Tower Hill Restaurant Guide

“Love the ambience… no pressure to quit the table and nice to overlook the river” – such are the plus points of these flexible, comfortable and welcoming homes-from-home in the Home Counties and in London near Tower Bridge and in Putney. Celebration? Both locations also feature funky little Thames-side ‘igloos’ seating up to 8. Looking for great food too? Don’t bother! “Disappointment” is often registered regarding the salads, pizza and other very middle of the road fare – keep your celebrations as liquid as possible…

Can the arrival of Richard Turner – Meatopia founder and consultant to Hawksmoor, Blacklock and Pitt Cue – help turn around this sagging chain of US smokehouses, launched in 2002 and with 6-7 outlets at its height? His new menu was launched in March 2025 across the remaining Soho, Covent Garden, Camden Town (an all-day diner) and Tower Hill branches, with the focus on US-scale platters of ribs, pulled pork and other meaty cuts.

“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”.

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.

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

From its King’s Cross roots, this tapas chain mushroomed in size in 2025 with its takeover of the former Iberica group, acquiring the latter’s good-looking sites in the process. Reports are slightly uneven, but its early days and the balance is notably positive, especially about the “buzzy” vibe in all locations.

From the 14th floor you can see as far as the hills (geddit!) at this foliage-strewn venue within the 120 Fenchurch Street tower. Part of The Evolv Collection (fka D&D London), it offers a brasserie menu majoring in steak and inspires only limited feedback: some of it of the view that “its view is the only redeeming feature!”

“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”.

“When craving good quality red meat”, “these buzzy (if “very noisy”) chop-shops are bang on the money”, offering some of “the best VFM meat in London”, plus “attentive and welcoming service” too. “The steaks compare very favourably to Hawksmoor, especially as they are a fraction of the price” – “corkage is £10, which when matched with Butcher’s Block prices on a Monday makes for unbeatable value”. “Interiors are sleek but also relaxed (big groups – potentially with burger juices dripped down the front – can laugh loudly across circular tables without getting any side-eye”). Top Menu Tip – “The ‘All In’ is a heady mix of different meats laid on bread which soaks up all the resting juices… wonderful!”

The Level 36 brasserie at the top of the Walkie Talkie tower in the City is a “great place for a family gathering – you can gather before and after your meal in the Sky Garden”, which surrounds the dining area and is the best vantage point for spectacular views over London. The standard British fare is not exorbitantly expensive for the setting, but – in the absence of the “incredible view” – you wouldn’t seek it out.

For a “decent Sunday roast” or a meaty meal convenient to the nearby Bridge Theatre, this stylish modern grill house in a development a stone’s throw from the Thames and Tower Bridge is sometimes recommended. Feedback is generally of the good-not-great variety though, and the place never quite seems to live up to its high potential.

“The South African wine selection can’t be beaten” at these steak-and-wine-bar fixtures on the edge of the City (Faringdon and London Bridge) – each with a wine cave and ‘walk-in cheese room’ showcasing British artisan cheeses. They pull in a crowd – “we could hardly hear each other!” – but also attract the odd complaint of “average food at huge prices (£100 per head was way over the top for a very dull meal)”.

Harneet Baweja’s 10-year-old Indian street-food outfit “just gets better and better”, with “innovative, authentic and well-spiced sharing plates” and “warm service”. The Spitalfields branch is “the original and best”; while the Soho and Tower Bridge follow-ups also win praise. Top Tip – look out for the ‘India Club’ events: one-off celebrations of a particular city, region or festival.

On the South Bank near HMS Belfast, this modern Italian in a recent development has a big outside terrace with a “fabulous view” towards Tower Bridge. Opinions on its performance somewhat diverge: one critic found it “very touristy with boring food” but standards here are mostly rated as “decent” to good.

On the 37th floor of the ‘Walkie Talkie’, this posher option when dining at the Sky Garden complex (see also Darwin Brasserie) is overseen by Anguilla-born Kerth Gumbs, whose menu mixes his Caribbean roots with top British ingredients. There wasn’t enough feedback for a rating this year: you can eat from a tasting menu for £110 per person, there’s an à la carte with main dishes for circa £40 each (and watch out for the chef’s set menu offering two courses for £47 per person).

2022 Review: Near Aldgate, a new hotel – a ‘with-it’ extension of the Hilton brand – opened in April 2021. Later in the year, this large new rooftop terrace and restaurant opens to help it live up to the hotel’s name. Attractions will include an all-day menu from breakfast.

The “stunning venue” of a Grade II listed former school hall (once St Olave’s Grammar School) – not to mention “friendly staff” and consistently “tasty” modern Indian cuisine make this a fitting flagship for the Lalit Hotel Group. One caveat: “it’s a really interesting building but the big hall and spaced-out tables can lead to a lack of atmosphere, especially early evening”.

“Just simple and exceptional!” – Zan Kaufman’s fast-expanding chain still remains widely hailed for offering “the best burger in London”: a winning formula that’s bringing an eighth site in Soho in 2025 alongside recent additions in Seven Dials, London Bridge and – the biggest one yet (28 covers) – on Baker Street. All of the many reports we receive acclaim its “amazing burgers and amazing fries”. One caveat – “expect delays if you want to eat in the evening at the Bloomberg building outlet as they can be too busy fulfilling the constant Deliveroo orders for the starving investment bankers who are all still working until midnight!”