Making a list of restaurants where to eat in London is not exactly easy and we cannot forget that, despite the fact that many travellers believe the opposite, this is an incredibly rich city gastronomically speaking and there are thousands of options to choose from.
That is why we wanted to make a selection of restaurants where you can enjoy the best traditional and international cuisine, with a great value for money, always taking into account that these are close to the must-visit places in London, so that they enter or are close to your route through the city.
By the way, you can't leave the city without trying a famous English breakfast, which includes toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, beans and various vegetables; the famous fish&chips, which is fried fish and chips; pie&mash or sausage&mash, which is a baked pie or sausages accompanied by mashed potatoes, which are two of our favourite dishes; or the iconic Sunday roast, which is a stew made with meat accompanied by potatoes and vegetables.
Based on the several times we have visited the city, most recently for almost two months in a flat in Notting Hill during which we wrote our London travel guide, here are some of what we consider to be some of the best restaurants in London. Let's get started!
1. Mber
Located next to the Sky Garden, one of the best viewpoints in London, Mber is one of the most recommended restaurants to eat in London.
In addition to having a very attractive location, the service and above all the product and flavours of its menu, are really recommendable. Keep in mind that if you want to go at night or on weekends it is advisable to book as it is usually full.
It is advisable to order three dishes per person, as they are quite small portions like tapas and all are priced at around 10-15 pounds.
We ordered duck bao, gyozas, waygu burger, soft crab massaman curry with rice, dessert and coffees for 91 pounds. Spectacular!
Although we were recommended 3 dishes per person, it is true that six dishes and a dessert is enough, so at a given moment if you are not very hungry you can order two dishes per person and a dessert and it is also quite correct.
Address: 1A Pudding Lane
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday from 12h to 22h / Saturday and Sunday from 16h to 22h.
2. The Red Lion
Located very close to Big Ben, Red Lion is one of the most recommended pubs in London as well as one of the most beautiful, but not only for a drink as they are specialists in pies, a type of baked pie filled with savoury ingredients and one of the traditional dishes of the country.
Be aware that the place is always quite crowded, although as it has two floors you usually have to wait a few minutes for a table.
We ordered a tasting pie (3 pieces with 3 small beers) for £18.95 and a beef pie for £15.50 plus tap water and coffees for a total of £45. All incredibly delicious. Highly recommended if you are in the area and want to try one of the best pies in town.
Address: 48 Parliament Street
Opening hours: every day from 11am to 9pm.
3. The Duke of Wellington
Located in Notting Hill, in Portobello Market, this is another of London's most recommended restaurants by locals and travellers alike, as well as being an iconic pub in the city. Bear in mind that it tends to get very crowded at weekends, as it coincides with the market, so if you have the chance, it's best to come during the week, when the atmosphere is much more relaxed.
We ordered a pie of the house, fish and chips and sausage & mash and everything was excellent. The prices of the dishes are around 15 pounds more or less.
And if you go on a Sunday, of course you can't miss their famous Sunday roast, which is amazing.
Address: Notting Hill 179 Portobello Road
Opening hours: Every day from 11am to 11pm.
4. Goddard at Greenwich
Known as an authority on pie & mash, this place serves probably the cheapest pie & mash dishes in the city. Although we tried others that we liked better, we couldn't leave it out of this list of the best restaurants in London because, as we said, it is an icon in the city.
We paid £13.95 for two feet, one double; beer and soft drink. Bear in mind that especially at weekends it tends to get very crowded, although the turnover is quite fast, so if you don't want to wait too long it's worth going first thing in the morning.
Address: 22 King William Walk Greenwich
Opening hours: daily from 10am to 7.30pm.
5. Honest Burger
Honest Burger is undoubtedly the best burger restaurant in London. With dozens of locations all over the city, this chain has usually small places where they serve a variety of really delicious burgers.
Whenever we go to the city we always end up trying several, being the classic Honest and the vegetarian Plant the ones we like the most, as well as the homemade fries they serve, which are really delicious.
The average price for two people, with two burgers, fries and soft drinks, is around 35 pounds.
Address: various locations in the city
Opening hours: every day from 11am to 10pm.
6. 50 Kalo Di Ciro, another of London's best restaurants.
Located next to Trafalgar Square, this restaurant in London is considered by many trade publications as the place where you can eat the best pizza outside of Italy.
After our experience, we couldn't agree more, and tasting it, we felt like we were on our trip to Naples, in the famous Da Michelle pizzeria.
Don't miss the Ombra Provola and Pepe for £9.95 and the Diavola for £12.95, both delicious!
Address: 7 Northumberland Avenue
Opening hours: every day from 12h to 23:45h.
7. Light of India
Very close to the Science Museum is Light of India, which after our last trip to the city, became another one of our favourite London restaurants.
Note that the restaurant belongs to a hotel and they have quite an extensive menu, including a lunch menu that includes different thalis.
Last time we were there we ordered samosas, aloo chaat and chicken tikka masala, plus beer and tap water for 47.10 pounds, a price that also makes it one of the cheapest restaurants to eat at in London.
Address: 67-69 Gloucester Road South Kensington
Opening hours: daily from 12 noon to 10.30 pm
8. British Museum
Although we know that this is not exactly a restaurant as such, if you are enjoying the works of art in the British Museum and want to eat there so as not to interrupt your visit, any of the cafés, especially those on the first floor, is a perfect option.
Both the paninni and the salads are very good and the prices are quite reasonable, being around 10 pounds for a main course plus drink.
Address: Great Russell St
Opening hours: daily 10am-5pm
9. Kalamaras Greek Taverna
One of the most recommended Greek restaurants in London is Kalamaras Greek Taverna, located in Notting Hill, one of our favourite neighbourhoods in the city where we stayed for almost two months the last time we visited the city.
One of our favourite options is the vegetarian menu, for 29.95 pounds, which, although everything is delicious, is a bit excessive in terms of quantity. It also includes dessert and coffee.
Address: 66 Inverness Mews
Opening hours: every day from 12h to 23h.
10. Ceru, another of the most recommended restaurants to eat in London
This is another one of the most recommended restaurants in London and its main restaurant is located next to the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, two of the best museums in London, making it a perfect choice if you are visiting either of them.
In addition, the restaurant has another branch in Soho, also a perfect option if you're visiting the neighbourhood.
They serve a weekly set menu, from 12 noon to 3pm, for 10 pounds a plate and they also have a pretty extensive menu, with different options of starters, salads, vegetarian dishes and meat and fish.
In addition to the menu, which is highly recommended, don't miss the homemade melon, mint and honey lemonade for 3.5 pounds. And as a bonus, the coffee for 2.5 pounds includes a piece of baklava, which is amazing.
Address: 7-9 Bute Street
Opening hours: daily 11am-11pm
11. Dishoom
We can't finish this list of restaurants where to eat in London without mentioning Dishoom, included in the Michelin Guide and another of our favourite places in the city.
Although they have several places (some in more central areas), we always went to the one located in South Kensington. Specialising in Indian cuisine, as well as having a very well decorated and charming place, they have a very extensive menu and a very professional service.
Some of our favourite dishes are: okra fries for £4.70, gunpowder potatoes for £6.90, garlic naan for £3.50 and masala prawns for £12.50. All spectacular!
Address: 12 Upper St. Martin's Lane, Covent Garden.
Opening hours: daily from 9am to midnight
Where to eat in London's markets
Another of the things to do in London for free is to stroll around the markets. And although eating in them is no longer free, we assure you that the experience will be well worth it.
Bear in mind that there are dozens of options in each market and this is just a small selection of some of the restaurants and food trucks we have eaten in.
Bao Buns
In Brick Lane Market is this little stall, which serves a six-hour cooked seared bao bun that is one of the most spectacular we've ever tasted.
The price is £7 but they can also serve it in a small cardboard box, much easier to eat, for £8.
Bao Buns
Beigel Bake
This little place on Brick Lane is another of London's must-try restaurants. With many years of history, Beigel Bake is said to serve the best beigel in the city (and even the world) and we wouldn't be the ones to say otherwise as they are excellent.
Although there is usually a long queue, it goes fast, so it's a great option for eating in the market as well as being very reasonably priced as the basic ones are no more than 1.50 pounds.
The Cheese Wheel
This is a small pasta stall in Camden Market, right next to the area where the boats from Little Venice dock, and is a real paradise if you like pasta.
They have six different specialities, which are then cooked in parmesan cheese and are spectacular. We ordered a ragu and a truffle for £8.95 each.
The Cheese Wheel
Recommended coffee shops in London
As we know that coffee and sweets are not at odds with gastronomy, and there are many options in London, here is a list of what we consider to be some of the most recommended coffee shops in London.
Etnacoffee
In Marylebone you will find one of the many branches of Etnacoffee, another of the places to eat in London or drink coffee. As well as good "black gold", they serve great cannoli, which shows why they specialise in Sicilian varieties.
If you've eaten at Honest Burger on Baker Street or are in the area, be sure to try the cannoli and lemon tarts. We paid £9.55 for a tart, two small cannoli and two coffees.
Ben's Cookies
Known for being the best place to buy biscuits in London, Ben's Cookies is another of our regulars, so much so that we often went there several times a week to buy a tray of biscuits.
The price is 1.75 pounds each biscuit and the price is reduced if you buy a pack, for example 5 for 8.95 pounds and you get 2 more for free. Note that it is not a café, so you can't sit down to taste them and you can only buy the biscuits.
Chin Chin Dessert
This small shop, with branches in Soho and Camden, is one of the best places to try different ice creams in London. We tried the Tiramisu Sundae for £5.95 with coffee and olive oil ice cream and it was truly amazing!
Note that Chin Chin in Soho can be the perfect option for dessert if you're eating at the Honest Burger next door.
Clifton Nurserys
Clifton Nurserys is one of the most recommended coffee shops in London, especially for its coffee and cakes and also for its excellent location in Little Venice.
We can't forget the curious design that it has and it is located in a large enclosure that serves as a flower shop and the cafe is located inside a greenhouse
We paid for a cappuccino, an Americano and an orange tart 10 pounds and we have to say that it is one of the best cakes we have ever eaten. Spectacular.
It can be a great option if you're making your way through Little Venice to Camden Market and want to stop for a break.
26 Grains
This little cafe in Neal's Yard is perfect for a breakfast or coffee stop in a great setting.
It's usually very busy, so if you want to have a drink or breakfast it's worth coming early in the morning before 9am, as the alley, being one of the most famous spots in London, is usually very busy at that time of day.
The price for healthy bowls is 6 pounds and coffee is between 2-3 pounds.
Tips for lunch or dinner in London's restaurants
It is important to be aware that eating in London restaurants is not the same as eating in any other European city, although in many ways it may seem to be the same, and that there are certain nuances or details that are useful to know in order to make the most of the local gastronomy.
The first thing to bear in mind is that there are endless options to choose from. In addition to following this guide as an example, we recommend using an app like TripAdvisor or any other, where you can see in detail the recommendations of the area where you are.
Although there is a common misconception that eating out in London is very expensive, it is important to know that many restaurants serve a daily set menu, many of them even on Sundays, which is usually priced between £12 and £15 and includes two or three courses.
These menus are sometimes posted on the door, but once you enter the restaurant, you are given the menu, but not the menu. Ask for it as it is very common.
Tipping is not compulsory in London restaurants. If you liked the service, you can leave 5-10% of the total bill, but it is not compulsory.
Still on the subject of tipping in London, it is equally important that you look at the ticket, as there are some restaurants, especially the more touristy ones, that already include a service charge, which can be between 10 and 15%. If you see that this is the case, you don't need to pay more than this, as the service and tip are included.
Credit cards are widely used in London, especially in tourist restaurants, so you can pay with any card, including the N26 (our favourite), which is one of the best cards for commission-free travel.
In any case, it's always a good idea to carry some cash in case they don't accept cards or the POS doesn't work.Another important thing to bear in mind is that in London you can drink tap water, so it is very common to ask directly in restaurants for "tap water".
If you do this, they will serve you a jug of tap water and you will save between 4 and 5 pounds, which is usually the cost of a bottle.As for making reservations at restaurants where to eat in London, although it is not essential, it is advisable, especially if you want to go to one in particular and it is small and highly recommended, as it is usually more difficult to find free tables.
In addition to going to one of the restaurants we have recommended, if you are particularly interested in gastronomy or you just like to eat, a good option is to take this dinner cruise, this boat trip with food or the entrance to the Hard Rock Café without queuing up.
All these restaurants where to eat in London are within the tourist routes of the city and the area, which you can prepare following the next posts, depending on the days you have available:
10 must-visit London travel tips
London in one day
London in two days
Map of the best restaurants in London
On this map you will find the exact location of all the restaurants in London that we have included in this selection of recommendations.
Do you want to organise this trip to London on your own?
Get it here:The best deals on Flights to London here
The best hotels at the best prices in London here.
Book the best tours and excursions in/from London in English here
Book your London Pass with all the benefits here
Book your London Explorer Pass with full benefits here
Rent your car in the UK at the best price here
If you feel like helping us to complete the list of restaurants where to eat in London, add yours in the comments.
Related articles
Excursions from London: the best day trips around London
London's historic pubs
Visiting Big Ben in London: times, prices and tips
What to see at the London Wax Museum: opening hours, prices and tips
What to see in London: places of interest and things to do
London in 3 days: the best itinerary
Top 10 best Italian restaurants in the Netherlands to hold onto that holiday feeling
Berlin: 9 places for top breakfasts