London
The 25 places worth your limited meals, from Soho counters to three-star tasting menus. Researched, ranked and re-checked.
Ikoyi is the top-ranked restaurant in London on the Forkmeter, scoring 96, ahead of Impala (93) and Row on 5 (92).
One score for 25 places, blending Michelin, the World's 50 Best, Opinionated About Dining, the National Restaurant Awards, the press guides and our own meals. Rankings as of November 2026.
The top 10, counting down
Each needle is the Forkmeter score. The dots show where each guide and list puts the place on the same scale.
Rank it your way
Turn each source up or down. Your ranking reorders as you go. Arrows show moves from ours.
- 10OF 25
The Clove Club
Researched85Forkmeter607080901002 Michelin starsOAD #86Not eaten by us yetPoints: Critics 21/25 · Lists 13/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 0/5Two stars in Shoreditch Town Hall and a fixture on Europe's best-of lists. Friends report a strong start, a dip in the middle and a strong finish.
2 Michelin starsOAD #86Tasting menus- Order
- Tasting menu
- Hours
- Mon–Tue 6:30–11 · Wed–Sat 12–4:30, 6:30–11 · closed Sun
- Booking
- Bookable
- 9OF 25
Kitchen Table
ResearchedTables openA whole month at once, 3 months out86Forkmeter607080901002 Michelin starsOAD #64National Restaurant Awards #48Not eaten by us yetPoints: Critics 21/25 · Lists 15/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 0/5A two-star counter where the chefs serve you themselves. Recent reports from diners we trust are mixed.
2 Michelin starsOAD #64National Restaurant Awards #48Tasting menusCasual- Order
- Tasting menu only
- Hours
- Tue–Thu 6:30–11:30 · Fri–Sat 5:30–11:30 · closed Mon, Sun
- Booking
- Counter only · books far out · Prepaid: non-refundable
- Tables open
- A whole month is released at once, three months ahead. All bookings are non-refundable; there is a waitlist.
- 8OF 25
Mountain
Eaten 2026Tables open60 days ahead88Forkmeter607080901001 Michelin starNational Restaurant Awards #7OAD Casual Europe #31Our meal 9.3/10Points: Critics 16/25 · Lists 17/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 0/5Superb produce over fire: anchovy with fresh cheese, grilled peas you eat like edamame, a John Dory off the bone. It drops a few spots because they moved us to another counter for dessert after 80 minutes.
1 Michelin starNational Restaurant Awards #7OAD Casual Europe #31Sit-down- Order
- Anchovy with fresh cheese · grilled peas · cucumber, peas and green strawberries · John Dory
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 12–10:30 · Sun 12–9:30
- Booking
- Counter seats · ask to keep yours
- Tables open
- Opens 60 days ahead, and some seats are kept for walk-ins. Early evening is the best bet without a booking.
- 7OF 25
Core by Clare Smyth
ResearchedTables open91 days ahead88Forkmeter607080901003 Michelin starsOAD #53In 1 press guideNot eaten by us yetPoints: Critics 25/25 · Lists 13/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 2.5/5Three Michelin stars and one of London's most decorated dining rooms, famous for its potato and roe. Diners we trust found it less thrilling than the stars suggest, so it waits on our own meal.
3 Michelin starsOAD #53The InfatuationTasting menus- Order
- Potato and roe · lamb carrot
- Hours
- Tue–Wed 6:15–9:45 · Thu–Sat 12–2:30, 6:15–9:45 · closed Mon, Sun
- Booking
- Bookable · email to book for one
- Tables open
- Opens 91 days ahead.
- 6OF 25
Dorian
Eaten 202689Forkmeter607080901001 Michelin starNational Restaurant Awards #3OAD Casual Europe #71Our meal 9.7/10Points: Critics 16/25 · Lists 17/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 0/5The best lunch in London. Deep-fried sweetbreads in bone-marrow sauce was a dish of the year, and the cheese plate is as good as a cheese plate gets. Personable chefs at the counter.
1 Michelin starNational Restaurant Awards #3OAD Casual Europe #71Sit-down- Order
- Liver toast · pork belly rösti with gochujang · sweetbreads · scallop · the cheese plate
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 12–2:30, 5:30–11 · Sun 12–10
- Booking
- Counter or tables · go for lunch
- Nearby
- Portobello Road is a short walk. The antiques dealers are out on Fridays and Saturdays.
- 5OF 25
Humble Chicken
Eaten 2026Tables openNo set window, prepaid on OpenTable90Forkmeter607080901002 Michelin starsNational Restaurant Awards #19Our meal 9.7/10Points: Critics 21/25 · Lists 13/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 0/5Two dishes of the year in one night: shaved miso-cured foie gras over honey melon, and the smoked langoustine. Service is polite rather than warm, and the chef runs a very tight pass.
2 Michelin starsNational Restaurant Awards #19Tasting menusCasual- Order
- Karaage sweetbreads · shaved foie with melon · sea bass chawanmushi with bone marrow · pigeon
- Hours
- Wed–Fri 5:30–9 · Sat 1–1:15, 5:30–9 · closed Mon, Tue, Sun
- Booking
- Counter · prepaid · Prepaid: full menu price, non-refundable
- Tables open
- No release window published. Book on OpenTable; the menu price is paid in full when you book and is non-refundable.
- 4OF 25
The Ledbury
ResearchedTables open90 days ahead91Forkmeter607080901003 Michelin starsOAD #14World's 50 Best #83National Restaurant Awards #4In 1 press guideNot eaten by us yetPoints: Critics 25/25 · Lists 20/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 2/5By every source we trust, London's most consistent top-end kitchen: three stars, a World's 50 Best regular, and built on game and foraged produce.
3 Michelin starsOAD #14World's 50 Best #83National Restaurant Awards #4EaterTasting menus- Order
- Tasting menu · go in game season
- Hours
- Tue–Thu 5:45–9 · Fri–Sat 12–1:15, 6–9:15 · closed Mon, Sun
- Booking
- Bookable · email to book for one
- Tables open
- Opens 90 days ahead, one new day each day.
- 3OF 25
Row on 5
Eaten 2026Tables openFirst Thursday of each month92Forkmeter607080901002 Michelin starsNational Restaurant Awards #17Our meal 9.9/10Points: Critics 21/25 · Lists 13/20 · Momentum 5/5 · Press 0/5The best meal of our year. Course after course was a perfect 10, and the lobster with milk bread is the dish of the year. It earned two stars in 2026 and already cooks like a three.
2 Michelin starsNational Restaurant Awards #17Tasting menus- Order
- Scallop “noodles” cooked at 38°C · lobster with milk bread · warm Stilton tart with Quinta do Noval · take the wine pairing
- Hours
- Tue–Thu 6:30–7:45 · Fri–Sat 12–12:45, 6:30–7:45 · closed Mon, Sun
- Booking
- Bookable · prepaid tasting menu · Prepaid: full menu price, non-refundable
- Tables open
- Released on the first Thursday of each month, about a month ahead. The full menu price is paid when you book and is non-refundable.
- 2OF 25
Impala
Eaten 202693Forkmeter60708090100National Restaurant Awards #15In 4 press guidesOur meal 9.7/10Points: Lists 13/20 · Momentum 5/5 · Press 5/5No star, and better than most starred rooms in Soho. Sheftalia grilled in caul fat with a sharp salad was a perfect 10, and the wine list makes you want to stay all afternoon.
Michelin selectedNational Restaurant Awards #15Time OutThe InfatuationEateroliveSit-downCasual- Order
- Aish baladi with harissa · pounded white beans · sheftalia · the multi-day duck with fig · pistachio and date
- Hours
- Lunch and dinner · 14 Dean St
- Booking
- Counter seats · bookable
- 1OF 25
Ikoyi
Eaten 2026Tables openThe 1st of each month at 12:00, 2 months out96Forkmeter607080901002 Michelin starsWorld's 50 Best #48OAD #55National Restaurant Awards #24In 2 press guidesOur meal 9.8/10Points: Critics 21/25 · Lists 20/20 · Momentum 3/5 · Press 5/5Nobody cooks heat and smoke like this. Fried turbot, pork belly in pepper broth and a dessert full of spice were all perfect scores. If you book one big dinner in London, make it this or number 1.
2 Michelin starsWorld's 50 Best #48OAD #55National Restaurant Awards #24Time OutThe InfatuationTasting menus- Order
- Fried turbot · pork belly in hot pepper broth · aged beef tart · red mullet with brioche
- Hours
- Mon–Tue 6–8 · Wed–Fri 12–1:30, 6–8 · closed Sat–Sun
- Booking
- Bookable · solo seats are limited
- Tables open
- Released on the 1st of each month at 12:00 London time, up to two calendar months ahead. Changes are free up to 48 hours before.
- Nearby
- Sir John Soane's Museum is about ten minutes' walk away. Free, Wednesday to Sunday until 5.
None of the top 10 match those filters.
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Also worth your meals
Each one beats most of the city.
- 11
AngloThai
83FMThai cooking with British seasonal produce.
OrderTasting menuHoursTue 5:30–midnight · Wed–Sat noon–midnight · closed Sun–Mon - 12
Akoko
82FMA one-star kitchen that cooks like two.
OrderOjojo · mussels in spicy sauce · moi moi with sea bass · egusi with okra · the jollof beefHoursMon–Wed 5:30–11 · Thu–Sat 12–3:30, 5:30–11 · closed Sun - 13
St. JOHN
82FMThe original nose-to-tail dining room.
OrderRoast bone marrow with parsley salad · Eccles cake with Lancashire cheeseHoursMon–Sat 12–10:15 · Sun 12–3:30 - 14
Kiln
81FMThai wood-fired cooking at a long counter.
OrderClay-pot glass noodlesHoursMon–Sat 12–11 · Sun 12–9 - 15
Bouchon Racine
80FMHenry Harris's French bistro, one of the hardest lunches to book.
OrderSteak au poivreHoursTue–Sat 12–3, 6–10 · closed Mon, Sun - 16
The Devonshire
80FMTables openThursdays 10:30, 3 weeks outA real pub with a serious grill.
OrderBeef suet pudding · anything off the grillHoursLunch and dinner - 17
Quality Chop House
79FMBritish cooking at its best: rump with horseradish, the famous confit potatoes and a towering Yorkshire pudding.
OrderSmoked eel and asparagus quiche · rump with confit potatoes · olive-oil ice creamHoursMon 6–9:45 · Tue–Fri 12–2:15, 6–9:45 · Sat 12–2:30, 6–9:45 · Sun 12–3:30 - 18
Bonheur by Matt Abé
79FMUltra-French fine dining in the old Le Gavroche room.
OrderTasting menuHoursTue–Wed 6:30–9:45 · Thu–Sat 12–2:15, 6:30–9:45 · closed Mon, Sun - 19
A. Wong
78FMTwo-star Chinese cooking that travels across every region.
OrderDim sum at lunch · the regional tasting menu at dinnerHoursTue 5:30–10:30 · Wed–Sat 12–2:30, 5:30–10:30 · closed Mon, Sun - 20
OMA
77FMGreek-leaning charcoal and crudo next to Borough Market.
OrderCrudo · anything from the grillHoursMon–Fri 12–3, 5:30–11 · Sat 12–11 · Sun 12–10 - 21
Chishuru
77FMJoké Bakare's bold West African cooking.
OrderTasting menuHoursDinner Mon–Fri - 22
Brat
76FMTomos Parry's first restaurant, built around whole turbot over fire.
OrderWhole grilled turbotHoursMon–Sun 12–10 - 23
Evelyn’s Table
76FMA tiny basement counter below a Soho pub.
OrderSeafood-led tasting menuHoursMon–Wed 6–11 · Thu–Sat 1–3, 6–11 · closed Sun - 24
Belly
74FMOmar Shah's candlelit Filipino bistro, Time Out's best new London restaurant of 2025, and still full a year on.
OrderCured scallops in coconut cream · tempura cod pandesalHoursWed–Fri 5–10 · Sat–Sun 12–10 · closed Mon–Tue - 25
Normah's
71FMTables openNo set window, about a month outNormah Abd Hamid's tiny café hidden at the back of Queensway Market, cooking Malaysian food the way she cooked for her children.
OrderCurry laksa · roti canai with beef rendangHoursDinner Mon–Sat
None of 11 to 25 match those filters.
Hours are from each Michelin listing, read in November 2026, and booking notes from each restaurant's own site; check before you go. This ranking is rescored when the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2027 is announced. How the score works
The map
Numbers are the ranking. Dark pins are the top 10. Filters above apply here too.
Not pinned yet: Normah's. Pins come from OpenStreetMap and are approximate. Directions open Google Maps.
Soho 6 PLACES
Notting Hill 3 PLACES
Fitzrovia 3 PLACES
Mayfair 2 PLACES
Shoreditch 2 PLACES
Clerkenwell 2 PLACES
Strand 1 PLACE
Marylebone 1 PLACE
Farringdon 1 PLACE
Pimlico 1 PLACE
Borough 1 PLACE
Kentish Town 1 PLACE
Bayswater 1 PLACE
When you are not eating
Most of the list is in walking distance of the center. Fill the gaps with these, and book the free views ahead.
- Market1 to 2 hours
Borough Market
London's best-known food market, under the railway beside Southwark Cathedral. Tuesday to Friday 10 to 5, Saturday 9 to 5, Sunday 10 to 4, closed Monday.
Go on a weekday morning. Saturday is the busiest day. It opens every day in December.
Closest on the list: OMA, 1 min walk · Directions - View45 minutes
Horizon 22
A free viewing gallery on level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, 254 meters up and higher than the Shard's. Book a free timed ticket online.
New tickets come out daily at 10am, 60 days ahead. Some are kept for walk-ins.
- View1 hour
Sky Garden
A free indoor garden at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, the Walkie Talkie. Tickets are free and timed, and last an hour from entry.
Tickets go three weeks ahead and run out fast.
Closest on the list: OMA, 13 min walk · Directions - Museum1 hour
Sir John Soane's Museum
The architect's house on Lincoln's Inn Fields, crammed with antiquities, paintings and models. Free and walk-in, Wednesday to Sunday 10 to 5.
Last entry is 4:30. The rooms are small, so there can be a short queue.
Closest on the list: Ikoyi, 9 min walk · Directions - Museum1 to 2 hours
Wallace Collection
A townhouse of old master paintings, furniture and armor on Manchester Square in Marylebone. Free, open daily 10 to 5.
Weekday mornings are the quietest.
Closest on the list: AngloThai, 10 min walk · Directions - Market1 to 3 hours
Portobello Road Market
A mile of stalls through Notting Hill. The antiques are out on Fridays and Saturdays; the general market runs Monday to Saturday, with short hours on Thursday. Closed Sunday.
Arrive early on Saturday, before the crowds.
Closest on the list: Dorian, 5 min walk · Directions - Market1 hour
Columbia Road Flower Market
A Victorian street in the East End that fills with flower sellers every Sunday, 8am to 3pm, with the shops along it open too.
Sunday only. Come close to 8am.
Closest on the list: The Clove Club, 12 min walk · Directions
Book the counters, then book them again.
London's best cooking has moved to the counter. Ikoyi and Row on 5 are the dinners worth a release-day alarm, Impala is the lunch, and the rest of your meals belong at a Soho bar stool or in an old dining room in Clerkenwell. Book the tasting menus first, then build the week around them.
Soho or Fitzrovia
Eleven of the 25 are in Soho, Fitzrovia or Mayfair, and Ikoyi on the Strand is a short walk south. Most dinners on this list are on foot.
Second choice: Notting Hill. The Ledbury, Core and Dorian are within a few streets of each other, with Portobello Road on the doorstep. Everything else is a Tube ride away.
Three stars is not the top.
The Ledbury and Core hold three Michelin stars and still rank below Ikoyi, Impala and Row on 5. We have not eaten at either yet, so their place here is the guides' verdict alone. The three above them earned theirs at our table.
How to eat here
The things that trip up first-timers, in one place.
Booking
The tables that matter release on fixed dates and go fast. Put the release days from the playbook below in your calendar before you book flights.
Service charge
Most restaurants add a discretionary service charge of 12.5%, sometimes up to 15%. If it is on the bill, don't tip again. If it isn't, 10 to 15% for table service is normal.
Pubs and bars
No tip is expected at the bar. A pub with table service may add a service charge like a restaurant.
Prepaid menus
Several tasting menus take the full price when you book and will not refund it, including Row on 5, Humble Chicken and Kitchen Table. Be sure of the date.
Counters
Many of the best seats are at a counter: Impala, Humble Chicken, Kitchen Table, Mountain, Dorian. They are the easiest way in for one or two.
Allergies and diets
Tasting menus need notice. Put any allergy in the booking, not on the night.
Booking playbook
Ikoyi
Tables open on the 1st of each month at noon London time, up to two months ahead. Changes are free up to 48 hours before.
Row on 5
Released on the first Thursday of each month, about a month ahead. You pay the full menu price when you book, and it is not refundable.
Kitchen Table
A whole month goes live at once, three months out. Every booking is non-refundable. Join the waitlist if your night is gone.
The Ledbury
Opens 90 days ahead, one new day each day. Dining alone? Email them to book.
Core by Clare Smyth
Opens 91 days ahead. Solo diners book by email.
Humble Chicken
No fixed release date. Book on OpenTable; the menu is paid in full when you book and is not refundable.
Mountain
Opens 60 days ahead and keeps seats for walk-ins. With no booking, try early evening.
The Devonshire
Tables release three weeks ahead, on Thursday mornings at 10:30. Lunch is easier than dinner.
Normah's
Phone to book. Time Out says tables are gone about a month out.
Open on Sunday and Monday
Half the city closes early in the week. These are open, from our notes on each place.
Open Sunday · 8
Filter the list to Sunday → Or pick any day in the filters.
Open Monday · 11
Closed Monday from the top 10: Row on 5, The Ledbury, Humble Chicken, Core by Clare Smyth, Kitchen Table. Plan your big day for midweek.
Three days, eaten properly
Built for Wednesday to Friday, when every room in these three days is open. Long walks in the morning, one big meal at each end of the day, a rest in between.
Borough and the City
- 10:00Borough Market at opening
- 11:00Neal's Yard Dairy on Park Street for cheese to pack
- 11:45Over London Bridge to Horizon 22, booked free slot
- 13:00OMA, back beside the market
- 15:00Rest
- 18:00Ikoyi
Marylebone and Soho
- 10:00Wallace Collection at opening
- 12:00Impala on Dean Street
- 14:00St. JOHN Bakery in Neal's Yard for a doughnut
- 15:00Rest
- 17:30Humble Chicken counter
Notting Hill and Holborn
- 9:30Walk Portobello Road
- 12:00Dorian, counter seat for lunch
- 14:30Sir John Soane's Museum, last entry 4:30
- 16:00Rest
- 18:30Row on 5
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The skip list
Famous, and not where your meals should go.
Somssi
The Mayfair Korean counter that won a star in 2026 closed in March after its chef left. Older lists still carry it.
Sky Garden on the day
The free tickets go three weeks ahead and walk-ins are not guaranteed. Book it, or go up Horizon 22, which is higher.
Tipping twice
Most restaurants add a 12.5% service charge to the bill. If it is there, that is the tip.
Worth leaving the city for
Two pubs out of town that are worth the train.
The Sportsman
Stephen Harris's pub on the Kent coast, starred since 2008. Train from Victoria or St Pancras to Whitstable, then a taxi or an hour's walk along the sea wall. Lunch books out far ahead.
The Hand and Flowers
Tom Kerridge's pub in the Thames Valley, the only pub with two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide.
Buy this here
British farmhouse cheese, packed to fly
Neal's Yard Dairy at Borough Market, 8 Park Street, or the shop on Shorts Gardens in Covent Garden.
Spices and house blends
Spice Mountain in Three Crown Square, Borough Market. Trades Tuesday to Sunday.
Tea and biscuits in the tins
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly.
A custard doughnut, eaten on the spot
St. JOHN Bakery, 3 Neal's Yard.
London, asked and answered
What is the best restaurant in London?
Ikoyi ranks No. 1 on the Forkmeter with a score of 96, ahead of Impala (93) and Row on 5 (92). The score blends Michelin, the World's 50 Best, Opinionated About Dining, the National Restaurant Awards and our own meals. Rankings as of November 2026.
Which London restaurants are open on Sunday?
From our notes, 8 of the 25 are open on Sunday: Dorian, Mountain, St. JOHN, Kiln, Quality Chop House, OMA, Brat, Belly. Hours change, so check before you go.
Which London restaurants are open on Monday?
Monday is the hard day. 11 of the 25 are open: Ikoyi, Dorian, Mountain, The Clove Club, Akoko, St. JOHN, Kiln, Quality Chop House and 3 more.
Where should I stay in London for food?
Soho or Fitzrovia. Eleven of the 25 are in Soho, Fitzrovia or Mayfair, and Ikoyi on the Strand is a short walk south. Most dinners on this list are on foot. Second choice: Notting Hill.
How many days do you need in London for food?
We plan on 4 nights, about 8 meals. Our three-day plan on this page covers the essentials.
How is the Forkmeter score calculated?
Critics (Michelin) count for 25 points, ranked lists for 20, our own paid meal for 25, momentum for 5 and press for up to 5. The total is shown on a 60 to 100 scale. Nobody pays to be listed.
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