Leonie Cooper

January 2026: Our latest update includes everything from an early morning Michelin starred tasting menu to udon noodle bowls, South Indian platters and Hong Kong-style toasted buns. Of course, it wouldn't be a list of the best breakfasts in London without an appearance from Dishoom and their iconic-for-a-reason bacon naan, so that's here too, as is old school East End hangout E Pellicci - one of the best classic caffs in London.  The best breakfasts in London at a glance: 🌯 Best for a burrito: Bad Manners, Shoreditch 😎 Best for celeb-spotting: The Wolseley, Mayfair 🥓 Best for a fry-up: E Pellicci, Bethnal Green 🍛 Best for a South Indian feast: The Tamil Prince, Islington 🍞 Best for Hong Kong French toast: Hoko Cafe, Brick Lane 🍱 Best for Japanese brekkie: Ikoi, Kings Cross Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible morning whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list.  RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial

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 February 2026. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Dover Street Counter, Mayfair 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea January 2026: New additions include slinky Italian joint Martino's in Chelsea, Dover Street Counter in Mayfair, foodie wine bar in a Clerkenwell tattoo parlour Passione Vino, Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Ukrainian elegance at Sino in Notting Hill, spicy southern Thai at the second branch of Plaza Khao Gaeng by Borough Market, and 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 editoria

Updated January 2026: We’ve refreshed our list of 50 best restaurants in London following the latest Michelin Guide announcements as well as our visits to a bunch of great new openings. Recent additions include cool Italian customer Martino's in Chelsea, stunning Michelin star spot Cycene in Shoreditch, Chingford chophouse Gina, super affordable Lebanese food at Finsbury Park favourite Palmyra's Kitchen and Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington. Sadly we've just had to remove legendary grill house FKABAM in Highbury, after it closed for regular service last month. We've also added Ikoyi back into the Top 50 after a recent revisit, which found the double Michelin star spot as epic as ever.  Best Restaurants in London: Our Critic’s Picks: 🍸 Best Michelin-star restaurant: Cycene, Shoreditch - intimate fine dining with foraged finds and superb seasonal ingredients. 🔥 Best Thai restaurant: Singburi, Shoreditch - cult favourite known for fiery dishes. 🥩 Best Middle Eastern restaurant: Berenjak, Soho - buzzy Persian grillhouse with counter seating and charcoal-smoked kebabs. 🍜 Best affordable restaurant: Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar, Covent Garden - late-night noodles at a great price. 🥧 Best British restaurant: St John, Clerkenwell - trad British dishes in a former smokehouse. 🍝 Best Italian restaurant: Trullo, Highbury - perfect pasta in a cosy neighbourhood classic. 🍻 Best gastropub: Rake at The Compton Arms, Islington - great pub food in lowkey surroundings. London doesn’t st

Looking for the best restaurants in Mayfair? You’re spoilt for choice in this extremely 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 should 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.

January 2026: London has some of the most spectaular skyline views in the world, offering a mix of the historic (hello, St Paul's Cathedral) and the new school of skyscrapers in the City. Our latest update to this list incorporates some more recent openings, such as Shanghai Me on the 28th floor of the London Hilton Park Lane, Forza Wine's National Theatre top floor takeover, as well as Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat by Liverpool Street, which is the highest London restaurant above sea level, situated on the 60th floor of the towering 22 Bishopsgate. What’s the point of eating out if you’re just looking at your plate? Instead, we recommend dining like a demigod and staring down upon your enemies from these soaring, sky-high restaurants and cafés – as well as a few ground-dwelling joints with some stunning backdrops. From jawdropping views of (and from) The Shard, to Tower Bridge, and enough looking at the Thames to make you feel like you’re a boat, London’s has some of the most beautiful vistas in the world. If you fancy a panorama with your pizza, you’ve come to the right place.  RECOMMENDED: The best rooftop bars in London.   Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Perfect pancakes are a Shrove Tuesday standard, but what if you can’t be bothered to FIY (flip it yourself)? Eat out, of course. Don't know where to go for your edible disc of battered joy? Well we do, and have rounded up the best places for pancakes in London. There’s also way more to these carb-tastic delights than sugar and lemon. From American-style delights at brunch with bacon on the side, to decadent cherry-studded crêpes for dessert, and Chinese streetfood snack jianbing, these are the finest pancakes in town – for the big day (February 17, 2026) and beyond.  RECOMMENDED: The best cafes in London. 

January 2026: Whether you’re after something simple or a bit more flash (or even Michelin-starred), Notting Hill is packed with great cafés and restaurants, as is nearby Holland Park and Ladbroke Grove. Whatever you desire – from a Carnival time top-up to a blow-out dinner – pile through our list below of the best eateries in this historic area. The latest additions to this list include Jackson Boxer’s playful bistro Dove, the second outpost of Chinatown’s buzzy Thai canteen Speedboat Bar, witty Ukrainian bistro Sino, Dishoom side-hustle Permit Room Portobello - an all-day Bombay cafe in an old Victorian pub - and the waterside Canal in Westbourne Park. Fancy a pint afterwards? Here are Notting Hill’s standout pubs, or head for something a little more poised at the area’s best bars.  RECOMMENDED: The 50 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.

January 2026: We've recently given this list a reshuffle to make sure we're recommending you the finest burgers in town. Smash burgers still take up quite a lot of real estate and with good reason; they're a little bit more managable then the hefty burgers that were in style a few years ago. But one particularly big boy makes the grade; the burger at Dove in Notting Hill, of which there are only 10 made a day. Smaller, smashier offerings can be found at French import Dumbo in Shoreditch, Jupiter Burger in Hackney, and Chuck's in Fitzrovia. Our new No 1, Hanbaagaasuuteeki in Victoriam, offers burgers with an Asian-twist.   Fancy a burger? Of course you do. The simple meat-between-buns combo is always a winner, whether for a quick fast-food fix or a decadent, gourmet feast. We’ve selflessly toiled away, trying and tasting a vast range of patties to compile this list of London’s best burgers, including the inescapable smash burger. London’s finest are utter meaty marvels: juice-seeping, oozing with flavour and far more complex in creation than they’re ever given credit for. Roll up your sleeves and tuck in to the best burgers in London right now. RECOMMENDED: These are London's best pizza restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Shoreditch is a dining destination for tourists, hipsters and ravenous city workers alike, so it’s no wonder that there are restaurants of all cuisines and price ranges in this always-buzzy area. But which of the many options deserve your time and money? Let us tell you, with our list of the best restaurants in Shoreditch and Spitalfields, which only features places that we know will hit the spot. Check out everything from Michelin-starred favourites for big spenders to stellar plant-based joints and some of the best Italian restaurants in the capital. Go east and feast. January 2026: We've just given this list a proper revamp, removing those Shoreditch spots that are no longer up to scratch and adding a load of new must-visit restaurants in their place. There's also a brand new number one - Plates, which is the UK’s only Michelin-starred vegan restaurant. Other new entries include Legado, from Michelin star Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, Cycene (another Michelin-star scorer), sleek Ukranian restaurant Tatar Bunar, Japanese-Italian fusion spot Osteria Angelina, bottomless lasagna paradise Senza Fondo, Singburi 2:0 and spruced up gastropub The Macbeth. Plenty of local classics remain, from Brat and Smokestak to Smoking Goat, Rochelle Canteen, Manteca and The Clove Club.  RECOMMENDED: The best bars, pubs and rooftops in Shoreditch. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

There’s nothing quite as romantic as a dinner date. London is full of romantic things to do, and flowers, gifts and grand gestures are all very well and good, but we reckon sharing a meal is the best way to conjure up some love – and don’t worry if a little sauce dribbles down your chin. ‘Eating with abandon couldn’t be more of a turn-on: it shows that you’re comfortable with yourself,’ said the late, great Anthony Bourdain, and we're inclined to agree. The places in our list of London’s most romantic restaurants all provide excellent opportunity to shove food in your face while flirting. Good for Valentine’s Day dining and year-round romancing, too.  London’s most romantic restaurants at a glance: 🥖 Best for rustic French romance: Casse-Croûte, Bermondsey 💅 Best for vintage glam: Brunswick House, Vauxhall 🥂 Best for sleek 1970s seduction energy: Bebe Bob, Soho 🏮 Best for feeling like you’re in Wong Kar-wai movie: Lao Dao, Walworth 🌜 Best for candle-lit chic: Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell  🍷 Best for cosying up with wine: Godet, Islington  From chic French spots to amazing Japanese joints, we’ve got somewhere for every amorous encounter, whether a big date, anniversary dinner or a ‘We finally got a babysitter’ celebration. Really want to push the boat out? Then visit one of London's Michelin-starred restaurants with your beau. To paraphrase Shakespeare: if food be the food of love, munch on. RECOMMENDED: The most romantic hotels in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out

Looking for a seriously good date spot but not quite sure where to start? We got you. We’re proper romantics at Time Out and think London is the sexiest city in the world (sorry, Paris!) Some of these places are the kind of dreamy, low-lit bars you’d expect, but others are a little more left-of-centre; we know it takes more than couple of candles and a Negroni to charm this city’s more discerning daters. So read on to discover atmospheric cocktail bars as well as some character-filled watering holes, pubs and wine bars – all of them perfect for a dose of London love for Valentine’s Day and beyond.   Fancy some food with your flirting? Here are the most romantic restaurants in London Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

One of central London’s most low-key neighbourhoods, Clerkenwell has all the charm of a village but all the high-end dining options of a bustling world city. Catering to office workers, late-night partiers at Fabric and local residents, this historic part of London has it all – and people come from across the capital to sample its seriously good restaurants. Whether you’re looking for a lovely brunch spot, a poshed-up boozer or an old-school French dining room, there are loads of classic and contemporary eateries worthy of a visit. Here’s our pick of the best, including romantic Italian spot Luca, that mainstay of British fine dining, St John, the ultra lovely Morchella and Basque steakhouse Ibai. Our latest addition is an excellent wine bar in an old tattoo parlour, Passione Vino. RECOMMENDED: The very 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.

The not-that-little sister of one of central London’s most important restaurant launches of the past few years, Dover Street Counter sits two doors down from its glossy sibling, The Dover. Just as elegant, but with a naughty glint in its eye, it’s almost enough to make Mayfair cool for the first time since the Beatles played on that roof.  McDonald’s for oligarchs Unlike The Dover, Dover Street Counter is an all-day affair (and, equally, a great place to have an all-day affair). With a shorter menu and a more casual set-up, food is important here – of course it is – but this place is about much more than what you’re eating. It’s about vibes, and DSC has a surfeit of them. The experience starts before you get inside, with a sleek curved glass frontage, that’s all 1930s shopfront by way of a Parisian Fin de Siècle knocking shop. Push open the door to find a thick, floor-to-ceiling curtain, which not only keeps out both winter drafts and summer sunshine, but separates two worlds from each other: dreary, workaday real life from a glamorous, wonderland of martinis and controlled mayhem. The soundtrack is largely ‘90s hip-hop that it’s impossible not to like. They probably want you to think of it as a mere diner, but it’s so much more.  The first room of many is lined by a chrome counter dotted with domed rattan lights, seemingly pinched from the set of Emmanuelle. The kitchen is in full view, but there are a couple of small tables on the floor if watching someone flip cheeseburge

Exmouth Market is an exceptional street. On a wet and blustery winter evening, there are still scores of people spilling out of Cafe Kick, Berber & Q’s Shawarma Bar and Morito et al, clinking beers, chugging wines and puffing on crafty cigs all down this pedestrianised strip of year-round urban hedonism.  It’s the perfect scene for the second outing from eccentric wine guy Luca Dusi, whose Shoreditch bar, with its ‘no list, purely vibes’ approach to serving customers has been enchanting Londoners since 2015.  Exmouth Market just got even more exciting The new Passione Vino offers the same intrepid method. Rather than a chalkboard or menu, intuitive staff will ask what you’re into and, after a kind of sommelier-adjacent cold reading, will return with a couple of bottles for you to try, before you’re poured a glass of your favourite. Wine here is exclusively Italian (Passione Vino started life as an import company), but you’re allowed to throw out names of global grapes and knowledgeable staff will suggest their Italian equivalent. Not sure what you like? That works too, with recommendations coming thick and fast, alongside brief but impassioned explanations of various vines.  If the space looks familiar, that’s because they’ve taken over the original home of long-running Clerkenwell tattoo parlour, the Family Business (don’t worry they’ve not closed, just moved next door). The gold foil ‘Electric Tattooing’ lettering remains emblazoned on the steamy windows, and the buzz of t

Conceptually, Poon’s has a lot going for it. First, there’s the location; a stunning, high-ceilinged antechamber in the west wing of Somerset House, all dolled up with hand-painted willows weeping down pastel pink walls. Then there’s the deep, storied lore. This is the latest incarnation of a London institution, with the first Poon’s Restaurant opening in 1973 and bringing Cantonese food to the tatty streets south of Soho and helping give Chinatown its name. Next came the flashier Poon’s of Covent Garden, which welcomed the likes of Frank Sinatra and Mick Jagger (not to mention a Michelin Star), in 1980.  There’s liver so enticing that even offal-phobes might lap it up Founders William and Cecilia Poon retired in the mid-2000s, but their daughter Amy has been keeping the family business alive, through what the marketing team are at pains to point out is a ‘food and lifestyle brand’, as well as various wonton-related pop-ups. This marks her first stand-alone restaurant, and a lot of thought has gone into the elegant space, which is as long, skinny and splendid as any 1990s-era supermodel.  Food isn’t quite as ornate. Although prawn toast, which is dubbed ‘The hill that Amy didn’t die on’ for reasons unexplained, looks the part, all chubby and deep-fried in sesame seeds, it doesn't taste of much. One of those famous Poon’s dipping sauces would be nice, but alas, it is served nude. Luckily, a bowl of slippery wontons are served with a helping of Poon’s branded Chilli Vinegar Dre

You have to hand it to Hanbaagaasuuteeki for its supremely confident choice of location. This Asian-inspired burger joint has opened up within patty-spitting distance of Shake Shack and Bleecker Burger, making this London’s prime hamburger nexus. Need meat sandwiched between buns? Victoria’s hectic transport hub is calling.  It feels a lot like hallowed West Coast burger joint In-N-Out with a K-pop twist  Happily, Hanbaagaasuuteeki pulls off its cocky move in a major way. A drop-in spot with high stools, counter-top tables and bright red splashes of colour, it feels a lot like hallowed West Coast burger joint In-N-Out with a K-pop twist.  As well as a few cursory sides, the menu features nine burgers, kicking off with a ‘1950s-style’ double cheeseburger, a tribute to the ultimate in trad fast food with a gentle Japanese lilt (its onions are rehydrated in dashi vinegar). It’s good, sure, but why not try something a little more exciting than the all-American classic. Hanbaagaasuuteeki’s more inventive burgers don’t seem like novelty additions, nor a panicked afterthought. On the freakier fringes of the menu is where the magic happens.  Take, for example, my favourite, the shrimp kong baga. Surf and turf if you happen to be surfing on the shores of Okinawa, this smashed, lacy beef patty comes topped with a cavalcade of crispy, deep fried shrimps, topped with sweet and tangy 1000 island-style dressing as well as melted cheese. There’s a scattering of seaweed strands on the top,

Ikoyi is a huge deal. Monumental, in fact. Arguably the most important British restaurant of the past decade, it’s also one of the only London locations to regularly find itself in official rankings of the world’s greatest places to eat. Michelin stars? You bet. Ikoyi has a casual two, and is shamelessly gunning for a third.  It is, of course, exceptional. At these prices it has to be. With the most expensive tasting menu we’ve ever come across (£380 a head, and that’s before drinks), food at Ikoyi can’t just be ‘good’. It has to be really fucking great.  Dishes that simultaneously make you think and make you feel held Jeremy Chan makes sure of it. Ikoyi’s steely and determined head chef has such a singular vision that people have come, night after night, since 2017 to spend the best part of an average weekly salary on a single meal.  A demi-brutalist space of warm walnut wood, and soft spotlights over each table, Ikoyi’s deeply chill dining room sits at the corner of the 180 Strand building. Also home to a branch of Soho House, elite deli 180 Corner, and the HQs of uber cool fashion brands Martine Rose and Harris Reed, as well as style mag Dazed and art fair dons Frieze, 180 Strand is where you’ll find the coolest creatives in London, and possibly everyone who ever bullied you in sixth form.  Named after the affluent suburb of Lagos where co-founder Iré Hassan-Odukale was born, Ikoyi has gently moved away from its original west African culinary concept. Now the focus is on

There’s something terribly trad about naming your restaurant Lilibet’s – a reference to the late Queen Elizabeth’s cutesy childhood nickname. A royalist flex can be blamed upon the location of this fancy new seafood spot, which is on the Bruton Street site of the 18th century townhouse where Lizzy II was born in 1926. Demolished in 1937, it made way for the vast office building which stands here today.  It is, essentially, the perfume counter at Selfridges with a bonus raw bar Inside this huge corner spot is where things get interesting. With its baby blue frilly swags, powder pink floral wallpaper, shiny silver candelabras and plump soft furnishings, Lilibet’s offers a rococo take on the OTT flamboyance displayed by its Mayfair neighbours Sexy Fish, Bacchanalia, Hakkasan and Park Chinois. It is, essentially, the perfume counter at Selfridges with a bonus raw bar, or the sugar plum fairy’s boudoir by way of Billingsgate, and although the frothy, frilly girlishness of the place should be too much, it is somehow just enough. Oddly enough, it’s from the same former Nobu exec chef who founded the ‘rock’n’roll’ ramen chain, Bone Daddies.   Wondrous wallpaper aside, starters are Lilibet’s strongest suit. Diminutive anchovy eclairs are as fabulous as the decor, offering a gruff creamy parfait tongue-slap but with a sweet and sour sauce that cuts, lazer-like, through the delicate honk of fish brine. Next comes a pretty, pretty crab tart with grapefruit, which is almost presumptuousl

The original Plaza Khao Gaeng surprised everyone with its monumental greatness. A restaurant slipped into a food hall mezzanine isn’t supposed to be one of the best in London, and yet the bijoux, southern Thai-inspired canteen blew minds and mouths with its relentless approach to flavour and fun when it opened in 2022. Run by a Brit, Plaza held up its hands when it came to its inauthenticity, but made up for it with the dedication that chef-founder Luke Farrell poured into the place. A couple of months after it launched, spin-off restaurant Speedboat Bar arrived, a day-glo, stand-alone tribute to Bangkok’s Chinatown in London’s Chinatown.  It’s a shouty, cocky spot that demands your attention Now, like Speedboat Bar, Plaza has a space to call its very own, rather than what felt like digs in a culinary halls of residence. Plaza Khao Gaeng 2:0 can be found in the ever-expanding Borough Yards development by London Bridge, where so many esteemed London restaurants have launched culinary siblings. You’ll find it next to a baby Barrafina, Akoko offshoot Akara, and Cafe François, a mini manifestation of Maison François in Mayfair.  At 78 covers, it’s at least twice the size of the original Plaza, and makes the most of a spacious railway arch. There are two dining areas, both rowdy and roomy, with a pleasing soundbed of clattering cutlery alongside what looks like a Wild West vaudeville stage in the cosier back room and buzzing strip lights which reflect the full-on, nowhere-to-hide

Dara Klein’s rustic Italian kitchen Tiella was the life and soul of the Compton Arms before the super talented New Zealand/Italian chef took a well earned breather and let the lads from Rake take over food duties in the much-loved Islington gastro-boozer. But Dara’s masterplan was always thus; a restaurant of her very own. In mid-January that dream becomes a delicious reality. Opening up in an old Victorian pub space on the always-charming Columbia Road, Tiella Trattoria & Bar will pay homage to Dara’s family roots in Puglia. Expect the soul-nurturing likes of passatelli in brodo, orecchiette with cime di rapa and pangrattato, and bay leaf panna cotta with blood orange on offer. And yes, the super-fresh chicken Milanese with green apple, celery, fennel, and creme fraiche from her Compton Arms menu will be making a return.

Now that one in every ten pints poured in the capital is Guinness, this swanky spot in Covent Garden is all the more exciting. After years of teasing, the Guinness microbrewery in Old Brewer’s Yard opened at the end of 2025 following a £73 million building project. Located on a historic site that first produced beer over 300 years ago, the 50,000-square-foot building features plenty of event spaces, a grillhouse, and rootftop restaurant with 360-degree views. Both have menus curated by executive chef, Pip Lacey, formerly of Hicce in King’s Cross, while in the Old Brewer's Yard bar are grab-and-go pies dreamed up by chef Calum Franklin, including a braised beef cheek and Guinness offering. There are two merch shops, The Store and Guinness Good Things where you can buy limited edition collabs with the likes of London indie fashion label Lazy Oaf. Most important of all is the a micro-brewery pumping out 14 different limited-edition brews. The names of the beers reference the local area, with Covent Classic IPA, Old Brewer’s Yard Porter, and Piazza Pale Ale all on offer, as well as seasonal specials, such Winter Warmer and Apricot Sour. Actual Guinness won’t be brewed on site - that all happens over in Dublin - but it will be readily available for drinking. Take a tour of the brewery (tickets are £40-50 depending on when you want to go), and get stuck into a tasting session of various Guinness-brewed ales, lagers, porters and sours, before pouring your very own pint of creamy Gui

Martino’s has seemingly opened by stealth. There was no pre-launch hullabaloo, no formative hype, no dragged-out social build-up. One day it was just there, looking like it’d been around for decades, complete with a glamorous, older Sloane Square crowd that seemed to have been propping up the bar since 1978.  The taste is Brighton chip shop by way of a Calabrian trattoria Who might have the balls to pull off such a feat of modern hospitality sass? Martino’s is the latest from Martin Kuczmarski, the man behind The Dover, which has remained a searing hot ticket since it opened in 2023. Martino’s is a little less New York and a little more Milan, with a simple pasta and meatballs menu, and all-day dining (it’s open from 8am on weekdays). I’m here for an early Monday dinner, but it could be 9pm on a Friday for all we know; there are rowdy family get-togethers, cheery groups of friends and furtive martini meetings around the majestic oval bar in the middle of the room, which somehow manages to not pull focus, such is the twinkling beauty of every single facet of the stunning space.  But before we get too excited about what we’re calling the Sexiest Dining Room of The Year, we must mention the space-age holding pod that doubles up as the restaurant’s entrance. A dreamy decontamination chamber, this pearlescent womb smells like a Diptyque factory, and is adorned with fresh flowers and humming with charming staff who look up your handwritten booking in a massive leather-bound book.

Like reaching for ABBA Gold in times of house-party crisis, Hawksmoor is a trusty and reliable failsafe. The ultimate in crowdpleasers, this super-solid steakhouse chain has been impressing carnivores and cocktail-quaffers since its inception in 2006. It’s been a while since these meat magicians launched a new London branch of their midi-chain but they’ve made up for lost time by taking over one of the grandest dining rooms in the city.  Gutbusting done with a dose of glamour The stunning space inside the Grade I-listed St Pancras London Hotel, with its double-height ceilings, intricate molding, and uber-extra glitz was designed in 1873 by the daddy of gothic revival architects, Sir George Gilbert Scott. Closed in 1935, the dramatic room was then used as railway offices until the building reopened as a hotel in 2011. A number of different chefs have had their fun with the room since then, but its current form seems to suit it the most; a fittingly luxe backdrop for one of London’s most indulgent menus. There have been a few minor tweaks to the space; the walls are now a rather butch shade of British racing green, the booths are leather, and there’s a quite unnecessary, gigantic poster that reads ‘Beef and Liberty’, which we can only assume is the sweaty carnivore's own version of ‘Live, Laugh, Love’. Aside from the space and the adjoining Martini Bar, there’s not much about this Hawksmoor that sets it apart from the others. Simply put; steakheads will remain satisfied with t

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

There’s all manner of edible excellences launching right now in London. Whether you’re after Welsh laverbread sandwiches, Caribbean glazed plantain, Cantonese fish balls, a Lunar New Year feast from two of London’s best chefs, or simply a nice bit of smoked sausage, we’ve got you.  These are the 9 best new openings of the month.  The best new London restaurants opening in February 2026 Photograph: Bara 1. The cute Welsh cafe Bara, Peckham Stockpile for St David’s Day at lovely little Welsh cafe, Bara - which means ‘bread’. The project of Masterchef Professionals quarter-finalist Cecily Dalladay (from south Wales) and Zoë Heimann (from south London), the cafe is inspired by a 1950s Welsh Gas Board cookbook that used to belong to Cecily’s grandma. Expect a Caerphilly Cheesesteak sandwich, Pembrokeshire lobster roll, and brunch offering of a ‘Swansea Breakfast’ (smoked bacon, leeks, cockles and laverbread on toasted focaccia), as well as honey butter pancakes, brown crab rarebit, and leek bubble-and-squeak sarnies.  Address: 44-46 Choumert Road, SE15 4SE Opens: Feb 12   ROKAS JUOZAPAVICIUS - WWW.ROKPHOTO.NET 2. The return of a modern Caribbean classic  The Good Front Room, Dalston Chef Dominic Taylor is relaunching his Good Front Room concept at a permanent site in Hackney. It started life as a pop-up at The Langham after Taylor won Channel 4's Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef, which was judged by none other than Michel Roux Jr. Expect food that harks back to his

There’s a brand new number one in Time Out’s list of the best London restaurants with views, and it’s a newly-opened joint just by Hyde Park. Congratulations to Shanghai Me, which opened last year on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane. The same address was once home to Galvin at Windows, which closed in 2024 after 18 years of trading. Our four-star review of the high rise Chinese-Japanese fusion restaurant praised the extensive menu, which features the likes of wagyu dim sum, cod and miso, and black truffle yellowtail.  ‘There was a desire to be cynical about Shanghai Me. But it’s actually fun,’ wrote Joe Bishop. ‘The dishes are enjoyable, the people watching is second to none, the view is stunning, the mainly Italian serving staff were jovial and had character. If you’re going for a silly, opulent date night to rub shoulders with London’s anonymous elite, you could do a hell of a lot worse than this.’ The review also mentioned the scale of what you can see from the restaurant windows: ‘Our view was punctuated magically by the fireworks from Wembley Stadium at the end of an Oasis concert’. That’s a solid eight miles away.  Our full list of the 18 best London restaurants with views also includes Forza Wine’s spot on the South Bank, and Tate Modern’s in-house eatery on the 6th floor, which boasts views of St Paul's Cathedral.  🌅 London restaurants with the best views, according to Time Out.  Plus: this fancy north London pub has been crowned the third best gastro

The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate has just been named the third best gastropub in the UK. The north London institution scooped the honour in the 2026 list of Britain’s top 50 gastropubs, which featured 13 London gastropubs overall.  The Red Lion & Sun offers what it calls ‘rustic modern British pub food’. On the current menu you’ll find the likes of braised beef cheek, bone marrow and pancetta pie, gnocchi with wild mushrooms and sage, and a wagyu double cheeseburger. It’s also known for very good Sunday roasts.  Heath Ball, who runs the pub, commented: ‘As a team, we feel humbled to be ranked number three in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs. Moving from 6th to 3rd place is a huge achievement for us and reflects the consistency, care and hard work that goes into everything we do. We’re proud to see that recognised.’ The Devonshire in Soho topped the 2026 edition of the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, after placing second in 2025. As for the other London boozers? The Canton Arms in Stockwell came 11th, The Baring in Islington was 17th, The Marksman in Hackney came 23rd, The Hero in Maida Vale was 24th and The Kerfield Arms in Camberwell placed 25th. Photograph: Laura Gallant for Time Out After that, The Waterman’s Arms in Barnes was placed at 33, The Tamil Crown in Islington at 35, The Harwood Arms in Fulham (London’s only Michelin starred pub) at 36, The Bull and Last in Highgate at 39, The Knave of Clubs in Shoreditch at 43 and The French House in Soho at 47.  The Un

Estou a rastejar por um túnel surpreendentemente apertado dentro da Grande Pirâmide de Gizé e, sejamos honestos, estou em pânico. Durante 3800 anos foi a mais alta estrutura do mundo construída pelo homem (até ser ultrapassada pela traidora Catedral de Lincoln, em 1311). Mede uns impressionantes 140 metros, continua a ser mais alta do que a Estátua da Liberdade e bem mais imponente do que o Big Ben. Ainda assim, apesar do estatuto lendário, por dentro é quente, húmida e profundamente claustrofóbica. Quem diria? Fotografia: Leonie Cooper para a Time Out Nunca tinha pensado seriamente em entrar na mais antiga das Sete Maravilhas do Mundo, mas aqui estou eu numa fila que faz parecer ridícula a fila à porta da Toad Bakery, em Londres, à hora de almoço. Também estou de gatas, a tentar não bater com a cabeça em pedras ali postas há mais de 4000 anos. São apenas cerca de 100 metros desde a entrada até à Câmara do Rei, que está vazia, à excepção do sarcófago de pedra de Quéops, saqueado há milénios. Mesmo sendo uma distância curta, demora cerca de 15 minutos a percorrê-la, por causa das filas em sentido único e do rastejar constante. A Câmara do Rei é pequena e, estranhamente, faz lembrar um Boiler Room, com o sarcófago a parecer uma mesa de mistura e um homem de pé atrás dele, confiante, como se estivesse a fazer um set. Inside the King’s Chamber | Fotografia: Leonie Cooper para a Time Out O túmulo em si é minúsculo e pouco há a fazer para além de ali ficar, rosado, pegajoso e m

Gloria – the Shoreditch outpost of the French-born but Italian-obsessed restaurant group Big Mamma – is bringing back its whopping 10-layer lasagna.  To celebrate seven years of the restaurant, the looming lasagna dish will be on the menu again just for the month of February. It’s stacked up with ragù alla bolognese, bechamel, parmigiano and mozzarella fior di latte, and £1 from every portion sold will go to a good cause: food redistribution charity the Felix Project.  It’s also the 10th anniversary(ish) of Big Mamma, which was founded in 2015 in Paris. The group is known for its lavish, OTT-styled restaurants as well as hype-y dishes such as the aforementioned mega lasagna, as well as pasta served directly from hollowed out wheels of cheese and one-metre-long spaghettone.  Photograph: Joann Pai Big Mamma now has a host of restaurants across London, including Circolo Popolare in Fitzrovia, Ave Mario in Covent Garden, Jacuzzi in Kensington, Carlotta in Marylebone and, the latest opening, 1970s-themed Barbarella in Canary Wharf.  ‘The room is like the inside of your Italian nonna’s parlour, if she also had the kind of hoarding problem that would get her on to a late-night Channel 4 documentary, read Time Out’s original review of Gloria. ‘Every inch is covered with a knick or a knack: your head needs to spin 360 degrees to take it all in.’ Gloria features in our list of the best restaurants in Shoreditch.  According to one study, Big Mamma restaurants are some of the most love

Me estoy arrastrando por un túnel estrecho dentro de la Gran Pirámide de Guiza y —seamos sinceros— me entra el pánico. La construcción realizada por el ser humano más alta del mundo durante 3.800 años (hasta que fue superada por la catedral de Lincoln en 1311) mide unos imponentes 140 metros de altura, aún más alta que la Estatua de la Libertad y mucho más elevada que el Big Ben. Pero, a pesar de su estatus legendario, resulta que sus entrañas, calurosas, sudorosas y profundamente claustrofóbicas, pueden ser un poco intensas. ¿Quién lo iba a decir? Foto: Leonie Cooper No creo que nunca me hubiera planteado entrar en la más antigua de las siete maravillas del mundo; baste decir que ahora mismo estoy en una cola que haría que la de la hora de comer frente a la Toad Bakery de Londres pareciera patética. También estoy a cuatro patas, intentando no darme golpes en la cabeza con piedras que fueron colocadas aquí hace más de 4.000 años. Desde la entrada de la pirámide hasta la Cámara del Rey hay solo unos 100 metros; esta estancia está vacía salvo por el sarcófago de piedra de Jufu, saqueado hace milenios de todos los brillantes tesoros funerarios. A pesar de ser una distancia corta, se tarda unos 15 minutos en llegar debido a las colas en fila india y al arrastre necesario para avanzar. Inside the King’s Chamber | Foto: Leonie Cooper La Cámara del Rey es una sala pequeña y, curiosamente, recuerda a una retransmisión desde una sala de calderas, gracias a que el sarcófago se as

The very first Poon’s Restaurant opened in 1973, bringing Cantonese food to the streets south of Soho and helping forge London’s second Chinatown (the first was in Limehouse). Founded by Bill and Cecilia Poon, it was followed by the celeb-magnet that was Poon’s of Covent Garden, which welcomed the likes of Frank Sinatra and Mick Jagger, and also won a Michelin star in 1980. At its peak there were seven branches of Poon’s, including in Russell Square and Whiteley’s in Bayswater.  Though the Poons retired from the restaurant business in 2003, their daughter Amy Poon has been keeping the family name alive via various pop-ups and a food and lifestyle brand, and has just opened her first restaurant.  Poon’s at Somerset House can be found in a high-ceilinged antechamber in the west wing of the historic London building. It opened in November 2025, and we’ve just visited to give our verdict. 👀 Read Time Out’s review of Poon’s at Somerset House here. Poon's at Somerset House Check out Time Out’s list of our favourite Chinese restaurants in London, as well as our top 20 restaurants in Chinatown, which spans Malaysian, Korean, Singaporean, Thai and Taiwanese cuisine alongside regional Chinese flavours like Sichuanese, Cantonese and Gansu style classics – not to mention an entire alley of pan-Asian dessert options.  The best 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

Time Out recently took a trip to Victoria’s Hanbaagaasuuteeki and discovered some of the best burgers in London right now.  The Asian-inspired burger joint, which boldly opened right by branches of Bleecker and Shake Shack last year, has nine different burgers on the menu and the beef patties are breathing new life into the world of the smash burger – surely the most ubiquitous patty in town.  We tried the shrimp kong baga, which features a lacy and smashed beef patty which is then topped with deep fried shrimp, 1000 island-style dressing, melted cheese and crispy seaweed. There’s also a smashed blue-cheese burger which comes with kimchi and green apple slaw. Both are deeply delicious.  ‘A drop-in spot with high stools, counter-top tables and bright red splashes of colour, it feels a lot like hallowed West Coast burger joint In-N-Out with a K-pop twist,’ reads our Time Out review of the restaurant. ‘There are many, many burger bars in London, and Hanbaagaasuuteeki isn’t like the others. That can only be a good thing.’ Wondering about that name? It apparently comes from the Japanese for ‘hamburger steak’.  Read the full review of Hanbaagaasuuteeki here.  Check to see where Hanbaagaasuuteeki ranks in our list of the 13 best burger restaurants in London, which features plenty of other smash burger joints, from the Shoreditch outpost of French import Dumbo, to Jupiter Burger in Hackney, and Heard in Borough and Soho (which is soon teaming up with Michelin star restaurant Akoko fo

Estic arrossegant-me per un túnel estret dins la Gran Piràmide de Guiza i —siguem sincers— em fa pànic. La construcció feta per l’ésser humà més alta del món durant 3.800 anys (fins que va ser superada per la catedral de Lincoln el 1311) fa uns imponents 140 metres d’alçària, encara és més alta que l’Estàtua de la Llibertat i molt més elevada que el Big Ben.  Però, malgrat el seu estatus llegendari, resulta que les seves entranyes, caloroses, suades i profundament claustrofòbiques, poden ser una mica intenses. Qui ho havia de dir? Foto: Leonie Cooper No crec que mai m’hagués plantejat entrar a la més antiga de les set meravelles del món; n’hi ha prou de dir que ara mateix estic en una cua que faria que la de l’hora de dinar davant la Toad Bakery de Londres semblés patètica. També estic a quatre grapes, intentant no donar-me cops al cap amb pedres que van ser col·locades aquí fa més de 4.000 anys. Des de l’entrada de la piràmide fins a la Cambra del Rei hi ha només uns 100 metres, aquesta habitació està buida excepte pel sarcòfag de pedra de Khufu, saquejat fa mil·lennis de tots els lluents tresors funeraris. Tot i ser una distància curta, es triga uns 15 minuts a arribar-hi per les cues en fila índia i l’arrossegament necessari per avançar.   Inside the King’s Chamber | Foto: Leonie Cooper La Cambra del Rei és una sala petita i, curiosament, recorda una retransmissió d’una sala de calderes, gràcies al fet que el sarcòfag s’assembla força a una taula de mescles i hi ha u

One of London’s top-rated restaurants is staging a patty-based takeover of one of London’s best burger joints. Excited? You should be, as Fitzrovia’s Michelin-starred Akoko is bringing a limited edition menu to Heard in Soho and Borough. Launching on March 1, Akoko’s West African inspired menu will be headed up by the Akoko burger, £16, which will see an aged British beef patty seasoned with a special spice blend as well as tamarind jam, sosu kaani scotch bonnet chilli sauce, yassa-spiced onions and melted goat’s cheese. The Akoko burger will come in Heard’s signature roast potato bun and be served with dibi dipping sauce inspired by Senegalese barbecue. There will also be Ghanaian-style kelewele fries for £6.50, and a calabash nutmeg ice cream sandwich with guava jam and a caramelised white-chocolate crumb for £8.  If you fancy a drink, there’ll be a wine and beer pairing on offer too, including a Gewurztraminer from Cave de Hunawihr and Five Points Brewery’s XPA. Photograph: India Whiley-Morton Heard, which launched its two London locations last year, comes from chef Jordan Bailey, who isn’t a stranger to Michelin stars, previously working at the double starred Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham. Speaking about the Akoko collaboration, he commented: ‘Working with Aji [Akokomi, Akoko founder] to create Heard's first ever collaboration menu has been so exciting, and it feels like a real milestone for Heard. ‘It brings a West African perspective into the world of a burger,

We’re big fans of Islington’s The Pocket, which launched less than a year ago and was named (by us!) as London’s best new pub that opened in 2025.  As well as serving delicious ales and delightful ciders, the pub has a decent snack selection, which largely focuses on scotch eggs and sausage rolls. ‘No reservations. No green food. No shit beer. No terrible modern music,’ the boozer says. However, as of March the pub is set to open up its upstairs room to serve a slap up lunch and dinner courtesy of super supper club, Big Plates. It’s possible that some green food might make an appearance.  Chris Coulson Big Plates’ month-long Saturdays-only residency will serve up a menu dedicated to ‘powerful gravies and robust puddings’. There will be snacks of pork and prunes and confit leek with walnut and Worcestershire sauce, as well as a starter of mince on focaccia with brûléed egg yolk, and mains of Piedmontese onions, pork schnitzel, and butter chicken pie. For pudding you have the very difficult choice of deciding between a chocolate and stout steamed pudding, and slab of banoffee pie.  The residency takes place on March 7, 14, 21 and 28. It’s four courses for £40, and you can score your tickets here. Lunch seatings take place at 1pm and dinners at 7pm.   Big Plates is the tasty project of chefs Josh Ebsworth and Hannah Larkin, who’ve worked everywhere from Cloth in Farringdon and Half Cut Market to Lucky & Joy. Their thing is ‘classics with cheeky riffs’.  The Pocket, 25 Canonbur

Ikoyi is regularly named one of the best restaurants in the world. In last year’s list of the planet’s top eateries by World’s 50 Best, Ikoyi was one of only two London restaurants to make the list (placing 15th overall).  But such greatness doesn’t come cheap. The sleek fine dining spot’s 14-ish course set menu comes in at a whopping £380 per person, making it one of the most expensive set meals in London (the most pricey is at Sushi Kanesaka in Mayfair, which is £420 a head).   Ikoyi, which opened in St James’s in 2017, won its first Michelin star in 2018. It scored its second in 2022, which is the same year the restaurant moved to swanky new digs at the 180 Strand building in Temple. I was lucky enough to visit recently and got to sample head chef Jeremy Chan’s quite spectacular cookery.  Leonie Cooper for Time Out And was it worth the whopping cost? Well, in a world where a decent Sunday roast might set you back £80 along with drinks, while a meal out in Soho can be anything upwards of £100 for even a casual dinner, it might not be so crazy. Especially when you consider that we were in Ikoyi for four full hours (6pm-10pm), and were presented with what is officially some of the greatest food in the world by an ultra talented team. Dishes at Ikoyi are made with the finest produce and rarest ingredients around, and presentation is as skilful as it is pretty. Chan’s big on technique, with days-long processes behind some of the dishes. Food at Ikoyi is, says Chan, ‘spice-ba