Category · 65 spots
London dining spots worth the trip
Leyton Orient · Restaurants · Leytonstone
Cult Thai BYO on Leytonstone High Road, short specials menu, fierce kitchen, queue down the street.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Covent Garden
Bombay-style Irani cafe that somehow nails the atmosphere of old Mumbai. The bacon naan roll is legendary.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Shoreditch
Basque-influenced restaurant in a former sex shop. Whole turbot grilled over charcoal, natural wine, and a buzzing room.
Chelsea · Restaurants · Chelsea
Modern European on the quieter end of the King's Road. Set menu, white tablecloths, a Michelin nod.
Counter seafood bar on Pavilion Road serving raw plates, oysters and grilled fish straight from the chiller.
Tottenham Hotspur · Restaurants · Tottenham
The UK's first Nigerian tapas restaurant, jollof, suya and small plates designed for sharing.
Fulham · Restaurants · Hammersmith
Riverside Italian icon, wood-fired ovens, white-jacketed waiters, the cookbook that defined a generation.
Fulham · Restaurants · Fulham
London's only Michelin-starred pub, game-led British menu, hearty puddings, proper service.
Brentford · Restaurants · Kew
Michelin-starred sister to Chez Bruce by Kew Gardens station, modern European, set menus, immaculate.
Millwall · Restaurants · Bermondsey
Tiny French bistro on Bermondsey Street with a chalkboard menu of three starters, three mains, three puds.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Islington
Highbury Corner Italian, handmade pasta, wood-fired grill, and a room that feels like a special occasion every night.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Stoke Newington (North London)
Intimate Spanish tapas restaurant on Stoke Newington Church Street with a Scottish twist, pairing proper small plates with top Scottish seafood at an open diner-style bar.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Clerkenwell
A Clerkenwell institution serving Moorish-influenced Spanish and North African food. Been brilliant for over 25 years.
Millwall · Restaurants · London Bridge
Fresh pasta made in front of you, served simply and perfectly. The cacio e pepe is extraordinary for the price.
Sri Lankan small plates from the JKS group, hoppers, kothu roti and bone-marrow varuval.
Pakistani grill institution on the High Road, seekh kebabs, karahi lamb and BYO.
Restaurants · Bounds Green
Old-school Italian neighbourhood restaurant, handmade pasta, pizza from the wood oven, tiramisu by the slab.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Whitechapel
Punjabi grill institution since 1972, sizzling lamb chops, dry meat, naan bigger than your head. BYO.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Shoreditch
Low-and-slow barbecue specialists, brisket bun, ribs, smoked bone-marrow on toast.
Crystal Palace · Restaurants · Crystal Palace
Neapolitan pizza in a stripped-back room at the top of the triangle, leopard-spotted crusts, short list, fast service.
Restaurants · Peckham
Taiwanese bao bar, fried chicken bao, pork belly bao, ginger fried rice. Short queue, big flavour.
Sleek Parsons Green Japanese, sushi counter, robata grill, omakase and serious sake.
Brentford · Restaurants · Chiswick
Smart Chiswick all-day restaurant, Modern British, an outstanding wine list, neighbourhood prices for cooking like this.
Brentford · Restaurants · Hammersmith
Hammersmith Italian from ex-River Cafe chef Andy Needham, short, focused menu, killer pasta.
Queens Park Rangers · Restaurants · Shepherd's Bush
Counter sushi from a former Nobu chef, nigiri, sashimi and seasonal omakase at neighbourhood prices.
Greasy spoon by day, Tunisian restaurant by night, tagines, couscous, BYO and a warm welcome from the family.
Tiny Bermondsey Street tapas bar from José Pizarro, ham, sherry, plancha-cooked fish.
Leyton Orient · Restaurants · Leyton
East London pizza institution, 18-inch New York slices, classic pepperoni, generous toppings.
Leyton Orient · Restaurants · Wanstead
French neighbourhood bistro on Wanstead High Street, three-course set menu, steak frites, proper service.
AFC Wimbledon · Restaurants · Raynes Park
Family-run Japanese in Raynes Park, sushi, gyoza, tonkatsu, izakaya plates done with care.
Sutton United · Restaurants · Cheam
Keralan kitchen specialising in seafood, fish moilee, prawn pollichathu, malabar parotta.
Barnet · Restaurants · Edgware
Family-run Lebanese in Edgware, mezze, charcoal-grilled meats, fresh bread from the clay oven.
Barnet · Restaurants · Finchley
North London fish & chip institution since 1990, line-caught cod, matzo balls, big portions.
Crystal Palace · Restaurants · Anerley
A small Sicilian pizzeria on Penge High Street, a short hop from Selhurst Park. Open kitchen, proper pizza oven in the middle of the room, and a menu built on ingredients shipped in from Sicily.
Modern Middle Eastern in a converted warehouse on Bermondsey Street. Mezze, flatbreads, and charcoal-grilled meats.
Arsenal · Restaurants · Islington (Angel)
Handsome mid-1800s gastropub in Angel that butchers, cures and smokes its own meat on site, with a daily-changing seasonal British menu.
Tottenham Hotspur · Restaurants · Bruce Grove (Tottenham)
Family-run Italian trattoria in Bruce Grove, trading for over half a century, known for wood-fired pizzas and honest no-frills pasta.
Turkish and Mediterranean brasserie just off Upper Street, known for mezze, kofte and a wood-fired oven. Two floors, hanging lamps and mosaic chandeliers.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Spitalfields
Proper East End chippy with a 1950s diner fit-out, jellied eels at the counter and chips wrapped in newspaper.
Crystal Palace fixture since 1978, bistro classics, white tablecloths, regulars treated like family.
Queens Park Rangers · Restaurants · Brook Green
Modern chippy, line-caught fish, triple-cooked chips, mushy peas with mint.
Charlton Athletic · Restaurants · Greenwich
Pie, mash and liquor shop since 1890, proper east-end pies in a tiled Greenwich room.
Charlton Athletic · Restaurants · Greenwich Peninsula
Stevie Parle's Greenwich Peninsula restaurant, wood-fired, fermented, smoked. Three floors, all great.
AFC Wimbledon · Restaurants · Wimbledon
Long-standing Wimbledon Italian, Sloaney clientele, classic pastas, summer terrace.
Sutton United · Restaurants · Sutton
Proper French brasserie on Sutton High Street, steak tartare, moules, plat du jour.
South Indian and Sri Lankan kitchen, dosas, idli sambar, devilled prawns. BYO.
Edgware regional Indian kitchen, South Indian breakfasts, Hyderabadi biryanis, dosas the length of a child.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Hackney
Modern British sharing plates on Morning Lane. Seasonal, unfussy, and genuinely good value for east London.
Restaurants · Crystal Palace
Neighbourhood bistro on Westow Hill with a warm room and a menu that changes with the seasons. Sunday roasts are the main event.
Gastropub on the edge of Wimbledon Common. Seasonal British menu, local beers, and a terrace for sunny matchdays.
South Indian on the Leyton High Road. Dosas, thalis, and a karala fish curry that transports you to the Malabar coast.
Mediterranean cafe-restaurant on Upper Street with a cake counter at the front and a conservatory garden room at the back. Popular for brunch, fishcakes and lemon tart.
All-day brunch cafe near the Highbury & Islington end of Upper Street. Mediterranean-leaning breakfast with halloumi, feta and spicy sausage, plus fresh juices.
Angel branch of the small Thai cafe chain that started as a Brick Lane stall. Small, wood and whitewashed interior, known for Pad Kra Prow and Massaman curry.
A two-floor dining pub on Shepherd's Bush Green, ground-floor bar for pints and a calmer upstairs room with leather sofas for a proper sit-down plate before Loftus Road.
Restaurant inside the Old Royal Naval College courtyard, Modern British, big windows, history dripping off the walls.
AFC Wimbledon · Restaurants · Wimbledon Village
Bright, airy Modern European on Wimbledon Village's main drag, open kitchen, weekend brunch, wood-fired pizzas.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Forest Gate
Pakistani grill house on Woodgrange Road. Karahi, seekh kebabs, and a karak chai that will keep you awake through extra time.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Hackney Wick
All-day dining and drinking on the canal at Hackney Wick. Big plates, natural wine, and a terrace that buzzes on matchdays.
Dirty burgers, buffalo wings, and onion rings the size of your fist. Loud, dark, and unapologetic.
Crystal Palace · Restaurants · Selhurst
Family-run Thai on Selhurst Road. Proper heat, fresh basil, and a green curry that will clear your sinuses.
Millwall · Restaurants · Rotherhithe
Riverside pub with a serious kitchen. British comfort food, local ales, and a beer garden looking across the Thames.
Brentford · Restaurants · Brentford
Neighbourhood cafe by the canal doing all-day brunch and proper sourdough pizzas in the evening. Unfussy and friendly.
West Ham United · Restaurants · Stratford
Fast-fired Roman pizza by the Olympic Park. Thin, crispy, and ready in minutes. Great for a quick pre-match bite.
Charlton Athletic · Restaurants · Charlton
Old-school Chinese on Charlton Church Lane. Duck pancakes, sizzling platters, and a BYOB policy that keeps the bill down.
