Dishoom is probably the restaurant I've been to most in London. This is because the food is fantastic and it's a great place to go with any group size. Portions are large enough to share and there's something for everyone! It's also a great place to try Indian food if you're not used to it, because they have a lot of dishes with only mild spice levels. The only downside of going to Dishoom is that you'll likely have to queue for a long time. But they've optimised the queueing experience by offering drinks while you wait, and honestly it's 100% worth it!
This is probably my favourite restaurant food wise. The food can be described as experimental Middle Eastern. Everything is vegetarian or vegan and so incredibly delicious! It’s hard to stop eating and I can promise you will always leave with a full tummy, because the food just keeps coming. The restaurants have a nice atmosphere, but are a tiny bit on the crammed side. You need to book well in advance.
I can’t think of a more iconic restaurant in London than Sketch. You don’t just go here for the food, but also for the eclectic interior. I’ve been to sketch many times for afternoon tea and it’s epic! A must go for special occasions or if you won’t be able to come to London often.
A lovely French restaurant in Bermondsey. It’s in an unexpected location in the corner of a small park. The food, staff and atmosphere are all very French. I love the saddle of lamb as well as their mille-feuille desserts! The menu changes depending on the season, and it’s always excellent quality.
The 10 Cases is a fantastic french mediterranean wine bar. They only ever buy ten cases of each wine, so there's always something new to try. The menu also changes frequently. It's the perfect place for a quick bite before going to the theater or spending a long summer evening on their terrace. I'm also a big fan of their sister restaurants Parsons and Baudry Greene.
Parsons is an excellent fish restaurant in Covent Garden. The food is delicious, I can especially recommend the fish pie. The staff is always kind and welcoming. The wines are really good too, just like at its sister restaurant The 10 Cases.
Press here for champagne! Every table has a button to call the waiters for more champagne. Bob Bob Ricard is apparently one of the few places in London where the capped the mark-up on fine wine at £75. It’s a fancy place, perfect for date nights or other special occasions. They serve Russian French food, which is truly delicious. My favourite is the salmon en croute in champagne sauce.
This is Ottolenghi’s fine dining restaurant in Soho. It has a beautiful, calm interior, with a funky bathroom! If you’re an Ottolenghi fan or like levantine cuisine in general, this is a must go! Plates are meant to be shared, which gives you the opportunity to taste many different things.
This is by far my favourite brunch place in London. The restaurant is located in what looks like an old industrial building. It doesn’t look very special from the outside, but on the inside it has lots of character. It’s always very light, because of the big windows and the tables covered with tablecloths and grand piano in the corner give it a very chique feel. They serve classic brunch dishes, with eggs and toast, but always with an unexpected twist.
Relais de Venise is a chain of restaurants across London, Paris and various other cities. Their formula is very easy: they serve steak frites and a salad to start. You can choose from a selection of French wine, cheese, and freshly in-house made desserts. The London branches are usually quite busy, especially in the evening, but turn-over is high as well so the wait isn’t too long.
The Wilmington is a great pub in Clerkenwell. You can expect real British classics such as fish & chips and bangers & mash. They do a good Sunday roast too!
At Padella you can expect fresh pasta with varying sauces. The portions are relatively small, so you can try a couple of pastas, which is especially great if you go with a group. The wait for a table can be long and at some locations they operate a virtual queue, so you can go for a walk or get a drink nearby while you wait.
My favourite Vietnamese restaurant in East London. The restaurant is pretty basic and great for a relatively fast meal. I almost always go for the Bún chả Hà Nội which has a deliciously fresh flavour, because of the herbs and light soup.
This is probably one of the coolest places on my list. It's hard to get a table (set an alarm for when bookings are opened!), but totally worth the effort. The restaurant is located in an 18th century building and looks fantastic. The menu changes frequently and can be described as modern european. The cocktails are great too. Definitely a good place to go for a special occasion or if you want to impress someone!
Joia really pleasantly surprised me. The interior is very trendy, all milenium pink, and views all around. It's pricey, but the food is really excellent. The menu is influencec by Portugese and Catalonion cuisine and you can really notice the skill of the chefs in the preparation of the food. Added bonus is the view you get on Battersea Power Station.
15th Floor, 1 Electric Blvd, Nine Elms, London SW11 8BJ
Pophams is a bakery during the day, pasta restaurant at night and I can recommend it for both. At Pophams they do pastries with a twist: danishes with figs or peaces and savoury versions with rosemary, olives, cheese and the likes. Expect queues on the weekend when all of east London is out and about for brunch, but again worth the wait.
Brawn was on our list of restaurants to try for a long time. It's located on Columbia Road and hardly noticeable on the busy market days during the weekend. The menu is Mediterranean inspired. All the food was really excellent. The only minus is, they mostly serve natural wines, which we didn't enjoy that much and we'll probably skip the wines all together next time.
