Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in London
Hardens guides have spent 29 years compiling reviews of the best London restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 5,639 restaurants in London and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing London restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured London Restaurants
1. Wiltons
British, Traditional restaurant in St James's
55 Jermyn St - SW1
“The Best of British” – London’s oldest restaurant (founded 1742, but not on this site) feels – with its “muffled conversations and refined decor mixing deep reds, browns and greens” – “akin to a compact version of an old-fashioned club”; and its St James’s quarters provide a “top drawer”, “old-school” experience for those of an “old-fashioned” disposition (“jackets are required for men”). “Acoustics are civilised” and “tables are very discreet, so it’s perfect for business lunches or dinners”; while service operates “with class and efficiency”, yet “without being unctuous”. “If you want first-class, traditional cuisine”, in particular fish and seafood (also game in season), this is the place for you – “sublime ingredients” are “presented impeccably, but without frills”. Do try to ensure you are there at the invitation of your tax advisor or art dealer, however: “the bill is always brutal”.
2. The Ritz
British, Traditional restaurant in Mayfair
150 Piccadilly - W1
“For a very special occasion, there is nowhere better” than this “beyond-compare” Louis XVI chamber, widely acclaimed as “the most beautiful dining room in London”: “it will not only rekindle the romance in your marriage, it’s also great for impressing on business”. “Not to be totally outdone by the surroundings, staff are friendly and unpretentious, and the classic cuisine under head chef John Willliams is measured and precise (if not exactly cheap… but it’s not supposed to be!)”. Top Tip – “a lovely fancy place for an epic breakfast”; also “the dinner dance is special and great value”.
3. Seven Park Place
French restaurant in St James's
7-8 Park Pl - SW1
“Consistently lovely food” over the past 10 years has earned an ecstatic, if limited, foodie following for low-key chef William Drabble, who “remains a hit in the kitchen rather than on the TV screen”. The “cosy” and “romantic” dining room of this hideaway luxury hotel in St James’s also benefits from “cute, quirky decor and friendly, helpful staff”.
4. Marcus, The Berkeley
British, Modern restaurant in Knightsbridge
Wilton Pl - SW1
“Outstanding in every way”, say fans of Marcus Wareing’s calm Belgravia temple of gastronomy: “a big room, where the setting of each table feels very private”, and where the “expertly crafted and seasonal” cuisine (under chef patrons, Mark and Shauna Froydenlund) is, they feel, “expensive, but oh-so-worth it”. For a large minority, though, its “daft” prices defy comprehension, and those who remember the era when Marcus himself was more regularly at the stoves feel that “compared with ten years ago, it’s not a patch on what it was”.
5. Kai Mayfair
Chinese restaurant in Mayfair
65 South Audley St - W1
“If you want Chinese food at its best”, numerous reporters award top marks to Bernard Yeoh’s luxurious Mayfair fixture, which has held a Michelin star for the last 10 years now, and which is unusual in boasting a heavyweight wine list featuring many of the world’s most famous vintages. Even those who say it’s “brilliant” acknowledge it’s decidedly “not cheap” however.
6. Barrafina
Spanish restaurant in Soho
26-27 Dean Street - W1
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
7. Barrafina
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
10 Adelaide St - WC2
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
8. Barrafina Drury Lane
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
43 Drury Ln - WC2
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
9. Barrafina
Spanish restaurant in King’s Cross
Coal Drops Yard - N1C
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
10. The Ledbury
British, Modern restaurant in Notting Hill
127 Ledbury Rd - W11
“Brett Graham never ceases to amaze” at his “simply sensational” Notting Hill fixture, celebrating its 15th year in 2020, and still idolised by its massive fanclub, who feel it stands “head and shoulders above just about any other restaurant in the capital”. “Superbly crafted, beautifully balanced modern British dishes are full of wonderful contrasts of tastes and textures, using the freshest seasonal ingredients” (notably, “world-beating game”). But there’s a “much more relaxed atmosphere than at most top-end ‘Michelin’ establishments”, with many-a compliment paid to its “easygoing, accommodating and un-fussy” staff; with kudos to sommelier Seamus Williams-Sharkey for his “light touch” and “clever advice introducing you to interesting corners of the world”. Decor is sophisticated if low-key, and “while always busy, it’s easy to have a conversation”.
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