London Wapping Restaurant Guide

“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”.

This “elegant-looking restaurant” on Wapping High Street “oozes class, its big, bright dining room opening to views of Tower Bridge”. The London offshoot of Essex institution Smith’s of Ongar, it provides “a wide choice of fish served simply, with an emphasis on freshness and quality”; plus a level of “service which is becoming increasingly hard to find in the post-pandemic and Brexit era”. A good number of best meals of the year are reported here from diners in our annual poll.

“Still our pizza favourite no matter how successful and busy they get… the black dough even makes you feel you’re eating healthy!” – this eight-strong chain has grown from its Islington base over the last ten years (est. 2016) and its successful formula revolves around four 48-hour slow-fermented doughs – charcoal, wholemeal, gluten-free and traditional. Of these the first is the most eye-catching: “interesting charcoal-based pizza with delicious toppings”. The original N7 branch near Arsenal and the W14 one (they call it ‘Hammersmith’ but it’s closer to Olympia) attract most feedback, but it’s the food that wins fans: for example, “the original one feels buzzy when Arsenal play at home when it’s packed out, but otherwise can feel a bit grim and loveless”.

“Just look at that view!” – Tower Bridge seen from the terrace of this sleek riverside restaurant is a spectacular sight, as the late Sir Terence Conran recognised when he launched the venue in 1991. Now part of the Evolv Collection, its ratings have revived somewhat in recent years with its French cuisine again hitting the spot. But many diners have moved on, and it’s nowadays a relatively obscure destination, especially by the standards of its ’90s heyday as one of the hottest tables in town (where, most famously, PM Tony Blair hosted then-President Clinton).

2024 Review: “Handy for the location” by the Thames, with spectacular views of Tower Bridge from its terrace, this modern take on the British chop house was created by the late Sir Terence Conran as part of his ‘Gastrodome’ complex in the 1990s. Nowadays owned by D&D London, it is a useful spot for tourists and business diners.

How many hours have been convivially lost in this wine bar extraordinaire behind Tower Hill station, which has barely changed in the almost 40 years that it has operated in its current guise – and possibly since the Victorian era? It consists of “two adjoining cellars: one is a wine shop (with a “marvellous selection”) where you pick a wine to be decanted and served – for only £12 corkage over the take-away price – in the adjoining cellar, which has a small number of seats and tables. Platters of charcuterie and cheese (and also a vegan board) are assembled to order and served to the table”. “The quality of the food is high and prices restrained” – and if you don’t feel like a whole bottle, a good selection is available by the glass.

2022 Review: East London’s oldest Indian (established 1939 in Whitechapel) briefly found fame in late August 2020, when it was reviewed by Marina O’Loughlin for The Sunday Times. Run by four generations of the same family – and with somewhat antediluvian decor – it’s not the place to uncover the latest in food fads; or as Marina eloquently put it: “it tastes like the past, deliciously”. Reports please!

“Simply stunning food at a reasonable price” – from a “limited menu offering an original interpretation of modern Italian cooking” – has won a growing reputation for this high performer near Tower Bridge from ex-Trullo chef Matt Beardmore and ex-Barrafina manager Jay Patel (“I would eat here every day if I could”). The duo opened a spinoff wine bar/restaurant called Luna close by in summer 2025 (see also).

2023 Review: “Sustainable, fresh, well-cooked with interesting Korean and Caribbean influences” – this avant-garde seafood operation in Wapping, from Dorset-based fish supplier Shaun Henderson and chef Neil Wager, opened in stages through 2022. The chippy came first – “but what fish ’n’ chips!”, with ten chip varieties, including ‘extra-large smoked with togarashi and okono sauce’ – followed by a full-service seafood restaurant and a ‘butchery’ specialising in dry-aged fish. Reports are too limited for a rating but initial feedback is very positive.

Chef-patron Tomasz Baranski has relaunched his Latino two-year-old in St Katherine Docks (with views of Tower Bridge) rebranding it under this new name (it was previously Chayote). With the culinary focus still on the flavours of Mexico, Peru and Spain, not a great deal else has changed. Feedback remains limited but upbeat. The menu does incorporate tacos to start and burritos at lunch, but main dishes are more substantial fusion fare: for example Pork Cheek Carnitas or Hake Fillet with salsa.

This South Bank pan-Asian is, for many, a “go-to near the National Theatre” – and chef-patron Peter Lloyd doubled up three years ago by taking over the former Cantine del Porte downstream at Shad Thames, which offers “great views of Tower Bridge and the river”. Both sites benefit from their “enviable locations” and – on most accounts – “give rise to little to complain about”, with “pleasing food and reliable service”. But the “tasty” cooking doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny (“my Singaporean friend was disappointed that the menu was not more authentic”) and even advocates can feel, “it’s not otherwise a destination, but it suits us pre-show”.

A small (6-8 covers) Thames-facing terrace adds to the appeal of this small (28 cover) newcomer, opened in mid 2025 by the team behind Legare on the other side of the road. It opened too late for feedback in our annual diners’ poll, but features biodynamic wines accompanied by oysters, crudos and carpaccios.