Leonie Cooper

Visiting New York is a frantic experience, and when you’ve only got a number of days to get through shedloads of dining, cocktail-drinking, sightseeing and museum-hopping, that oh-so-precious shut-eye becomes all the more important. Thankfully, even though New York’s famous moniker is the ‘city that never sleeps’, the Big Apple is brimming with stylish, innovative, and world-renowned hotels. So, we’ve combed through all the neighborhoods and avenues to bring you this hand-picked roundup of the very best, from swish new-openings in Brooklyn to opulent institutions in Manhattan.  New additions for fall 2025 include Brooklyn’s gleaming William Vale, Manhattan’s iconic Knickerbocker, the elegant, Park Avenue-adjacent Loews Regency and the beachy Rockaway Hotel. But that’s only the beginning—scroll on for Time Out’s fresh roundup of the best places to stay in New York City.  📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best budget and Midtown hotels in New York City How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content.

If you’re looking to grab a drink in central London, you’ve come to the right place. Soho boasts some of the best boozers in the city, but not all pubs here are alike. Avoid the tourist traps and instead use our insiders guide to getting the perfect pint – as well as some excellent people watching. The best pubs in Soho at a glance: 🍷 Best for a decent glass of wine: French House, Dean Street 💅 Best for the fashion crowd: Blue Posts, Berwick Street 🌈 Best for queer cabaret: Admiral Duncan, Old Compton Street 💀 Best for rock history: The Ship, Wardour Street 🍻 Best for pavement pints: Coach & Horses, Greek Street If you think we’ve missed somewhere, that might be because we’ve been pretty empahtic when it comes to respecting and honouring the traditional boundaries of Soho. Here you’ll find boozers within the area marked by Oxford Street to the north, Charing Cross Road to the east, Regent Street to the west and Shaftesbury Avenue to the south. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less. Check out our ranking of the best pubs in Fitzrovia for some smashers just across the way. See you at the bar.  RECOMMENDED: These are the best restaurants in Soho. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Looking for a traditional Christmas meal – aka, the roast with the most – but without all the faff? Feasting on December 25 definitely doesn’t mean getting up at 6am to brine your turkey, half-destroying your kitchen and then washing up for the rest of the day. London’s full of great restaurants that’ll do you proud, whether you’re after fancy hotel dining rooms with elaborate set menus, a welcoming gastropub, a down-to-earth curry house or a proper feast in Chinatown.  Here are the best places to eat out on Christmas Day in London.  The best restaurants open on Christmas Day at a glance: 🍻 Best gastropub: The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate 💸 Best big budget blowout: The Ritz, Mayfair 👛 Best under £100 a head option: The Wolseley, Mayfair 🍛 Best non-trad choice: Tayyabs, Whitechapel 🏮 Best Chinatown classic: Golden Phoenix, Chinatown RECOMMENDED: Things to do on Christmas Day in London.  The information on this page was correct at time of publication, but please check with venues when you book.

Festive food comes in all manner of intriguing guises, so do not worry if the idea of a month-long sprout marathon turns your stomach. From twists on traditional standards to some simply sensational seasonal scran, there are loads of incredible set menu group feasting options in the run-up to Christmas in London this year. Try lavish lobster noodles in Soho, Greek classics in Stratford, Vietnamese favourites in Shoreditch, a special Italian celebration menu at the Big Mamma restaurants, and a mighty pizza collab courtesy of Yard Sale. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants open on Christmas Day in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.  

It’s been another stellar year for music in 2025, packed full of belters, breakouts and hook-laden earworms.  Lorde returned to her angsty roots, Pulp dropped their first album since, and Bad Bunny reigned supreme on the streamers. We were blessed with new music from pop heavyweights Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Robyn. In a plot twist, Rosalía dropped a classical album packed with religious references, and Turnstile made hardcore mainstream. Breakout stars CMAT, Addison Rae and Jim Legxacy proved that they are here to stay. Here Time Out editors and contributors have hand-picked the tracks they’ve had on repeat this year. These are the 40 best songs of 2025.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 best albums of 2025. 

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. We've even been blessed with the return of Lorde! Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis, Tate McRae and Kai Bosch. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, to give you a mid-year vibe check of where we are currently at. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

Urgently in need of some cool pressie inspo for your nearest and dearest? Don’t worry about it! Our London gift guide is here, and it features loads of lovely pressies to suit just about any Londoner you can imagine.  From nifty gadgets to stylish accessories, covetable homeware to kids’ gifts, our editors have got every base covered, including plenty of sustainable options and handmade bits from some of London’s coolest indie brands and makers.  Need even more present inspiration? Check out our roundup of London’s best Christmas hampers for 2025. Time Out’s 2025 Christmas Gift Guide at a glance 🏰 Best for tech nerds: Nothing headphones 💷 Best for foodies: Allday Goods knife 🔬 Best for style queens: Peachy Den scarf and mitten set 🎡 Best for cool blokes: Percival martini cap 🎨 Best for youngsters: Ty Beanie Bouncers RECOMMENDED: More Christmas fun in London. 

If there’s a chill in the air, there’s only one place to go: London’s pubs were made for cold nights and warming pints. What makes a pub cosy? Roughed-up sofas, comfy chairs and a roaring fireplace help, and these pubs have offered a welcoming home-away-from-home to generations of punters. Whether you want to get warmed-up after a brisk walk through Hampstead Heath or you feel like getting all aglow while in Soho, these are pubs to warm your cockles and lift your spirits. From creakingly old inns with nooks for hiding away from the London fog to modern pubs that know how to turn on the warming charm, find somewhere in the capital to get seriously cosy over autumnal ales and mulled wine. RECOMMENDED: The cosiest things to do in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Marylebone is certainly one of London’s swankier districts, its quaint streets teeming with tourists and well-heeled locals. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to boring, overpriced food. The best restaurants in Marylebone at a glance: 🍝 Best for lavish interiors and Italian classics: Carlotta 🍛 Best for Indian street food: Roti Chai 🥪 Best for old school soup and sarnies: Paul Rothe & Son 💅 Best for glam girlies: Nina 🧀 Best for a cheese feast: La Fromagerie The area is full of absolutely great restaurants, whether they’re peddling haute cuisine or more down-to-earth fare. You’ll find fine dining, relaxed neighbourhood restaurants and hot new openings from hyped chefs sitting side by side in this fashionable corner of the West End as well as a high density of Michelin star spots. Venture off Oxford Street and seek out a meal to remember. RECOMMENDED: London’s 50 best restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Fitzrovia’s aura of upper-crust bohemia is perfectly encapsulated by its quality mix of maximalist and minimalist restaurants and plenty of Michelin stars. Don’t expect cheap eats in this part of town unless you’re checking out the ever-reliable Indian YMCA, but if you’re going to splash out on dinner in Fitzrovia, then we can show you how and where to spend your hard-earned cash in the central London neighbourhood's finest restaurants. Best restaurants in Fitzrovia at a glance: ⭐ Best for Michelin star clout: Chishuru 🥖 Best for French fine dining: 64 Goodge Street 🍝 Best for glossy Italian-ish plates: Motorino 🍛 Best for a cheap feast: Indian YMCA 🥦 Best for vegetarians: Rovi RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Soho.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The humble brunch is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, especially if it incorporates pancakes, bacon and those aforementioned eggs. (Or you can enjoy a totally vegan take on proceedings at LD’s at The Black Heart). London is particularly well stocked with places to indulge in the famous breakfast/lunch hybrid. Let us guide you to the best restaurants for a fabulous brunch, from a traditional full English to innovative twists on the majestic meal, such as a bacon bao brunch or fried eggs on chilli-cheese crumpets. Booze optional.  Best brunches in London at a glance: 🌽 Best for vegans: LD’s at The Black Heart, Camden 🍖 Best for Spanish-style brunch: Lolo, Bermondsey 🏰 Best for a spectacular setting: Aram, Somerset House 🌳 Best for an al fresco brunch: Pavilion Cafe, Victoria Park  🌮 Best for a Mexican feast: Corrochio’s, Stoke Newington  RECOMMENDED: Like unlimited fizz with your fry-up? Here are the best bottomless brunches in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. December 2025: Now that we're fully into cosy season, we've highlighted some of the more appropriate seasonal spots for brunch. Sulk in the dark like a massive (vegan) goth at LD's at The Black Heart in Camden; try Lolo in Bermondsey if you want a Spanish take on brunch; start your day with some heat at Chet's; and feast on prawn toast scotch eggs at Jikoni in Marylebone. We've also included a few

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 is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in December. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Khao Bird, Soho 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: The Lavery, South Kensington December 2025: New additions include cosy Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Sri Lankan fast food at Adoh! in Covent Garden, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Thai BBQ at Khao Bird in Soho, and Thai soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? 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 cha

A roaming, contempo Cantonese-inspired concept from chef Jenny Phung and partner James ‘Shep’ Shepherd, Ling Ling’s has been bobbing happily around north-east London for the past few years.  Favouring long-term residencies over a restaurant of their own (and in this climate, who can blame them?), there have been successful stints at The Gun in Hackney (RIP), as well as The Bluecoats in Tottenham, and Bambi in London Fields. The latest in their nomadic tour de kitchen? A year-long set-up at hip - but mercifully not too hip – ‘wine pub’ Godet. Lowkey Ling Ling’s happens to be one of the best places to eat in London right now A kind of Provençal country cottage meets a grubby old scroat boozer, Godet is quietly lovely. Painted an eccentric shade of depressive tangerine, there are French farmyard–friendly wooden tables, cutesy cafe curtains, the occasional church pew, jugs full of fresh flowers, and candles on every table. Vintage dub reggae drifts discreetly throughout the 19th century pub, which was once known as the Norfork Arms, courtesy of a vinyl-only real life human DJ. The romance is palpable. Despite this discreet backdrop, Ling Ling’s swiftly sets about trying to get into your pants with full-throttle flavour and seductive kitchen technique. First in the Ling Ling’s charm offensive is exceedingly crunchy fried pork and water chestnut wontons, their fresh and juicy insides complimenting their bubbly golden wrappers. The fact that they look like the platonic ideal of a c

Like the death of Harambe, the Brexit vote, and Beyonce’s Lemonade, shouty Thai BBQ restaurants with stark, industrial interiors, all seem a bit 2016. Yet Khao Bird makes no bones about hopping on the trend a decade too late. In fact, the likes of Soho’s Kiln and Shoreditch’s Smoking Goat (originators of the full-throttle Thai trend), seem to be busier than ever. What’s the harm in adding another rowdy larb-shifter into the mix?  This brick-and-mortar comes after a year long Khao Bird pop-up at Borough Market’s Globe Tavern and a stint in Brighton as Lucky Khao, and makes quite a big deal about opening up in what was the last adult cinema in Soho (but not such a big deal about the fact it was a branch of Chilango in the intervening years). With a chrome open kitchen, exposed extractor fans, buzzing pink neon, and hunks of smashed plaster clinging onto the walls for dear life, the vibe is that of a brutal house reno in Hertfordshire. Yet Khao Bird’s intense cuisine is more than a match for such chaos.  Raw beef larb is spicier than Casanova’s search history We start with a pomelo and prawn salad, which perhaps gives us the wrong idea about the nature of the cookery here. It’s light and tidy, a little spicy, sure, but overall, a deeply demure dish. But Khao Bird properly lays its cards on the table with its mutton fries, a non-negotiable order of chips so vast and melt-in-the-mouth, that it’s impossible not to let loose a sigh of pleasure when consuming them. On top of said ch

Fancy a frolic in the playground of the rich and famous? Then the glamorous, Belle Époque-era Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo is a fabulously fitting base. Built in 1889, and ideally situated next to the world-famous Casino de Monte-Carlo – as well as the twisting streets that become the Circuit de Monaco for Formula One’s infamous Monaco Grand Prix – Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo is equally iconic. Boasting the world’s only swimming pool to be designed by Karl Lagerfeld, it’s also home to a two star Michelin restaurant, and a world-class spa. Why stay at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo? From the moment we strolled down the glamourous tree lined drive up to the hotel (which is also where we saw some very, very expensive parked cars), I knew we were in for a treat. On a par with the most White Lotus-y hotels in the world, the Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo is all about Mediterranean glamour and monied excess. There’s usually an extremely extra floral display in the tapestry-draped lobby, and the gentleman’s club style lobby bar (which comes with an adjoining cigar terrace) boasts a signed Picasso lithograph, as well as exclusive Warhol and Francis Bacon prints. What are the rooms like at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo? There are 126 guest rooms – 64 of them suites – and the recently refurbished rooms on the second and third floors are where you’ll want to stay. Designed by French hotel interiors king Jacques Garcia (who also spruced up the hotel when it was taken over by its current owners in

Ever wanted to dine on the set of a Stanley Kubrick film? Well say hello to Motorino, a big-budget mega resto in a humongous glass and concrete new build which we’re sure wasn’t there last time we were in the outer reaches of Fitzrovia, but seems like the kind of glossy superstructure where Google might set up an office. If Motorino looks familiar, it’s not just because of its Eyes Wide Shut-meets-tech start-up energy, but because it’s a carbon copy of Covent Garden’s Town, which Motorino founder Stevie Parle opened earlier this year. The glossy dark woods; the strangely sexual Clockwork Orange-style space age interiors; the modern Italian-ish small plates menu; you can find much the same an 18 minute walk away on Drury Lane.  You probably shouldn’t tell your Italian friends they serve an agnolotti carbonara, but you should definitely order it But Motorino has something its sibling doesn’t; one of London’s hype-iest chefs beavering away in the kitchen. That would be Luke Aherne, who recently left Marylebone’s rather lovely Lita after helping it to win a Michelin star less than a year after it opened.  Who knows why he left Lita in such a hurry, but Aherne has brought his juicy Southern Mediterranean skill-set with him. It starts with an indecently indulgent focaccia that manages to be salty yet sweet, crispy yet soft, and comes rampantly splashed with a rosemary balsamic that is nothing less than febrile. A bowl of pickles and ferments might look like a Birdseye frozen veg p

Slowburn isn’t like other restaurants. That’s because Slowburn almost isn’t a restaurant, it’s a slap-up dinner party in a working denim factory. The best seat in the house is next to a gigantic industrial washing machine, scrappy paper patterns for jeans line the walls and there’s a lingering smell of starch in the air.  Strangely, this isn’t an entirely unique proposition – Bow’s lovely little Italian spot Polentina is another garment factory dining room – but it remains refreshing (and pleasingly odd) to enter such an unconventional space, and even more appealing to discover terrific cookery inside it.  A hilariously decadent rosti with ox cheek and tail is more meat than it is potato During the week, the warehouse is home to Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, full of buzzing sewing machines and selvedge aficionados. Come Friday evening, the denim-heads are booted out, tables and chairs are bought in from storage and the kitchen fires up for the weekend. Conceptually, it makes so much sense. With so many restaurants struggling under the strain of rent and rates, why not get a little imaginative and lean into that dual-purpose life? We won’t be surprised if your local dry cleaners has turned into a New York-slice pop up by next summer. Chef and founder Chavdar Todorov started Slowburn in late 2020, delivering local meals during lockdown on his motorbike. Over the past five years he’s honed his hearty home -cooking-but-better, menu. It’s not a vegetarian restaurant by any stretch of

It is impossible not to be impressed by Cicoria’s location. In fact, people have been wowed by this London landmark for well over 150 years. For Angela Hartnett’s latest project – seasonal Italian cookery from a pleasingly short menu – it’s nothing but the best; an open plan space on the top floor of the majestic Royal Opera House.  That said, it’s kind of a mission to actually find Cicoria. First, a bag check at doors, then a dash through a capacious lobby, next a staircase, then the final boss of a giant escalator. We can’t remember the last time we were in a restaurant where people were wearing gowns Cicoria is meant to appeal as much to those who aren’t seeing a show here as those that are. Yet it’s going to be hard to attract the crowds when there’s no street-facing shopfront to tempt passing trade inside. In fact, if you’re in Covent Garden and seeking a Harnett hit, then Cafe Murano is but a two minute walk away in the house where Thomas de Quincy wrote drug-fuelled romp Confessions of An English Opium Eater, which has a much more intoxicating curb appeal. Want food directly from the spatula of Angela herself? Then heave off to Mayfair and her Michelin-star scoring Murano, still one of the finest Italian restaurants in the country. It is, however, hard to beat Cicoria’s buzzy sprawl, and the dramatic views across the historic piazza. There’s also something deeply appealing about eating in a theatre, from the excitement when the stage bell rings, to the fact that every

The moody and mysterious Maison Souquet is a former ‘pleasure house’ – which is a nice way of saying ‘former brothel’. Things have cleaned up a touch since this four storey townhouse opened for risque business in 1905, and it relaunched as a boutique hotel par excellence in 2015. Though its more raunchy days during the Belle Epoque might be behind it, you’ll find the hotel within high-kicking distance from the Moulin Rouge and the Pigalle’s strip of marvellously mucky sex shops. It might not be one for a family stay, but if you’re looking for a dose of French history and a great location (you’re right next to the hilariously picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre) then Maison Souquet is the perfect, slightly pervy, Parisian escape. There’s also an occult-adjacent spa in the basement; all midnight blue and available for private hire by the hour, which makes Maison Souquet even more of a unique proposition.  Why stay at Maison Souquet? Romance – or at the very least, a dirty weekend – is unavoidable at Maison Souquet. Decor is never less than utterly ostentatious, starting with the red lamps outside that announce the hotel’s location on Rue de Bruxelles, the same street on which writer Emile Zola once lived (Number 21, if you’re interested in making a brief pilgrimage). The entrance parlour, complete with campy Arabian Nights-worthy interior, which was originally built for a Belgian aristocrat’s turn of the century mansion, is a many pronged attack on the senses, whiffing de

Moi might look like a high-end Rainforest Cafe and smell like a Totnes candle shop, but this foliage-heavy temple to sushi and woodsmoke is making a serious attempt at the title of Soho’s most important restaurant opening of 2025. A huge space that gets bigger the deeper you delve, Moi is all about Japanese food made with primo British ingredients, and filling up the bellies of hundreds of people per night to the sounds of the Velvet Underground and assorted jazz funk greats. On the street-level dining room (there’s also a sprawling basement complete with the ubiquitous ‘listening bar’), talented head chef Nick Tannett – formerly senior sous at Endo at the Rotunda – whips up modern and traditional takes on sushi, skewers, tataki and sashimi in a kitchen so open that he might as well take his apron off and join you at your table.  This is bread with main character energy Of course, with prices like this you’d expect greatness. It’s almost £50 for a small plate of seared A5 wagyu nigiri, and some meaty bluefin toro taku temaki isn’t much cheaper. A gooey sea trout tartare chu maki brushed with a glossy and creamy yuzukosho emulsion is the best of the bunch, but it’s the small plates where Moi steps into its own (and decides not to whack your wallet quite as brutally).  Thick and fleshy mounds of tuna tataki folded like t-shirts in a branch of Cos, and sitting in a pool of zingy grapefruit liquor are exceptional, the sweet and tart sauce so addictive we have to ask for a spoon

I’ve always had a soft spot for this resolutely gorgeous Grade-II listed shopfront in the hectic stretch between Dalston K and Dalston J; the lands where Amazon Fresh comes to die, the pubs are of a distinctly flag-shaggy persuasion, and you’ll never go wanting for fast, fried food. Exale Brewery have boldly stepped into the fray, introducing new life into this old F Cooke pie and mash shop, formerly home to much-missed Chinese restaurant Shanghai, and – most recently – that preposterous thing, a board game cafe.  The exquisitely-tiled front room is a calling card for Art Nouveau ultras The Black Eel – a reference to its past as a cockney canteen – is what we hope will be this building’s final form; a convivial and surprisingly cavernous bar with so many rooms that you might get lost, especially if you’ve been sipping Exale’s 5.8% Oona Neipa. There’s the exquisitely-tiled and elegant front room – a calling card for Art Nouveau ultras – as well as a Victorian side den, a sprawling main lounge, an area for darts and shuffleboard, a huge beer garden (complete with a boat and pétanque court), and a leopard-print carpeted private karaoke room right at the top, complete with a sturdy safe into which you can bundle any substandard singers. It has more in common with Rowans at 10pm on a Friday than it does a quaint backstreet boozer, but come party season, this place will be packed.  Since opening their taproom on Blackhorse Lane, indie brewers Exale have been on a bit of a roll, la

Full disclosure: I can’t be entirely sure that Cycene isn’t a cult. But if it is, it’s a truly lovely one, a Michelin-star sect where they will take your money (£195 for nine-ish courses), but there won’t be any funny business and your family will probably be very happy for you. You won’t want to leave, and in fact, we almost don’t. I’m here for nearly four hours, and by the time I’m handed an oaty and malty Horlicks-adjacent cup of sourdough-infused milk – as if I’m an overstimulated toddler being tucked into bed – it’s an imposition to even consider leaving for the bus stop.  A veritable Berghain of enigmatic meats and victuals Some background. Cycene – named after the Old English word for kitchen – opened in 2022 inside the Blue Mountain School, a spurious but well-intentioned Shoreditch arts space that isn’t quite a museum, nor an archive, but, in its own words, somewhere that ‘nurtures engagements and interactions between diverse practices’. Sure, why not! Suffice to say, one of those practices is food, and my lordy, they do it extremely well.  Step inside this repurposed Georgian townhouse and each guest is immediately greeted by congenial head chef Taz Sarhane, a cook who loves to get a little bit weird. At a long pine bar he’ll proffer you a ‘picnic’ of blush-pink house-cured meats, a fluffy hillock of virgin butter, a platter of runny, mouth-coating chicken fat, a mini muffin, dense seeded bread, and a beefy beaker of collagen soup that is, in the best possible way,

In 2025, it’s not enough to be a wine bar that simply sells wine. How archaic! Some are wine ‘pubs’ (Islington’s Godet), others have adjoining ice cream parlours (De Beauvoir’s Goodbye Horses), and there are even one’s that self-identify as ‘listening restaurants’ (Peckham’s Hausu). Giacco’s is a tiny, friendly vino den on north London’s unofficial street of the sesh (Blackstock Road) that knows this all too well.   Instead of proffering a list that starts with fizzy, fabulous Lambrusco and finishes with a punchy Pinot, Giacco’s have made the wise decision to become an incubator for London’s brightest kitchen talent. So in addition to curated glasses and carafes of plonk alongside candles in old bottles dripping with wax (a wine bar staple since 1971), they now boast an ever-shifting food menu that impresses just as much as their mainly European, low-intervention wine list.   A friendly vino den on north London’s unofficial street of the sesh So far Giacco’s has had pop-ups from South Asian and Italian fusion dons Firangi, as well as the Time Out-approved young chef Millie Tsukagoshi Lagares. On the evening Time Out visits – securing our table after battling our way through a rowdy Arsenal home crowd – we find chef Jemma Harrison in the kitchen, mid-way through a three-month residency with her Kaunter concept, offering glammed-up New York deli staples that proudly show off their Eastern European Jewish roots.  The room – named after owner Leonardo Leoncini’s grandfather – is

The seriously good Soho flagship of this creative Filipino bakery (there’s a smaller outpost in Marylebone), is part of the 1996 Group, which also includes the acclaimed Donia restaurant. Their Manila-flavoured take on the humble bakery serves all manner of treats, including doughnuts pumped full of photogenic purple ube ooze and chocolate-slathered brown butter cookies, as well as iced ube matcha drinks for unbeatable TikTok clout. Their chicken adobo pocket is like Greggs gunning for a Michelin star But it’s their savoury goods that are particularly outstanding. Everything is made on-site, and the longanisa roll offers a giddy take on the sausage roll, its sweet, flaky pastry stuffed with succulent meat, while their chicken adobo pocket is like Greggs gunning for a Michelin star. Their fluffy brioche-like pandesal bread sits somewhere in between the two - enjoy it filled with garlic and cream cheese if you’re looking for something more adult lunch-appropriate. Sturdy and pleasingly square, Panadera’s pandesal sandos are also a must-nibble, from the classic Filipino flavours of a hearty corned beef hash offering to panko-crusted aubergine for the vegetarians. The space, all warm woods, busy working kitchen and a lowkey hip-hop soundtrack, is on one of Soho’s lesser known thoroughfares (Hopkins Street, which runs just off the altogether busier Broadwick Street), but that only adds to Panadera’s off-the-beaten-track charm. Coffee comes from excellent local roaster Catalyst.

We’ve just crowned Sabiib in Acton as the best east African restaurant in London. The Somali restaurant topped our brand new, expert-curated list of the top 20 east African eateries in London, which also comprises Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, as well as food from Kenya and Tanzania.  Writer Paula Akpan praised the ‘sleek Somali spot… that plates traditional dishes with flair’, recommending the ‘hummus oodkac (traditional dried beef jerky) and meat sambus (filo pastry parcels) with homemade spicy bisbaas sauce, and nafaqo (mashed sweet potato, sauteed spinach and mixed veg)’ as well as the ‘signature haniid (slow-cooked lamb shoulder).’ Sabiib also has a restaurant on Green Lanes in Harringey.  The top 20 features long-standing Ethiopian favourites such as Addis in King’s Cross, the family-run Wolkite in Upper Holloway, and Lalibela in Tufnell Park.  Mauritian restaurant Le Chamarel in Turnpike Lane, Zanzibari street food spot Mwendo Kasi in Docklands, and family-run Eritrean restaurant Laza in Canonbury also make the list.  The guide was written by Time Out contributor Paula Akpan, a Nigerian-Trinidadian writer and historian from London, who recently published her first book, When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors. The best east African restaurants in London, 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:

One of London’s best pasta restaurants is opening a brand new location.  The third branch of Padella – which follows the original location by Borough Market and a second in Shoreditch – is set to come to Soho next spring. The 80-seater restaurant will open at 2 Kingly Street, a decade after the first Padella launched. Run by the same team as Highbury’s Trullo (the best Italian restaurant in London, according to Time Out), the much-loved Padella is known for its hand-rolled pasta, including their now-legendary pici cacio e pepe and pappardelle with beef shin ragù.  Padella Soho will be split across the ground floor and basement, and include a private dining room for up to eight guests. If we may be so bold as to quote ourselves about Padella’s greatness, we recently said of the restaurant: ‘This legend’s note-perfect, well-priced pastas are as raved-about now as they were the week it opened.’ We stand by it.   Speaking about the opening, owners Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda have said: ‘We have always felt the energy of Soho was a perfect fit for Padella, and we’ve spent a long time looking for the right space. Bringing our fresh pasta to Kingly Street is something we are both incredibly excited about, and we hope it becomes a place where people can drop in for a quick plate or settle in for a long evening’. The best pasta restaurants in London, according to Time Out. Plus: our recently updated list of the 50 best restaurants in Soho. Get the latest and greatest from the Big

Every month a host of new restaurants across the UK are added to the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland – a list of dining recommendations from the same people that bring you the feted annual Michelin stars. While not quite as flashy as getting an actual Michelin Star, getting a nod from the Michelin Guide is pretty damn good. ‘The Michelin Guide Inspectors are always on the road, assessing existing restaurants as well as uncovering new ones worthy of recommendation,’ the guide says.  In November, an impressive 24 restaurants across Great Britain and Ireland were added to the Guide, including seven from London. Among those the recently opened Gina in Chingford, which we gave a glowing five stars in our recent review. The guide praised Gina, saying: ‘Everything is well-priced, prepared with care and swaps fuss for flavour, such as well-judged onglet with a creamy peppercorn sauce.’ Gina also features in Time Out’s list of the 20 best new restaurants in London, as do two other new entries in the guide, Island in King’s Cross and the new Singburi in Shoreditch. Of Singburi, the guide said: ‘Sharing plates of big-flavoured, enjoyably spicy goodness are the order of the day, with top dishes on the concise menu including succulent wild ginger chicken thighs and tender smoked pork belly panang.’ Other new entries in the guide include wine bar Cadet in Islington, Ukrainian restaurant Sino in Notting Hill, and Indian restaurants Pravaas in South Kensington and Madhu’s Southall

Christmas is coming – but that doesn’t mean London’s restaurant and bar scene gets to put its feet up and take a break.  This December will see loads of exciting new openings across the city, including a lavish new late-night restaurant from the same team as Mayfair’s ritzy The Dover, the long-awaited Guinness Brewery in Covent Garden, and a wine and sandwich bar in an Exmouth Market tattoo parlour.   Here’s the best of the month’s new foodie openings in the capital. The best new London restaurants opening in December 2025 1.The swish late-night restaurant Dover Street Counter, Mayfair Congrats! The Dover has spawned a badly-behaved, late-night sibling. Next door to the New York-style Italian is the brand new Dover Street Counter, open until 1am on school nights and 2am at the weekend. Come here for naughty 1950s Los Angeles energy, and a menu featuring disco fries, grilled half-lobster, and cajun baby chicken. It follows November’s lowkey launch of Martino’s on Sloane Square, an all-day 1960s-themed Italian, also from Dover ​​restaurateur Martin Kuczmarski.  Open: December 1 Address: 31 Dover Street, W1S 4ND Passione Vino 2. The wine bar in a tattoo parlour Passione Vino, Clerkenwell If you know your wine, you may already be familiar with Shoreditch’s Passione Vino. The cult favourite bottle shop, bar and pasta restaurant is now branching out, with founder Luca Dusi, opening up a new spot inside the old Family Business tattoo parlour on Exmouth Market. Just like the Shored

The brand new offering from meat titans Hawksmoor just so happens to be inside one of the most gorgeous dining rooms in London (if not the world). And we’ve got the pics to prove it. The restaurant, which opened earlier this month, can be found inside the Grade I listed St Pancras London Hotel (formerly known as St Pancras Renaissance Hotel). Interior design studio Macaulay Sinclair has now revealed photos of their refurbishment of the space for Hawksmoor’s eighth London restaurant and Martini Bar. The dining room and hotel was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and opened in 1873. It was known as the Midland Grand Hotel until it closed in 1935, with the restaurant space used as the coffee room for St Pancras station. The building was then used as railway offices until reopening as a hotel in 2011.  Photograph: Hawksmoor Speaking about the space’s refurb, Mai Yee Ng, design director at Hawksmoor, commented: ‘We love working with heritage buildings, and they don’t come much more spectacular than this Grade 1*-listed masterpiece by one of Britain’s most important architects, Sir George Gilbert Scott. The result is incredible – a unique space that honours the fabric of the building, whilst weaving in familiar Hawksmoor features.’ All of the space’s original structure remains, with the revamp highlighting the dining room and bar’s triple-height ceiling, mosaic flooring and stained-glass windows. ‘A complementary colour palate of deep greens, peacock blues and gold accents alo

It’s that time of year again. Yes, the mighty Christmas sandwich is back on your lunch menu. As is the tradition, the Time Out office staff have boldly taste-tested festive sarnies from a host of independent bakeries, delis and street food stalls across London in order to find the best of the bunch. According to our esteemed panel, the very best Christmas sandwich in London comes from Camberwell’s Mondo Sando, who can be found in residence at their own Cafe Mondo and the Grove House Tavern pub. Named ‘Kringle Klub’, their winning sandwich contains chicken thigh with crispy skin, brussels sprout kimchi slaw, bacon and apricot stuffing, and gochujang and cranberry hot sauce.  In second place is Deeney’s, the east London-based Scottish toastie team which has spots in Leyton, Walthamstow and Broadway Market (the latter only on Saturdays). Their silver medal-scoring sarnie is a more traditional offering, with turkey, red cabbage, stuffing, brie layer, and a roasted sprout on a stick, alongside cranberry sauce, sage butter and gravy for dipping. Third place went to a vegetarian Christmas sandwich from Dalston’s Dusty Knuckle, which contains gorgonzola, savoy cabbage, sprout tops, onions and candied rosemary walnuts. Other bakeries, delis and street food stalls in the round up include Walthamstow’s vegan Coven of Wiches, Stakehaus (which triumphed in this very contest in 2024), north-east London bakery and coffee shop chain Fink’s, Dom’s Subs, Borough Market’s The Black Pig, Gerry’s

The great debate of the modern pub – should kids be allowed in? – has come to a head at an east London boozer, which has banned children after 7pm.  William The Fourth in Leyton issued a statement based on customer feedback with regards to children in the pub, and complaints that ‘the pub has resembled a creche’. The pub had previously allowed under 18s until 8pm. On Instagram, the pub said: ‘Unsupervised children can pose risks not only to themselves but also to other customers and our team. We remain committed to being a family-friendly pub during the day, but to ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable environment for all our guests, we are introducing the following rules regarding children.’   They added that the pub will be an ‘adults-only space’ from 7pm, ‘giving adults a child-free atmosphere in the evening while still offering families generous daytime hours.’ The pub is open from 3pm. Response to the new rules has been mixed, with many comments supporting the new rules but also kick-back from local parents.  William The Fourth is also home to ‘the best pizza in the UK’, having seen its kitchen residents Short Road Pizza recently scoop the top prize at the National Pizza Awards. You can also sample Short Road’s wares at Three Colts Tavern in Bethnal Green.   Both pubs are run by the independent beer champs, Exale Brewing. Exale took over William The Fourth, which dates back to 1897, earlier this year. Inspired by crispy Romana-style pizza, Short Road Pizza won the si

The British Indian Good Food Guide is a yearly list of the 100 best Indian restaurants in the UK. Though a London institution didn’t top the list this year – that honour went to Raval Indian Brasserie & Bar in Newcastle – the capital still did pretty well for itself, with six restaurants named as ‘London Icons’, and a further 22 restaurants included in the overall Top 100.  The British Indian Good Food Guide calls itself ‘a celebration of excellence in British-Indian dining’. The independent publication has selected a host of amazing spots across England, Scotland and Wales, assessing them on ‘cooking, consistency, hospitality and the overall dining experience’.  The ‘London Icons’ for 2025 are ‘restaurants whose sustained excellence has helped shape London as a global Indian dining capital’. They’re all in central London, and each one has held a Michelin star at some point. They are Cinnamon Club and Quilon in Westminster, Gymkhana, Jamavar, and Benares in Mayfair, and last but not least, Veeraswamy, which is Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant and can be found just off Regent’s Street. The rest of the London restaurants featured in the British Indian Good Food Guide range from very plush, such as Trishna in Marylebone, to more casual neighbourhood joints such as Time Out favourites, the vegetarian Rasa in Stoke Newington, and Babur in Forest Hill, as well as the Covent Garden branch of Dishoom.  London restaurants in the 2025 British Indian Good Food Guide The full list of L

Iconic London restaurant Maggie Jones has re-opened after closing down due to an electrical fire in September 2023. Granted, we thought it had bitten the dust for good, but the Kensington favourite – which is a sister restaurant to Belgravia’s La Poule Au Pot – is now back in business.   Regularly tipped as one of the most romantic restaurants in the capital, Maggie Jones is also one of London’s oldest restaurants, dating back to 1964. Our most recent Time Out review praised the old school energy of the bistro on Old Court Place: ‘With interiors that look like they’ve been styled by some sort of Beatrix Potter character, Maggie Jones’s has OTT rustic decor that’s hugely atmospheric. Dried flowers and wicker baskets bedeck cosy little corners and hearty fare is piled into Provençal earthenware pots and served on mismatching toile plates.’ Maggie Jones offers French and British country classics, with the relaunched menu including onion soup, roast rump of lamb, fish pie and steak and kidney pie, as well as the likes of apple crumble with custard for pudding.  The restaurant has only closed down twice in its 60 year history, the first time due to the Covid pandemic. It opened in 1964 under the name Nan’s Kitchen, but took on the title of Maggie Jones in the 1970s, as a tribute to the alias used by Princess Margaret when she would make a booking there. The best restaurants in London, according to Time Out. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews t

Plant-based eaters assemble, because there’s a new best vegan restaurant in town. Time Out’s brand new list of the 15 greatest vegan restaurants in London is now topped by Plates, the only Michelin star vegan restaurant in the UK. Situated on Old Street, the Shoreditch tasting menu spot only opened last year, but has become the hottest, and greenest, ticket in town. Plates is run by Chef Kirk Haworth (who you might recognise from BBC’s Great British Menu) alongside his sister Keeley. The £109 tasting menu includes the likes barbecued maitake mushroom with black bean mole, kimchi, aioli and puffed rice, as well as Cornish potatoes with toasted hazelnut and sweet and sour apricot, and caramelised lions mane with blackberries, beetroot, gem lettuce and hibiscus.  Time Out’s five star review of Plates praised its ‘old-world/new-ideas philosophy’ and ‘perfectly arranged bowls of visionary veg’. Read the full review here.  Other restaurants tipped in the list of the best vegan restaurants in London include creative Caribbean dishes at Jam Delish in Angel, Sichuan-style spice at Facing Heaven in Hackney, and sustainable, fermented food at Holy Carrot in Notting Hill. We’ve also given a nod to London’s only vegan cinema, the Ritzy in Brixton, where you can get great Indian-inspired comfort food courtesy of En Root. Vegan sandwich dealers Coven of Wiches in Walthamstow also made the cut, as do vegan fast food at LD’s Kitchen in Camden metal bar The Black Heart.  Read the full list of

The famous Simpson’s Tavern – an 18th century London institution – is set to re-open next year. After over 250 years in business, the Grade II-listed restaurant closed in 2022 after a rent dispute. However, the team behind nearby restaurant and wine bar Cloth have taken over and will be relaunching the venue under the new name of Cloth Cornhill.  The building, which opened in 1757, can be found in the historic Ball Court, off Cornhill, in the City of London. Speaking to the Times, Joe Haynes, Ben Butterworth and Tom Hurst of Cloth stated that the new restaurant will promise the same ‘debaucherous wine-fuelled lunches and dinners’ as the old Simpson’s Tavern was famous for. They added that ‘the old Simpson’s spirit will remain’ despite the name change, and the menu will include ‘chops, steaks and a couple of nods to Simpson’s tradition’. It is thought that the name has had to change for legal reasons.  Photograph: Shutterstock London’s oldest chophouse, Simpson’s Tavern was known for its atmospheric wood-panelled dining room and old-timey menu, serving up old-school English grub like steak-and-kidney pudding, pork chops and something called ‘stewed cheese’. It also has possibly London’s quaintest address: 38½ Cornhill. Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys were regular visitors to the tavern, and it’s so historical that women were only admitted into the restaurant from 1916.  Simpson’s Tavern is not to be confused with another classic London restaurant (and another fave of Dicke

Well, this one hurts. The innovative and frankly extraordinary Black Axe Mangal – currently known as FKABAM – will be closing its Islington restaurant at the end of the year, with the final night of service on December 20.  However, things aren’t properly ending for the restaurant. Chef-patron Lee Tiernan announced that though the restaurant will be bringing a close to regular service, they will still host events in the space. ‘This is a pause, not a stop. For now I want to focus my creative energy towards a ‘pop up’ within my own restaurant space. Black Axe Mangal opened in 2015, following a trial pop-up in Copenhagen the previous year. Founders Lee and Kate Tiernan have said that further details on a special event, ‘A Decade of FKABAM’, will be announced soon.  Lee, who was head chef of St John Bread and Wine, showcased his Turkish grill-inspired nose to tail cooking at the restaurant, with dishes such as squid ink and cod’s roe flatbread, charred hispi cabbage with fermented shrimp butter and crispy rabbit.  ‘Being original, creative and keeping it fun for ourselves – as well as our customers – has always been the centre of why we do this,’ said Lee in a statement. ‘So how do you celebrate 10 years of running a restaurant? Well, in our case, it’s changing things up while it still feels good. I love and value all we have achieved with FKABAM and will continue cooking in our unique style, turning up the volume at events and future collaborations.’ He continued: ‘It has been