The Summer Dining Guide For People Who Always Leave Planning Too Late
Summer dining follows its own rules. No one craves a heavy, drawn-out meal when the sun is shining, and the group chat is alive with plans. We eat differently in summer, at least I do. Longer lunches become dinner. One spritz becomes three. Every occasion feels slightly more celebratory than it did if it were in, say, February, which is exactly why Gordon Ramsay Restaurants feel particularly well-suited to this time of year.
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Whether you’re celebrating a graduation, planning a date night, catching the football, or simply making the most of a warm evening in London, there’s a restaurant for it. Here are my top picks of the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants for every summer occasion.
We eat differently in summer, at least I do. Longer lunches become dinner. One spritz becomes three. Every occasion feels slightly more celebratory than it did if it were in, say, February.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
For the birthday dinner
Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay
There are very few occasions that justify ordering the best bottle on the menu. Birthdays are one of them. Whether it’s a milestone year or simply an excuse to gather your favourite people around one table, the occasion deserves somewhere that feels special. A meal where everyone gets dressed up, somebody inevitably makes a toast, and dessert arrives with a candle, whether you asked for one or not. Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay feels made for exactly that kind of celebration, where birthdays become memories you’ll still be talking about long after the morning after.
For the summer Friday
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bishopsgate
The moment London reaches anything above 20 degrees, productivity collapses. Meetings end early. Outlook calendars mysteriously clear. Somebody suggests drinks.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar’s newest outpost, perched high above the City at 22 Bishopsgate, feels built for these post-work afternoons. Spritzes, skyline views and an atmosphere that encourages a day-to-night drink… out far longer than originally intended. Plus, just above at Lucky Cat, the rooftop terrace has opened, serving Whispering Angel alongside sweeping views of the city.
Get your ticket to Italy this summer
Pizza East
Whether you’re heading there for the football or simply chasing summer weekend vibes, Pizza East has both covered. Every Saturday from 11am–4pm, Sorrento Saturdays bring a taste of the Italian coast to Shoreditch with aperitivo-inspired dishes, Pizza East favourites, indulgent desserts and the option to upgrade to bottomless cocktails and bubbles, all soundtracked by live DJs.
If football is more your thing, settle in for the match in their basement bar, with a large screen and pizzas. It’s exactly the sort of lively atmosphere that makes watching the game feel like an occasion, whether you’re there for the goals, the food, the drinks or all of the above.
For date night
River Restaurant
Some restaurants do half the work for you. River Restaurant at The Savoy is one of them.
Seafood towers, champagne, one of London’s most beautiful dining rooms, views of the Thames and sun streaming in from all directions create a setting that makes even a midweek dinner feel like an occasion. Add a summer evening walk afterwards, and you’ve basically planned the entire date.
For the bucket-list meal
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Some meals are celebrations. Others become the thing you’re celebrating. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea sits in a category all of its own. Holding three Michelin stars for more than two decades, it remains one of the most respected dining rooms in the country, and for good reason.
This is where you book when you want to experience food at its highest level. Every course feels of the highest calibre, every detail polished, every interaction effortless. Yet despite the accolades, there’s a warmth to the experience that stops it from ever feeling intimidating. Whether you’re celebrating a major milestone or simply crossing a restaurant off your bucket list, few dining experiences in London feel quite as special.
For the big summer celebration
Savoy Grill
Birthdays. Anniversaries. Promotions. Engagements. Some occasions deserve a little theatre.
Savoy Grill remains one of London’s great dining rooms, all red leather booths, chandeliers and old-school glamour. It’s the sort of place where important things happen, which is probably why they frequently do. For context, the night I dined there, not one but two engagements took place. Order the Beef Wellington, grab a glass of Champagne, and let yourself celebrate a bit of spectacle.
The one thing to book before summer disappears
Every summer seems to develop a signature drink. A few years ago it was rosé. Then frozen margaritas. Then everybody suddenly became obsessed with martinis. This year feels firmly like the summer of the spritz, beyond the Aperol.
Across Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Heddon Street Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, seasonal spritz menus have landed just in time for terrace season, with bright, citrus-led serves that suit everything from long lunches to after-work catch-ups. Better still, from Sunday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm, you can enjoy £8 spritzes as part of the restaurants’ Aperitivo Hour, making that second round a little easier to justify.
If there’s one thing worth planning ahead for this summer, it’s making time for good food, good company and an ice-cold spritz. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants is a pretty good place to start.
*Not including Edinburgh and Bishopsgate.
