Lively ground-floor Greek spot on the edge of Borough Market running heavily on walk-ins. Communal tables stay packed for fresh flatbreads, dips, and spit-roasted meats pulled off a massive central charcoal rotisserie.
Wood-fired kitchen in Borough Market cooking small plates and sourdough pizza over an open flame. The stripped-brick room stays busy all evening, pouring a serious list of natural wines.
Restored historic pub on the Isle of Dogs, now a smart, split-level space with exposed brick and a fireplace. Elevated British classics come from the kitchen – book ahead for the Sunday roast – and seven boutique rooms are upstairs.
Borough Market restaurant serving village-style Sri Lankan food from a central, open-fire kitchen. Counter seats have a direct view of the charcoal grill – from king prawns to simmering black pork curry.
Lively modern Indian restaurant serving seasonal sharing plates from a busy open kitchen. Pink stools sit at the ground-floor counter facing the chefs, with Keralan fried chicken and samphire pakoras coming out to soul and funk music.
Vegetarian Indo-Chinese restaurant serving spicy sharing plates from a retro-futurist Soho space. Neon signs glow over dishes like Manchurian kofta and Hakka-style tacos, with creative cocktails poured late into the night.
Polished, split-level dining room serving a modern introduction to Burmese cuisine. Groups fill the warm interior and terrace to share bowls of mohinga and the signature pickled tea leaf salad.
Inventive British small plates served in a polished Art Deco dining room – a calm alternative to the Soho chaos outside. The menu reworks classics into seasonal dishes designed to be shared.
Loud, neon-lit Soho canteen slinging spicy Thai-Chinese plates late into the night. Tables quickly fill with aromatic noodles, whisky sodas, and tall towers of Singha beer under TVs showing Thai sports.
Dimly lit neighborhood restaurant serving French-inspired sharing plates from dark wood booths. The room is small and buzzy, with a curated list of low-intervention wines – book ahead for a table.
Upper-level wine bar on a covered concrete terrace at the National Theatre. Tables crowd with natural wine, frozen negronis, and shared Italian plates, with mid-century chairs pointed toward the Thames.
Modern Georgian dining room in Mayfair built around open-fire cooking. Counter seats line the pass as chefs fold khinkali and grill meats; the wine list runs deep on natural bottles.
Intimate Brixton Market wine bar pouring minimal-intervention bottles and seasonal cocktails. Tall counter seating faces a tiny open kitchen where frequent chef residencies serve an ever-changing menu of small plates.
Vibrant Mayfair spot serving regional Mexican classics with British ingredients. The central comal is the room's heart, firing off house-milled corn tortillas for sharing plates of pork carnitas and ribeye costras.
Modern Australian restaurant in a Soho courtyard, serving multicultural small plates like prawn toast and BBQ pork dumplings. The large, heated patio creates a coastal-style retreat, pouring specialty coffee and natural Australian wines.
Polished Mayfair dining room mimics a contemporary Italian residence with soft plaster walls and green velvet. Comforting family recipes join theatrical touches like clay-pot Negronis and a rolling dessert trolley.
Busy modern Indian dining room built into two exposed-brick railway arches. The open kitchen turns out sharing plates of Keralan fried chicken and samphire pakoras while trains rumble directly overhead.
Intimate Herne Hill bar with the rhythm of a continental café. Morning espresso gives way to evening candlelight, natural wines, and seasonal European small plates.
Family-run corner pub serving draft beer, carafes of wine, and seasonal British cooking. Plates of venison ragu cross the single, wood-floored room, a relaxed, dog-friendly space where the chef stops by tables to chat.
Victorian pub turned Bombay-style restaurant and drinking den on Portobello Road. The lively ground floor runs on cocktails and carrom, while the calmer upstairs dining room serves shared plates of black daal and chicken ruby.
Warm, neighborhood-style dining room inside the Hoxton hotel, with a long open kitchen running down one side. Seasonal British sharing plates land on bistro tables; the bone marrow toastie is a direct nod to the chef's St John roots.
Subterranean Fitzrovia cocktail bar pouring modern classic drinks and serving small plates across copper tables. The low-lit room shifts gears later in the evening with live jazz and late-night DJ sets.
Dark green pub in Islington dishing up homestyle Tamil cooking from an open kitchen. Expect shareable curries and flaky roti – just be sure to book a table weeks ahead.
Polished Soho dining room serving modern Tamil curries, fresh dosas, and made-to-order roti. Spiced cocktails and shared plates land on marble tables across the ground floor, while a dark plum basement below holds larger groups.
Relaxed Marylebone taverna serving unhurried, shared Greek meals. Marble tables fill with thick pitta, white taramasalata, and plates of charred octopus under soft globe lighting.
Two-story Dalston pub shifting from early dinners into loud, late-night DJ sets. East Asian pub plates and natural wine take up the ground floor, while a low-lit basement cocktail lounge runs late on a hi-fi sound system.
Industrial Shoreditch canteen serving Northern Thai drinking food with serious heat. Smoke pours from the open kitchen as tables fill with charcoal-grilled meat and cold lager.
Lively Middle Eastern dining room near Old Spitalfields Market serving vibrant, vegetable-forward shared plates. Signature cakes line the entrance counter while walk-ins settle at the cocktail bar.
Buzzy Shoreditch spot with an open kitchen dishing up modern Greek small plates and namesake flatbreads. Crayons are provided for doodling on the paper tablecloths; the caramel cheesecake is essential.
Moody Shoreditch dive bar pouring refined cocktails and pints of Guinness in a dark, rustic room. The space stays loud late into the weekend with live blues, indie playlists, and upgraded snacks like fried chicken scotch eggs.
Warm Ukrainian dining room filled with Carpathian oak and vintage rugs. The open kitchen cooks sharing plates and dumplings over live fire to go with house vodka infusions.
Smoky live-fire restaurant sharing a heated Dalston yard with the brewery next door. Heavily charred, vegetable-forward plates and coal-roasted leeks come straight off the outdoor grill alongside fresh pints and natural wine.
Futuristic Shoreditch seafood bistro fitted with stark stainless steel tables and cracked charcoal tiles. The raw bar turns out fresh British oysters and rounds of mini martinis, followed by caviar-topped soft serve.
Casual Bow Wharf restaurant slinging Mexican-Korean street food on the edge of Victoria Park. The exposed-brick dining room and vine-draped patio run heavy on bulgogi beef tacos, gochujang wings, and rounds of soju.
