The Ampersand's high tea takes inspiration from its location near the Science Museum.
Being (probably) the world’s most cosmopolitan city certainly has its perks. You can find pretty much any type of food you fancy in London, from Cockney staples to spice-fuelled delights, meat-eaters’ nirvanas to plant-based bliss — and every other flavour trending right now.
Dishoom
Indian comfort food with a twist
Whether you’re here for its legendary breakfast bacon and egg naan rolls laced with tomato-chilli jam and fresh coriander or enjoying a fragrant black daal with okra fries or lamb biryani later in the day, Dishoom draws punters back time and again. It has five branches in London, with the most ambient set inside a converted railway shed behind King’s Cross station, replete with rotating ceiling fans, scents of chai and sandalwood, and vintage decor inspired by Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus).
5 Stable Street, N1C 4AB. Phone: +44 20 7420 9321. See dishoom.com
The Clove Club
Credit: Per-Anders Jorgensen
Modern British
Pricey yet unpretentious, this two-Michelin-star restaurant is tucked inside the former Shoreditch Town Hall in hip and happening east London. Run by Scottish-born chef-patron Isaac McHale, the Clove Club is feted for its seasonal tasting menus (from $261), with ingredients sourced from across the British Isles yielding inventive dishes such as native Cornish lobster with gooseberry aguachile and summer berries, and charcoal-grilled aubergine with brown crab, ginger and cinnamon oil. There’s a vegetarian menu, too.
380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT. Phone: +44 20 7729 6496. See thecloveclub.com
Bustronome
Gastronomy and sightseeing
London is brimming with French eateries, from rustic brasseries to fine-dining hotel restaurants. The quirkiest Gallic-tinged offering is Bustronome, a bistro-on-wheels where you wine and dine on a high-end, glass-topped double-decker bus as it tours the city, passing icons such as the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral. There are lunch and dinner departures, vegetarian menus and dishes such as slow-cooked beef with pomegranate and butter carrots, cauliflower and hazelnut cappuccino with mushroom girasole, and Paris Brest and ganache.
Embark at 40B Victoria Embankment. WC2N 6PB. Phone: +44 20 3744 5554. See bustronome.com/en/london
Brixton Village
Global flavours galore
If you find Borough Market overly touristy, make a beeline instead for Brixton, at the southern end of the Victoria tube line, where beneath covered arcades and railway arches, traders serve a sizzling assortment of food and drink, curried with the flavours of Jamaica, Ghana, Ethiopia, China, Japan, Colombia and others. Also here is the original restaurant of Franco Manca – a doyen of sourdough Neapolitan pizzas – plus dedicated vegan outlets, wine bars, a patisserie and Aussie-style caffeine hits at Federation Coffee.
Coldharbour Lane. SW9 8PS. Phone: +44 20 7274 2990. See brixtonvillage.com
The Wolseley
European cafe-restaurant
Modelled on the classic grand cafes of Europe, this elegant all-day affair – set in a one-time luxury car showroom with Venetian-esque arches and pillars – blends continental grandeur with British heritage, serving everything from in-house baked viennoiserie and full English breakfasts to oysters and caviar, goulash and schnitzels. Like its Mayfair neighbours and fellow celebrity haunts, The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason, The Wolseley is renowned for its afternoon tea. Handily, you’re on the doorstep of Green Park – perfect for a post-prandial stroll.
160 PIccadilly. W1J 9EB. Phone: +44 20 7499 6996. See thewolseley.com
Sushisamba
Fusion fare with a view
The food certainly piques the tastebuds – with dishes from Japan, Brazil and Peru – but Sushisamba’s top draw is its amazing setting, perched on the 38th and 39th floors of the glossy Heron Tower near Liverpool Street station. Feast on the mesmerising London views with sushi (of course) and the likes of Kobe beef, shrimp tempura and ceviche – plus pisco and cachaca cocktails. There’s a vegan menu, too. If the weather’s fine, consider dining al fresco on one of Europe’s highest terraces.
110 Bishopsgate. EC2N 4AY. Phone: +44 20 3640 7330. See sushisamba.com
The Petersham Covent Garden
Anglo-Italian flavours
For a well-deserved lunch after a morning’s shopping or perhaps a pre-theatre dinner, try this chic West End offshoot of Richmond’s Petersham Nurseries, a garden nursery and glasshouse eatery founded by the Boglione family. This restaurant adheres to the same slow food, farm-to-table philosophy, with many ingredients organic and from the family farm in Devon. Dine indoors, surrounded by contemporary art and Murano glassware, or on the leafy courtyard terrace, and pair wines from Sicily and Tuscany with dishes such as braised ox cheek bathed in Chianti classico and carnaroli risotto with cavolo nero, capers and langoustine.
2 Floral Court. WC2E 9FB. Phone: +44 20 7305 7676. See petershamnurseries.com
Sucre
Latin American glamour
Sucre arrived to great fanfare in 2021, with Argentinian chef Fernando Trocca bringing a touch of Buenos Aires – and the craft of open-fire cooking – to an opulent old Soho concert hall. While carnivores can't resist the ribeye steak, fries, chimichurri and Malbec, enticing alternatives include the cod, chickpeas, leeks and aioli or stone bass tostada, soy, lime, sesame and avocado. Argentinian favourites alfajor and dulce de leche fondant are potential desserts, while the basement's Alma bar is a pre or post-dinner option, promising inventive cocktails and disco, soul and funk tunes.
47B Great Marlborough Street. W1F 7JP. Phone: +44 20 3988 3329. See sucrerestaurant.com
The Ampersand Hotel
Science-inspired afternoon tea
Make yourself comfy in the cosy, colourful drawing room of this South Kensington boutique hotel and enjoy a cool, family-friendly twist on afternoon tea. Inspired by its location near the Science Museum, it melds the traditional – finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream and a selection of teas – with eclectic, artfully presented treats such as chocolate spacemen, dinosaur biscuits and planet-shaped macarons. You also get to experiment with test tubes and petri dishes, evoking memories of school chemistry lessons.
10 Harrington Road, SW7 3ER. Phone: +44 20 7589 5895. See ampersandhotel.com
The Cadogan Arms
Gastropub
Tie in a visit to the always-provocative Saatchi Gallery with a refuelling stop at this charmingly refurbished pub in Chelsea, the Rolling Stones’ old neighbourhood. Chandeliers gleam in the beautifully carved darkwood bar and art-blessed dining areas, where locals and out-of-towners find satisfaction in a choice of craft ales, gins, classic cocktails, an excellent wine list and a best of British menu by top chefs James Knappett and Alex Harper. They do everything from beer-battered fish and chips and Sunday roasts to paneer makhani curries and spring vegetables and fine herb hot pots.
298 King's Road. SW3 5UG. Phone: +44 20 3148 2630. See thecadoganarms.london
Decimo
Spanish-Mexican flair
Hop in the red-pill lift outside The Standard hotel and zoom up to the 10th floor, admiring, as you do, the fantastical neo-Gothic spires of St Pancras railway station across the street. Cacti-dotted Decimo specialises in agave cocktails and Spanish-Mexican cuisine by Michelin-feted chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, who conjures fresh twists on tacos and tortillas plus tempting dishes such as mangalitsa pork, gambas rojas (prawns) and quail with mole glaze. Some evenings DJs add to the buzz, and there’s a Saturday brunch session, too.
10 Argyle Street. WC1H 8EG. Phone: +44 20 3981 8888. See decimo.london
Ottolenghi
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern bites
An appealing choice throughout the day, from laid-back brunches to celebratory dinners, Ottolenghi excels in shareable dishes seasoned with herbs and spices. Try the shakshuka with braised eggs, smoked labneh and hand-grilled focaccia or the octopus saganaki with tomato, fennel, ouzo and barrel-aged feta. Branches of Ottolenghi dot London, but the largest and loveliest is hidden down a Georgian alleyway near Old Spitalfields Market (another place, incidentally, jammed with worldly food and drink options).
50 Artillery Lane. E1 7LJ. Phone: +44 20 7247 1999. See ottolenghi.co.uk
Steve McKenna travelled as a guest of Visit Britain.
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