April 2024: Clutch your cutlery tightly and rearrange that napkin, because it’s that time of year again: the sacred moment when we reveal our brand new list of London’s very best restaurants for 2024.
Yes, after feasting and eating all across the capital for the past 12 months, we’ve got ourselves a fresh Top 50 list of the very best restaurants in London. Even more excitingly, there’s a brand new Number One; the majestic Mambow in Clapton, east London.
Mambow only opened at its current site at the end of last year, but before that chef and founder Abby Lee was honing her immaculate Malaysian flavours at Peckham food hall Market. It was obvious that her talent would quickly outshine such a set-up, and Abby’s debut bricks-and-mortar restaurant became one of east London’s most in-demand eateries in a matter of weeks. Thanks to her fiery sambal, crispy five spice lor bak, kam heong mussels, standout salads (think grilled banana blossom with spiced fried peanuts) formidable charcoal-grilled sardines with pomelo and fried shallots, and her signature sarawak black pepper curry chicken, Mambow is London’s Best Restaurant 2024.
As well as the new – special nods of the chef’s hat go to Mystic Burek, Sune and Forza Wine at National Theatre, which all also opened last year – our 2024 Top 50 also celebrates London’s old school classics. The new Top 50 includes Victorian icon Quality Chop House, 1980s time warp Oslo Court, and swinging 1960s spot Tiroler Hut, as well the original Smithfield branch of St John, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.
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Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
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