Where Chefs Eat in London

by Phaidon

Updated November 09, 2023

You’re in luck. The world’s best chefs are sharing their favorite places to dine out in London. We’ve partnered with Phaidon’s Where Chefs Eat, the best-selling restaurant guidebook with over 7,000 recommendations across the globe, to create a list of restaurants in London where chefs love to eat. Grab your copy of this must-have guide, and get 30% off, just for being an OpenTable diner.

The Jugged Hare

4.2

4.2 (1443)

£26 to £40

British

Barbican

About the restaurant

"A great English pub using terrific seasonal produce." – Michael Reid

Top review

Nora

Dined on Sep 5, 2024

Been several times and food always good. Seemed quite expensive this time though - had to call the waitress several times

Discover more

Experience

Pre-theatre menu

The Drapers Arms

4.6

4.6 (1585)

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Angel

About the restaurant

"Always seasonal, their Sunday roasts are banging, and the landlord Nick is a great host." – Hus Vedat

Top review

Karenvip

Dined 4 days ago

Perfect as always. The Drapers Arms is our go-to for a meal out.

Benares

4.5

4.5 (6087)

£41 and over

Indian

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"An explosion of flavors, textures, and colors at this smart Mayfair restaurant." – Martin Morales

Top review

Rosemaryvip

Dined 1 day ago

A warm welcome and very good experience at Benares. Food was imaginative and well executed. Some taste sensations. Charming, attentive staff. Not pretentious.

Discover more

4.7

4.7 (2039)

£26 to £40

Modern European

Soho

About the restaurant

"Andrew Edmunds is a Soho institution that's been around since the 1980s. It's a small, rambling little townhouse with a hand written menu, serving excellent classics that aren't over-priced." – Bruno Loubet

Top review

Carolyn

Dined 5 days ago

Delicious food, generous portion size, great service & casual friendly atmosphere.

Cecconi's

4.6

4.6 (2927)

£26 to £40

Italian

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"Cecconi's is a modern-day classic Italian restaurant. They serve fantastic handmade pasta, seafood and dishes from Italy using very fine ingredients." – Shaun Rankin

Top review

Linda

Dined 4 days ago

Lovely food and great a place for business lunch. very helpful and friendly staff

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (1952)

£26 to £40

Modern European

Fitzrovia

About the restaurant

"Clipstone is a new restaurant that manages to be a charming neighborhood restaurant in the center of town. The quality of cooking is outstanding and I love that much of the menu is very vegetable focused." – Bruno Loubet

Top review

Kevinvip

Dined 3 days ago

Great food, wine selection (thanks for the help team) and service as ever

FKABAM

4.5

4.5 (51)

£41 and over

Fusion / Eclectic

Highbury/Islington

About the restaurant

"Fun, irreverent, surprising, affordable and always delicious. Black Axe is the nuts." – Andy Oliver

Top review

Joshua

Dined on Nov 9, 2024

Fantastic food and staff, very attentive and had some wonderful surprises for me after I mentioned it was my birthday meal. Great ambience, great fun

som saa

4.6

4.6 (419)

£26 to £40

Thai

Shoreditch

About the restaurant

"Fun, sexy food, cool and stylish with a completely relaxed atmosphere, taking Thai flavours to the max." – Martin Morales

Top review

Emily

Dined on Oct 15, 2024

Warm welcome, 4 of us for lunch. There was a la carte and a set menu to choose from, but the set menu is only provided for the whole table. Luckily, the dishes on the set menu today were cashew nuts with chilli and lime leaves, a beautiful, crunchy salad, duck curry, excellent mixed vegetables in garlic and oyster sauce, plus sticky and jasmine rice. We paid a supplement for a whole sea bass, fried. Dessert was also included.

Goodman Mayfair

4.6

4.6 (2266)

£41 and over

Steak

Oxford Circus

About the restaurant

"Goodman is right around the corner from us and the team there offer exceptional service. Pair that with a great burger or steak and a glass of red and you can see that it's perfect for a quick bite and a drink at the end of a long day." – Cary Docherty

Top review

Sue

Dined on Sep 3, 2024

Great steaks! Food was lovely, as expected. Service friendly and efficient

ROKA - Aldwych

4.4

4.4 (435)

£41 and over

Japanese

Aldwych

About the restaurant

"Great food, great service, great vibe. Every time." – Miles Kirby

Top review

jon

Dined on Nov 15, 2024

A very pleasant evening - great food in general but the sashimi was quite disappointing (no taste).

Discover more

Experience

Brunch with free-flowing wine

Experience

Lunch Set Menu

Experience

Dinner Set Menu & Sparkling Wine

Franks Canteen

4.9

4.9 (301)

£26 to £40

European

Highbury

About the restaurant

"Great small place with a menu that is constantly changing. They have classics as well as experiments with different cuisines." – Tam Storrar

Top review

Kate

Dined on Nov 14, 2024

Absolutely delightful evening at Frank’s Canteen and so happy finally made it! The food was unbelievable - rich, delicious, incredible flavours, really decent portion sizes and fairly priced. It was so hard to choose between all the dishes! Honestly cannot express how delicious it was. Lovely staff, warm welcome, no corkage also sweetened the deal. Really lovely can’t wait to go back hopefully for Christmas menu!

Park Chinois

4.5

4.5 (753)

£41 and over

Chinese

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"High end Chinese restaurant with elegant interiors. Its menu is derived from authentic Chinese with superior quality ingredients. I love the individuality of all the dishes on the menu." – Rohit Ghai

Top review

Zinat

Dined on Nov 9, 2024

Beautiful ambiance attentive food great service thoroughly enjoyed our anniversary celebrations 🥰

Discover more

Experience

Cocktails & Dim Sum in Salon de Chine

Blacklock Soho

4.7

4.7 (5860)

£25 and under

Steak

Soho

About the restaurant

"I go there whenever I crave chops. I always crave chops. Go there, eat chops!" – Tomer Amedi

Top review

Andrew

Dined 4 days ago

Tasty food and great service and the cocktails are lovely. Brilliant experience

Discover more

4.6

4.6 (3921)

£26 to £40

European

St. James's

About the restaurant

"It has an amazing buzz that sets the pace for a day in the center of town – and delivers exactly what it sets out to do – a great breakfast, suitable for all tastes and budgets." – Philip Howard

Top review

David

Dined 5 days ago

Lovely venue , excellent service , food and ambiance as always. Friendly and attentive staff , well worth a visit.

The Duke of Sussex

4.5

4.5 (715)

£25 and under

Spanish

Chiswick

About the restaurant

"It's a beautiful building with a dining room and a bar with huge windows that face Acton Green. It also has a large garden, which in the summer you'll have to come in early to secure a table. Staff are super friendly. They mostly do Spanish food but also a mean Sunday roast." – Sami Tamimi

Top review

Dined on Nov 5, 2024

Great chef - nice and quiet relaxing lunch - heating on - happy bunny

Primeur

4.7

4.7 (1115)

£26 to £40

Farm-to-table

Stoke Newington

About the restaurant

"It's a former garage which the team have converted into a friendly, neighborhood restaurant with a great interior. They have a daily changing menu with a strong French influence and a great selection of wines." – Jon Rotheram

Top review

Lani

Dined on Nov 6, 2024

Really lovely dinner. Food celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients and the daily changing menu meant it was a surprise until we got there which is lovely! Staff were warm and friendly, happy to answer any questions. Wasn’t full but still felt really lively. Not too expensive in relative terms although I would say the size of some things (eg dessert) in compared to price was a little bit small. But the quality was absolutely excellent.

Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill

4.7

4.7 (2729)

£41 and over

Seafood

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"It's hard to pass this restaurant and not pop in for a cheeky oyster or two! Steeped in history and with a great ambience, especially when eating at the bar." – Jocky Petrie

Top review

Paul

Dined 4 days ago

As a regular, you tend to notice any difference in service & Food. Our Tuesday evening meal was excellent & wonderfully served. Rarely, does this change thankfully.

Discover more

Experience

Best of Bentley's 3 Course Set Menu

Moro

4.7

4.7 (3415)

£41 and over

Mediterranean

Angel

About the restaurant

"Moro is a timeless institution that is as relevant still today as it was when it first opened twenty years ago. It serves exceptional Spanish and North African-influenced food in a beautiful room that generates such a convivial atmosphere, one where you can feel both relaxed and indulged at the same time. It is, for me, the perfect restaurant." – Joshua Katz

Top review

Sophie

Dined 3 days ago

Exceptional service at the counter on Wednesday - attentive service - personal touches and knowledgeable about the menu and service offering. The team/supervisor also accommodated some special requests which is just so appreciated. Great work team x

Tandoor Chop House at Covent Garden

4.6

4.6 (2401)

£25 and under

Indian

Covent Garden

About the restaurant

"Premium cuts of meat, spiced and grilled over a charcoal tandoor." – Sameer Taneja

Top review

Jerome

Dined 3 days ago

Food is amazing, I highly recommend Tandoor Chop House at Covent Garden

Discover more

4.5

4.5 (555)

£26 to £40

French

Islington

About the restaurant

"The atmosphere and food is fantastic." – Francesco Mazzei

Top review

Eleanor

Dined on Oct 23, 2024

The staff were very professional and pleasant. Really lovely atmosphere.

Discover more

Experience

Prix Fixe Menu

Experience

Apéro Hour Experience

Experience

Pour Deux Experience

Ivy Market Grill

4.1

4.1 (18594)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Covent Garden

About the restaurant

"The people running The Ivy Market Grill are very talented and very smart. They are rolling them out everywhere. Well done!" – Cary Docherty

Top review

Patricia

Dined 5 days ago

The food was great, but best of all the service, very good atmosphere.

Discover more

4.5

4.5 (4443)

£26 to £40

British

Oxford Circus

About the restaurant

"The room is stunning and the food is great. It always feels like an occasion to go." – Tom Sellers

Top review

Nickvip

Dined 1 day ago

Lovely lunch and great service. Bit quiet for a Friday afternoon. Same across London.

Discover more

Popular dish

Chateaubriand

Popular dish

Berner's Tavern Mac and Cheese (vg)

Experience

Three-course Early Berners

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

4.7

4.7 (997)

£41 and over

French

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"The stunning dining room, the service, and Monsieur Ducasse's cuisine is mind blowing." – Francesco Mazzei

Top review

Joanne Farrow

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing food and excellent service! Really great evening

Discover more

Experience

Experience our newly crafted 5-course menu

Jikoni

4.7

4.7 (577)

£41 and over

Asian

Marylebone

About the restaurant

"This is exactly the sort of food I want: food that both comforts and surprises at once. I love the atmosphere of the restaurant too: so much colour and comfort." – Yotam Ottolenghi

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Oct 4, 2024

Both the food and service were a joy … simple, clean flavours which combine beautifully and lovely, unobtrusive service. Great value for the quality of the experience. Would definitely recommend and would dine again. Thank you!

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

4.7

4.7 (1950)

£25 and under

Unspecified

Chelsea

About the restaurant

"This restaurant is still the place to go to celebrate a special occasion. Everything about it is top of the class in London. The precision in the cooking always impresses, as does the way the team in the front of house make it all look effortless." – Cary Docherty

Top review

Frankvip

Dined on Nov 13, 2024

Just the most wonderful experience. World class service. Razor sharp and gold standard of warmth and professionalism. Food is as good as you could imagine-or better. Can’t really say it’s a “value”. You’re getting the very best and it’s going to cost you. An absolute treat worth it and then some.

Discover more

Experience

Inspiration Table at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Experience

New Year's Eve 2024

Restaurant Story London

4.9

4.9 (1068)

£41 and over

British

London Bridge

About the restaurant

"Top-quality food in a great restaurant by chef Tom Sellers. Expect some great surprises and all beautifully presented with real thought, care and attention to detail." – Tom Aikens

Top review

Alpaslan

Dined 3 days ago

Mind blowing tastes with great presentation. Friendly and high quality staff. Once in a life time experience.

The Ninth

4.7

4.7 (449)

£41 and over

Mediterranean

Fitzrovia

About the restaurant

"Very high-quality food in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. Good choice of sharing plates." – Henrik Ritzen

Top review

Robert

Dined 2 days ago

I took two clients for lunch at The Ninth. We had the 9 year anniversary menu, which was a cornicopia of fresh and exciting flavours. Service was slick and friendly. Every table was taken; it had a wonderful warm atmosphere on a cold day. Santé du chef.

Discover more

Experience

The Ninth's Nine Year-Anniversary Menu

Experience

Chef's Choice Menu Six Courses

Ristorante Frescobaldi London

4.8

4.8 (624)

£41 and over

Italian

Mayfair

About the restaurant

"White truffle tagliolini, when in season, is not to be missed!" – Hus Vedat

Top review

Emre

Dined on Nov 12, 2024

amazing staff. top notch service. food and wine selection was outstanding

Discover more

Experience

2 Courses Lunch

Fischers

4.6

4.6 (699)

£26 to £40

Austrian

Marylebone

About the restaurant

Recommended by Chef Shaun Hill from The Walnut Tree

Top review

Costas

Dined on Nov 6, 2024

Very good experience overall, service was excellent, food was also very good. And the ambience excellent. On the downside the prices which were higher which did not correspond to the value offered. And this was the case for years now, not just recently with the recent price crisis. Definitely recommended but not sure whether people will return there often. I must also appreciate the small treat we were offered ( as part of the excellent service) as we had our anniversary on the day of booking

The Winter Garden

4.6

4.6 (1752)

£41 and over

Modern European

Marylebone

About the restaurant

Recommended by Chef Lori Granito from Magnolia

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 5 days ago

Nice food and services in the beautiful garden .

Discover more

Experience

Festive seasonal lunch with glass of Champagne

Experience

Festive seasonal dinner with glass of Champagne

The Morgan Arms

4.3

4.3 (685)

£25 and under

British

Mile End

About the restaurant

Recommended by Chef Ben Tish from Restaurant Norma

Top review

Liliana

Dined on Oct 27, 2024

Beautiful atmosphere and excellent service. The food was delicious! They were extremely knowledgeable about allergens and really lovely experience overall!

OPSO

4.8

4.8 (1523)

£41 and over

Greek

Marylebone

About the restaurant

Recommended by Chef Michael Reid from Restaurant M

Top review

tonyvip

Dined on Nov 5, 2024

Great food and service definitely a place I’d recommend. A little on the pricey side but you can’t argue with the quality