neighbourhood favourite
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 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
Dishoom
Famous for: London’s most queued-for Indian
Look, two things can be true about Dishoom. Yes, London is a city blessed by many great Indian restaurants, some of which might even be better than Dishoom (we’re particularly partial to Tayyabs and Sheba). But on the other hand, Dishoom is absolutely as good as the hype suggests and well worth the hour-long queue it usually takes to get inside.
From Ruby chicken and black dahl to their legendary breakfast, this homage to the Irani cafes of Bombay has never, ever, let anyone down.
where: Across London
website: dishoom.com
Dorian
Famous for: Creative cuisine at its finest
Dorian may be a newcomer to the Notting Hill scene, but since opening last year it’s become the epitome of a neighbourhood bistro with a twist, with dishes that are anything but ordinary. Already a celeb-favourite, hobbyist Chef-slash-Photographer Brooklyn Beckham had his birthday dinner there.
The combination of a chef from Ikoyi, mixologist from Core, and the same wine supplier as Noble Rot has created something special.
where: 105, 107 Talbot rd, London w11 2at
website: dorianrestaurant.com
Forza Wine
Famous for: Small plates, big views and stunning wine
No place has nailed the branding side of the restaurant quite like rooftop bar Forza Wine: By mining 80s Milanese street culture for inspiration, releasing a line of genuinely quality merch, and picking their spots well (Peckham and Southbank), Forza has generated a loyal fanbase a football team would be envious of.
It helps that the food is pretty great, also. 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: Peckham and southbank
website: forzawine.com
Padella
Famous for: Freshly-made pasta every day
This Borough Market gem is founded on a simple premise. In-house, freshly made pasta – passers-by can even watch it being rolled out by hand in the window of the restaurant
Brought to you by the same duo behind Islington’s much-lauded Trullo, Padella offers a simple menu of eight seasonal pasta dishes. Bookings aren’t accepted and space is limited, but you can queue virtually by scanning their QR codes, or give their Shoreditch site a go, which will take a limited number of advance bookings.
where: Borough Market and Shoreditch
website: padella.co