Leonie Cooper is a restaurant critic and editor.

She has written for Time Out since 2019, and has also contributed to The Guardian, The Independent, Evening Standard, Conde Nast Traveller, NME and the BBC.

Leonie was raised in north London and is on a never ending quest for the perfect pint of London Guinness. She covers London food news, and reviews restaurants across the capital, everywhere from Malaysian casual dining spot Mambow in Clapton, to slap-up dinners at Claridge’s Restaurant in Mayfair, and modern Filipino sharing plates at Donia in Soho. She also keeps a keen eye on our many food and drink lists, which let you know the best places to eat in Soho, as well as the best pubs in London, and our epic 50 Best Restaurants in London Right Now rundown. 

Time Out has covered the world’s greatest cities through the eyes of local experts since 1968. For more about us, read our editorial guidelines.

Leonie Cooper

Leonie Cooper

Food & Drink Editor, London

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Articles (248)

The best bars in Nashville

The best bars in Nashville

It’s likely you’re headed to Nashville for its music scene (they don’t call it Music City for nothing, after all). And it won’t disappoint – the city is alive with buzzing music venues, live bands and line dancing, and a whole load of culture spots celebrating all things musical about the city. But of course, you may not be surprised to hear that this rich musical culture lends itself to a fantastic nightlife scene.  In Nashville, there’s a whole load of great bars on offer, from honky tonks to speakeasies and craft beer joints to karaoke. Nashville’s bar scene leaves no stone unturned, but the vibes vary from area to area. So we’ve formulated the essential guide, so you can tour the city’s best nightlife offerings from borough to borough. Kick off those dancing shoes and get ready for the Nashville night of dreams with these fantastic bars.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Nashville🍽️ The best restaurants in Nashville🕺 Guide to the best nightlife in Nashville🥑 The best brunch in Nashville🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Nashville
The best restaurants in Nashville right now

The best restaurants in Nashville right now

In Nashville, the food scene reflects the vibrant and thriving communities that have made Music City home. Once known for hot chicken and BBQ, Nashville is now home to fantastic Middle Eastern, Mexican and Portuguese cuisine, and so much more (don’t worry, the hot chicken is still great).  It’s no wonder, then, that new restaurants and eateries are opening almost daily, drawing New York City pop-ups and Texas taco outposts. Here you’ll find everything, from breakfast tacos to pizza and yakitori skewers that demand to be tasted, The best part? Many of these restaurants feature fresh ingredients picked from nearby farms, grown only miles away in Tennessee’s lush and verdant agriculture. It’s safe to assume that Nashville is brimming with culinary gems. You’ll just have to check out the best restaurants in Nashville for yourself. RECOMMENDED: 🍗 The best hot chicken in Nashville🍸 The best bars in Nashville📍 The best things to do in Nashville🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Nashville At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
The best restaurants in London you should be booking

The best restaurants in London you should be booking

May 2025: It’s finally here! Welcome to Time Out’s brand new list of the very best restaurants in London for 2025.  We’ve spent the past 12 months eating our way through the city, re-visiting some all-time classics, checking out low-key neighbourhood favourites and getting stuck into the best newcomers on the scene. After some serious deliberation we’ve ranked London’s 50 finest restaurants. The result is this: your indispensable guide to where you’ll find the best food right at this moment in one of the world’s most exciting places to eat. There’s a focus on new openings and places that we’ve visited recently, so we can hand-on-heart vouch for their deliciousness.  A new Top 50 also means a new Number 1, as well as a whole bunch of brand new entries. From modern Korean masterpiece Miga in Hackney, through to slick Italian-American joint The Dover in Mayfair, and stealth sandwich bar and diner Cafe Mondo in Camberwell, you’ll find something for every budget and neighbourhood.  This is your guide to eating out in the capital. Don't forget to sign up to our free newsletter for unbeatable London restaurant news and tips. Tuck in.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and she eats out pretty much every night in the city. It's terrible for her cholesterol, but incredible for getting you the best recommendations. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: All the best new restaurant openings in London this May. The hottest new openi
Quirky restaurants in London for a unique meal out

Quirky restaurants in London for a unique meal out

Why not enjoy your dinner with a side of strange? London is home to hundreds of amazing restaurants, but sometimes everyone hankers for a talking point with their tapas. We’ve rounded up a serious bunch of entertaining eateries: oddball decor, kooky culinary concepts and – yes – cats. Our list of unusual restaurants will delight animal lovers, garlic fans, and yodellers and more. You’ll find these joints in venues as varied as a boat, a prison and a church crypt. This is dining with a difference.  RECOMMENDED: The best weird bars in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
London’s best restaurants for breakfast

London’s best restaurants for breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list. From morning mezze to croissants, udon noodle bowls and south Indian platters – it’s all here. RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.
London's best greasy spoon cafés

London's best greasy spoon cafés

The mighty greasy spoon. These are the traditional cafés where Formica tables, full english breakfasts and mugs of builder's tea reign supreme. They are mostly family-run joints which offer a welcome warmer than the toast – at some, faded celebrity photos line the walls, and we love them for it. Alas, they're a dying breed in London, so we're celebrating the finest caffs in the capital. Long live the greasy spoon! RECOMMENDED: These are the best brunches in London. 
The best restaurants in Hackney

The best restaurants in Hackney

Head to Hackney and you've got a seriously exciting evening of dining ahead of you, as some of the city's boldest chefs have set up shop in this rapidly-gentrifying patch of east London. High-end restaurants sit alongside chic brunch spots, inviting gastropubs and long-established neighbourhood joints. Whatever you're after, you'll more than likely find it here. Go east(ish) and eat. The latest additions to the list include modern Korean marvel Miga, Sesta in the old shell of the much-loved Pidgin, fun with fire at Lagom, chef Abby Lee's incredible Mambow, and Bethnal Green kitchen residency Tasca.  RECOMMENDED: Here are London's 50 Best Restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and thinks Hackney restaurants are some of the best in London (but don't tell the other boroughs, they'll only get jealous). For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. So east London it hurts? Follow our Time Out East London WhatsApp channel for the latest news, openings and goss from the coolest bit of the capital. (Yeah, we said it.) 
London’s best Korean restaurants

London’s best Korean restaurants

Parasite, Squid Game, and BTS – the rising influence and popularity of Korean culture have taken the world by storm in the last few years and that very much includes food. When it comes to Korean cuisine in London it’s all about the three Bs: banchan (small side dishes), bibimbap (mixed rice) and barbecue. From bibimbap in unassuming takeaways to sizzling bulgogi on table-top barbecues and a dizzying array of banchan on fine dining set-menus, you’re spoilt for choice for Korean food in London. Here are the 20 best Korean restaurants in London, many of which you'll find in south west London's New Malden neighbourhood, which has been home to the largest Korean community in the UK since the 1970s.  RECOMMENDED: London’s 20 Best Japanese Restaurants. Angela Hui is an award-winning journalist reporting on the intersection of food and culture, hospitality industry and food justice. She is the author of 'Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter'. 
The best new restaurants in London

The best new restaurants in London

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened in the past year and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which features everything from modern Korean cookery at Miga in Hackney, bawdy British fare at Rake in Highbury, Brit/Thai mashups at AngloThai in Marylebone, vegan Michelin star goodness at Shoreditch’s Plates, hip fish bar Tollington’s in Finsbury Park, Iberian inventiveness at Tasca in Bethnal Green and The Most Controversial Restaurant in London™, The Yellow Bittern in King’s Cross. This list is updated regularly, so check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.
The best beer gardens in London

The best beer gardens in London

There are few better ways to make the most of a sunny (or not-so-sunny) summer afternoon in London than by spending it in a beer garden. Drinking cold pints (or spritzes, or white wine with a couple of ice cubes) with your mates feels good anywhere, but there’s something seriously special about pints under London’s famous skies. And this city certainly has no shortage of spectacular beer gardens. Some have lush foliage and serene, chilled-out energy, while others are ideal for open-air day parties. Some serve up marvellous cocktails, while others provide for gorgeous river views. If you’ve had enough of the great outdoors, don’t forget to check out our list of London’s best pubs. Or, if you want to be outside but higher up, you might like our directory of the capital's finest rooftop bars.  RECOMMENDED: Excellent outdoor activities in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and once got lost in the Faltering Fullback's endearingly chaotic beer garden. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. May 2025: It's finally here. The blessed opportunity to perch on a picnic bench in vaguely clement weather with an £8 pint in your hand. Here's our list of the finest places to do so, with a brand new Number 1, as well as some old classics and waterside favourites, a fair of which also feature in our Best Pubs In London list (we're talking about the Army and Navy and Anchor and Hope) as well as in our Best Historic Pubs in London ranking (hello
The best Sunday roasts in London

The best Sunday roasts in London

Sunday lunch. There’s nothing quite like it. An elemental meal, one that Londoners take incredibly seriously. Debates about what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Sunday roast have been known to last for hours. There is no shortage of top roasts in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of homely pubs and restaurants all around town. What makes a good roast? For us, it’s simple; a cosy room is a good start, maybe in a pub with an open fire. Then it comes to the plate – we need perfect roast potatoes, well-cooked lamb, beef or pork and a decent plant-based option too. A Sunday roast is more than just lunch - it’s self-care. From snug neighbourhood staples to more bijou gastropubs, and even a heavy metal bar in Camden, we’ve got something for every taste (if that taste is for comforting mounds of roast meat, lashings of gravy and carbs for days).  A lot of these places get quite busy, so you’re always advised to book ahead to avoid disappointment.  May 2025: Sure, the summer isn't quite peak roast season in London, but we still need a decent hangover cure come Sunday, and a big old lunch (with a pint) always does the job. To make this ranking more seasonally appropriate, we've bumped up some of the best al fresco offerings, with From The Ashes's brilliant barbecue lunch taking the top spot. Here, you can sit in the sunshine at Five Points Brewery in Hackney while munching your meat. Another good option for this time of year is The Dragon Flame at the Star of
London restaurants with the best views

London restaurants with the best views

What’s the point of eating out if you’re just looking at your plate? Instead, we recommend dining like a demigod and staring down upon your enemies from these soaring, sky-high restaurants and cafés – as well as a few ground-dwelling joints with some stunning backdrops. From jawdropping views of (and from) The Shard, to Tower Bridge, and enough looking at the Thames to make you feel like you’re a boat, London’s has some of the most beautiful vistas in the world. If you fancy a panorama with your pizza, you’ve come to the right place.  RECOMMENDED: The best rooftop bars in London.   Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Listings and reviews (172)

Wiltons

Wiltons

4 out of 5 stars
If you’re seeking a historical feast, you’ve come to the right place. One of London’s most elderly restaurants, Wiltons has been in the game since 1742. Beginning life as simple shellfish mongers, Wiltons became a proper restaurant in 1841, and, after numerous address changes, moved into their current premises in 1984. Still, 40+ years in the same room is pretty good going for a city that turns restaurants over like pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. You’ll find a carving trolley here that’s almost as famous as their regal regulars Foodie lore runs deep at this London institution; they supplied oysters to Queen Victoria (there’s a signed picture of Her Maj in the ladies loo), and you’ll find a carving trolley here that’s almost as famous as their regal regulars. The dining room itself is pitched somewhere between Victorian grandeur and Jilly Cooper camp, with giant oil paintings of be-suited board members hanging next to jolly wooden booths, perfect for politicians who might need to plot the downfall of a colleague over an ice-cold Chablis. Red velvet swags hang heavy with portent over indoor windows which seem to lead nowhere, and the female waiting staff wear matronly tea dresses. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the food at Wiltons was as old school as the decor, but there’s some seriously impressive cooking happening here. An implacably good, twice baked stilton soufflé is wildly cheesy, served in a sterling silver dish, perfectly crisp on the outside and cashmere-soft on the insid
Parasol

Parasol

4 out of 5 stars
Remember The Nest, or, if you’re even older, Barden’s Boudoir? The excellent basement club below what is now the Red Hand has finally got the relaunch it deserves. A roomy 150 capacity cocktail bar from Andy Kerr (founder of Discount Suit Company and The Sun Tavern) and Tom Gibson (Ruby’s, Corrochio’s, The Bluecoats), they’re calling it a ‘1980s NYC style mutant disco’ with classy cocktails and regular DJs. Much cosier than any of its former incarnations, Parasol features little booths spread around a main dancefloor. Drinks are not just delicious, but pretty reasonably priced - there's a £7 martini (the Umbrella Vesper), and all the rest are a tenner. We like the smooth and chocolately Kinder Bueno, made with whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, hazelnut, cacao and clarified milk, and the punchy Korean Jesus, with tequila, mezcal, plum soju, gochujang, sesame, coriander, ginger and honey. Time Out tip Run by some of the same team as Parasol, line your stomach with extremely good tostadas and tacos at nearby Corrochio’s (one of Time Out’s favourite Mexican restaurants in London) before getting on the cocktails here. What’s nearby? Dalston is simply riddled with bars. Go on a proper crawl with help from our list of the best bars in Dalston. Not after any more drinks? Here are the best 20 things to do in Dalston, from Turkish grill houses to independent cinemas, live jazz, and drag shows.
Angelina

Angelina

4 out of 5 stars
Japanese and Italian may seem unlikely bedfellows, but this mash-up – also known as itameshi – dates back to the 1920s in Japan. And though Angelina opened up on Dalston Lane Terrace’s restaurant strip in 2019, it's still a pretty unique concept in London. Inside, it’s a restaurant of two halves: the front is all monochromatic fancy dining with ashen marble tables, bold foliage and lantern lighting, while the back is home to a bustling L-shaped bar overlooking the kitchen. On offer is a 13 dish kaiseki tasting menu for what feels like a rather reasonable £68 a head. Though it changes every five weeks, our most recent visit saw the production line of laser-focused chefs rattling out creamy and crispy (and pleasantly sizable) starters, such as cod cheek karaage and tempura courgette flower stuffed with miso ricotta. Fun to eat and even more enjoyable to say is the wagyu ragu, which comes layered on a pleasantly goopy dashi and egg custard. A nori-dusted focaccia is a revelation, served with a marmalade and uni butter that tastes like breakfast in the best possible way. There’s more wagyu to come, slivers of A5 dolloped with citrus ponzu, before a ravioli souped in a tonkotsu-style broth. Previous visits have seen velvety soy butter on a John Dory fillet, sea bream sashimi delicately infused with bergamot, and bonito-dusted doughnuts with anchovy aioli.  Time Out tip If you fancy an a la carte taste of itameshi, Angelina have a second space in Spitalfields. Osteria Angelina spec
The Yellow Bittern

The Yellow Bittern

4 out of 5 stars
Since opening in late 2024, myriad rants have been inspired by The Yellow Bittern. Largely, these haven’t been about the food, but rather the pretentious-leaning lore around it. To wit; you can only book this lunchtime-only bistro by phone (or a giddily anachronistic postcard), it’s expensive but cash-only, and proudly displays two portraits of Lenin. The food itself has been painted as a sort of spartan, St John-ish take on meat pies, luxe gruel and many, many stews.  I have never felt more like George Orwell seeking sustenance after a morning’s grind at the typewriter Now that the dust has settled on The Most Controversial New Restaurant in London™, it seemed time to finally check out this contentious font of day drinking, stodge and socialism. A 2pm booking on a Friday is secured (it is only open on weekdays and seatings are at 12pm or 2pm) and we step off the chaotic King’s Cross end of the Cally Road into a room that’s somewhere between a French village luncheonette and an interwar Lyons teashop. There are brown tiled floors, chunky wooden dressers, vases of floppy astrantias, and the interior are walls painted primrose yellow, which gives the impression that the decorator was simply decades-worth of cigarette huffing. Oh, and don’t forget the communist bookshop in the basement. I have never felt more like George Orwell seeking sustenance after a morning’s grind at the typewriter.  We start as we mean to go on (in 1934, essentially), with Belfastian chef Hugh Corcoran t
27 Old Compton Street

27 Old Compton Street

3 out of 5 stars
Soho used to be full of places like this. Casually chaotic boltholes where you’d be plied with massive portions of perfectly serviceable food, before being booted back onto the street, very full, quite happy and a little bit pissed. From Lorelai to The Stockpot (ask your mum), this was what powered the neighbourhood until the fateful dawn of a sanitised Soho, which saw branches of Supreme and End Clothing replace the peep shows and smut shops. In many ways, 27 Old Compton Street is a passport back to 1987. It’s walk-ins only (but in a how-convenient way rather than an that’s-annoying way) and their thing is mega dishes of pasta that are never more than £14, with most hovering around the £11 mark. A couple of hastily erected vintage Vermouth prints and brown leather banquette seating gives the place a tidy feel and service is jolly but a tad rushed. And frankly, that’s fine with us. 27 Old Compton Street’s thing isn’t Sophia Loren-style glamour, but about priding ludicrous value over interior design swag and a server incessantly folding your napkin every time you go to the loo.  In many ways, 27 Old Compton Street is a passport back to 1987 For just £3.50 there’s an overflowing bowl of crispy courgette fries that’s somewhere in between quintessential fritti and batter-heavy chip shop scraps, while two burly cacio e pepe arancini in a pool of parmesan soup feels a steal at £6.50. A massive mortadella flatbread doesn’t scrimp on pistachio, mozzarella or honey, and is, essential
Tasca

Tasca

5 out of 5 stars
Sometimes a menu item leaps up at you in the same way that a slobbering puppy might lick your mouth seconds after you’ve been introduced. At Tasca, that item is the jambon beurre gilda. The mere suggestion of the queen of pintxos in a daring tryst with the prince of sandwiches had me in raptures. Be still my beating epiglottis.  Was the dish as good as it was in my head? Better. A silver toothpick of nubbly, caperberry-brined pickle nestling against a sharp guindilla pepper and a dollop of espelette butter wrapped in ham, it was melty and meaty, and tangy all at once. Like a vintage John Waters movie, it’s a bit much, but that’s the whole point.   Who would be so bold as to conjure up this outrageous offering? That would be head chef Josh Dallaway, once of Sager + Wilde, working alongside former Bistro Freddie manager and sommelier, Sinead Murdoch. After munching their way around Portugal and Spain, the couple came back to east London with bellies full of tapas and heads full of ideas. In a year-long residency at Cav – a newly-opened wine bar in the railway arches of Paradise Row – Tasca hits all the 2025 buzz points; there’s bold Basque cookery, an embarrassment of ferments, and a cocktail menu that features a couture martini fit for the racks at Dover Street Market (theirs comes with dill and anchovy oil).  Like a vintage John Waters movie, it’s a bit much, but that’s the whole point Yet there’s something about the playful Tasca that makes it more appealing than other Iber
El Fuerte Marbella

El Fuerte Marbella

4 out of 5 stars
Think of the balmy Costa Del Sol, and you think of Marbella. Since the 1950s it’s been a tourist hotspot thanks to the promise of (almost) guaranteed sunshine and a sweet subtropical climate. Because of this, there are plenty of places to stay in this buzzy beach town – so many that you might end up paralysed by choice. If you’ve got the cash, then El Fuerte Marbella makes that decision a whole lot easier. This grande dame of the Costa Del Sol has been there since the start of this particular boom in Spanish tourism, opening in 1957 – back before the skyline was dominated by highrise blocks – and securing itself an enviable beachfront spot. Over the years the family-run hotel has just got bigger, with a complete refurb in 2023. It’s right in the middle of town, with the charming old town just a five minute walk away.  Why stay at El Fuerte Marbella? If you like things fancy, you’ll like El Fuerte. It’s a large, luxury hotel and their recent refurb still feels spanking brand new, with lots of putty pink Mediterranean tiling. Of the 266 rooms and suites, 78 come under the ‘Selected’ banner, which is basically a high-end hotel within the hotel. It’s all-inclusive but not as you know it; book a ‘Selected’ room (of course, they are more expensive) and you’ll have exclusive access to an all-day space with free snacks and booze, as well as a separate breakfast room to keep you away from the riff-raff. There’s also a lovely rooftop for all-day sunbathing and dips in the pool, which t
El Fuerte Marbella

El Fuerte Marbella

4 out of 5 stars
Think of the balmy Costa Del Sol, and you think of Marbella. Since the 1950s it’s been a tourist hotspot thanks to the promise of (almost) guaranteed sunshine and a sweet subtropical climate. Because of this, there are plenty of places to stay in this buzzy beach town – so many that you might end up paralysed by choice. If you’ve got the cash, then El Fuerte Marbella makes that decision a whole lot easier. This grande dame of the Costa Del Sol has been there since the start of this particular boom in Spanish tourism, opening in 1957 – back before the skyline was dominated by highrise blocks – and securing itself an enviable beachfront spot. Over the years the family-run hotel has just got bigger, with a complete refurb in 2023. It’s right in the middle of town, with the charming old town just a five minute walk away.  Why stay at El Fuerte Marbella? If you like things fancy, you’ll like El Fuerte. It’s a large, luxury hotel and their recent refurb still feels spanking brand new, with lots of putty pink Mediterranean tiling. Of the 266 rooms and suites, 78 come under the ‘Selected’ banner, which is basically a high-end hotel within the hotel. It’s all-inclusive but not as you know it; book a ‘Selected’ room (of course, they are more expensive) and you’ll have exclusive access to an all-day space with free snacks and booze, as well as a separate breakfast room to keep you away from the riff-raff. There’s also a lovely rooftop for all-day sunbathing and dips in the pool, which t
American Bar at The Savoy

American Bar at The Savoy

5 out of 5 stars
This glam hotel hideaway has the enviable claim of being the ‘longest-surviving cocktail bar in London’. A veritable Joan Collins of sophisticated bars, the American Bar opened in 1893, and has taken up its current location just off the Savoy’s grand lobby since 1904. The room itself feels like stepping into the pages of the Great Gatsby (but minus the existential dread); all grey and silver, with a grand piano plonked in the middle of the room, and Frank Sinatra’s cigar lighter casually displayed next to Noel Coward’s powder compact. Classic cocktails are available (including the Fernet-Branca-addled Hanky Panky, which was actually created at The Savoy back in 1903), but it would be foolish not to dip into bar manager Andrea Di Chiara and head bartender Angelo Sparvoli’s list of curated drinks inspired by the hotel’s history. The delicate Touch of Pink is inspired by Marlene Dietrich, who would request 12 pink roses in her Savoy suite, and mixes gin, the perfume-like Muyu Jasmine Verte and lemon, scattered with perfectly pink rose petals. If you’re after something a little punchier, the magnificent Moon Landing combines mezcal, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, Cocchi Americano and Muyu Vetiver Gris into something deeply herbal and smokey, while Five O’Clock Somewhere is a heady, tomato-based take on a martini.   Time Out tip The bar’s high-end offering of vintage and rare spirits, means that, if you want, there is a £5000 sazerac on offer. In more practical advice, it’s walk-ins only,
Heliot Steak House

Heliot Steak House

When it comes to iconic London venues, the Hippodrome is hard to beat. Built in 1900 by Frank Matcham (your go-to Victorian-era architect for big, ballsy music halls), it started life as London’s campest venue, with a 100,000-gallon water tank through which boats could enter the stage as well as a gallery for flying acrobats. Over 100 years later and not much has changed – things here are still furiously flamboyant. The closest thing London has to Las Vegas, it’s open 24/7, and spread like glittery eyeshadow over seven floors; with three casinos, a poker floor, Magic Mike Live, nine bars, and the Heliot Steak House – named after lion tamer Claire Heliot, who performed at the Hippodrome and wowed the crowds by feeding her beasts hunks of raw meat. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a Temu George Clooney in Ocean’s 11, Heliot Steak House is where to come. Sit yourself down on a balcony table overlooking the rattling roulette wheels and blackjack tables, as distractions don’t get much better than a hedge fund manager losing his first born child’s private school tuition fees as you chomp on prime cuts. The space itself is all sleazy-chic, with 1990s chrome and leather chairs, while the menu is packed with classic steakhouse offerings.  As a starter you can’t go wrong with the shrimp cocktail, with juicy, fat prawns and a potent, US-style horseradish sauce. USDA steaks start at £39 and go up to £99 for Japanese wagyu sirloin. When it comes to toppings, the spicy chimichurri packs
AutoCamp Joshua Tree

AutoCamp Joshua Tree

5 out of 5 stars
Over the past decade or two, Joshua Tree has morphed from a relative wilderness to a buzzy destination that seems to be every L.A. hipster’s weekend break of choice. But despite the influx of visitors, this stretch of the desert still makes for a delightfully rugged alternative to glossy Palm Springs.  Just a couple of hours’ drive from Los Angeles (if you don’t get trapped in brutal traffic on the 10), it still feels vast and limitless, and the moody national park is one of Southern California’s greatest treasures. There were just a handful of motels here a few years back—including iconic 1960s-era spots Joshua Tree Inn and Harmony Motel—but now the place is awash with options. One of the most spectacular is this AutoCamp. A Hilton-affiliated Airstream park with sites across the country, including Yosemite, Cape Cod, the Catskills and Zion, this is glamping at its slickest. AutoCamp Joshua Tree is home to 47 shiny silver trailers across 25 acres, and a handful of more accessible tiny homes.  Unlike some other Joshua Tree properties, AutoCamp is super easy to find. We can see the glistening silver Airstreams from the main road and you pull into the roomy park via an electronic gate. Why stay at AutoCamp Joshua Tree? Anyone who might feel too addicted to home comforts in order to really commit to the great unknown will appreciate just how safe and secure this place feels. The location is ideal; minutes from the many amenities of Joshua Tree and only a short drive to the entran
St John

St John

Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver’s restaurant – now the heart of a mini-empire with branches in Spitalfields and Marylebone as well as bakeries and a wine dealership – has been praised to the skies for reacquainting the British with the full possibilities of native produce, and especially anything gutsy and offal-ish. Perhaps as influential, however, has been its almost defiantly casual style: a Michelin-starred restaurant for people who run from the very idea. The mezzanine dining room in this former Smithfield smokehouse has bare white walls, battered floorboards and tables lined up canteen-style; the downstairs bar, with superb snacks and main menu highlights, is equally basic. The staff are able to chat without allowing anything to go off-track. St John’s cooking is famously full-on, but also sophisticated, concocting flavours that are delicate as well as rich. Cuttlefish and onions was extraordinary, arriving in a supremely deep-flavoured ink-based sauce with a hint of mint, as was perfectly cooked tongue served with fantastic horseradish. This is powerful cooking, so if you go for a full dinner, including the great neo-traditional puds, leave time for digestion. Help it along with a punchy Dr Henderson cocktail, Fergus's powerful combination of crème de menthe and Fernet Branca. Wines – all French, many under St John’s own label, are on the pricey side, but you can also order good beers from the attached bar, which many diners prefer for its more casual vibe.  Time

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The 7 best fish and chips shops in and around London, mapped

The 7 best fish and chips shops in and around London, mapped

Maps make everything easier. Imagine trying to check out a restaurant you’d never been to before, in a part of town you’d never been to before, without a map. Impossible! That’s why we’re grateful for the good people at the National Fish and Chip Awards. They might smell faintly of batter and vinegar, but they’ve got together an extremely helpful map, which shows you all the best chippys in and around London.  There are only two spots within the M25 on the map, Stones Fish and Chips in Acton and Brockley’s Rock in Brockley (the latter was named London’s best chippy last year). But if you’re happy to venture further afield for the sake of heroic haddock, then it’ll also show you how to get to Seafare Guildford, Harrisons Fish & Chip Co. in Oxford, Newington Fish Bar in Ramsgate, The Hook of Halstead in Clacton on Sea and Mike’s Traditional Fish & Chips in Eastleigh.  Sure, some of them might take a while to get to, but what’s more British than going on a proper day trip in search of the perfect portion of fish and chips? See the full list of winners from the 2025 National Fish and Chip Awards here and you can check out the national chippy map in full here. London’s best fish and chips, according to Time Out. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. 
The best beer garden in London in 2025, according to Time Out

The best beer garden in London in 2025, according to Time Out

If there’s anything Londoners love more than pubs, it’s beer gardens.  Now that the sun has started rearing its lovely golden head, it’s time for us to deliver the very best pub terraces and beer gardens that this fine city has to offer. Step forwards, Time Out’s definitive list of the very best beer gardens in London, 2025. We’ve ranked our favourite 21 al fresco drinking spots across the capital, from Lewisham to Highbury, and top of the list this year is Finsbury Park’s majestic, occasionally confusing Faltering Fullback. One of the weirdest, but most enjoyable beer gardens in London, this beer garden contains multitudes. A kind of treehouse/Ewok village hybrid, what the Faltering Fullback’s beer garden lacks in width it makes up for in height. There are stairs. There are nooks. There are even crannies. And on a hot summer’s day, it’s pretty much the best place to be in London. Other notable entries include the beer garden at Brixton’s Duke of Edinburgh, notable for being extremely vast and Newington Green’s Army and Navy, notable for being extremely busy when Arsenal are playing. We’ve also featured some all time beer garden classics; Highgate’s The Flask, Wandsworth’s The Ship, Camden’s Edinboro Castle and Twickenham’s ever-charning White Swan, which is basically on the banks of the Thames. Here is Time Out’s full list of the best beer gardens in London right now. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow ou
The 12 best new London restaurant openings in May 2025

The 12 best new London restaurant openings in May 2025

For some reason, restauranteurs across the capital have been saving up all their new openings for May. We have no idea why, but we’re here for it. As well as stand-alone spots and independent outings, there are also a handful of non-rubbish chains launching new sites this month, with a new Bancone promised for Kensington, the biggest ever Black Bear Burger opening up in Westfield White City and a new outing for e5 Bakehouse at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick. Frankly, there aren’t enough days in May for us to visit all of them, so you might have to be picky. Here are some of the best – choose your foodie fighter.  The best new London restaurant openings in May 2025 Sally Gurteen 1. The super-sustainable spot Town, Covent Garden There’s nowt so buzzy as regenerative farming right now. Town, a new central London spot from Pastaio’s Stevie Parle, is all about sustainable British produce, from potato bread with beef dripping and tempura sage leaves drizzled in chilli and honey from Stevie’s own bees, to Seasalter clams with sherry and grass-fed butter, and wood-grilled Romney Marsh hogget with Chianti and anchovy butter. ‘Town is the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve ever done. We are helping to pioneer a genuinely new approach to restaurant supply chains, built on knowing every farmer who grows what we cook,’ says Stevie. Town opens May 12.  26-29 Drury Lane, WC2B 5RL Setlist 2. The one with the views Setlist, Strand Somerset House’s riverside space is getting
The best pub in London in 2025, according to lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos

The best pub in London in 2025, according to lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos

It is officially beer garden season! The weather is now clement enough for you to sit outside the best of London’s pubs and sip a shandy in the sun. It’s also time for a lucky boozer to be named the best in London. Congrats to the Punch Bowl in Mayfair, which lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos has named the city’s ‘best destination pub’ in the 2025 Muddy Stilettos Awards. Now in its 12th year, each year the awards recognise a host of shops, pubs, hotels and venues according to public votes.  The Punch Bowl is a Georgian pub on a central London backstreet (Farm Street, to be exact). It used to belong to Guy Ritchie and Madonna, who bought it from Greg Foreman, son of gangster and Kray twins associate Freddie Foreman, in 2008.  Ritchie sold the pub in 2013 and it was refurbished in 20914. It’s now run by Butcombe Brewery and, impressively, is open from 8am for breakfast, serving a £50 sharing brekkie grill platter. The Grade II-listed boozer dates back to 1750.  Speaking about the pub’s win, The Punch Bowl’s general manager Kyra Roberts said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted to have won Best Destination Pub in London! The team works tirelessly to give our guests the very best experience – from our exceptional food and drink to the live music, supper clubs and quiz nights we organise each month. ‘We love the community we serve and to know our reputation for quality is spreading, leading to us winning an award as prestigious as this, is incredible!’ Photograph: The Punch Bowl The Punch
The best deli in London has been crowned for 2025

The best deli in London has been crowned for 2025

London is a town stacked with very decent delis. You’re never more than a few steps away from a neatly curated shop in which to buy your Torres crisps and Perello olives. Ever wondered which is the best, though? Well, lifestyle site Muddy Stilettos thinks it knows, and has crowned London’s greatest deli in the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2025. The awards are based on reader votes, and they’re now in their 12th year. And the winner is… The Larder Deli in Lewisham, south London. Friends Katherine & Cynthia opened the shop in 2014, which can be found at 71 Ladywell Road. They stock your classic deli shop fare; cheese, charcuterie, craft beers, jam and chutney, as well as lots of booze. All your picnic needs, catered for.  The finalists in the deli category were Giacobazzi's Delicatessen in Hampstead, Oren Delicatessen in London Fields, Stokey's Delicatessen in Stoke Newington and Valentina Delicatessen in East Sheen. Photograph: The Larder About the win, The Larder’s Cynthia Lamptey said: ‘We’re delighted to have won the Muddy Stilettos Best Farm Shop/Deli in London category and proud to have stood alongside an amazing group of finalists. Thank you to everyone who supported us and voted for us. We are truly grateful.’ Other winners in the London segment of the national awards were Brixton’s Maremma, which won ‘best restaurant’, while Mayfair’s Punch Bowl was named ‘best destination pub’ and ‘best café’ went to Swiss Bread Bakery & Café in Richmond.  The 21 best bakeries in London,
7 London steak restaurants have been named in the 101 best in the world for 2025

7 London steak restaurants have been named in the 101 best in the world for 2025

Well, what do you know, it’s that time of year again. No, not get-overly-excited-about-the-promise-of-a-mini-heatwave time, but the time when a shadowy meat body announces the 101 Best Steak Restaurants in the World for 2025. The list of the finest steakhouses known to humanity includes seven joints in London, with the top rated London location named as Ibai in Farringdon. Ibai just missed out on the top 10 (it came 11th), with the ranking praising the restaurant as a ‘celebration of exceptional beef, open-fire cooking and bold, rustic elegance’. Of the steak menu, which is centred around Galician blond beef, the ranking said: ‘These cuts, including T-bone, sirloin and rib, are known for their deep, mature flavours and are grilled to perfection over a custom-built charcoal grill.’ Ibai places third in Time Out’s list of the best steak restaurants in London. The other London restaurants to make the cut are Hawskmoor Air Street (at number 23), Brat (24), Lutyens Grill (at 39, a whole 35 places up on its placement last year), Aragawa in Mayfair (at 41, down from 28th in 2024), Soho gastropub The Devonshire (70) and Guinea Grill in Mayfair (89). And what about number one? That would be Parrilla Don Julio in Buenos Aires, which kept its crown from 2024. The 7 London restaurants that feature in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2025 Ibai (11) Hawskmoor Air Street (23) Brat (24) Lutyens Grill (39) Aragawa (41) The Devonshire (70) Guinea Grill (89) You can find out more about
Michelin star east London restaurant Lyle’s is closing down

Michelin star east London restaurant Lyle’s is closing down

Lyle’s – the much-loved Shoreditch fine dining restaurant – will be closing later this month.  After a decade in business, it’ll be shutting up shop on May 18, with founder James Lowe breaking the news on Instagram. ‘I couldn’t be prouder of everything that we’ve accomplished at Lyle’s over the last eleven years,’ he wrote.  Lowe continued: ‘I love what we’ve done, how we’ve grown, adapted and learned. I want to say an enormous thank you to all members of the team past and present, it’s been a privilege to have worked with so many brilliant people.’ Lyle’s was known for its commitment to sustainability and seasonality. ‘Lyle’s has also given me the opportunity to work with some of the best fishermen, artisanal producers and farmers in the UK,’ added Lowe. ‘To evolve our food alongside them has been a journey that’s kept me inspired year after year. I’m looking forward to what comes next’. We went back to Lyle’s last summer and found the restaurant as fabulous as ever, giving it a five star review and heralding it as ‘an icon of the new wave of British dining greats’. We will miss it.  Before opening Lyle’s in 2014, Lowe was head chef at St John Bread & Wine. Lyle’s won its Michelin star in 2015 and retained it for the following decade. Lyle’s last service will be lunch on May 18. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Lond
A giant new food hall is coming to St Paul’s in May

A giant new food hall is coming to St Paul’s in May

Another month, another food hall. This May will see the opening of a brand new temple to snacking right by St Paul’s Cathedral. Market Place already has sites in Vauxhall, Harrow and Peckham, and this will be the brand’s first central-ish London location, opening at the end of the month.  At 6,834 square foot, it’ll be home to two bars and nine different traders, with Free Wheelin Pizza, Greek street food from OPA, South American dishes from Streat Latin, curries and noodles from Thai House, pancakes and burgers from Duck Shed, Caribbean patties, fritters and jerk chicken at Hot Scotch, Indian cuisine from Tikka Nation, steak at Argentinian Grill and Australian-style sushi from Rolled.  RECOMMENDED: The 12 best new London restaurant openings in May 2025. Image: Market Place Market Place St Paul’s will open up across two floors at 150 Cheapside, EC2V 6ET. Speaking about the opening, managing director of Market Place Food Halls Blake Henderson said: ‘The City has been crying out for a dining concept that matches its energy… We’re thrilled to be welcoming a mix of traders to our venue, some old friends of the brand, and some exciting new additions.’ Photograph: Market Place Here’s Time Out’s very own list of the best food halls and street food markets in London. Something to chew on before Market Place St Paul’s opens.  Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the
The 15 best rooftop bars in London, mapped

The 15 best rooftop bars in London, mapped

The sun is out. Kind of. Almost. It’s peeking through the clouds at any rate, which means there’s no better time for you to ditch pubs with ceilings and opt for a bar that’s open to the elements. We recently revealed our list of the best, non-naff rooftop bars in London. To make it easier for you to work your way through them, we’ve now popped them all onto a map. Use it to traverse your way through the Peckham rooftop spots, from Frank’s and Forza Wine (the National Theatre edition of which came top of the list) to Bussey Rooftop Bar, or let it guide you through Hackney’s high-up establishments, including Netil360 and Dalston Roofpark.  Image: Google Maps There’s a newbie on the map too – Setlist, which is the rebranded terrace space at Somerset House. It launches for the summer season on May 8, and James Dye of Bambi, and Frank’s as well as Clement Ogbonnaya of the Prince of Peckham are behind the custom soundsystem as well as a full-throttle events programme. Food also promises to be a strong point, with chefs Opeoluwa Odutayo, Sophie Wyburd, and Terri Mercieca of Happy Endings holding court in the kitchen.  You can find the map in full here. And you can read more about Time Out’s top 15 London rooftop bars here. ICYMI: a game-changing new London pub map shows which boozers are currently in the sunshine. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the loop: sig
One of the world’s best new restaurants is here in London, according to a luxury travel magazine

One of the world’s best new restaurants is here in London, according to a luxury travel magazine

We genuinely believe that London is the greatest city in the world for food – and it looks like we’re not the only ones. In a brand new list of the best new restaurants in the world, which spans Quito, Copenhagen, New York City, Chicago, Sydney, Lagos and more, a newly-opened spot in London has also made the grade.  According to travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller, AngloThai in Marylebone is among the finest new restaurants on the planet, making the publication’s 2025 Hot List. The restaurant opened at the end of last year, the long-awaited project of John and Desiree Chantarasak, a husband-and-wife team who had previously hosted acclaimed pop-ups and residencies.  AngloThai specialises in Thai flavours but uses local, British produce. Only a few months after opening, AngloThai scored its first Michelin star. CNT praised the restaurant for offering ‘delicious escapism at its best, cooked with lots of love.’ Time Out visited AngloThai back when it opened and gave it a wholehearted five-star review, wolfing down the Hebridean hogget in massaman curry, grilled flatbread slathered with shrimp butter, raw venison with radicchio and scallop roe chilli jam.  ‘In reimagining some of Thailand’s most celebrated dishes via the lens of fastidious fine dining, John Chantarasak uses mystical-sounding, Tolkien-adjacent UK ingredients to mimic Thai food’s puckering sour notes,’ we wrote. ‘Hence the pleasingly tart seabuckthorn margarita which comes alongside an amuse bouche of creamy, crab
Four London bars have just been added to a mega-prestigious guide to the best bars in the world

Four London bars have just been added to a mega-prestigious guide to the best bars in the world

Enjoy drinking in classy places? Then you’ll like the Pinnacle Guide, which is kind of like the Michelin Guide, but for bars instead of restaurants.  It only launched last year, but the cocktail crowd is already taking it very seriously. Pinnacle hands out one, two or three ‘Pins’ to bars that are either ‘excellent’, ‘outstanding’ or ‘exceptional’. A bunch of new one and two Pin bars have just been announced, including four in London. The newly anointed one-Pin bars are Equal Parts in Hackney – which you can also find out Time Out’s own Best Bars in London list – as well as The Bar Below, which is part of Hide restaurant in Piccadilly, and The K Bar in South Kensington’s The Kensington hotel, which is one of our Best Bars in Kensington.   Photograph: Kioku Sake Bar Just one London bar was newly given two-Pins; Kioku Sake Bar at The OWO on Whitehall, another spot that you can find in Time Out’s our best bars in London list. This also means that The OWO building now contains three bars that feature in the Pinnacle Guide, with Kioku joining the two-Pin Spy Bar and the one-Pin Guard’s Bar. It’s now the most ‘Pinned’ venue in the world. Check out our full list of the best hotel bars in London if that’s your kind of scene.   The three-PIN category is still solely represented by Lyaness, a multi-award winning bar in London’s Sea Containers Hotel owned by mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana and known for its clever-clever use of ingredients.  All the London bars in the Pinnacle Guide Th
Big Mamma Group is launching a new London restaurant in Canary Wharf

Big Mamma Group is launching a new London restaurant in Canary Wharf

All’s been a bit quiet on the Big Mamma Group front in London for a while.  The European restaurant group known for its lavish mega-trattorias have been busy opening up its first UK spots outside the capital, with spots in Birmingham and Manchester. But now Big Mamma is returning to London for the company’s first new restaurant launch in the city since Carlotta opened two years ago.  Barbarella will open this June in Canary Wharf. In-keeping with the group’s ultra camp styling, the waterside spot will be inspired by 1970s Italian cinema and be just as outrageous as the other Big Mamma restaurants in London; Gloria, Carlotta, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario and Jacuzzi. Expect a mirrored glass bar, a chrome lounge, and a jungle theme. When it comes to food, the kitchen is headed up by Roma-born chef Marco Rastelli. There’ll be thin and crispy Ruota di Carretto pizzas, as well as stunty fresh pasta, such as a one-metre long spaghettone. You’ll be able to order from a dedicated gelati menu on the terrace and there will also be the biggest-ever cocktail menu from any Big Mamma restaurant yet. The pistachio espresso martini has our attention.  Barbarella opens in June at YY Building, 30 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, E14 5HX. The best Italian restaurants in London. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.  Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow o