The SheerLuxe Shortlist Of London's Best Restaurants & Bars
The SheerLuxe Shortlist Of London's Best Restaurants & Bars

The SheerLuxe Shortlist Of London's Best Restaurants & Bars

This year, we launched our first-ever London Bar & Restaurant Awards – and the results are in. From the coolest bars and the ultimate place for a special celebration to the hottest newcomer and most atmospheric neighbourhood spot, here are all the best places to eat and drink in the capital, as voted for by SheerLuxe readers. If you’re ever in need of ideas and inspiration when it comes to making a booking, this is the feature to bookmark.
By Heather Steele
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Image: FALLOW
Mount St
Mount St

SIMON BROWN

BEST RESTAURANT IN LONDON

The River Café

The training ground for many of the UK’s best chefs, Ruth Rogers’s The River Café has been a London favourite for decades and is still the place to get a coveted table at. In its modern home on the edge of the Thames, the team serves some of the best pasta in the city and is next level in terms of atmosphere and buzz.

Visit RiverCafe.com

Brat

What a year for Tomos Parry. Mountain in Soho might be 2023’s hottest opening and his stylish original spot Brat is still east London’s coolest restaurant.

Visit BratRestaurant.co.uk

Hide

Slick and centrally located, Ollie Dabbous’s Hide is a special-occasion space that turns out everything from truffle-fuelled breakfasts to expertly chosen wines.

Visit Hide.co.uk

Hide
Hide

BEST NEWCOMER

Carlotta

No restaurant group has made a bigger impact on the London dining scene over the last few years than Paris’s Big Mamma Group. It’s latest lavish Italian, Carlotta, is inspired by a Sicilian wedding – think Insta-worthy décor and dishes to match.

Visit BigMammaGroup.com

Parakeet

The Parakeet took over a Victorian north London pub earlier this year, with ex-Brat chef Ben Allen at the helm. Don’t miss the warm croissant pudding served with brown butter custard.

Visit TheParakeetPub.com

Mount St Restaurant

From the team behind The Fife Arms and Hauser & Wirth, this elegant Mayfair venue has a pub, an impressive art-filled dining room and a collection of private rooms.

Visit MountStRestaurant.com

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT

Chiltern Firehouse

SL readers have made it clear: Marylebone hotspot Chiltern Firehouse is still the place to see and be seen. It’s also loved by A-listers for everything from breakfast to late-late night cocktails in stylish surroundings.

Visit ChilternFirehouse.com

The Twenty Two

This hotel, restaurant and members club has transformed an Edwardian manor on Grosvenor Square into a richly decorated west London hideaway. The dining room is a striking blue space that serves everything from stylishly plated breakfasts to Sunday roasts.

Visit The22.London

Alain Ducasse At The Dorchester

Alain Ducasse’s signature venue at The Dorchester is rightfully one of London’s five three-Michelin-starred restaurants. If modern interpretations of classic French cooking are your thing, you’ll love this.

Visit AlainDucasse-Dorchester.com

Sketch
Sketch

EDMUND DABNEY

BEST FINE-DINING RESTAURANT

Core By Clare Smyth

One of the capital’s only three-Michelin-starred restaurants, it was no surprise to see the inimitable Clare Smyth’s striking Notting Hill restaurant top the votes in this category.

Visit CoreByClareSmyth.com

Sketch

After the recent refresh of its much-loved pink David Shrigley-filled dining room, the Gallery restaurant at Sketch remains one of the capital’s most striking and most fun spaces.

Visit Sketch.London

Da Terra

Head chef Rafael Cagali’s Italian-Brazilian heritage has a starring role at this relaxed two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bethnal Green, where a retro soundtrack helps set a relaxed atmosphere.

Visit DaTerra.co.uk

Prawn On The Lawn
Prawn On The Lawn
Da Terra
Da Terra

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD RESTAURANT

Elliot's 

Elliot’s sites in Hackney and foodie mecca Borough Market are special places where relaxed atmospheres, laid-back cooking, great wine choices & smooth service impress.

Visit Elliots.London

Wild By Tart

Another spot that won hundreds of votes, Wild By Tart in Belgravia is a striking space housed in a former power station. From the duo behind top caterers Tart London, expect prettily presented seasonal dishes.

Visit WildByTart.com

Prawn On The Lawn

Islington’s original Prawn on the Lawn is just as special as its Cornish seaside sister. Amid the next-level seafood, don’t miss its signature crushed spiced potatoes.

Visit PrawnOnTheLawn.com

Maison François
Maison François

BEST PARTY RESTAURANT

The Palomar

Like its sister restaurant The Barbary, Soho’s The Palomar is a lively middle eastern spot that cranks out music – and incredible dishes – in style. The counter is the place for smaller groups or take a fun banquette at the back.

Visit ThePalomar.co.uk

Gold

Why’s it so hard to get a booking at Notting Hill’s Gold? As well as great food, the contemporary boho interiors are a winner – the indoor/outdoor garden room is our pick for an atmospheric dinner.

Visit GoldNottingHill.com

Maison François

From cracking bloody marys with brunch upstairs to late-night cocktails down in basement bar Frank’s, Maison François is ready-made for fun gatherings that make food the focus.

Visit MaisonFrancois.London

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Bancone

Londoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to great Italian restaurants, but Bancone in Covent Garden, Borough and Soho – famed for its silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter and confit egg yolk – was the most popular choice for SheerLuxe readers. 

Visit Bancone.co.uk

Daphne's

Daphne’s oozes old-school glamour and is still one of the loveliest places to book a table at in South Kensington. There’s almost nothing better than a bowl of pasta and glass of wine in its pretty conservatory.

Visit Daphnes-Restaurant.co.uk

Manteca

One of the less traditional choices on this list, Shoreditch’s Manteca combines two of Italy’s greatest exports: pasta and cured meats. If it’s on the menu, make sure to order the brown crab cacio e pepe.

Visit MantecaRestaurant.co.uk

Daphne's
Daphne's
Bao
Bao

BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT

Kiln

Michelin-starred Kiln is an excellent Thai spot in soho where flavours pack a punch. Anyone who’s ordered the kitchen’s uncompromisingly spicy clay-pot glass noodles with Tamworth pork and crab will know why this one topped the list.

Visit KilnSoho.com

Bao

Taiwanese steamed bun experts Bao make the best in the capital. There’s often a queue, but it’s worth waiting for its signature buns stuffed with the likes of tender pork belly with peanut powder and pickled lettuce.

Visit BaoLondon.com

Koya

Soho’s Koya has a blackboard full of innovative specials that push the boundaries of Japanese cuisine, but it’s still most loved for its handmade udon and dashi. Perhaps that’s because it’s still the only restaurant in London to make its own udon.

Visit Koya.co.uk

Kricket
Kricket
Gymkhana
Gymkhana

BEST SOUTH ASIAN RESTAURANT

Dishoom

Despite the extremely strong competition, it came as little surprise that the excellent Dishoom topped this category. There’s a reason people still queue to get in at many of its sites and it’s not just the unbeatable murgh malai.

Visit Dishoom.com

Kricket

At cool Kricket, dishes are designed for sharing: menu highlights include the likes of samphire pakoras with tamarind and chilli garlic; as well as Keralan fried chicken with curry leaf mayo and pickled mooli.

Visit Kricket.co.uk

Gymkhana

Book a table at beautifully designed, Michelin-starred Gymkhana and you can expect everything from a next-level G&T list to a tasting menu filled with stylish signatures from muntjac biryani to paneer tikka with fig, cashew nut and corn chaat.

Visit GymkhanaLondon.com

Decimo
Decimo

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Tacos El Pastor

From the same group as Barrafina and Quo Vadis, this stylish taqueria serves up unmissable, authentic tacos, tostadas and tequila at its buzzy restaurants in Borough and Soho.

Visit TacosElPastor.co.uk

Decimo

On the tenth floor of the Standard hotel, Decimo offers dramatic views across the London skyline and a menu that merges the Spanish cuisine of head chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s family with his love of Mexico.

Visit Decimo.London

Kol

Michelin-starred Kol offers a really special take on Mexican food and is one of those rare places where the bar snacks are every bit as considered as the main menu. The gorgeous interiors and a killer cocktail list only add to the appeal.

Visit KolRestaurant.com

BEST FOR A SUNDAY ROAST

Fallow

Fallow is all about sustainably sourced, sharing-style dishes. Its memorable Sunday roasts are no exception – they can start with fallow deer tartare and will ideally end with its unmissable caramelised whey tart.

Visit FallowRestaurant.com

Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor needs no introduction, but we were pleased to see the steak-centric group is still beloved by SL readers. From great cocktails to impressive sharing cuts, its roasts are what Sunday lunches should be.

Visit TheHawksmoor.com

Camberwell Arms

This cool, south London gastropub is a local hotspot, but many around the capital are prepared to travel across town for one of its epic sharing-style Sunday roasts and a hangover-busting cocktail.

Visit TheCamberwellArms.co.uk

Fallow
Fallow
Granger & Co
Granger & Co

BEST VEG-CENTRIC SPOT

Bubala

Bubala’s Spitalfields & Soho spots are always packed. The team’s hero dishes of hummus with burnt butter; fried aubergine with zhoug and date syrup; and confit potato latkes with garlicky toum never fail to impress veggies and non-veggies alike.

Visit Bubala.co.uk

Granger & Co

Bill Granger helped make Australian food a big deal in London and his enduring Granger & Co restaurants are testimony to that. From brunch to supper, vegetables shine throughout his menus –the sweetcorn fritters are a classic.

Visit GrangerAndCo.com

Jikoni

Ravinder Bhogal’s much-loved Marylebone restaurant now serves an entirely vegetarian menu at lunchtime. Highlights include soy-marinated beetroots with whipped tofu, pickled ginger carrot canederli and omani lime broth.

Visit JikoniLondon.com

Flat Iron
Flat Iron

BEST CHEAP EAT

Flat Iron

If you’re after somewhere affordable, Flat Iron is your best bet. While the menu is small, you’ll be guaranteed good-quality cuts of meat and great sides – think dripping-cooked chips, creamed spinach and crispy bone marrow garlic mash.

Visit FlatIronSteak.co.uk

Lina Stores

Famed Soho pasta joint Lina Stores now has multiple London sites, all stocked with the very best Italian pantry essentials. Diners can enjoy the theatre of the open kitchen while they wait for dishes such as black truffle tagliolini and pappardelle with beef shin ragu and horseradish gremolata.

Visit LinaStores.co.uk

Miznon

Founded in Tel Aviv by celebrity chef Eyal Shani and renowned for its modern take on Israeli food, Miznon boasts hit dishes including its world-famous hummus, whole roasted cauliflower; ‘juicy lamb kebab pita’, with grilled tomato, onions, tahini and pickles; and the ‘minute steak pita’, served with salsa and tomatoes.

Visit Miznon.co.uk

BEST BAKERY

Jolene

Its tote bags can be spotted all over the capital and now it’s official: Jolene is London's best bakery. From its five spots, the Stoke Newington OG is still our pick for filled buns and exceptional focaccia.

Visit Jolenen16.com

The Dusty Knuckle

Tucked behind Dalston Junction station in a sunny courtyard, The Dusty Knuckle serves some of the best food in the area & at great value. It majors in pastries and bread, though you can also order epic filled focaccia sourdough sandwiches.

Visit TheDustyKnucle.com

Cedric Grolet At The Berkeley

Last year, one of the world’s most decorated pastry chefs opened the doors to his first patisserie outside of France. For a high-end treat, pull up a spot at Cédric Grolet’s beautiful counter at The Berkeley to enjoy his take on a classic afternoon tea.

Visit The-Berkeley.co.uk

Lina Stores
Lina Stores
Pici Cacio E Pepe at Padella
Pici Cacio E Pepe at Padella

BEST DISH IN LONDON

Steak Frites at Le Relais De Venise L'entrecote

It turns out we’re not the only ones who crave a slice of Paris every now and again. The steak frites at Le Relais de Venise l'Entrecôte was the overwhelming winner in this category. Perhaps it’s that famous double serving of fries that tipped the balance?

Visit RelaiseDeVenise.com

Bacon Naan Roll at Dishoom

While people will queue forever for its curries & that house black dahl, Dishoom’s breakfast signature – the bacon naan roll – has become such a hit, the team now sell meal kits online for fans to devour at home.

Visit Dishoom.com

Pici Cacio E Pepe at Padella

Another London institution where diners are always prepared to wait for a table, Padella’s pici cacio e pepe is more than worth your time and it’s a bargain at £12.

Visit Padella.co

L'Enclume, Lake District
L'Enclume, Lake District
The American Bar At The Savoy
The American Bar At The Savoy

BEST HOTEL BAR

The Connaught Bar

It came as no surprise that the World’s Best Bar topped this list. Celebrating its 15th birthday this year, The Connaught Bar is a place like no other in the capital – especially if you opt for one of the team’s famous martinis.

Visit The-Connaught.co.uk

The American Bar at The Savoy

The longest surviving cocktail bar in London, The American Bar is a wonderfully classic space with a regularly changing menu that celebrates its past while keeping things modern.

Visit TheSavoyLondon.com

The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury

Painted in striking floor-to-ceiling glossy coral, the Bloomsbury hotel’s signature cocktail bar is a good option for afternoon tea or a martini before heading out for dinner.

Visit TheCoralRoom.co.uk

Noble Rot
Noble Rot

BEST INDEPENDENT BAR

Noble Rot

There are now three Noble Rots. Each one – Bloomsbury, Soho and Mayfair – has everything you want from a bar and restaurant: fantastic seasonal menu; friendly, on-the-mark service; buzzy atmosphere; and lots of interesting wines by the glass.

Visit NobleRot.co.uk

Sager + Wilde

At Sager + Wilde’s romantic wine bar in Hackney, the drinks list (by the glass and the bottle) changes every day depending on what the team are into, while superlative cheese boards and toasties help to line the stomach.

Visit SagerAndWilde.com

Bar Termini

This bijou spot in Soho is inspired by an Italian train station bar. For the ultimate aperitivo, we love the masala martini: Beefeater gin, marsala dolce, dry vermouth and almond bitters.

Visit Bar-Termini-Soho.com

BEST RESTAURANT OUTSIDE LONDON

Le Manoir Aux Quat’saisons, Oxfordshire

Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has held two Michelin stars for 38 years and is a must-visit destination for foodies looking to celebrate a special occasion. Expect seven striking courses and a choice of 32 lovely bedrooms for those looking to make a night of it.

Visit Belmond.com

Hand & Flowers, Berkshire

Tom Kerridge’s flagship is the only pub in the UK to hold two Michelin stars. Pub classics are elevated to new heights with bold flavours and beautiful presentation, and everything is made with produce from independent suppliers.

Visit TheHandAndFlowers.co.uk

L'Enclume, Lake District

In the pretty Lake District village of Cartmel, Simon Rogan’s three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume is the ultimate restaurant-with-rooms experience. Expect farm tours, an unforgettable culinary odyssey and the best service in the land.

Visit LEnclume.co.uk

BEST CHEF

Clare Smyth at Core By Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth is the first and only woman to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars in the UK. Having grown up on a farm in Northern Ireland, she perfected her talent working for some of the world’s most celebrated names, including Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay, before opening Core in Notting Hill in 2017 – and smashing it ever since.

Visit CoreByClareSmyth.com

Florence Knight at Sessions Arts Club

Since summer 2021, Sessions Art Club has been one of London’s buzziest restaurants. That’s partly to do with its beautiful surroundings – its housed in a former courthouse – but mostly down to head chef Florence Knight’s striking food presentation and bold Italian-tinged cooking.

Visit SessionsArtsClub.com

Skye Gyngell at Spring

Originally from Australia, Skye Gyngell has worked in food and restaurants for over 40 years. Today, both Spring in Somerset House and Heckfield Place, where she’s culinary director, are among the best places to eat in the UK.

Visit SpringRestaurant.co.uk

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