20 First-Class British Restaurants In London

You can't be a real tourist without checking out the best British restaurants in London. Explore London through unusual contemporary creations of The Ledbury, or feel the history at Rules, where the ambience is as rich as the cuisine. Visit venues to revel in reinterpretations of the classics or sit back with the best of the traditional.

The Ledbury

Widely hailed as one of London's culinary jewels, The Ledbury restaurant delights discerning palates with its modern British cooking, imbued with inventive twists. This Michelin-starred gem sits in the lively neighbourhood of Notting Hill. The team, steered by Chef Brett Graham, delivers delightful gastronomic set pieces.

Each dish becomes a medley of carefully considered flavours, made from seasonal ingredients and defined by a skillshow of tradition and innovation. At The Ledbury, polished service complements the airy interior, and the result is a feast nearly unrivalled.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is an unparalleled dining extravaganza where the past meets the present, offering a contemporary twist on 15th-century British fare. Nestled inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, this one-time Michelin-starred eatery takes you on a journey through time with Chef Heston Blumenthal at the helm.

Every morsel that emerges from Chef Heston's kitchen is the product of a gastronomic experiment, the story of how old-world English recipes were reinvigorated using avant-garde techniques and unexpected flavour combinations. This restaurant is committed to taking British heritage into the realm of pure excellence.

Source: https://www.dinnerbyheston.co.uk/cms/images/_articleImageSmall/MainRoomDinnerbyHBcopyrightJohn-Blackwell.jpg

Sketch

Sketch is a restaurant in London featuring inventive British food and a wonderfully bizarre, eclectic design that fits its Mayfair location. The fine dining destination has an incredibly imaginative atmosphere, designed with multiple dining rooms—each with its very own look and feel—united with a single culinary concept.

The accomplished chefs’ menu is an array of traditional British cuisine with a twist; they’re tasty plates served in unexpected amalgamations and presentations. With options in the pink Gallery for tea, the elevated Lecture Room & Library for dinner, and the gastro-brasserie offerings of The Gallery, a meal at Sketch is a dandy dream from start to finish.

The Clove Club

The Clove Club delivers the very ethos of modern British cuisine in a backdrop of sophistication pitched with ease. With its Michelin star, the relaxed yet refined restaurant is based in Shoreditch – a combination reflected in its understated yet stylish surroundings – and, led by Chef Isaac McHale, embraces the seasons and the locale to present a dining experience which cleverly nods to the diversity of British culinary history.

Unconventional tasting menus sit alongside à la carte selections to present meals which – from the opening bites to the final morsels – brim with invention, personality, premium ingredients and a genuine sense of fun in food, texture and technique.

Core by Clare Smyth

In the heart of Notting Hill Core by Clare Smyth is a place of culinary pilgrimage and worship. The clean-lined Michelin-starred haven is where classic British fare evolves into an art form in a seasonally focused bullseye. Clare Smyth's vision and skill are stamped onto a hallmark destination restaurant that is a paean to the finest British ingredients.

The plates that emerge from her kitchen are vividly evocative of the British Isles, and Smyth's bold assurance and seamless touch ensure that the flavours resonate with a matching finesse and creativity. The exquisite tasting menu or the more casual à la carte provides a masterclass in gastronomy and nature's precious gifts.

Source: https://corebyclaresmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/COREbyClareSmyth-22.jpg

Rules

Serving London with classic British plates since 1798, Rules holds the esteemed title of the city's oldest restaurant. A charmed setting steeped in history and tradition, this culinary institution, located in the heart of Covent Garden, is revered for its elegant ambience and mouth watering gastronomy.

From hearty game dishes to traditional British puddings, every menu offering encapsulates the spirit of the age-old cuisine, prepared with obsessive attention to flavour and decoration. A meal at Rules is always more than just a meal; it's a foray back in time to indulge in the eternal taste of Britain's culinary heritage.

Source: https://rules.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Bonkets.jpg

St. John

London’s culinary scene would not be complete without the celebrated St. John, an unflinching nose-to-tail dining room serving revered traditional British dishes in a former smokehouse in Clerkenwell. The iconic restaurant, founded by the venerable Fergus Henderson, has earned acclaim for its dedication to the idea of using every part of the animal with reverence and skill, but it’s not simply offal from the heart.

The rustic simplicity and bold flavours of dishes such as the signature roasted meat and legendary bone marrow toast represent British gastronomy at its very best and prove that there will always be a place for honest, hearty cuisine when made with consideration for quality and ethical sourcing.

Source: https://stjohnrestaurant.com/cdn/shop/files/restaurant.jpg?v=1687342892

Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor is synonymous with world-class steak and a devotion to elevating British cuisine with a combination of the finest ingredients and a staunch refusal to cut corners. Fans find it all across London: the welcoming ambience, the prime cuts of beef sourced from the UK’s very finest farmers, the careful preparation of seasonal produce and much more.

Whether in the shape of a classic 35-day aged 18 oz ribeye for two cooked over charcoal or literally dozens of other ways, Hawksmoor knows that you can’t beat the ageless attraction of top-quality ingredients prepared with skill.

Source: https://thehawksmoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/04.-Cooks-Room.jpg

Duck & Waffle

Perched on the 40th floor of the famous Heron Tower, Duck & Waffle offers a truly unique combination of breathtaking views and delicious, seasonal, British-inspired food.

From sunrise to sunset, diners can indulge in the city’s highest culinary experience as executive chef Daniel Doherty pulls out all the stops at both lunch and dinner with a playful take on European and British cuisine. Additional offerings such as their late-night menu, special events, and a wide selection of cocktails, beers, and wines keep guests coming back for more.

Source: https://duckandwaffle.com/media_files/images/327720197_959925021663263_501.2e16d0ba.fill-866x866-c100.jpg

Pollen Street Social

The culinary sophistication of Pollen Street Social starts before you even walk through the door of the Michelin-starred iconic eatery. The dining destination in Mayfair offers exciting modern British cuisine, which Chef Jason Atherton has masterfully imagined.

Each dish portrays a passion for special flavours, established by carefully selecting the finest seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. As polished as the elegant dining room, there is an effortless and glamorous venue with the hum of a bar, which marks this as one of London’s most outstanding luxury experiences, featuring a menu stacked with creative culinary offerings.

Source: https://www.pollenstreetsocial.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pollen-Street-social-About_image@2x.jpg

Berners Tavern

The London EDITION hotel's Berners Tavern is a grand, contemporary British restaurant spread over two main dining rooms. Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, the vast restaurant with soaring ceilings and opulence creates a feeling of pure sophistication and glamour. The menu, helmed by Executive Chef Jason Atherton, offers seasonal contemporary British dishes.

Like the restaurant's interior, the food at Berners Tavern is nothing short of stunning. Harking back to the traditions of London's grand hotels, where they would offer a varied and diverse range of dishes to their guests, Berners Tavern is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and brunch on weekends). With quality service and exceptional surroundings, Berners Tavern offers a dining experience in a grand setting unlike any other.

Source: https://www.bernerstavern.com/resourcefiles/homeimages/berners-tavern-interior.jpg

Gymkhana

Elegantly located in Mayfair, Gymkhana is a beacon of culinary excellence, celebrated for serving up some of the finest Indian cuisine with a British slant. An esteemed Michelin-star restaurant, this stunning eatery takes you on a gastronomic journey that combines the flavours of the Indian subcontinent with traditional recipes and colonial influences.

From succulent tandoori meats to fragrant curries and a flurry of diverse and creative small plates, each dish bears testament to the undeniable skill and vision of Chef Karam Sethi. The decor of colonial India offers a dignified yet comfortable atmosphere, combining together to make Gymkhana one of the best places to eat in London.

Source: https://gymkhanalondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1678-04a11322ML.jpg?t=1705448305&ratio=1.5

The Wolseley

The Wolseley is an imposing and decadent grand European-style café located in the heart of London. Its soaring ceilings, marble walls, polished fixtures, well-dressed waitstaff and luxurious lighting give this place a sense of permanence.

The menu is an adeptly curated troop of elegantly presented Great British classics throughout the day. The dishes are historically British and presented in a modern context. Whether hearty breakfasts, delicious afternoon teas or resplendent dinners, the kitchen has the painstaking dedication to detail that is required to do this food justice.

Source: https://www.thewolseley.com/private-dining/

Dabbous

Dabbous is the astoundingly innovative Michelin-starred restaurant where chef Ollie Dabbous explores the breathtaking possibilities of British cuisine in pared-back and sleekly modern surroundings. The Fitzrovia spot captivates diners with its incredibly inventive approach to dining and showcases quite astonishing kitchen talent at work.

Ollie is all about seasonal ingredients transformed into exquisitely prepared dishes. Meticulously crafted into small dishes. Some delicate, some complex, bold mains and desserts could be snatched directly from the best contemporary gallery.

The River Cafe

Synonymous with culinary excellence, The River Café is an iconic Italian culinary bastion that has long prided itself on using the best of seasonal ingredients. Located on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith, the legendary restaurant has long married Italy's culinary traditions with British influences – and its menu showcases the very best of both worlds.

Though rooted in the food of Italy, The River Café menu is also very much inspired by the food of Britain – and is expertly crafted with a focus on sourcing products locally. Whether seafood, artisanal pasta, or hearty meats, each dish tells a story of excellence in how it was crafted and the vibrant flavours of both Italy and Britain.

Brat

At Brat, Chef Tomos Parry has masterminded a Basque-style offering emphasising all things British: a Michelin-starred gem sitting in the heart of Shoreditch. Capturing the hearts – and the tastebuds – of audiences with bold flavours and a charmingly rustic interior, every dish at Brat is cooked over an open flame.

With succulent grilled meats, hearty seafood numbers, and a selection of vegetables that changes to reflect the best of each season, the team's general ethos is to follow the passion of Basque cooking – simplicity and quality.

Lyle's

Sophisticated culinary elegance is epitomised at Lyle's, where modern British cuisine is enjoyed in a minimalist yet inviting setting in Shoreditch. The Michelin-starred restaurant promises an innovative approach to dining, with Chef James Lowe employing an array of inventive methods to bring his culinary vision to the table through a seasonally-inspired menu.

Starters feature an array of imaginative flavours from gin and swede to clementine peel and cod, while main courses are served in a series of bold, inventive dishes that promise to take your palate on a journey.

Source: https://www.lyleslondon.com/reservations/book

Rochelle Canteen

It might look like a converted bike shed tucked away in a hidden courtyard, but Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch offers a delightful culinary experience that revolves around simple, quality, seasonal British dishes. This charming restaurant invites diners to savour fresh, locally sourced ingredients that are celebrated in flavorful dishes at this converted bike-shed eatery.

Chef-proprietors Margot Henderson and Melanie Arnold have decorated their lovely little restaurant with the rustic elegance of uncomplicated flavours; they carefully cook and present sensational simple dishes. It’s a humble setting that’s focused on showing off the best of British produce.

Pidgin

Establishing itself as a culinary gem in the heart of its East London neighbourhood, Pidgin offers an exquisite dining experience built around its inventive fixed menus, which carry slight British influences. Nestled away in Hackney, the restaurant is charming and unassuming - creating an intimate dining experience that pivots on an imaginative approach to cuisine.

Every week, Chef James Ramsden and his talented team produce imaginative menus that showcase the very best of the season’s ingredients – to deliver a dining experience constructed from dishes that are as elegant and inspired as they are delicious. Each course is a new adventure, with flavours and textures from around the world and around the larder, which are meticulously harmonised to create something tasty.

Kitty Fisher's

Nestled in a cosy corner of Mayfair, Kitty Fisher’s warms with its charms — a wood-fired cooking oven and familiar modern British dishes. The intimate restaurant draws diners in with its rustic, unstudied elegance, and Chef Tomos Parry infuses the menu with his lauded culinary technique.

Seasonal ingredients are prepared over the open flame, imparting rich flavours and enticing aromas into each dish. From succulent grilled meats to inventive seafood dishes, each plate on Kitty Fisher's menu weaves a narrative of cultural tradition and a dedication to evolving our gastronomic language.

Final thoughts

Experience the pinnacle of British gastronomy at London's finest restaurants, where innovation meets tradition in every exquisite bite. Whether indulging in modern British cuisine at The Ledbury or savouring wood-fired dishes at Kitty Fisher's, culinary excellence awaits.

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