Tower Hill Restaurant Guide

This comfortably decorated national chain feels akin to dining in a hotel, but minus the bedrooms; and its two London branches – near the Tower and in Putney – benefit from attractive Thames-side locations, where “it’s lovely to sit outside on a warm day by the river, or year-round in one of their igloo pods”. “There’s a warm fire inside with cosy armchairs”, too, which make the venues “fine for coffee or snacks”, although for more substantial meals “the food is only OK”.

“Well-executed Chinese and Japanese fare (if at strictly expense account-only prices)” from Singapore-born chef Peter Ho, wins consistent praise this year at this plush dining room. Part of the Four Seasons hotel in the extremely imposing former headquarters of the Port of London Authority (built in 1922), near Tower Hill, this august chamber “very much feels like the high-end hotel restaurant that it is”.

“Recovering nicely from the Covid effect” – this “perennial favourite for lunch” near Tower Hill is a classic bolt hole for professional buddies conspiring to kill off an afternoon over a decent bottle. Run by an independent wine merchant in a superbly characterful Victorian cellar, it provides “basic platters” of cheese or charcuterie (with veggie/vegan options) to help absorb the “very good wine at accessible prices, with good advice from the owner”. A flat £12 corkage fee makes it a good place to explore more expensive vintages, and it hosts regular events – “did a Chinese wine tasting... who knew?”

“Fresh food and an affordable set menu for lunch” are prime attractions of this cheap ’n’ cheerful Turkish chain – a fixture after more than two decades in the City, where there are now five branches, plus a more recent pan-Mediterranean spinoff in Covent Garden, Olea Social.

“A great view” is the undeniable plus point of this D&D London venue, on the 14th floor of the scraper at 120 Fenchurch Street. Other than the odd recommendation as a business lunching venue, however, it inspires strikingly few reports for a venue boasting 2,500 evergreen plants and – though harsh critiques are lacking – its luxe-brasserie menu incorporating oysters, sashimi, caviar, steaks and other grills goes uncommented-on.

“Simple pasta done very well” lives up to the billing at this straightforward chain, which added a branch on Baker Street complete with outside terrace to its other three locations at the start of 2024. They are “nothing amazing, but the food is good, the service friendly, and it is a very easy option” when out and about or “when cooking just feels like a chore”.

“Still a legendary destination with consistently excellent meats, sides, drinks all far cheaper than at Hawksmoor” – these “dark and noisy” operations are “a go-to destination when you want some serious meat (perhaps more chophouse than steak house), with many good options that don’t dent the wallet”; and widely seen as “a better bet than other big high-end steak chains”. “They pack the punters in, so a good tip is to request a booth”. “Steaks are cooked just right. Staff are happy and helpful. Why didn’t I go here years ago?”. Top Menu Tips – “Sunday lunch is legendary”. And “try the ‘All-In’ for a variety of chops on excellent grilled flatbreads, and a couple of tasty sides between two. Also a (poorly promoted) option to BYO for £10 corkage at any time”.

London’s highest rooftop brasserie is on the 36th floor of the Walkie Talkie – “booking a meal here is the easiest way to get the view as the free public tickets vanish very quickly when made available!”. “The venue does not trade too rapaciously on the location and offers a pleasant if unambitious menu”. (“The view is best appreciated from the ‘Sky Garden’ that surrounds the restaurant, so it is worth taking time before or after eating to explore that”).

This “very accommodating” grill house occupies quite a stylish modern unit near Tower Bridge and is the “London copy” of an operation in Brighton. A good selection of fish, chicken and vegetable options is available alongside a wide array of steaks: “quality of the ingredients is excellent and presentation is special”. Top Tip – a good pre-show dining option near the Bridge Theatre.

‘A taste of South Africa’ is the promise of this City-fringe duo in Farringdon and London Bridge, which combine “an excellent choice of steaks” and dishes from the braai with a wide selection of South African wines. There’s also the prospect of a trip to the (very un-African) walk-in cheese room to end off a meal. But even those who acknowledge “decent Saffa-inspired grills” can say “the overall feel of the place is a little tired” or “functional”. And that it’s “not cheap for what it is” was also a repeat-complaint this year.

“Novel dishes full of spice and intrigue” draw a “buzzy” crowd to this “refreshingly innovative” and hugely successful modern Indian trio: an “elevated street-food experience that’s really good fun”. The “tiny but perfectly formed” Spitalfields original is “still the best”, say fans, but the food also hits the spot at “tapas-style” venues in Soho and Tower Bridge.

An incredible (if, nowadays, rather touristy) South Bank location – with a big outside terrace in summer – is the reason to discover this modern Italian with magnificent views of Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast from a new development next to the former City Hall. The Italian food can be good too, but is not the main driver for a visit.

Still-limited and somewhat up-and-down feedback on the posher part of this foliage-filled space on the 37th floor of the ‘Walkie Talkie’ (your reservation gives you access to the surrounding ‘Sky Garden’, for which you otherwise need a ticket). Nowadays the stoves are overseen by Anguillan-raised Kerth Gumbs, who puts a Caribbean spin on some dishes, be it from the à la carte or the 9-course tasting menu for £95. The odd critic considers it “overpriced and mediocre”, but fans say it’s “exceptional and romantic”.

“The food is served with a bit of theatre” in this splendid old school hall not far south of Tower Bridge (Grade II listed and part of what was once St. Olave’s Grammar School) – nowadays a contemporary Indian venue that’s part of Lalit Hotel Group’s flagship UK property. It’s consistently well-reviewed in our annual diners’ poll, but at less busy times can seem “quiet”.

“No gimmicks and great flavours” is the recipe for a “semi-religious experience” at this small group (which also has three delivery-only outlets): for its many fans, “still the gold standard by which all burgers in the UK should be judged”. “Gloriously juicy meat with just the right amount of extras” all “comes together in the most mouth-watering way”. You “don’t come for the experience” though: they are “very cramped when busy”, if “still somehow cool”. In August 2024 they opened a new site not far from London Bridge.

“A limited-choice menu, but one that seems to work” underpins the success of this “no-frills” steakhouse chain created by Charlie Carroll in 2012 and now with just under a dozen London branches (with 2024 seeing its arrival in Victoria and just off Hammersmith Broadway). “You know just what you are going to get” and “the quality/value factor makes it a sound bet”: “decent steaks and a few rustic sides”; and “don’t forget the lovely (free) salted caramel ice cream on the way out!”. “Not a place to linger”, but “it never disappoints”.

A “very good Mexican near Tower Bridge”, which has a more café-style spin-off in Shoreditch. Both serve a selection of tacos, tostados and quesadillas and both make a feature of bottomless brunch, but at the original there’s also regional dishes, like sea bass cooked over a wood-fire grill and Beef Short Rib with Oaxacan Mole.

“A City Institution!” – Looking down onto Leadenhall Market from the eves of the old Victorian structure (which it has inhabited since the 1980s), this traditional brasserie is an excellent all-rounder by the standards of Square Mile lunch spots. The classic French fare is not going to distract from your lunch, but prices are sufficiently reasonable as to make this a bill that can be paid, if necessary, from your ‘personal account’.