London’s Best Women-Led Restaurants
The hospitality field has long been lopsided and overly dominated by men, however as we take a closer look at our favourite women-led restaurants in London, things are looking up, with more and more women making a name for themselves in London’s brilliant dining industry.
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the talented women behind our favourite female-fronted restaurants. From female chefs to founders, these are the most exciting women-led eateries to support now (and always).
Cecily Dallady and Zoë Heimann, Bara
Bara Café is a vibrant, community-focused spot in Peckham championing seasonal Welsh-inspired food with heart. It was co-founded by Cecily Dalladay and Zoë Heimann, who bring their shared passion for craft, quality ingredients and hospitality to everything on the plate. From house-baked focaccia and sesame rolls made with slow-fermented Wildfarmed flour to inventive takes on traditional Welsh flavours like Caerphilly cheesesteaks, leek bubble & squeak focaccia and Pembrokeshire lobster rolls, Bara’s menu is seasonal, creative and deeply rooted in place. Paired with Coaltown coffee, simple sweet treats and a welcoming space that supports local gatherings and low-cost coffee options, Bara stands out as a distinctly women-led, community-centric addition to London’s café scene.
Where: 44-46 Choumert Road, Peckham SE15 4SE
Website: www.barcafe.com
Sally Abé, Teal
Teal by Sally Abé is the elegant, high-end dining concept from chef Sally Abé, which opens on March 26, showcasing her refined touch on contemporary British cuisine with a strong emphasis on seasonal produce. Located in London’s leafy south-west, Teal is known for its beautifully balanced tasting menus and thoughtful wine pairings, reflecting Abé’s commitment to flavour precision and finely tuned technique. The intimate setting and meticulous cooking make it a standout destination for a special night out that celebrates female culinary leadership.
Where: 52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG
Website: www.tealbysallyabe.com
Missy Flynn, Rita’s
Bold, buzzy and unmistakably cool, Rita’s in Soho was co-founded by hospitality trailblazer Missy Flynn, whose influence helped shape London’s modern independent dining scene. Rooted in Americana-inspired comfort food with a polished edge, the menu leans into indulgent yet refined plates alongside expertly crafted cocktails. Whether for brunch, dinner or late-night bites, Rita’s reflects Flynn’s entrepreneurial spirit and continues to be a standout women-led fixture in Soho.
Where: 49 Lexington St, Carnaby, London W1F 9AP
Website: www.ritasdining.com
Monika Linton, Brindisa
Sample the finest artisanal Spanish ingredients at Brindisa Tapas in Soho, founded by pioneering restaurateur and importer Monika Linton. Long before manchego and jamón ibérico became staples across the UK, Linton was championing and importing exceptional Spanish produce, building Brindisa into a trusted authority on regional Spanish food. At the Broadwick Street site, an open kitchen turns those handpicked ingredients into classic tapas of the highest quality — ideal for a leisurely lunch, pre-theatre plates or an intimate dinner in the heart of Soho.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.brindisatapas.com
Firebird
Launched by co-founders, Anna Dolgushina and Madina Kazhimova, Firebird is an open-fire Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar. The menu revolves around open-fire cooking, with each dish created using minimal ingredients and unexpected flavour combinations. Highlights from the menu include tuna tartare with ponzu and cured egg yolk, halloumi with fruit or scallops with truffle mashed potatoes. Don’t miss the excellent wine menu curated by co-owner and sommelier Anna Dolgushina, with a list that champions small, natural and biodynamic wine producers from across Europe.
Where: 29 Poland St, London W1F 8QR
Website: www.firebirdlondon.co.uk
Clare Smyth, Core by Clare Smyth
One of the most recognised female chefs in the industry, Clare Smyth is the first British female chef to win three Michelin stars, catered Harry and Megan’s wedding, and cooked 600 meals a week for charities and local hospitals during the first lockdown.
Core is her multi-award-winning restaurant in Notting Hill, where the fine dining menu is as elegant as it is photogenic. With beautifully crafted dishes with an emphasis on natural, sustainable, artisanal food, it’s a must-visit for anyone who appreciates exciting, delicious, and impeccably crafted food.
Where: 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN
Website: www.corebyclaresmyth.com
A modern West African menu, blending age-old recipes with modern flavour.
Adejoké Bakare, Chishuru
Bakare made history in 2024 when she became the UK’s first Black woman to receive a Michelin star for Chishuru, one of the best restaurants in the country.
Originally a supper club, Chishuru first became a permanent fixture in Brixton and then moved to Fitzrovia in 2023. The restaurant boasts a modern West African menu, blending age-old recipes with modern flavour.
Where: Great Titchfield St., London W1W 8AX
Website: www.chishuru.com
Patricia Hilton, CERU
Patricia Hilton, co-founder of CERU Restaurants, was inspired by travels across the Eastern Mediterranean to bring the region’s vibrant flavours and communal dining culture to London. CERU serves healthy, gluten-free, mezze-style dishes designed for sharing, with restaurants in South Kensington, Hyde Park (Queensway) and Farringdon. Patricia also designed the colourful interiors, featuring handcrafted tiles and artisan details that evoke the feeling of a Mediterranean getaway. Through CERU, she has created a distinctive dining experience that combines thoughtful design, health-conscious cooking and the celebratory spirit of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.
Where: multiple locations
Website: www.cerurestaurants.com
Adriana Cavita, Cavita
Great Mexican food is an admitted blind spot in London’s dining scene – the quality is there, but the quantity is not. One of, if not the best, comes from the eponymous solo venture by Adriana Cavita. Starting her career in Mexico at 17, Cavita has gone on to work at some of the most renowned restaurants in the world, including Lalo!, Pujol and elBulli. You don’t need to know that much about the culinary scene to recognise that is some resume.
The menu serves some of the most authentic and delicious Mexican food in the city. Think the freshest sustainably caught fish with vibrant citrus dressings and sauces, elevated street food like Antojitos and a wonderful variety of tacos, including baja fish and cochinita pibil.
WHERE: 56-60 Wigmore St, London W1U 2RZ
WEBSITE: cavitarestaurant.com
Chantelle Nicholson, Apricity
A major success from the first recipient of a Michelin Green Star, Chantelle Nicholson’s Mayfair restaurant takes sustainability-sourced ingredients seriously, with a low-waste approach to cooking, too.
Go à la carte or opt for the tasting menu, which comes in at £85 for five courses or £99 for a seven-course.
Takes sustainability-sourced ingredients seriously, with a low-waste approach to cooking too.
Where: 68 Duke St, London W1K 6JU
Website: www.apricityrestaurant.com
Abby Lee, Mambow
Another heart-warming London success story, which makes the city more delicious by its presence, Mambow is as pure as a passion project gets. Originating in Spitalfields in February 2020, the first incarnation was thwarted (like so many) by the pandemic. After that came a slot in Market Peckham, which was dearly loved, and now it has found a deserved forever home in Clapton.
Serving delicious Malaysian-food inspired by Head Chef Abby Lee’s childhood, we are especially big fans of their otak-otak prawn toast and garlic fried chicken – but the menu is ever-changing, with mouth-watering specials constantly bringing you back for more.
WHERE: 78 LOWER CLAPTON RD, LOWER CLAPTON, LONDON E5 0RN
WEBSITE: MAMBOW.CO.UK
Margaux Aubrey, Naughty Piglets
Lyonnaise Margaux Aubrey is the woman behind Naughty Piglets, a buzzy Brixton bistro (now with a second outpost in Victoria) serving up creative seasonal sharing plates and an extensive list of natural wines.
The intimate atmosphere and friendly service give neighbourhood-restaurant-in-France vibes, and the food is delicious – from Devon crab with peanut and yuzu, to blood orange panna cotta.
Where: 28 Brixton Water Ln, London SW2 1PE
Website:www.naughtypiglets.co.uk
Osteria Del Mare
Osteria del Mare has a management team entirely headed by women. At the helm is Silvia Pinzaglia, General Manager, who has been with the company for several years. Silvia’s journey began as a restaurant manager at the flagship restaurant, Bocconcino Mayfair, she then took on the role of managing Osteria del Mare.
where: 366 Strand, London WC2R 0JF
website: www.bocconcino.co.uk
Anna Haugh, Myrtle
Waterford lemon posset, Salmon Of Knowledge from Clare, beef fillet from the Burren National Park, a side of colcannon… Chelsea restaurant Myrtle, owned by Executive Head Chef Anna Haugh, has gained a name for itself as one of the best Irish restaurants out there.
Having worked for celebrated chefs Philip Howard, Shane Osborne and Gordon Ramsay, and now a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, the food at Myrtle blends modern European cooking with Irish influence, where each signature dish has a story and connection to Ireland.
Where: 1A Langton St, London SW10 0LE
Website: www.myrtlerestaurant.com
The Counter at Sabor
From Chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, who spent the best part of the last decade as the exec chef at Barrafina, comes this delicious solo venture at Sabor.
Achanging daily menu of fresh fish prepared for you by Sabor’s in-house fishmonger
On the ground floor at The Counter at Sabor, choose from a changing daily menu of fresh fish prepared for you by Sabor’s in-house fishmonger, alongside regional dishes from across Spain, including those from the Basque Country and Catalonia.
Where: 35-37 Heddon St, London W1B 4BR
Website: saborrestaurants.co.uk
Sarah Wasserman, Mallow
With over 26 years of experience as a chef and recipe developer, primarily in plant-based food, Sarah is the brains behind both Mildreds and Mallow, which have restaurants in both Borough Market and Canary Wharf. Ask any vegan in your life, they’ve probably heard of Mallow – and it’s a favourite for both the plant-based and omnivores among us.
From its creative cocktails to a menu inspired by food all around the world, this is one spot you have to check out.
Read our full Mallow review
WHERE: Borough Market and Canary Wharf
WEBSITE: mallow.com
Carole Bryone, Lady Of The Grapes
A French restaurant and wine bar that supports women winemakers, Lady of the Grapes was founded by Parisian Carole Bryone with the aim of shining a light on the women taking the lead in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated.
Wines are organic and biodynamic, with minimal intervention, complementing authentic, simple sharing plates and board with a French twist.
Where: 16 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NJ
Website: www.ladyofthegrapes.com
Asma Khan, Darjeeling Express
One of the UK’s brightest culinary stars, Asma Khan was the first chef to be featured on Vogue’s list of 25 most influential women, the first British chef to be profiled in Netflix’s Chef’s Table, and is a best-selling cookbook author.
She’s also the owner of Darjeeling Express, where her all-female team serve up home-style Indian food to warm the soul, derived from family recipes that go back generations. What started as a supper club seating just twelve people soon grew to the large Kingly Court spot the restaurant can be found at today, with platters of dishes that encourage you to gather and share in the style of the traditional ‘daawat’ (feast). Tuck into Paneer Korma, Zeera Phalli (green beans with cumin and dried red chillies), and our personal favourite dish, Prawn Malaikari.
Where: 2.1, 2.4 Kingly Ct, Kingly St, London W1B 5PW
Website: www.darjeeling-express.com
Jemima Jones & Lucy Carr-Ellison, Wild By Tart
Treat yourself to a mouthwatering meal and neighbourhood restaurant Wild by Tart, founded by Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison.
Showcasing a sustainable and seasonal approach to food, with a focus on charcoal grills and wood ovens, the menu is relaxed with a focus on small and sharing plates. Think beetroot hummus with toasted pine nuts and flatbread; Cornish cod with spiced lentils, yoghurt and cashew tarka; and mussels with lemongrass, lime, curry leaves and coconut milk. Ingredients are sourced locally, and where possible, from Jemima and Lucy’s respective farms in Somerset and Northumberland.
Where: 3-4, Eccleston Yards, London SW1W 9AZ
Website:www.wildbytart.com
