Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in London
Hardens guides have spent 32 years compiling reviews of the best London restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 69 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. Club Gascon
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
57 West Smithfield - EC1
“Reliably great after all these years” – Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie’s renowned institution near Smithfield Market occupies a stylishly converted former Lyons Tea House and continues to mine southwest France for its culinary inspiration: notably “very inventive presentations of foie gras” paired with “a different range of wines that one sees in most other restaurants, given its regional emphasis”.
2. Cabotte
French restaurant in Bank
48 Gresham St - EC2V
“Flying slightly under the radar”, this “superior City venue” is “a lovely find, right in the heart of the the Square Mile where it can be hard to encounter a good meal” (“clients are always pleased to visit it!”). “The front of house team are so charming” and deliver “precise and tasty” Gallic cuisine. The major attraction here, though, is the “comprehensive wine list” – “one of the best wine selections in London: it’s hard to find a better selection of Burgundy, but the other region lists are well represented”, with “many rewards to be found, both on pricing and rare gems”.
3. Piazza Italiana
Italian restaurant in
38 Threadneedle Street - EC2R
Occupying an impressive Edwardian banking hall in the heart of the City, this high-ceilinged space provides a large, classic Italian menu and – if you still have space – makes a feature of a sizeable cheeseboard, showcasing Italian cheeses. Reports are uniformly upbeat, including as a business choice (and, if Accounts are on your case, there’s a good-value lunchtime set menu).
4. Bolton’s
Italian restaurant in
13 Cullum St - EC3
At Bolton's restaurant our philosophy is simple, we are inspired by the finest, freshest ingredients and the most authentic vibrant flavours. In Italian our culinary style is called alla Casalinga which means home-style cookery or as we like to say, "like mamma used to make."
It...
5. Angler, South Place Hotel
Fish & seafood restaurant in City
3 South Pl - EC2
“Perfectly executed fish” from a “varied and delicate” menu adds to the elevation of this 7th-floor D&D London perch, at the top of a hotel near Broadgate, where the “nice verandah” comes into its own in the summer months. Cooking of this quality is rare in the City, and even non expense-accounters will seek it out. This year’s most critical report? – “probably worth its Michelin star, but pricey and the chef didn’t take any gambles”.
6. Fazenda, Rodizio Bar & Grill
South American restaurant in City
100 Bishopsgate - EC2M
Situated in the heart of the City near Liverpool Street, Fazenda Bishopsgate spans across two floors in the thriving 10...
7. Obicà Mozzarella Bar, Pizza e Cucina
Italian restaurant in City
Unit 4 5 - 7 Limeburners Lane, - EC4M
This international chain has three London representatives – in Soho, the City and Canary Wharf – and focuses on light Italian dishes (pizza, pasta and salads) showcasing the eponymous cheese from Campania alongside other Italian produce; plus a range of cocktails and wines. A good spot “for post-work drinks and nibbles”.
8. Homeslice
Pizza restaurant in City
69-71 Queen Street - EC4R
“Still delivering on what it set out to do” – Alan and Mark Wogan’s (yes, the late Terry’s sons) hip pizza chain is the best-rated of the mid-sized groups, thanks to its “huge and amazing pizzas with delicious and unusual toppings” (“now the choice is even easier with the 50/50 option!”). Top Menu Tip – “awesome vegan nduja pizza” is amongst a growing number of plant-based options (and, from June 2022, they now have a fully meat-free site, in their 135-cover Shoreditch branch).
9. The Anthologist
British, Modern restaurant in City
58 Gresham St - EC2
A handy location, near the Guildhall, “buzzy” large interior and versatile menu of “decent (if unspectacular) food” mean it’s worth remembering this “reliable option in the City”, although it “can be incredibly busy”.
10. Lutyens Grill, The Ned
Steaks & grills restaurant in City
27 Poultry - EC2R
“Is there a better business venue?” query fans of this plush steakhouse, which sits within a panelled corner of the vast former HQ of Midland Bank, next to the Bank of England. It’s the prime dining option within the hotel accessible to those not blessed with membership of Soho House, featuring top-quality British and imported steak.
11. Cecconi's, The Ned
International restaurant in City
27 Poultry - EC2R
“The original location is by far the best” – “almost Continental in feel, and opposite the back entrance of the Royal Academy in Burlington Arcade”: “a regular haunt” for Mayfair types where “a seat at the bar is the best possible place in the world”. “Always buzzy and with exceptional Bellinis, it’s best for breakfast or brunch”. On the downside, “the high prices of the food reflect the area and locale”. Its simpler spin-offs (most notably pizza joints in Soho and Shoreditch) capture a fragment of this “fun and upmarket” style.
12. Goodman City
Steaks & grills restaurant in City
11 Old Jewry - EC2
“Still the go-to New York-style steak house” – this Russian-owned chain has “a distinct style from Hawksmoor” which it somewhat resembles; and though its fanbase is much smaller, it’s held in equal regard by those who recommend it. Well located for expense accounters, its branches in Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf are a “safe bet for good steak” and deliver a straightforward formula inspiring few grumbles. “The prices aren’t dirt cheap, but those AAA steaks never were”.
13. Hawksmoor Guildhall
Steaks & grills restaurant in City
10-12 Basinghall St - EC2
“Bloody good, succulent steaks”, with “epic cocktails and wines”, all served in “rather clubby”, “classy” surroundings is a formula that’s won fame and fortune for Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse phenomenon. “Many happy afternoons have been lost in these places!”, which continue to be voted as London’s “best steak chain by far”, and “a go-to for business”. “Everything is top-notch: the quality and cookery of the beef; the exemplary seafood (be it Salcombe crab on toast or their lobster); even down to their excellent sides of mac ’n’ cheese, bone marrow or Caesar salad”. However, a visit “is not exactly easy on the wallet”. “It’s verrrrry expensive” (and “if you go with mates who like to chug back the wine, the bill will be massive!”). And ratings are coming under ever-more pressure due to “staff who seem unable to cope”, or meals with “too many misses at too heavy a price to be a reliable bet”. Last year, the team expanded to Manhattan and also opened a “stunning floating boat/barge” in the docks at Canary Wharf. Later in 2022, the group will also add a Liverpool branch to rival Manchester’s; and a few months later make a Dublin debut on College Green too. “Are they losing some of their je-ne-sais-quoi as they get bigger and badder? There’s a sneaking suspicion the lustre is being slightly lost.”
14. Coq d’Argent
French restaurant in City
1 Poultry - EC2
“The great location” atop No 1 Poultry, “in the heart of the City”, makes this D&D London venue “perfect for entertaining out-of-town business guests” (who might recognise it from the James Bond sequence in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics). It’s “slick and efficient”, too, which helps for scheduling “a time-critical business lunch”. On the debit side, “staff sometimes get overwhelmed by the number of diners”, and “the nosh is upmarket but predictable” – “glad I wasn’t paying for it!”.
15. Sweetings
Fish & seafood restaurant in City
39 Queen Victoria St - EC4
“Sitting cheek by jowl at a counter that dates from the 19th century… bliss!” – this “City legend amongst fish restaurants” is “such a haven of bygone days, which gives it its special ambience and devoted following”. Founded in the 1830s, and on its current site since the 1920s, it’s “still serving sensational oysters (washed down with a pewter tankard of Black Velvet) after all these years” alongside “very traditional fish cooked simply and well” (e.g. “divine whitebait”). “It’s a bit pricey and you can’t book but otherwise excellent.”
16. Manicomio City
Italian restaurant in City
6 Gutter Lane - EC2
This modern Italian “favourite” makes good use of its large and attractive terrace in Chelsea’s peaceful Duke of York’s Square, and has a big and loyal following as a result. Fans say the food is “interesting” too, but more sceptical diners feel that’s debatable. It also has a twin in the City, which attracts much less comment.
17. 1 Lombard Street
British, Modern restaurant in City
1 Lombard St - EC3
“King of the City lunching scene” – Soren Jessen’s “buzzing” stalwart in the very heart of the Square Mile, near Bank, continues to maintain its “consistent standards” and is “a decent if very ‘City’ restaurant”. “Classic dishes” (“including some added when Mark Hix was still consultant chef”) are served alongside “a well-chosen wine list” (and they do an “awesome breakfast” too).
18. Bread Street Kitchen
British, Modern restaurant in City
10 Bread Street - EC4
“As Gordon Ramsay chain restaurants go, the food is dependable enough” at this generously spaced modern brasserie, in a big mall next to St Paul’s (but even those who agree it’s “absolutely fine” may also consider it “very poor value”). “Despite being in EC4, the restaurant has a decent vibe”, and it’s tipped both for a business lunch and its “generous Sunday lunch”.
19. The Ivy Asia
Pan-Asian restaurant in
20 New Change Passage - EC4M
“Great fun … despite lots of Instagram poseurs hanging around” – that’s the most common view on Richard Caring’s latest Ivy sub-brand: a mashup of “stunning” OTT interiors and a Pan-Asian menu which by-and-large totally avoids dishes from China to throw together Thai curries, wagyu beef and lots of fish and seafood (much of it presented as sushi or sashimi). Even fans would concede that “the food is secondary here – for entertainment value, this place has ‘got it’, but the menu is somehow lost in the mix”. And there are those who discern “crazy levels of cultural appropriation (a floor-to-ceiling, fake banyan tree? Seriously?), stirred in with a menu that’s less Asian-fusion than Asian-confusion, all creating a bit of a Caring-inspired mess”. This year saw the addition of a Mayfair branch to the original one (in the shadow of St Paul's) and last year’s opening in SW3 (where “very loud music can add to the already-high noise level”).
20. Caravan
British, Modern restaurant in City
22 Bloomberg Arcade, Queen Victoria Street - EC4N
“Delicious shakshuka with maxing smoky flavours” is typical of the “colourful and flavoursome” brunch-friendly dishes at this “very buzzy if not loud” chain, known for its “top coffee” (which they roast themselves), and whose best-known sites are the Exmouth Market original and large Granary Square branch. Recently, they also added an opening in Canary Wharf and a brew bar at their Caledonian Road roastery (not listed), with further ‘measured expansion’ planned. For the most part, they are still mostly seen as a “reliable” choice for an “interesting and healthy” breakfast: “not everything is a hit but for a casual lunch I am pretty happy”. Top Tip – “when the sun is shining, it’s worth waiting for an outside table” in N1.
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