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).
The Best Women-Led Restaurants In London
Clare Smyth, Core by Clare Smyth
One of the most recognised female chefs in the industry, Clare Smyth was the UK’s first 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
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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
Adriana Cavita, Cavita
Great Mexican food is an admitted blindspot 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
Nokx Majozi, The Pie Room
The Pie Room is the ultimate spot for comfort-food lovers who also enjoy a little bit of luxury. Located within The Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London, you’ll fall in love with the setting as soon as you walk in, but it’s the beautifully crafted pies from the restaurant’s iconic Pie Room that will keep you coming back for more. Head Pie Maker Nokx Majozi is at the helm of the institution, which makes over 200 pies every day. Having taken over the reins in 2022, she has plans to weave some South African influence into the menu, whilst still respecting the traditional British pie, and we’re already itching to go back and try some more of her creations.
Where: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Website: www.holborndiningroom.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 a la carte, or opt for the tasting menu which comes in at £90 for seven courses or £55 for a five-course lunch option. There’s even a Culinary Kids Tasting Menu for youngsters, designed to be creative and accessible, helping children expand their taste buds and learn more about where food comes from.
Where: 68 Duke St, London W1K 6JU
Website: www.apricityrestaurant.com
Monica Galetti, Mere
Monica Galetti became a household name in 2008 when she joined the BBC2 team as a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals, but the celebrated chef is also the founder of her very own fine dining restaurant, Mere, in Fitzrovia.
The restaurant is named after her mother (pronounced ‘Mary’ in Samoan, and derived from the French word for mother), and blends classical French cuisine with South Pacific influences, celebrating both Monica and her husband’s heritage.. Dishes are as delicious and elegantly presented as you would expect, in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere.
Where: 74 Charlotte St., London W1T 4QH
Website:www.mere-restaurant.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 ham keong mussels and Gulai Tumis fish curry – 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 gives 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
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
Sally Abé, The Pem
Sally Abé oversees the food and drink offering at The Pem, serving divine dishes with exceptional flavour, made from the freshest produce, and an intriguing wine list. The restaurant is named after suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, known as ‘Pem’, channelling the same dedication, commitment, passion and care into the food.
A women-led establishment through and through, Sally’s hand-picked team of women includes Michelin-trained Head Chef Laetizia Keating.
Where: 22-28 Broadway, London SW1H 0BH
Website: www.thepemrestaurant.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.
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
Angela Hartnett, Murano
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Michelin-starred food and a warm, welcoming atmosphere characterise this delightful Italian restaurant from Angela Hartnett.
It’s one of the few restaurants to hold 4 AA rosettes and has a women-led team across the board, from Laura Harris as Restaurant Director to Em Brightman as Head Chef.
Where: 20 Queen St, London W1J 5PP
Website: www.muranolondon.com
Skye Gyngell, Spring
Set in a 19th-century drawing room in Somerset House, this sustainability-first restaurant from acclaimed chef Skye Gyngell is one of London’s most beautiful dining spaces.
Formerly head chef at Petersham Nurseries, she’s broken completely new ground with Spring, eliminating single use plastics from the restaurant, using sustainably sourced ingredients, and creating a pre-theatre ‘scratch menu’ for £30, where all dishes are made from ingredients that would otherwise have been wasted.
Where: Lancaster Pl, London WC2R 1LA
Website:www.springrestaurant.co.uk
Sarah Wasserman, Mallow
With over 26 years experience as a chef and recipe developer, primarily in plant-based food, Sarah is the brains behind both Mildreds and Mallow, which has 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.
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 traditional been male-dominated.
Wines are organic and biodynamic, with minimal intervention, complimenting 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 oven, 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
