Best Restaurants in London
— Chef-Recommended

at St. John

"The dish that rewrote British cooking. Roasted marrow, bones split and salted, with a punchy parsley-caper salad to cut through fat. This is why you come to St. John."

at Padella

"Padella's cacio e pepe is a masterclass in restraint. The pici has drag, the sauce has depth, the cheese is correct. London does not deserve this at these prices."

at The Clove Club

"The Clove Club's fried chicken snack is probably the most replicated dish in London. Pine salt is the idea; execution is the reason it works."

at Barrafina

"Barrafina's tortilla is set correctly — runny in the centre, golden outside. Most Spanish restaurants in Britain overcook it. This is the standard."

at Kiln

"Kiln's smoked fish with pork jowl is uniquely Shoreditch-Thai — fermented, smoky, brutal, excellent. Nothing else in London produces this flavour combination."

at The River Cafe

"The River Cafe's wood-roasted fish represents a philosophy, not a recipe. Ruth Rogers lets the best ingredient announce itself. London has not bettered this."

at Brat

"Brat's whole turbot is London fire-cooking at its finest. Tomos Parry understands that the grill is not theatre — it is the actual point."

at Lyle's

"Lyle's langoustines confirm that James Lowe's cooking is about quality of ingredient above all else. No interference, perfect temperature, impeccable sourcing."