Leonie Cooper

Looking for the best restaurants in Mayfair? You’re spoilt for choice in this swanky central London neighbourhood. There are enough Michelin stars to feed a village here and prices are fittingly fierce. But if you’re after some indulgence or looking for the perfect celebration spot, then this is where you could be taking your hard-earned cash, with hotel joints such as The Ritz and Claridge’s in-house eateries some of the area’s finest. A tip: look out for set lunch menus, which many Mayfair fine-dining restaurants such Pavyllon, Murano and Ambassadors Clubhouse offer, and make the whole experience that much more affordable. Go forth and feast: these are Mayfair’s most impressive food spots. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

June 2026: There's a brand new Number 1, with Holy Carrot in Spitalfields taking the top spot thanks to creative and delicious vegetarian cookery. Other fresh additions include Auguste and Cafe Kowloon in London Fields, the latest branch of YeYe's Noodle & Dumpling in Soho, pizza and Lambrusco at Bar Etna in Newington Green (and the nearby Golden Tooth gastropub), Greek goodness at Maza in Mayfair, and Logma, a sensational supper club at a Haggerston cafe. Hungry yet? 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 over the past 12 months 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 June 2026. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍝 Central: Osteria Vibrato, Soho 🍠 North: The Golden Tooth, Newington Green 🇹🇭 South: Kruk, Peckham 🍝 East: Holy Carrot, Spitalfields 🥗 West: The Wei, Fulham 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 tasti

North London is still a hotbed for Greek eateries, catering to Cypriot and Greek expats hungry for souvlaki, kleftiko and gigantes as good as they taste back home. But a new breed of restaurants doing modern Greek small plates also abound, including Opso, as well as the Greek-ish Oma in Borough Market and Maza in Mayfair. Let’s celebrate London’s best-loved Hellenic evergreens too; Andy’s Taverna (a Camden fixture for more than 50 years), Aphrodite Taverna, and Retsina in Belsize Park. RECOMMENDED: Discover London’s best kebab restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The UK is a glorious place to eat, drink and generally be merry. Sure, there are loads of great restaurants in London, but there are hundreds more across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; ones where you’ll make napkin-stained memories that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. Especially if you head to Cumbria, which is home to the most Michelin stars in the UK outside of the capital. But as well as the diner’s paradise that is the Lake District, here is where else you need to head in order to sample some of the finest food and downright transcendent restaurant experiences the UK has to offer. Eat up.  The best restaurants in the UK at a glance: 💸 The best for a big budget blow-out: Ynyshir, Ceredigion. 🍜 The best for Korean cuisine: Bokman, Bristol. 🧆 The best for vegetarians: Queen of Cups, Glastonbury. 🐚 The best for a seaside getaway: The Sportsman, Whitstable. 🍴 The best for fancy fine dining: Lyla, Edinburgh. 🥧 The best for experimental foodies: Osip, Somerset. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in the UK. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

June 2026: We've highlighted some of the more appropriate seasonal spots for brunch. Try Lolo in Bermondsey if you want a lively Spanish take on brunch, OR start your Saturday with some heat at Thai-inspired Chet's, and feast on prawn toast scotch eggs at Jikoni in Marylebone. We've also included a few places that prove brunch isn't just a weekend treat, with some places that serve brunch every single day, such as Permit Room Portobello - Dishoom's all-day cafe in Notting Hill - and excellent Syrian cafe Aram, which you can find in the glamorous Somerset House.  The humble brunch is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, especially if it incorporates pancakes, bacon and eggs. 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 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

June 2026: We've updated our roasts list to reflect the return of sunnier days. Try the Macbeth in Hoxton, which offers a great Portuguese-style Sunday sesh, and the ravishing Jamaican-inspired roast at Buster Mantis in Deptford. There are a couple of posh restaurants in the mix too, with a Nordic roast at the plush Ekstedt at the Yard near Westminster, and a serious meat feast at Quality Chop House in Clerkenwell. We also have a new Number 1 to welcome summer in; the masterful roast at The Golden Tooth on Green Lanes. London’s best Sunday roasts at a glance: 🥩 Central: Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell 😇 North: The Golden Tooth, Newington Green ⛪ South: Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead 🌈 East: The Nelson’s, Hackney 🍻 West: The Mall Tavern, Notting Hill 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 and Sunday lunch options in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of pubs, restaurants and breweries all around town. What makes a good roast? For us, it’s simple; a welcoming room is a good start, maybe in a pub with an open fire during the winter months. 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

Every year, we create a definitive ranking of the world’s greatest cities for eating and drinking. The aim is to celebrate the chefs, kitchens and street food stalls that feed the city, bringing locals and visitors together to savour life’s one greatest pleasure: an excellent meal. So, how is the list decided? This year, Time Out’s Best Cities for Food with Intrepid Travel was created on the back of a survey of more than 24,000 locals, based all around the world. We asked them to rate the overall quality of the food scene where they live, how affordable it is to eat out and the food spots they believe their city does best.  We then paired their thousands of responses with the insight of Time Out’s expert food panel – editors and food critics from across Time Out’s network – who voted for the cities they think are the most exciting dining destinations on the planet right now. Only the highest-scoring city in each country made the final 20, ensuring our list reflects culinary capitals globally.  As our list demonstrates, it’s a very fun time to be eating out in the city right now. Restaurants from Lisbon to Lima are serving up some of the most striking, daring and downright delicious plates of food you can find. On the menu? Satsuma creamsicles in New York, fish bone noodles in Copenhagen and fancy phở in Ho Chi Minh. There’s fine-dining in Melbourne and ‘fun dining’ in Cape Town, food trends from sandwich crazes to elevated tacos, and coffee and cocktail scenes well worth trav

Every year, Time Out publishes the results of its international survey ranking the world’s best cities. Our team then dives deeper into the data to uncover other fascinating insights, like the world’s best cities for culture, the coolest neighborhoods and—the one I look forward to most—our ranking of the world’s best food cities. To get there, we surveyed thousands of city dwellers and asked them to rate their city’s food scene across 18 different criteria, including quality, affordability and diversity. Then we tapped our global network of chefs, editors and food critics to provide local insight into what makes their particular cities such wonderful places to eat—and not just right now. Our global network of food writers shared knowledge about the history of food in their cities, the dishes each place is known for, and the influence of different cultures on the local food scene. We’re serving up all this delicious intel in the tastiest list you’ll read all year, filled with nuggets from folks who frequent the bars, are restaurant regulars and know their city’s food scene inside and out. Ready to dig in? Here are the greatest cities for food on the planet.

Updated June 2026: Welcome to our brand new ranking of the Top 50 restaurants in London for the year. Every summer we give this legendary list a thorough makeover and announce a brand new Number 1, and that’s what we’re doing this month. What you’re about to read is a snapshot of where London dining is at right now; a city of global flavours, hilariously varying budgets and some of the best food you’ve ever eaten. We’re extremely proud of what this city has to offer and especially pleased to crown Camille in Borough Market as the Best London Restaurant of 2026.  Best Restaurants in London: Our Critics’ Picks: ⭐ Best Michelin-star restaurant: St John, Clerkenwell - a London institution and inspiration for pretty much every great modern restaurant you’ve ever eaten at. 👛 Best affordable restaurant: Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar, Covent Garden - late-night noodles at a great price. 🥦 Best vegetarian restaurant: Holy Carrot, Spitalfields - a lively bistro with inventive plant-based dishes.  🍝 Best Italian restaurant: Tiella, Bethnal Green - a new school trattoria with old school energy. 🍻 Best gastropub: The Golden Tooth, Green Lanes - a proper pub with proper food. Order the stargazy pie.  London doesn’t stand still and neither do we. We’re constantly adding new restaurants to the list and taking away ones that no longer make the grade. From freshly starred fine-dining rooms and hidden gems to neighbourhood favourites, these are the 50 restaurants we think you need to be eatin

May 2026: We're constantly keeping an eye on this Top 50 list to make sure it's up to scratch, and with so many new restaurant openings in and around Soho, that means regularly adding new places and removing those that might have failed to deliver on our last visit. Recent additions include the rowdy Osteria Vibrato, gplush Japanese joint Moi, northern Spanish grill Alta, the third outing for Peckham-born small plates spot Forza Wine, Thai BBQ at Khao Bird, and a new branch of YeYe's Noodle & Dumpling in what was once legendary goth pub The Intrepid Fox as well as London's third branch of Padella.  The best restaurants in Soho at a glance: 🥧 Best for British classics: Quo Vadis 💅 Best for the fashion crowd: Rita’s  🫚 Best for Thai heat: Kiln 🥕 Best for vegetarians: Bubula 🍝 Best for Italian classics: Osteria Vibrato 🌞 Best for an al fresco feast: Forza Wine There’s honestly nowhere in the world like Soho. The haunt of poets, gangsters, trendsetters and many a louche genius, the seedy, sleazy and impossibly romantic heart of London’s West End is also home to loads of great independent shops, cafés, bars and, most importantly, restaurants. Its culinary diversity has been fuelled by centuries of immigration and cultural cross-pollination. From rustic French fare to iconic Italian dishes and tasty tapas, here is Time Out’s list of our absolute favourite Soho restaurants. Whether you fancy a slap-up meal or are just in the market for a mid-town pitstop, we have you covered

Is it safe to say movies are back? Sure, there’s still plenty of anxiety around the film industry and its future. But cinematically speaking, 2026 has gotten off to, arguably, the most blazing hot start since the pre-pandemic glory days, both critically and at the box office.  Of course, for our purposes, we like to focus on the creative successes, and it’s rare for the first quarter of any year to produce so many achievements of various scopes and budgets. Any time you get both a Project Hail Mary and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – not to mention leftfield triumphs like The Testament of Ann Lee, Sirât and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – all before the calendar’s halfway point, you know it’s a good time to be a film fan, especially when there are new spectacles from Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Marvel and the Dune franchise on the horizon.  But that’s later. Here’s the best of what we’ve seen so far.  📺 The best TV and streaming shows of 2026 (so far)📕 15 book-to-movie adaptations to get excited about in 2026🔥 The 40 best movies of 2025

May 2026: Al fresco weather is finally here, and here are the spots that truly spring into action when the sun is out. These places are ideal for visiting while wearing your nice new shades looking important and snacking on a little salt cod fritter. Grab a sarnie in the sunshine at Dusty Knuckle's Dalston location, trek out to Epping Forest for seafood at the Oyster Shack, test out the terrace at the new Forza Wine Soho, gorge yourself on gastropub fare in the hidden garden at The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate, try out Mondo Sando's new Deptford location, or trot down the Regent's Canal to Towpath Cafe. Ace Indian restaurant Kokum in Dulwich is also doing al fresco BBQs every weekend until September. When it comes to outdoor dining there are some excellent – and hopefully sun-dappled - options at some of London’s best restaurants. These terraces, canal-side spots, gardens and al fresco restos should make you feel like you’re on a proper holiday in your hometown. Whether you’re in the mood to have spaghetti in the sun or snack on sushi by starlight, our list has you covered. If you don’t mind heights, then check out some of the finest rooftop restaurants with views in London as well. Not all of them are open in the colder months, so do check if you’re booking during a chillier time of year. RECOMMENDED: These are 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. The hottest new

What’s the vibe? When people talk about Glastonbury, it’s usually in reference to the internationally renowned local music festival or its major league status on the druidic scene. They probably aren’t talking about the Somerset town as a food destination. But Queen of Cups might change all of that. With chef Ayesha Kalaji in charge, this Michelin Bib Gourmand-recommended gastropub opened in 2021 and has been quietly wowing locals ever since. Set inside a 17th century coaching inn off the town’s main drag of crystal shops and incense emporiums, there’s a small nod to Glastonbury’s hippy heritage in the restaurant’s tarot card-referencing name, but that’s where the woo-woo ends. The innovative menu is the product of Ayesha’s Welsh-Jordanian heritage, meaning Middle Eastern flavours peppered with Welsh touches – such as laverbread falafels – all made with local Somerset and West Country produce.  What should I order? Let’s talk some more about those falafels. Dark and crunchy on the outside, gloriously green on the inside and with some perky fronds of lime-pickled fennel on the top, they’re a must-order, hot and oily in the best possible way. This being Glastonbury, the menu is extremely vegetarian and vegan-friendly, but there is a decent amount of meat and fish available. You can order the silky hummus with crispy chilli and sweetly spiced date confiture with or without a dollop of creamy apricot and harissa hogget. Puffs of Moroccan-style frena bread come hot and pillowy and

Mayfair is on a voyage of discovery. With The Dover leading the charge, this once shamelessly flashy neighbourhood is currently seeing a barrage of actually really quite good restaurant openings. Cringe outposts for oligarchs and confused tourists be damned!  The Greek salad is a primo example of the form Maza is proudly one of the new guard. That’s not to say that this Greek ‘neo-taverna’ isn’t plush. Situated directly opposite old school steakhouse Guinea Grill on bougie Bruton Place, it’s a convivial, low-ceilinged space with conspiratorial, 1970s conversation pit energy, and a mirrored walkway to the bathrooms that you may find overwhelming after two cocktails. The trouble is, you’ll want to have at least three, because their tzatziki martini, which is laced with the pine forest hum of mastiha, is enthralling.  When it comes to food, the menu is big and – pleasingly – the portions even more so. A complimentary puck of ‘maza’ bread comes first, but it’s the leek loaf, brushed with olive oil and flaunting its char marks, that really impresses, especially when dipped into a tzatziki that’s as thick and rich as the fellas loitering by the Lamborghini shop around the corner. The Greek salad is a primo example of the form; succulent cherry tomatoes, crumbly feta, crisp cucumbers and snappable chunks of rusk to soak up all the juice. The tuna crudo, dressed with sundried Mediterranean ponzu, is beautifully thick and fleshy, and round courgette cakes come on like falafel after a

Hiding in plain sight, you’ll find the demure Camille in one of the busiest foodie destinations in London, if not the world. Happily, it’s on the very edge of Borough Market, meaning you don’t have to experience the full chaos of the foodie nexus, merely skirt around the rim.  Eating at Camille is basically a religious experience  Camille is a small, pretty place. There are a handful of tables outside, and a chic burgundy and primrose colour scheme within. It doesn’t shout about its elegance, but rather whispers it seductively into your ear. There are white candles dotted about the mirrored dining room, some of them dripping with so much built-up wax one might confuse the place with a bijoux gothic cathedral. You’re not too far off, though, because eating at Camille is basically a religious experience.  Opened a couple of years back by the same team behind Soho’s Ducksoup, this French bistro immediately blew its forebear out of the water thanks to the skill and tenacity of head chef Elliot Hashtroudi. Learning his way around a carcass at St John (and his way around Borough Market at Padella across the road), he was tempted into the kitchen following a run of giddily-received pop-ups across the capital, ready to indulge in the regional cookery he fell in love with when visiting his aunt in the south of France, but with local British produce.  Like Keith Floyd in a trucker cap, he’s not French himself (he grew up in Devon), but is committed to the full-throttle nature of the c

Ever wanted to ditch real life and run away to the Tuscan countryside? We’ve found the perfect place to do just that. Bid farewell to friends, family and significant others before pitching up at the luscious L’Andana. Set amongst vineyards and olive groves, and with rolling mountains in the distance, this historic hotel has an exclusive-feeling energy, which makes sense – the main building was the summer gaff of Grand Duke Leopold II in the mid 1800s. It remains deeply regal – as well as the sprawling grounds, dotted with roses and rosemary, there are three pools, a classy spa and a Michelin star restaurant.  Why stay at L'Andana? Come here for a peaceful stay with a hint of Godfather-worthy majesty. First impressions count for a lot, and the one made by L’Andana is spectacular. Guests reach this hillside escape via a long, umbrella pine tree-lined approach which makes for a fittingly cinematic build-up to one of the loveliest hotels I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. There’s also a helipad, should you wish to arrive in a James Bond-like fashion. There’s not much to do at the hotel apart from chill the hell out, which you can do by the picture perfect pool, or by sauntering around the landscaped grounds, indulging in a cake-heavy breakfast buffet and sipping Vermentino at the on-site winery. Come sunset, swallows chirp wildly as they murmurate around the main – they’re the only souls here who are in a less than majorly relaxed state, the poor things.  What are the rooms

It’s always a pleasure to see folks evolve and mature. With The Golden Tooth, the duo behind puckish scenester bistro Papi have levelled up to gastro greatness.  Once a rampantly mid pub called The Leconfield, this vast Green Lanes boozer’s makeover is subtle but important. It’s fabulously roomy inside, with a designated dining area under colossal sky lights. There are a couple of discreet paintings, a few flourishing pot plants, but no wanky or unnecessary touches. Unlike Papi (which closed earlier this year, its building now home to the excellent Auguste), The Golden Tooth is not particularly ‘London’, it’s simply a pub; the ideal blank canvas for the regal cookery and wondrous wine choices of the Papi chappies, aka chef Matthew Scott and sommelier Charlie Carr.  This is powerful and intense food A gin pickle martini, mellowed with a splash of elderflower, and the liquid roast dinner that is a rosemary vodka version, are greedily sipped as the first menu highlight amongst many arrives. It’s chunky beef tartare, bound together with a creamy tonnato dressing, and topped with a gleaming egg yolk. The Golden Tooth twist? Instead of traditional tuna, the tonnato is made with smoked eel, offering an unparalleled decadence. On top are some naughty summer truffle shavings, and there’s a glistening slab of beef dripping toast to pile it onto. Yet despite the indulgent ingredients, there's a playful lightness to the dish. Bury me with a bowl of it.  Next comes plump mussels resting

You can’t move for excellent pizza in London right now. A new wave of pub residents (Dough Hands etc), slice shops (Vincenzo’s etc) and sit-down parlours (Ace Pizza etc) have transformed the city’s mozzarella-slathered fast food scene. And yet, Bar Etna in Newington Green is utterly correct in assuming there’s still room for more.  Ed McIlroy is now coming for London slice supremacy Not content with serving one of London’s best burgers at his iconoclastic Finsbury Park gastroboozer The Plimsoll, Ed McIlroy is now coming for London slice supremacy. And working with Joe Beddia of Philadelphia’s Pizzeria Beddia (which was once declared ‘America’s best pizza’ by Bon Apétit magazine), he stands more than a fighting chance.  Much like McIlroy’s other excellent restaurant, Spanish-styled fish counter Tollington’s, Bar Etna is an immediate vibe. There’s a classy-but-fun bar up front, with Barbarella-worthy midcentury chrome lights, a big shiny bartop and sparkling bottles on the shelves. It’s a sleek 1960s Sicilian vino den which raises your cool factor by 10 points as soon as you step inside. Drop by for a £5 negroni while performatively reading some Nabokov, why don’t you?  The restaurant itself is on a raised mezzanine, with splashy canvases of assorted nudes and animals on moody wood panelled walls. It’s at once welcoming and slightly intimidating, but smells great (pizza often has that effect), and there’s a satisfying mix of hot dates, chaotic families with sticky-pawed kids,

I’m still not sure if Big Cypress Lodge is real or if I dreamed the whole thing up. A rustic, southwestern-style hotel, you’ll find it inside the ninth wonder of the world; the Memphis Pyramid. Built in 1991 as a concert and sports arena, this beast of a building was turned into a massive branch of Bass Pro Shops in 2015, and is now a one-stop-shop for all things hunting, shooting and fishing. Kind of like Disneyland for alligator tour guides, it comes complete with an indoor swamp, aquatic-themed bowling alley and some 1,800 living fish. The deeply unique hotel sits halfway up the 535,000-square-foot store, with some rooms boasting ‘outdoor’ balconies and porches that overlook the shop floor—a particularly strange experience late at night, when everyone, apart from the in-house gators, has left the store. Big Cypress Lodge is almost as bonkers as California’s ultra-camp Madonna Inn. We loved it. What are the rooms like at Big Cypress Lodge? There are 103 rooms and suites at Big Cypress Lodge, including five stand-alone cabin suites with rustic wood paneled frontages, which appear to float halfway up the inside of the pyramid, looking not unlike the moment in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy’s house takes flight mid-tornado. Wild. The Governor’s Suite is the biggest, complete with a boardroom area, full kitchen, leather couches, fireplace and space for six. There are also treehouses. Because of course there are.  Much like the rest of the pyramid, there is taxidermy everywhere t

Chic little Italian restaurants are all the rage in London right now. Turbo Trullos such as Dalla, Tiella and Osteria Vibrato, with their silky cacio e pepes, heavy duty negronis, and the vague promise of seeing Charli xcx chuffing on a Vogue out front.  Auguste, though equally elegant, isn’t that kind of Italian. For starters, there’s barely any pasta on the menu. Instead, this refined east-London bistro leans into the hearty mountain food of Abruzzo, a hilltop utopia to the east of Rome known for sheep farms, robust reds and mysterious medieval towns.    There are mystical wild boar-stuffed morel mushrooms This is the first real restaurant from one of Time Out’s favourite nomadic chefs, Mike Bagnall (who is somehow simultaneously still running his Elm pop-up at Peckham’s Montpellier pub) and general manager Dylan Walters, formerly of Bambi, but you’d never know it was a debut resto from the slickness of the operation. The dynamic duo have taken over a space previously home to Papi and made it their own, popping up a couple of big, colourful canvases, white cafe curtains and wooden school chairs. It feels a little like Paris, and a lot like Hackney. The menu is perused over an icy cold vesper martini (surely the cocktail of the summer?), and it turns out that rosti with blue cheese and marjoram is every bit as epic as it ought to be. Only a few dishes are what you might consider ‘light’. There’s cured sea bream with a sparky putanesca salsa, or heroically fresh asparagus wi

A sprawling, Neoclassical statement piece, The Ned can feel a touch overwhelming. Sort of like Disneyland for city boys or Las Vegas with a Mary Poppins kink, it was built in the 1920s as the HQ for Midland Bank. This Grade I-listed stone behemoth now contains 10 restaurants and bars and a 250-room hotel, as well as a spa, swimming pool and a multitude of event spaces. There is lots of monochrome marble, some supremely high ceilings, and the constant, nagging reminder that you should really start paying into your long-ignored savings account. The menu at Lutyens is turbo traditional The finest of The Ned’s bevvy of restaurants is Lutyens Grill, named after the building’s architect Edwin Lutyens, who was also responsible for The Cenotaph on Whitehall, as well as much of Raj-era New Delhi. It’s tucked away in the snug, formal space that was once the bank manager’s personal office, but to get there, you have to traverse the cavernous main hall, which at 6pm on bustling Friday feels akin to crashing a banker’s wedding. There’s a band on a circular podium playing souled-up anthems, and the post-work crowd clink their glasses of bubbly in time with the strains of ‘Valerie’ and assorted classic rock bangers.  But it’s worth running the yuppie gauntlet. A small red rope will be lifted and a sturdy door will slyly roll open to reveal a low-lit, glossy wood-panelled space with regal, cosseted energy. This is a room where you’ll want to make big deals, push big red buttons and tell you

Simpson’s in the Strand creaks with a very specific kind of history. One of London’s oldest restaurants, this hospitality monolith dates back to 1828 and has the kind of beyond-the-grave guestlist that would make the doorman at Studio 54 puce with envy. Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Arthur Conan Doyle have all eaten here over the past two centuries. There’s even a few women too, who were finally unbanned from Simpson’s’ main dining room in 1984 (1984!). It comes, like many things here, with lots of cabbage Much like everything that’s almost 200 years old, Simpson’s had gotten rather dusty, but a covid-era shuttering gave new owner Jeremy King the chance to spruce the place up. Now re-opening after a six year spa-break, Simpson’s sparkles where once it spluttered.  King, who launched grande dames of London dining such as The Wolseley and Brasserie Zedel, knows how to make a restaurant feel impressive. The sprawling Simpson’s feels like a luxury hotel, and – much like Zedel – is a multi-space affair, featuring all-day cafe Romano’s, and two cocktail bars (Simpson’s Bar upstairs and Nellie’s in the basement). The bars cling on to their traditional roots, but unlike the main restaurant, are now kitted out in slightly more modern dress, sort of like seeing Cary Grant in a Palace hoodie. There’s also a ballroom, should you ever be in need of a ballroom.  The main restaurant, known as the Grand Divan, is breathtaking. The lighting is immaculate and the attention to detail

We honestly can’t think of a better location for a London hotel than the site of the newly-opened Zetter Bloomsbury. One of the city’s chicest mini-chains has expanded its small roster of boutique pads in the most cutesy and village-like areas of central London (they have hotels in both Marylebone and Clerkenwell) to dreamy Bloomsbury. Right next door to the British Museum, and with Russell Square moments away, this surprisingly large hotel boasts 68 rooms spread across six Georgian townhouses on the grand, but certainly not intimidating, Montague Street. Imagine yourself a fully fledged member of the area’s historic literary set as you stroll to the far more hectic likes of Soho and Covent Garden, then return to the comparative solace of Bloomsbury.  What are the rooms like at The Zetter Bloomsbury? Rooms range from cosy, through superior and deluxe, and there are eight suites. We stay in a junior suite on the first floor, which has super high ceilings, a freestanding bath, three curved bay windows which look out onto the garden and the back of the British Museum, and a grand, four poster bed that’s certainly big enough for any Bloomsbury Group-inspired romantic assignations. The room’s modern design pays tribute to those Arts and Crafts-adjacent creatives of the early 20th century, but doesn’t make you feel like you’re tucked away in an elderly relative’s spare room. Fabric wallpaper is in a comforting shade of rust, there are global nick-nacks inspired by the British Museu

Looking for the most mum-friendly restaurant in central London? Polished Italian mega-trattoria Burro is the answer to your panicked family-dinner prayers. We aren’t shy when it comes to singing the praises of perfect little Highbury restaurant and perennial Time Out favourite Trullo, and Burro is its big ticket, ultra-accessible off-shoot. Taking the original Trullo concept (handmade pasta, charming service, salty snacky bits, actual tablecloths), Belfast-born founder Conor Gadd has super-scaled it for the West End masses with a 100-cover restaurant that comes on like a culinary Goldilocks. It’s not too flashy but not too basic, not too pricey but not too cheap, not too experimental but not too cautious. Burro is just right. The most mum-friendly restaurant in central London Reminiscent of a nice hotel lobby, the vast room is thick with the sweet smell of Parmesan. It’s not quite as charming and intimate as Trullo, but what is? There are high ceilings, a huge oil painting of Speedo-sporting Italian bathers, sleek mid-century chairs sourced from a convent (very chic), and velvet banquettes in a geometric pattern not dissimilar to tube moquette. If the Orient Express mated with a Victoria line train, Burro would be the result.  The Trullo link isn’t the only reason we expect great things. In a moment of noble transparency, Burro is named after the Italian word for butter. The true reason restaurant food tastes so good is because of chefs’ extremely liberal use of this element

Iconic Camden music venue Barfly is set to relaunch later this month. Promoters Barfly took over a Victorian pub called The Monarch at 49 Chalk Farm Road in the early 2000s, hosting gigs in the upstairs room, including one of the first London shows by The Strokes. Other artists to have played the venue include Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Adele, Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse.  The venue ceased trading as the Barfly in 2016, and was operating under the name the Camden Assembly, which hosted shows by the likes of Yungblud, Olivia Dean, The 1975 and The Last Dinner Party. The Barfly name will return on June 22 with a special re-launch gig from Frank Turner.  Photograph: phaustov / Shutterstock.comCamden Assembly The new Barfly will be run by Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck of Propaganda Independent Venues, who are working with Camden resident and 3 Colours Red guitarist Chris McCormack. In a statement, Ickowitz-Seidler said: ‘Barfly means so much to us all, and we’re honoured to be starting a new chapter in its story. We’ll be announcing more very special shows shortly, but Frank Turner is the perfect artist to relaunch the Barfly stage. He embodies everything Barfly stands for.’  Turner has played Barfly a number of times, as both a solo artist and with his old band, Million Dead. Other upcoming shows at the venue include two sold-out nights with Violet Grohl in September. 🎸 The best music venues in London. ICYMI: One of London’s best music festivals has revealed a bloc

Right now, London is gagging for full-throttle flavour and a decent dose of fat. Restaurants across the capital are boldly blanking Ozempic culture and serving the sort of rich, decadent fare that leaves GLP-1s cowering in the corner.  Our newly launched list of the best restaurants in London for 2026 giddily embraces the city’s current fondness for such indulgence. Opulent steak tartares, lavish langoustines, stargazy pies brimming with shrimp and chicken, and so much high-octane pizza – our favourite dishes in London are all a little extravagant. Time Out London’s new Top 50 of the finest places to eat encompasses original players in the OTT cuisine game, such as relaunched temple to gout Simpsons In The Strand, pasta paradiso Trullo and old school icon Oslo Court. It also features relative newcomers, with family-run chophouse Gina, fulsome Italian trattoria Tiella, disco dining at Bambi and Filipino flavour bombs at Belly Bistro, right through to our brand new Number One; the casually debauched and offaly good Camille. David LoftusSimpsons in the Strand Though you might be charmed by its quaint appearance – candlelit tables, a chalkboard specials slate and outdoor seats that spill onto the edge of Borough Market – Camille isn’t a delicate kind of a place. Camille is a beast. A hedonistic hideaway for gourmands after unrestrained, anything-goes feasting, this bloodthirsty bistro doesn’t shy away from the more visceral components of French cuisine. Picking on a salad is si

Hold onto your napkins; it’s time for the annual announcement of Time Out’s number one restaurant in London. Every year we crown a new restaurant as our favourite, as well as releasing a fully updated list of the 50 best places to eat in the capital.  After much deliberation and much eating, we’re pleased to put our arteries on the line to crown Camille in Borough Market as our new number one restaurant in London. Read the full top 50 list here.   CamilleCamille, Borough Market Camille, which opened in 2024, is a French bistro with head chef Elliot Hashtroudi in the driving seat. Our most recent, five star review, called it ‘a triumph of imagination, talent, and guts’. Expect plenty of offal (Hashtroudi learned his way around a carcass at St John, which also makes our new Top 50), fabulous fish dishes, and a daily specials board brimming with French country classics.  The restaurant follows in the footsteps of Miga (2025), Mambow (2024), Cafe Cecilia (2023) and Chishuru (2022) and Singburi (2021) as Time Out’s London Restaurant of the Year. It’s the first spot south of the river to score the position since Chishuru, which was based in Brixton when it secured the honour, however you’ll now find Joke Bakare’s acclaimed, Michelin-star scoring West African restaurant in Fitzrovia.  Read our full review of Camille here.  Want another helping of London food news? Europe’s first major international chicken festival is coming to west London.  Plus: You can now eat one of the best

It’s hot, it’s sticky and we’re not going to complain about it, because London in the sunshine is the greatest city in the entire world. Happily, there are some extremely fitting openings set for June, including a lavish ice cream parlour in Soho and a boozer with a massive beer garden in Stoke Newington.  And in what will come as very good news to people in south London who like baked things, there’s a brand new branch of Camberwell’s legendary Toad Bakery set for Deptford.   Here’s the best of June.  RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in London. The 10 best new London restaurants opening in June 2026 Photograph: No Forty NineNo Forty Nine 1. The one with an amazing young chef No. Forty Nine, St John’s Wood We recently named Ella Williams as one of the best young chefs in London and she’s now bagged her first ever head chef role. Coming from the kitchen of Peckham’s hip Hausu, she’s crossed the river to St John’s Wood, where she’ll be leading the team at the newest restaurant from the same group as the excellent Cinder. An all-day bakery and bistro, No. Forty Nine will offer Mediterranean-meets-New-York dining, with dishes like cornbread madeleines with scotch bonnet honey butter, tagliolini with prawns and crab choux buns on offer, alongside a special mini pizza menu. We’re also deeply interested in the Baby Guinness sundae. Opens: June Address: 49 St John’s Wood High Street, NW8 7NJ AppalachiaAppalachia 2. The sweet soul food one  Appalachia, Shoreditch   Open for just

Time Out editors from across the world have eaten a hell of a lot of burgers and come up with a definitive list of the very best. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. The list of 14 perfect patties (which you can read in full here) takes in everywhere from Sydney to Lisbon, with stop-offs in Paris, New York City, Rio, Hong Kong and more. Of course, London features too – with one of the finest burgers around to be found in this fair city.  To find it you’ll need to visit Asian-inspired burger joint Hanbaagaasuuteeki in Victoria, and then you’ll need to order the shrimp kong baga. This ‘fabulously frilly’ smash burger comes with shrimp, crispy seaweed, cheese and thousand island-style dressing. Think of it as Korean-inspired surf and turf.  Photograph: HanbaagaasuuteekiHanbaagaasuuteeki Other burgers in the list include the dry-aged beef chuck and gruyère cheese burger in a pretzel bun at Nolita in Madrid, the triple bacon cheese classic smash burger at Smash Things in Tokyo and the dry-aged Red Hook Tavern burger from Red Hook Tavern in Brooklyn. We’re drooling just thinking about them.  Hanbaagaasuuteeki is at 36 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W 0RE and you can find a full list of the best burgers in London here. 🍔 The world’s 14 best burgers in 2026. 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 London newsletter for the be

You might not be thinking about jacket potatoes during this heatwave, but we know some guys who are. SpudBros, the fast food jacket potato restaurant, have just launched a brand new SpudBros Express flagship store on Princes Street in Mayfair, after they closed their only London location in Soho last year. The store will sell SpudBros’ loaded potatoes, which come with the likes of garlic butter, three-cheese blend, baked beans, crispy onions, chilli con carne, tuna coleslaw, and bolognese. SpudBrosSpudBros The new London location joins the SpudBros outposts in Liverpool, Sheffield, Blackburn, Wakefield, Portsmouth and Barnstaple.  SpudBros started life as a food truck in Preston’s Flag Market, where it’s been for over 70 years. It catapulted to popularity when brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson took control of its social media feeds. Now viral sensations with huge social media followings, the original truck pulls in massive crowds, with people travelling across the country to bag their famous spuds.   Find the new SpudBros Express at 4 Princes Street, Mayfair, W1B 2LE. To celebrate the opening, they’ll be giving away a free potato to the first 100 customers from 12pm today (May 27). The store will be open daily from 11am-8pm. 💸 The best cheap eats in London. 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 bes

We’ve all seen those tube carriages that loom spectacularly over Shoreditch – and now the public will finally have the opportunity to go and have a snoop around them. That’s because the music venue upon which they sit, the Village Underground, is opening up a brand new rooftop terrace. This will be the first time the general public has had access to the recycled Jubilee line carriages on top of what was a railway viaduct on Great Eastern Street.  The rooftop bar will serve pizza as well as booze and will launch on Friday July 3. It’ll be open throughout the summer every Wednesday to Sunday.  Image: Village UndergroundRender of Village Underground’s new rooftop space The Village Underground will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. The Victorian-built warehouse opening as a music venue in April 2007 and quickly becoming one of the most atmospheric gig and club venues in the capital, regularly hosting top electronic DJs and up-and-coming artists. The tube carriages were previously used as artists studios and as offices for the team that runs the venue.   Looking for more rooftop bars in Shoreditch? Here are some of our favourites. Here are some of the best rooftop restaurants in London, too.  ☀️ The best rooftop bars in London. 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

It’s officially a scorcher – and just in time, we’ve picked London’s best sky-high spots for sipping drinks during the sunny season.  With a new number one rooftop bar for 2026, we’ve returned to an old favourite; Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden. This South Bank classic is a brutalist rooftop beauty, with views of the Thames as well as a lovely lawn, and over 200 different kinds of plants, flowers and fruit trees. The bar itself is pretty unobtrusive, set in an old shipping container, and serving wine, botany-inspired cocktails and craft beers, as well as a couple of snacky bits, but it’s the sprawling green space that really makes this spot stand out. First launched in 2011, Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden was a joint project between The Eden Project and Grounded Ecotherapy, who help people experiencing homelessness and addiction recovery via gardening. The place re-opens for spring/summer 2026 on April 1.  Photograph: Cesare De GiglioQueen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, London In second place comes another classic London rooftop bar; Frank’s Cafe in Peckham. This stalwart of London’s rooftop scene doesn’t need much in the way of an introduction – neither does their infamous pink staircase. We love this bar perched on the top of a multi-storey car park for its stunning views, interesting art installations and casual energy. It re-opens for 2026 on May 15.  Coming in third is Forza Wine at The National Theatre. There are now three Forza Wines in London, the original Peckham

JD Wetherspoon is set to open its first ever pub in London’s Theatreland district, with a new West End mega-boozer taking over part of what was once the Trocadero. The pub will be known as Piccadilly Hall, named in tribute to the original Piccadilly/Pikadilly Hall – the 17th century mansion that gave its name to Piccadilly Circus. It will open at 30 Shaftesbury Avenue – most recently home to the now-shuttered Coyote Ugly bar.  A launch date for the latest pub from the budget boozer chain has not yet been revealed, but what we do know is that the space will be over 3,600 square-feet and will fit 280 covers, and be open daily from 7am to midnight. Yes, they will be doing breakfast.  RECOMMENDED: How the Trocadero blew London’s mind then vanished for ever. This follows news that ’Spoons will be opening a new watering hole at Paddington Station. The proposed new pub will span 3,600 square-feet across two floors, including a mezzanine in the station’s former ticket hall, with direct access to the Bakerloo line. It will join two other recently opened railway ’Spoons; Captain Flinders Wetherspoons at Euston and The Lion and The Unicorn at Waterloo. Photograph: Matthew Stone / Shutterstock.comWetherspoons logo Earlier this year Westminster Council also granted Wetherspoons a license to operate a pub and restaurant on the Strand, right next to Charing Cross station.  Find the locations of all the newest Wetherspoons boozers in the UK (and Alicante!) here. The best pubs in London, ac

Empire Empire, a ‘disco-themed’ Indian restaurant in Notting Hill, is eyeing up a second location.  The All Saints Road joint, which opened in 2023 and specialises in Punjabi cuisine, was awarded a Bib Gourmand – Michelin’s accolade for affordable fine dining. Judges praised the restaurant’s butter chicken, adding: ‘You'd be a fool to overlook the terrific King Prawns Kadhai Masala – a prime demonstration of the kitchen's skill with flavours.’ Empire Empire comes from restaurateur Harneet Baweja, who is also behind the mini-chain Gunpowder. The latter brand has sites in Spitalfields and Soho, and recently closed its Tower Bridge outpost.   The new branch of Empire Empire won’t be opening until late 2026 or early 2027, reports the Caterer, and will be in the Grade II listed former home of the Westmoreland Arms pub at 34 George Street, Marylebone. Most recently, the space was occupied by the long-running Japanese restaurant Defune.  The second branch of Empire Empire will feature a ground-floor dining room and a basement ‘pub’ with two private dining rooms and a bar. ‘Having lived in Marylebone for years I have seen first-hand the community that it is known for, both among locals and those further afield and feel that the concept lends itself perfectly to a reimagined pub environment,’ said Baweja about the opening.   Empire Empire’s current menu includes the likes of lamb chops, beef seekh kebabs, lobster biriyani, king prawn masala and dal makhani, as well as a gulub jamun ch

It hasn’t snowed in Reykjavik in four months, but hours after I arrive it starts to pelt down big, fluffy flakes of the stuff. It’s a fitting backdrop for the first day of Food & Fun, a festival in its 23rd year that invites chefs from across the world to cook in some of the Icelandic capital’s finest restaurants. They bring their skill and technique, and Iceland supplies the ingredients from its surprisingly epic stash. Despite what you might have heard, it’s not all fermented shark and puffin burgers around here. In fact, we don’t see either during our four-day visit; instead, we get stuck into the island’s bounty alongside the festival’s chefs, who are also here to experience Iceland’s fascinating food culture. RECOMMENDED: This little-known Icelandic island gives Reykjavik’s food scene a run for its money It might be isolated, and really bloody cold at times, but Iceland’s elite supply of geothermal energy means farmers can pretty much grow whatever they want in huge, sustainable greenhouses. There are thriving banana, tomato, strawberry and cucumber farms, as well as premium lamb from purebred stock that can be traced back to Viking times.  I join the 40-or-so chefs on a visit to one of these farms at Friðheimar, where juicy tomatoes are grown year-round. Friðheimar is, oddly, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, a farm-to-table dining experience that’s like a high-end version of visiting the garden centre cafe with your nan. On a Thursday lunchtime, it’s absol

Mayfair has long been one of London’s more ‘red flag’ neighbourhoods. Just one street over from friendly fun Soho, but spiritually a million miles away, Mayfair is where oligarchs rub cashmere shoulders, private galleries shift questionable art, and people deal in literal diamonds. London is already one of the most expensive cities in the world, but Mayfair? Mayfair can bankrupt you in seconds.  Mayfair might have finally shaken off some of its stuffiness Despite all that money – or maybe because of it? – restaurants in Mayfair are usually more cringey than classy. It’s full of flashy tourist traps for those in possession of more cash than sense, and bonkers boltholes for the super-rich. But a new kind of Mayfair restaurant has been attracting regular Londoners back to the warren of Georgian lanes between Piccadilly and Oxford Street. It began with New York Italian-inspired disco bistro The Dover, and its sassy little sibling, Dover Street Counter, followed late last year. At both, the food isn’t as madly-priced as you’d think, and the vibes are exceptional. Automat on Mount Street has followed suit, pushing the same martinis-and-fries aesthetic and DakaDaka has impressed with its booming take on Georgian cuisine. New York import Carbone has also joined the party, and even Claridge’s has got in on the action, with historic West Village cafe Dante in permanent residence at the luxury hotel’s main bar and restaurant, and hipster baker Richard Hart in charge of the offering at t