Direct flights to London make a trip to the British capital an easy choice for your next holiday. While some still bemoan British food, Julia Platt Leonard says that reputation is undeserved. She shares some of her favorite restaurants to help get your travel planning started.
When I broke the news to family and friends in the late ‘90s that my husband and I were moving to London, the first words out of their mouths weren’t “We’ll miss you” but “What about the food?” Yes, the city was dripping in art, awash in culture, and mainland Europe just a civilized Eurostar train ride away. But the food? People shook their heads in disbelief, wondering what a woman who thinks about dinner while washing up the breakfast dishes would do.
London’s Cuisine
The truth? The food was good and kept getting better over the quarter of a century we lived there. Stalwarts like The River Café (opened in 1987) went from strength to strength while a raft of new restaurants blossomed, garnering kudos and Michelin stars with equal abandon. In fact, in 2024, London garnered more Michelin stars than New York, claiming the Top Five spot worldwide. Take that Big Apple.
And yes, you could take out a second (or third) mortgage and dine in three-star-style with Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester or with Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, but the beauty of Britain is that you don’t need to. Some of my favorite spots – ones that hold a place in both my heart and my stomach – are secret gems just waiting for you.
Your Must-Stop London Restaurants
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
Photos Courtesy of Bentley’s.
My last meal? A seat at the Oyster Bar at Bentley’s. My imminent demise would be softened by the thrill of watching the white jacket-clad staff shucking oysters while carrying on witty banter and filling your champagne glass at the same time. Lobster bisque, tuna tartare, a platter of fruit de mar, and superlative thick cut chips (fries to you and me). It’s simply joyous.
Darjeeling Express
Photos Courtesy of Darjeeling Express.
Chef and restauranteur Asma Khan is known and respected as much for her commitment to social justice as for the food she lovingly serves at Darjeeling Express. Her all-female kitchen brigade turns out show-stopping Indian dishes, with recipes that draw on Khan’s heritage and her early days as a supper club host. There is an à la carte menu for lunch but the real fun is the evening Royal Thali – a multi-course feast served up with sides like Aloo Bonde (spiced potato balls infused with turmeric and curry leaves and fried in chickpea batter) and a slow cooked and tangy tamarind dal.
Honey & Co.
Photos Courtesy of Patricia Niven.
I’m convinced that the happiest food is created by happy people – food that makes you smile, that invites sharing, and encourages lingering conversations around the table. That’s the magic that Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer – the dynamo husband and wife team behind Honey & Co. – conjure up. The menu is Middle Eastern-inspired with dishes like Yemeni falafel with lemony cabbage salad and tahini or their consummate creamy hummus with marinated chile garlic chickpeas, that begs to be shared. My favorite location (there are four plus a new event space) is Honey & Co. Daily, which combines a bakery-cum-deli in front with a sit-down restaurant in back.
Straker’s
Photos Courtesy of Straker’s.
The cooking is straightforward at Straker’s – nothing tricky or clever – but done with such skill and an eye to letting the seasonal ingredients take center stage. No wonder Chef Thomas Straker chose Food You Want to Eat as the title for his cookbook which is out this year. The flatbread with mussels and chile is ridiculously good but there’s honestly not a weak dish on the menu. Come with friends who are as greedy as you are and be ready to share and over-order. You’ll eat it all, I promise.
Towpath
Photos Courtesy of Towpath.
Dining at Towpath, located on Regent’s Canal in Hackney East London, is like receiving an invitation to dine at someone’s home, if that someone just happens to be a phenomenal chef. It’s quirky and unpretentious, with a changing menu that looks to the seasons for inspiration like a crimson-hued plate of beetroot, rainbow chard, braised lentils, anchovy and soft-boiled egg. There are no reservations, so just show up and plan on lingering.
Caravel
Photo Courtesy of Caravel.
Another reminder that London is belongs with water, whether it’s the River Thames or the canals that criss-cross the city, is Caravel, housed in a Dutch barge in Islington. The floating restaurant and cocktail bar is the inspiration of brothers Lorcan and Fin Spiteri. Sip an Earl Grey Martini while you peruse the menu. The sesame prawn toast with chile jam is a must and the pastas are sublime. But really you won’t go wrong with any dish on this perfectly crafted and executed menu.
Toklas
Photos Courtesy of Toklas.
Situated between the Strand and the Thames, Toklas serves up Mediterranean fare where vegetables are the stars and meat and fish shine in best supporting roles. This is casual dining with an open kitchen, poster-lined walls, and Scandi furniture. Go for dishes like the fried feta with honey and chile or slow grilled carrots with labneh, pistachio and sumac. It’s also the perfect spot for pre-theater dining.
Cloth
Photos Courtesy of Cloth.
Cloth is a new breed of British restaurants that is firmly rooted in the past. Tucked into a slip of a street under the shadow of St. Bartholomew the Great Church, Cloth serves up the very best of British produce, meat, and fish in simple preparations that let the ingredients sing. It’s truly rooted in the seasons – imagine fried courgette flower, filled with a mix of Dorset crab, and ‘Nduja or grilled monkfish with curried leeks, Monk’s Beard (also known as agrete or barba di frate) and cider. Sharing? Get the Hereford ribeye with confit garlic and anchovy and call it a day.
Noble Rot
Photos Courtesy of Noble Rot.
There are three Noble Rot restaurants, and you won’t go wrong with any of them. All under the helm of Executive Chef Stephen Harris (of The Sportsman in Whitstable fame), the food is what Noble Rot calls ‘Franglais’ with a wink and a nod. Each restaurant has a different menu and while I love all three, the Soho location – housed in the former Gay Hussar restaurant on Greek Street – has a special place in my heart. Go with a friend or two and share the roast chicken with morels and Vin Jaune sauce. Feel free to give your plate an extra wipe with a piece of bread. And for value you can’t beat their two or three course set lunch menu.
French Food in London
Recently, the best French food I’ve had hasn’t been in Paris, but in London … unpretentious bistro fare served by waitstaff who nod approvingly when you order the tete de veau or pig’s head terrine. There are places that feel both timeless and timely, feeding our need for something both comforting and classic.
Bouchon Racine
Located upstairs from the Three Compasses Pub in Farrington, Bouchon Racine serves food so en pointe that I could weep with joy. It’s the size of a postage stamp but that’s all to the better as it allows you to ogle what’s on your fellow diners’ plates. A changing menu is handwritten on a blackboard and brought to your table by enthusiastic waitstaff, along with bread and proper French butter. Rarely a dessert person, I succumb with glee to Chef Henry Harris’ crème caramel. It is rhapsodic.
Café Francois
Photos Courtesy of Café Francois.
Café Francois is at home in London’s historic Borough Market. While the vibe is young and trendy, the menu is rooted in stalwart French bistro fare favorites, like soft pillowy puffs of Comte gougeres; thick slices of brioche, spread with Café de Paris butter and then topped with salty anchovies (sublime); or Jamon de Bayonne which comes with or without celeriac remolade (silly question). Their steak frites will restore your faith in humanity.
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
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