Leonie Cooper

Sunday lunch. There’s nothing quite like it. An elemental meal, one that Londoners take incredibly seriously. Debates about what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Sunday roast have been known to last for hours. There is no shortage of top roasts in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of homely pubs and restaurants all around town. From snug neighbourhood staples to more bijou gastropubs and plently of vegetarian options too, we’ve got something for every taste (if that taste is for comforting mounds of roast meat, lashings of gravy and carbs for days).  A lot of these places get quite busy, by the way. So you’re always advised to book ahead to avoid disappointment.  RECOMMENDED: London's 50 best pubs. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and her Sunday roast order is usually pork belly with extra gravy, extra roasties and a big glass of Pinot Noir. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The yearly unveiling of the Michelin Guide’s ‘Great Britain and Ireland’ edition is always big news in the UK food-nerd world. For very good reason, too – London is one of the top-ranked cities in the world for fine dining. And it’s got plenty of those coveted stars. Newcomers on this year’s list include the excellent Chishuru and Akoko in Fitzrovia, as well as Humble Chicken and Mountain in Soho, Pavyllon and Sushi Kanesaka in Mayfair, and Claude Bosi's Brooklands at The Peninsula, which received two stars despite only opening at the end of 2023. They join plenty more places that also appear in our meticulously compiled list of the best restaurants in London. Newly minted two star restaurants include Gymkhana in Mayfair and Trivet in Southwark, while Notting Hill's Ledbury has been awarded three stars.  While Michelin’s expertise on expensive, upmarket restaurants is well known, the Michelin Guide has been criticised for its lack of relevance to ordinary diners. Conspicuous by their absence yet again are London’s more affordable places to eat. Still, if you’re feeling flush, read on to find all London restaurants with a Michelin star (or two, or three). RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

September 2024: This spring we revealed our new list of London’s 50 best restaurants for 2024, with a brand new Number One; the majestic Mambow in Clapton, east London. But London's food scene doesn't stand still and neither do we, so we've started adding new spots to the list, including the excellent Greek-ish Oma in Borough Market and much-loved Malaysian canteen Normah’s in Queensway.  If you'd like to check out more of our recent reviews, then click away for our thoughts on pop-up king Whyte Rushen’s first bricks and mortar restaurant, Whyte’s in London Fields, Cambodian kitchen residency Mamapen and the recently revamped Kettner’s in Soho, as well as a revist to Shoreditch classic Lyle’s on its 10th anniversary.  This is your guide to eating out in the capital. Don't forget to sign up to our free newsletter for unbeatable London restaurant news and tips. Tuck in.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and eats out almost every single night in the city. It's terrible for her cholesterol, but incredible for you. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: All the best new restaurant openings in London this September.  The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now.

London’s food markets are some of the best in the world. If you want proof, here it is, with great options in for kerbside eats, as well as indoor food halls such as the enormous Eataly at Liverpool Street and Arcade, just south of Soho. On this list you’ll find food-focused markets and places where you can get something to eat there and then, not just produce to take home and cook. Whether it’s a quick coffee, lunch-on-the-go or actual proper dinner you’re after, you’ll find it all here. Now it’s just a matter of making sure you’ve enough room in your belly to fit it London's best street food. RECOMMENDED: Discover London’s other great (non-food) markets. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.

There’s honestly nowhere in the world like Soho. The haunt of poets, gangsters, trendsetters and many a louche genius, the seedy, sleazy and impossibly romantic heart of London’s West End is also home to loads of great independent shops, cafés, bars and, most importantly, restaurants. Its culinary diversity has been fuelled by centuries of immigration and cultural cross-pollination. From rustic French fare to Mediterranean small plates and tasty tapas, here is Time Out’s list of our absolute favourite Soho restaurants. Whether you fancy a slap-up meal or are just in the market for a mid-town pitstop, we have you covered. RECOMMENDED: Here are London’s best restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and spends so much time eating in Soho that she basically lives on Greek Street. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now.

London is loaded with Vietnamese restaurants serving fragrant pho, beautiful bánh mì and oodles of noodles. If you’ve got a hankering for the very best Vietnamese food in the city, here’s a definitive list of our favourite spots. We’ve taken in highlights from east London’s Kingsland Road – which has long been home to its famous strip of Vietnamese diners – but also widened our net to the rest of city, so expect places from Peckham, Soho, Hammersmith, Clapton and onwards. RECOMMENDED: Try London’s best Thai restaurants. 

Dalston may be known for its buzzing bars and thriving nightlife, but its dining-out scene is just as thrilling. The area boasts killer kebabs – thanks to several of London’s best Turkish restaurants – alongside global cuisine and tons of excellent cafés serving up mouthwatering and hangover-curing breakfasts. From Angelina (a chic Italo-Japanese mash-up) and the Little Duck Picklery (a ‘fermenting kitchen’ related to Ducksoup) to Dusty Knuckle Bakery, there's something for everyone. Try reliable old faves: Andu Café (Ethiopian, vegan and BYO) and Del 74 (a garish, grungy Mexican bar/taqueria) if you don't know where to start your culinary quest.      RECOMMENDED: The very best restaurants in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. So east London it hurts? Follow our Time Out East London WhatsApp channel for the latest news, openings and goss from the coolest bit of the capital. (Yeah, we said it.)

One of central London’s most low-key neighbourhoods, Clerkenwell has all the charm of a village but all the high-end dining options of a bustling world city. Catering to office workers, late-night partiers at Fabric and local residents, this coolly über-trendy part of London has it all – and people come from across the capital to sample its seriously good restaurants. Whether you’re looking for a lovely brunch spot, a poshed-up boozer or an old-school French dining room, there are loads of classic and contemporary eateries worthy of a visit. Here’s our pick of the best, including Luca, a swanky pasta joint from the Clove Club team, that mainstay of British fine dining, St John and newcomer Morchella. RECOMMENDED: The very best restaurants in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

It won't come as any great surprise to you that Londoners like beer. You can't walk past a railway arch without spotting the tell-tale shiny tanks of a microbrewery, and it would be foolish not to enjoy them. So this weekend, why not enjoy your pint mere yards away from where it was made in one of London’s best craft beer taprooms? Here's our list of the most exciting spots to drink on draught, including craft beer behemoths, rough and ready spaces attached to burgeoning London breweries and legendary locations on the Bermondsey Beer Mile and the east London equivalent, the Blackhorse Beer Mile by Blackhorse Lane. Check opening times before you go, as some spots are only open at the weekend.  RECOMMENDED: The 50 best pubs in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and has been to more breweries than a bearded man with a Warhammer loyalty card. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

It’s the neighbourhood where all the cool kids come out to play, so it’s hardly surprising that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to drinking options in Hackney. Cocktail bars are cutting edge, but in a way that’s not too try-hard. Wine bars bring high-end vino down to earth. And some of the country’s best breweries are found in the area, with hip, hop-heavy taprooms for the beer-loving public to explore, as well as two of London's most hedonistic heavy metal dive bars. Browse through our list of the area’s best bars for boozing inspiration come day or night thoughout Hackney – including Stoke Newington, London Fields, Bethnal Green, and Hackney Wick. If you're hungry, here are Hackney's best restaurants.  RECOMMENDED: Try out the very best bars in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and has done far more than her fair share of drinking in Hackney over the years. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Afternoon tea is what makes a trip to London truly iconic – even if you already live here. You’ll find some of the best at London’s chicest hotels, restaurants, and art galleries - and we’ve worked out what makes an afternoon tea a truly memorable experience. It'’s not just perfect pastries, the most elegant of teeny tiny cakes and finger sarnies with the crusts cut off, but swish service, the option to have something boozy and bubbly and a picture perfect, characterful room in which to enjoy it all. From The Ritz to Brixton Prison (yes, really) via Caribbean restaurants, the National Gallery and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, there's truly something for everyone in this round-up of London's best afternoon tea spreads.  Expect to pay in the region of £50 to £80 for the pleasure per person, but you'll be in for a treat if you go with one of our recommendations. Remember, many of the teas have set times for seatings, so booking in advance is always a good idea. RECOMMENDED: The best hotels in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and knows her stuff when it comes to tiny little cucumber sandwiches and drinking Champagne at 3pm. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now.

Here at Time Out, we love a good curry. And the best thing about the UK is that every city has a great curry spot – each of them with their own fabulous signature curry. So Time Out editors and contributors have put our heads together to select the very best out there.  Be you a korma person, a balti person, a blow-your-head-off-spicy kind of person or fancy something else entirely, there’s a curry on this list for you. From veggie delights at London’s Rasa to the classic balti at Birmingham’s famous Shababs, here are the best curries in the UK right now. Enjoy!  RECOMMENDED:🍴 The best restaurants in the UK🍺 The best pubs in the UK☀️ The best beer gardens in the UK📍 The best places to visit in the UK This guide is by the editors and writers at Time Out UK. For all our latest recommendations, check out our travel guides page.   

Turns out that even Paradise can do with a makeover. Five years after opening, founder and creative director Dom Fernando’s rather special Soho spot has not just been remodelled and refurbished, but now offers a confident six-course tasting menu that sees Fernando’s souped-up Sri Lankan classics given a loving kick up the backside.   Where it once resembled former small plates Italian occupant Spuntino – complete with bar stools around a high island table – Paradise 2:0 is a cosier affair, exuding warmth despite the fact that the walls resemble poured concrete rather than a tactile sheepskin rug. Who knew Paradise was grey? Instead, vibrancy and colour comes from the multifaceted dishes that arrive over the two hours dedicated to each seating. The sturdy kimbula banis is a hunk of croissant-ish pastry inspired by Fernando’s dad’s love of cheese toasties Because sometimes it’s nice to take a break from chowing down on endless flesh, tonight I plonk for the vegetarian tasting menu (diners can pick from veggie ‘veg + plant’, fishy ‘sea + veg’ or the meaty ‘land + sea’), which begins with an artsy ceramic pot of lacto-fermented Kentish strawberry rasam, dotted with potent splodges of lime leaf oil. Though a thin broth, it packs an almighty punch, humming with extremely butch-tasting strawbs. Next, a snack of a crispy nelum ala roll with raw lotus root tartare. It’s pleasant enough, but the sturdy kimbula banis – a hunk of croissant-ish pastry inspired by Fernando’s dad’s love of

Jose Pizarro will not stop until every single shop front on the delightfully quaint Bermondsey Street is serving up unparalleled pan con tomate and endless boquerones, the cobbles awash with streams of sherry. Lolo is the street’s third (third!) joint from the convivial Spanish chef, joining the pokey but perfect tapas bar Jose and more formal (but just as fun,) Pizarro. SE1 domination? Done it, mate.  Lolo literally and figuratively sits somewhere in the middle of Jose and Pizarro, named as it is in honour of the Spanish nickname for Jose’s middle name, Manuel. Neither super-fancy Michelin star Madrid grill house nor a bare-bones Cadiz cava bar, Lolo is casual but content with its easy-breezy lot. Unlike his other two nearby spots, this one is open all day, starting with sassy little breakfasts of baked eggs with pisto and thyme croutons or bacon sarnies with pineapple ketchup.  Does it resemble something I would make if hungover and un-arsed to go to the shops? Yes. Is it also delicious? Definitely I arrive in the evening, and the dusty pink room easily transitions from a relaxed cafe into a romantic resto, with demure salmon-shaded tiles and lovely, low lights. The menu is short and divvied up into a series of enticingly snackable Spanish dishes with coyly British bent. Take a starter of devilled eggs, graced with a single smoked anchovy, bringing together both 1970s suburbia with a breezy Barcelona evening, the saltiness of the fish slicing through any potential yolky cl

Lyle’s isn’t like other Michelin star restaurants. There are neither bells or whistles at this brazenly industrial warehouse space – not even tablecloths (though they will stretch to starched linen napkins). What you will find is utterly heroic British food.  Opened by James Lowe in 2014, the chef’s history as head chef at St John Bread & Wine seeps from every surface. Of course, the airy space recalls the white-washed walls of the iconic London restaurant, but you can also feel the pull of Fergus Henderson in the razorsharp dedication to sourcing the best-of-the-best seasonal produce and plating it up with less of a flourish, and more of a nonchalant shrug. Of course this diminutive quail is going to taste good, you can almost hear Lowe whisper, I caught it with my very own hands just this morning in the middle of Epping Forest.  A swirl of fresh summer vegetables seem plucked straight from a Beatrix Potter illustration  Many might attribute such blase brilliance to the influence of sleek, Nordic dining but it’s much more down to British modesty than Scandinavian sass. For our mid-week dinner, an eight course tasting menu (£119 a head), is delivered with charm and care but also an expectation that this is how everything could be if only people gave enough of a damn. First, of course, sourdough and cultured butter so creamy and salty it could almost be cheese, then a trio of beautiful, blissed-out starters. Pretty-pretty oysters with pink rosette apples assist a tangy tartar

Alongside the sturdy likes of Quo Vadis and L’Escargot, Kettner’s is one of Soho’s grande dames of gastronomy. Dating back to 1867, this French restaurant wowed the city’s most fabulous flaneurs with foods even richer than they were. Head chef Auguste Kettner might have been German, but he knew his way around a bouillabaisse, serving as personal chef to Napoleon III (the one who rebuilt all of Paris) before opening up this luxe corner spot.  Instantly cloaked with the seductive air of scandal, it was said to be where King Edward VII wooed his mistress Lillie Langtry. Over the years, the great (Oscar Wilde) and the good (Agatha Christie) and the absolutely despicable (Margaret Thatcher) have all dined at Kettner’s, which survived the Blitz, but not the 1980s, when it became a Pizza Express. Kettner’s is made for flirtation, or at the very least, a night of shocking, flagrant gossip In 2016, the regal but dusty site was bought by the Soho House Group, who restricted entry to members only, closing one of London’s prettiest dining rooms to regular folk. Thankfully, they backpedalled in 2023 and reopened Kettner’s to the public with a Med-ish menu devised in collaboration with Stoke Newington gastropub, the Clarence Tavern. Then, another backpedal, and in 2024 the French bistro fare of yore was reinstated.  Like a lowkey Palace of Versailles side suite, lit only by a handful of creamy coloured sconces and white taper candles, you can see why King George thought Kettner’s the perf

As a pub, Soho’s Sun & 13 Cantons isn’t necessarily one we’d run to for a Friday afternoon pint, but as a breeding ground for some of the finest restaurants in London, it’s unbeaten.  Over the past decade, this boozer’s angular back room has been home to a run of astounding food residences, hosting pop-ups by everyone from Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express through to Mandy Yin’s Sambal Shiok. Both chefs now have (extremely popular) restaurants to call their own, and from the moment that a fizzy, Technicolor pickle plate is laid in front of us, it’s obvious that Kaneda Pen has similar designs on the London food landscape. If deep fried panko pork toast wasn’t so delicious you’d have to have it arrested for crimes against arteries Former head chef at Flank (RIP), Kaneda has set out to create the only dedicated Cambodian eatery in London, starting with this 12-month residency. It’s long been hard to find Khmer food in the capital, but rather than offering super trad dishes, Kaneda has brought a few soulful twists to the table. Named in honour of his mother, Mamapen also serves up other dishes inspired by another woman in Kaneda’s life, his Scottish girlfriend. We dare you to find us a dish in London with a cuter origin story than the braised beef tattie mince noodles, a bowl of endearingly sloppy, meaty noods given a Caledonian makeover, then lavished with cucumber, a riot of spring onion and ribbons of red chilli, combining the couples’ cultures in a bowl.  But before we slurp on

The kind of resort that’ll make you forget you’re in a resort, Elounda Mare comes on like a more rustic take on telly’s outrageously glam White Lotus. A secluded spot – and the only swanky Relais & Chateau hotel on the whole of Crete – it offers a giddy kind of escapism, with private pools attached to every single bungalow-style suite. Strolling around the sizable property, you’ll feel like you’re in an untouched, ancient Greek village, with cobbled pathways dotted with olive trees and bright pink bougainvillaea. Naturally, it also smells great.  Beloved of Hollywood celebs such as Charlize Theron, all of Elounda Mare’s rooms and cottages gaze out onto the perfect blue of the Mediterranean and the rooms themselves are stylish without being overbearing; rugs make things feel homely and roomy bathrooms are stacked with a classy selection of local toiletries. When it comes to on-site dining, the seriously impressive brekkie out on the terrace could feed you for a week (don’t miss the build-your-own Greek salad station), while there are numerous options for lunch and dinner, including a bar down on the cute private beach. The kind of hotel I’d be perfectly happy living in for a whole year. Bliss.   Neighbourhood  Situated near the small fishing village of Elounda on the dramatic northern coast of Crete, Elounda Mare is an hour’s drive from Heraklion airport. But most guests don’t venture too far from the hotel (why would you?) which has bars, restaurants, a wine cellar for boozy

Jutting out into the relentlessly turquoise Aegean Sea, Elounda Peninsula is as chic as a night spent sipping honey raki with Maria Callas. An ‘all-suite’ resort hotel, each lavish room has its own private infinity pool, as well as access to not one, but two private beaches, both within stumbling distance from a selection of cottages and presidential bungalows.  Renovated in 2022, the rooms here are as glossy as you’d expect, with lots of marble and a clean, nautical feel. Jutting out on the peninsula, an al fresco breakfast at Calypso comes with an incomparable sea view. Order the strapatsada (creamy scrambled eggs with feta and tomatoes) and fresh juice while pondering the endless expanse of blue. The on-site restaurants are big, global names, with al fresco branches of Il Borro and Sumosan. There’s also a kids club and football academy if you want to send the sprogs off while you focus on dozing off under a beach umbrella after sinking a cocktail. It’s not cheap, but those views verge on priceless.  Neighbourhood The dreamy northern coast of Crete. You’ll find Elounda Peninsula next door to Elounda Porto and a very short boat ride from Elounda Mare – all three hotels remain owned by the family that built them.   Nearby  Six Senses Spa This sprawling ode to treating yourself has steam rooms, a hammam, and an epic outdoor pool, as well as massages and facials. You’ll find it in Elounda Porto and you can take a golf buggy all the way if the walk seems a little daunting in t

A visit to Burgh Island is an adventure – and that’s before you even set foot inside this proper glamourpuss of a hotel. If the tide is out, then you’ll be ferried across the sand via Land Rover, but if the 21-acre private island is cut off from the mainland (as it is twice a day), then it’s all-aboard the ‘sea tractor’. A massive-wheeled, monster truck-esque contraption braves the waves and delivers you, wind-swept and fabulous, to this vintage slice of Hollywood-on-Sea. Built in 1929, the ultra grand Burgh Island Hotel sits on the scenic south coast of Devon. A favourite of Agatha Christie (and the setting for two particularly gruesome Hercule Poirot mysteries), this historic pile has some serious 1930s timewarp energy. There’s sleek art deco furniture at every turn and stunning common spaces, such as the twinkly Palm Court cocktail lounge and the majestic Grand Ballroom, where dinner is served alongside live jazz and black tie is mandatory.  It could all be a little cheesy, but it’s mainly just a lot of fun. With just 25 rooms and suites – many of them named after former guests such as Noël Coward, darling – the space always feels intimate, so much so that it’s almost possible to believe that you’re staying at the home of a wealthy great aunt. Big comfy beds and sea views come with every room (the benefits of being on an island), and fitting with the old school theme, rooms don’t have tellies. Frankly, that’s just another great excuse to pull up a velvet pouffe in the bar

Deep in the leafy residential swathes of De Beauvoir Town – aka the St Tropez of Islington – you’ll find Goodbye Horses, yet another wine bar and small-plates affair. This one just so happens to also be a pour-over coffee shop called Day Trip, and is named in honour of the moody 1980s synthpop song by Q Lazzarus. So far, so north London.  This former pub has been spruced up accordingly. There are white-washed brick walls, swirling Marc Chagall-esque scribbles across a vast fabric lighting fixture that runs the length of the bar and sturdy, low wooden tables that you can’t quite cross your legs under. A vintage 1970s Tannoy Lancaster speaker hangs imposingly in each corner of the long room, and all must pass the wall of 4,000 vinyl records as they enter. Fancy Swiss architects have been involved in revamping the space and it looks sleek, clean and very, very expensive. Who needs comfort when you have style?  Charming and enthusiastic staff seriously know their stuff This though, is a wine bar, not a toddler’s soft-play centre, and here the grape is king – especially those of the organic and biodynamic variety. Charming and enthusiastic staff seriously know their stuff, and sample sips and sloshes are dished out when trying to find a wine matched to a guest’s mood and fripperies. We begin with a perfectly pink and fabulously fizzy Bruno Rochard Folie des Grains served in a glass cutely etched with the bar’s endearing equine logo. It is liquid, x-rated strawberries and all the

Heavy is the head that wears the hype crown given to the post-pandemic pop-up chef. Such is the struggle of Whyte Rushen, the burly dinner demon who helped Londoners creak out of the lockdown shuffle with his run of stunt-adjacent snackery. First, a sensational smashburger, then oysters topped with crumbled pickled onion Monster Munch (far, far better than it had any right to be), and next, dishes named in honour of the Stamford Hill Estate (wagyu beef meatballs with brioche, burger sauce, gherkin ketchup and duck-fat fries) and the Off Licence (flambé Basque cheesecake, crème fraiche, poached fruit and Crunchies).  So far, so gimmicky, but Whyte Rushen – a culinary nom de plume, if that wasn’t bracingly obvious – has serious kitchen chops, working everywhere from Brat and Scully St James to Kerridge’s before setting out on his own. With his high profile pop-ups now behind him, Whyte’s latest experiment is his most mature yet; he’s opened an actual restaurant. It’s less attention-grabbing, which, frankly, suits him.  Skinny Basque chillies with smoked almonds are a posuer’s padron pepper (and all the better for it) The room is pure east London; a blank concrete and tiled canvas at the bottom of a warehouse-y London Fields newbuild, down an alleyway that gets spicy as soon as the sun goes down. Inside, the set up is simple verging on the basic – a handful of tables and a long L-shaped counter where you can watch the all-smiles Whyte serve forth whatever happens to interest hi

It might look like a classic London pub from the outside, all Britain in Bloom-worthy hanging baskets and an extremely pub-like name picked out in gold lettering, but the Camberwell Arms is not a place to watch the footie or sink eight pints and waddle home semi-conscious (maybe try the Hermits Cave across the road for such tomfoolery). Locals have known this for the past decade, ever since the grand Victorian boozer was given a serious sprucing up in 2014 under the auspices of chef director Mike Davies. Mike had form; starting out at one of south London’s original gastropubs, the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo, before setting up another south London institution, the much-loved hipster HQ that is Frank’s rooftop bar in Peckham.  ‘Sublime’ doesn’t even begin to do it justice. It is nothing less than art Since then, the Camberwell Arms has remained the very picture of modesty. Settle into the spacious back room, an airy but still-intimate space, and the lack of fanfare (stripped wooden floorboards and the occasional stylish print is about as close to grandiose design as it gets here) only goes to prove how confident they are in the quality of the food. Who needs jazzed-up interiors when the cooking is this compelling?  The menu is short but not too short, seasonal without being smug, and features a wry nod to the room’s pub past; a starter of beer onions on toast with aged gruyère. It’s a frankly indecent snack, snaked with sloppy boozed-up ribbons of onions, the particularly funky

It’s 10 minutes before the shutters at Spanish-styled fish bar Tollington’s come up for evening service, and already the kind of crowd who could just as easily be found smoking rollies at the RA summer party have gathered in the hope of grasping a much-desired walk-in ledge.  Tollington’s is the latest opening from the folk who first popped up as burger boys Four Legs at The Compton Arms. In 2021 they launched The Plimsoll, a hype-y gastro reworking of an old Irish boozer popular for twenty-something gorp-core blokes and Brat summer girlies, and now they’re bringing the coolest of cool kids to the equally trendy Tollington’s. Sassy smoked eel omelette, complete with a sultry yolk-y ooze, is the belle of the underwater ball But don’t let that put you off. With all the talk of Hackney reaching its final form and becoming just another Clapham, it’s surely time for North London to shine. Tollington’s has subsumed what was once a Finsbury Park fish and chip shop, and created something that still looks exactly like a Finsbury Park fish and chip shop, with its tiled floors, old school pine counters, and original sign intact. Which actually makes it feel more like a backstreet San Sebastian pintxos bar than any fancy refit ever could. There are tables in the back room, but the party seems to be in the perching room-only front bar, where wrinkly Canary Islands-style spuds sit in the glass units that used to be home to battered sausages, and the fridges are stacked with bottles of effe

Fetch your dirndl and steel yourself for some serious drinking, as the largest Oktoberfest booze-up in the country is coming to London. Clapham Common will be turned into a Bavarian beerhall of massive proportions from October 11-12, and 17-19, with the Oktoberfest on the Common event. A huge 17,500 people are expected to attend the seven hardcore drinking sessions in the park, making it the biggest Oktoberfest event in the UK.  As well as beer, there’ll be live oompah music, all manner of German sausages to eat, salty pretzels, fairground rides and keg-tapping contests. RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s ultimate guide to Oktoberfest 2024 in London. Speaking about the upcoming celebration, Nick Jackson, the event’s director, said: ‘Over the years, Oktoberfest has become more of a staple in UK diaries, bringing traditional Bavarian fun to UK shores. What better way to celebrate the German tradition of enjoying a stein or two than by bringing it to life with the UK’s biggest Oktoberfest?’ Tickets start at £31.50 and there’s no access on the door, so you’ll have to buy tickets in advance if you want to partake in the fun. If the UK’s biggest Oktoberfest party sounds a little too, well, big, there are plenty of other options across London next month. Check out Time Out’s rundown of the best Oktoberfest parties here. Frankly, we’re quite taken by the promise of ‘Rocktoberfest’ down at Blondies Brewery in Leyton which combines all things hardcore and heavy metal with the great Bavarian tradi

We’re huge fans of east London’s Café Cecilia. So much so that in 2023 it topped Time Out’s list of the 50 Best Restaurants in London, and remains on our current ranking of this city’s best places to eat. Opening in 2021 and named in honour of his grandmother, Cecilia’s chef-founder Max Rocha is now releasing his first ever book, the Café Cecilia Cookbook, with 100 recipes from the restaurant, including our personal fave: mussels and Datterini tomatoes on toast. ‘That one’s quite easy but quite special, and gets everyone excited,’ says Max. As well as the food, one of the best things about Café Cecilia is its primo spot on the canal just by Broadway Market and London Fields in Hackney. ‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else – I love it by the water,’ adds Max. ‘It kind of feels like a mini River Café, sometimes.’ So who better than Max to give us a personalised guide to the other best restaurants in the area? Check out his recommendations below.  Anton Rodriguez 1. Koya Ko Max: ‘It’s primarily a Japanese udon noodle-based restaurant, with some donburi rice bowls as well. It’s great for a really accessible Japanese lunch: the perfect place to have a really simple and clean meal. They do a cold sesame udon, which is the best thing in the summer. They’ve hit the nail on the head with that place. It’s super casual – you order and get a buzzer and then you pick up your noodles.’ 10 Broadway Market Mews, E8 4TS View this post on Instagram A post shared by e

Fulham Football Club’s Riverside stand is getting quite the makeover. Opening summer 2025, Fulham Pier will be a brand new entertainment hub with loads of excellent restaurants and foodie spots as well as culture programming with immersive art, live podcasts, comedy gigs and film screenings.   Running along the riverside part of the legendary Craven Cottage – the oldest football stadium in London – the ground floor of Fulham Pier will host a food market with stands from the likes of celeb chef Big Has and his Fat Pickle eatery, as well as rapper/renaissance man Tinie Tempah’s soul food spot Raps, as well outlets from Goila Butter Chicken, Base Face Pizza, and more big names to be announced.   A new riverside promenade on the Putney Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge waterside walk will also let pedestrians use this particular part of the Thames Path for the first time since Craven Cottage opened in 1896. Which is nice! Speaking about the development, Shahid Khan, the chairman of Fulham Football Club, commented: ‘There is no other riverside setting like this in London. The entire destination will fulfil our vision to optimise the expansive views of the riverfront while introducing an iconic promenade, all delivering a waterfront experience across every floor.’ Above the food market will be an as-yet unnamed restaurant on level one, while level two will house private event and meeting spaces. There will be a members club on the top of the project and also a hotel and health spa on ei

Hot on the heels of news that Mystik Burek, one of our favourite independent cafes in London, is closing, comes another.  Dalston restaurant Snackbar is shutting up shop after five years of delivering seriously good cheese toasties, kimchi croque madames and pickle plates to east London. Chef-founder Freddie Janssen took to Instagram to announce the news. ‘It’s been a super tough call, a combination of our lease coming to an end and I’ve decided to pursue other things,’ she wrote.  ‘As a business owner I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to run a successful restaurant for five years: I’ve learned a shit tonne and I’ve had some absolutely dreamy teams around me that have made the last few years not only a place to work but a place to have fun, experiment and bring a little bit a joy to people’s every day.’ This won't be the last we hear of Janssen though. ‘I did what I set out to do and now it’s time to move on to the next project,’ she added.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snackbar (@snackbarlondon) Last year Freddie Janssen was named one of Time Out's Hottest Chefs in London, alongside James Cochran, who also recently closed his north London restaurant 12:51. Janssen opened Snackbar after quitting her job in advertising. ‘I felt like I was selling my soul to the devil. I was trying to make strawberries look sexy on a rooftop in Miami and thought ‘what the fuck am I doing with my life?’, she told Time Out. ‘Everyone I knew tha

Jess and Jo Edun began their culinary quest serving outrageously good food inspired by their grandmother at The Old Nun’s Head pub in south London. They now run The Flygerians, an independent Nigerian street food restaurant in Peckham that is swimming in beef suya skewers, hot wings and – of course – smokey jollof. An endlessly delicious dish with a host of regional variations (not to mention regional rivalries over whose is best, spanning Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cameroon), jollof is a vibrant one pot rice dish with a tomato base and onions, chillies and spices added into the mix. Iconic? Just a bit.   As they release their first book, The Flygerians Cookbook, we asked the sisters for their recommendations on where to find the best takes on this classic west African dish in London. Here’s the Flygerians guide to the best jollof in London.  RECOMMENDED: The best Nigerian and west African restaurants in London. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emily | Peckham Foodie (@peckishpeckham) 1. The Flygerians, Peckham  Jess and Jo Edun: ‘Flygerians, because there is no better place to be! It’s run by us, two Nigerian sisters, who will transport you to Lagos without you needing to ever board a plane. Our vibrant decor and sensational staff will ensure you are taken care of. We believe in social inclusion so whatever your dietary requirements no-one is left behind. We have tantalising dishes bound to take you

Simon Rogan is the chef in charge of L’Enclume, one of the UK’s handful of triple Michelin star restaurants. He’s also behind London’s very fancy chef’s table Michelin star restaurant Aulis. You’d imagine then, that he wouldn’t have time to dabble with takeaway. But you’d be wrong, as Rogan is releasing a special ‘sustainable’ five-course menu on Uber Eats. For two days this month, hungry Londoners will be able to order a hefty meal from Rogan which starts with snacks of park house pudding glazed in birch sap, before a chicken offal doughnut, and radishes with lovage emulsion. There’s also a salad with 51 ingredients – sourced from Rogan’s farm in Cartmel Valley near L’Enclume – which includes bay shrimp custard with Morecambe Bay shrimp. The main event is heritage breed beef short rib with fermented cabbage, chanterelles and beef sauce featuring ramson (that’s wild garlic to you and me) stems, pickled tapioca and ramson oil.  And for pud? Aynsome sweet herbs, strawberry juice, compressed strawberries, marigold and cake before petit fours of pinecone flavoured chocolate and currant jelly with geranium sugar. Rogan and team will be based in London to cook the menu on September 18-19. It’ll cost £80 and night one will only be available to Uber One users. There’s also an optional two-glass wine pairing for £30.  Speaking about the menu, Rogan commented: ‘I’m delighted to be partnering with Uber Eats to shine a light on some of the very best produce we’re able to grow and sourc

Taiwanese restaurant mini-chain Bao are set to open up a brand new spot. Bao City will launch on September 26 at Bloomberg Arcade in the Square Mile, joining other Bao outlets in Borough, King’s Cross, Soho and Marylebone, alongside the two branches of Bao Noodle Shop in Shoreditch and Battersea. If you like the idea of singing with your supper, then you’re in luck. The restaurant will boast two private KTV rooms for classic Taiwanese karaoke. The smaller room is big enough for 10 people while the larger one can pack in 22. There are over 300,000 songs to choose from, so that should keep everyone busy enough, as will the food platters that can be delivered to the rooms, featuring mini baos, fried chicken buckets topped with caviar, and fries with curry sauce. There will also be a hefty drinks menu of spirits, sake bombs and cocktails. Each room is inspired by a different film. The larger room takes its cues from Edward Yang’s Taipei Story (1985) and mimics the large Fujifilm billboard from the film via a massive LED screen. The 10 person room features nods to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987) with 1980s themed office decor. Speaking about the new restaurant, Bao creative director Erchen Chang commented: ‘We’re really excited to open BAO City, where we can realise our dream of recreating a Taiwanese karaoke bar right in the centre of the city’s financial district. The space feels very different to our other Bao restaurants, inspired by the neon-litTaiwan of the 1980s and 1990s

One of our favourite restaurants/cafes in all of London is shutting up shop. Mystic Burek will be serving its last Balkan bake at the end of September, with chef/founder Spasia Dinkovski announcing the news on social media. After a year of running the shop in south London's Sydenham, it will close at the end of the month. ‘Last week marked four years of Mystic Burek and looking back at it all, nothing made more sense than to call it a day on 227 Dartmouth Road. It’s no secret that I’ve been having a tough time but in a way, I’m grateful for the push it’s given me,’ wrote Spasia.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by MYSTIC BUREK / Spasia Pandora Dinkovski (@mysticburek) ‘The truth is, I never wanted a shop, I just needed a base that didn’t come with the price tag of a commercial kitchen... Since day one with this business, I have been fighting against a system that’s just not built for people like me, a system that has little interest in nurturing independents but instead, forcing the food industry into pure consumerism and capitalist ideals, clashing with the values I’ve always stuck to.’ Happily, this isn't the last we'll see of Spasia. ‘Mystic Burek is going absolutely nowhere…a whole new plan has been put in place, I’ve got so so much more up my sleeve, with more news on this coming soon!’ Fans of the shop still have a few weeks to get down to the shop for some Macedonian treats – including those cherry baklava buns. It will be open until

Big Mamma Group are known across London for their OTT Italian restaurants; Gloria, Carlotta, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario and Jacuzzi – pictured above.   They’re now set to launch the UK's very first non-London restaurant, with the trattoria-inspired La Bellezza set for Birmingham. There's no official opening date yet, but it'll be joining the group’s 26 other spots across Europe, and no doubt look absolutely ravishing while doing so. It’ll be just as roomy as the London restaurants, with room for 100 guests inside and 25 out on the terrace, and will be found in the city centre’s Paradise development, joining Dishoom, Albert’s Schloss, and Rosa’s Thai Café. Speaking about their move to the Midlands, Big Mamma co-founders Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux commented: ‘We are hugely excited to be coming to Birmingham, not only to be part of its incredibly vibrant restaurant community but to also bring our superb Italian products, which we spent three years personally sourcing from small family-run artisans, to another major European city.’ Big Mamma opened its first restaurant in 2013 in Paris, before moving to London in 2019 and launching Gloria in Shoreditch.  Expect La Bellezza to follow in the footsteps of Gloria and its ilk, with viral dishes such as pasta swirled around in a giant wheel of cheese as well as outre interiors and the vague feeling that Sophia Loren might sashay through the doors at any moment. 

Jackson Mclarty set up the UK’s first Black-owned restaurant directory in the summer of 2020. A mid-pandemic plan to bring more attention to local food and catering businesses, Black Eats LDN was an instant success. Less than a year later, Jackson was already hosting live events, putting on the first Black Eats Fest in Hackney, involving a selection of drool-worthy street food traders from across the capital. The next festival takes place September 14-15 and will be bigger than ever, moving to Woolwich Works to accommodate more vendors, and with live music thrown into the mix too. Here are just a few of Jackson’s current favourites when it comes to Black-owned restaurants in London.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bokit'la (@bokitla) 1. Bokit'La ‘They’re from Guadalupe, which is a very small island in the Caribbean, and are one of the first French Caribbean street food vendors in London, so they’re quite a unique find. They do something called a Bokit, which is a bit like a pita or a fried dumpling – it’s that flatbread vibe. It’s cooked fresh and puffs up and creates a hole which they fill with different flavours. You can get aubergine, salt fish or chicken, and then they stuff it with loads of different fresh salads and plantain as well. It’s healthy-ish! Then they have their own custom sauces with about five different heat levels to choose from. I like to hack the menu. They have a side of salt fish fritters, accra, and I stuff

Food never, ever stops. This September is pretty much the Olympics of London openings, with a frankly excessive amount of restaurant openings across the capital. Before we even get into the nitty gritty of the best of the best, we bring you chain-adjacent news, with a new Notting Hill branch of Covent Garden’s The Barbary, an Ealing version of Cantonese fast food spot Three Uncles, a Covent Garden site for Eastern Med chain Three Uncles, and a new Lina Stores pasta parlour for Shoreditch, as well as branch of Lima, Fitzrovia’s Peruvian fine dining spot. OOF. You want a new pub in Peckham, too? Well you got one; The Clock House Tavern will open on the corner of Peckham Rye in the middle of the month. Here’s the best of the rest. Photo: Undercroft 1. The fancy one in a crypt  Undercroft, Mayfair A big name in Brum, Brad Carter is finally making moves on London. The self-taught chef-director of the much-loved Michelin-starred Carters of Moseley will launch Undercroft down in the crypt of Grade I-listed St George’s Church during the first week of September. His plan is to make heroes of historic British recipes, so expect a menu brimming with long-forgotten foods, such as sea tripe and seaweed soup, Tamworth pork with creamed snails and sorrel and strawberry layer cake.  St George's Church, 2A Mill St, W1S 1FX Photo: Black East Fest 2. The fabulous food festival Black Eats Fest, Woolwich Black Eats LDN isn’t just an invaluable directory of over 100 Black-owned restaurants in

Lovely little King’s Cross boozer The Harrison is currently battling against imminent closure.  The pub and live music venue owes £99,000 in backdated rent from when it was closed during the pandemic and has been given until September 17 to pay it all back to the property landlords, the Wellington Pub Company, following a long High Court case, reports the Standard.  The pub has managed to pay £45,000 of its debt along with a further £30,000. They have now resorted to a Crowdfunder to raise the final £20,000. If the total is not met in the next few weeks, the pub will have to close. Speaking to the Standard, the pub landlord Paul Michelmore commented: ‘As you can imagine, the whole process has been pretty hard to swallow. When I took the pub over Harrison Street was full of prostitutes and junkies. The only reason cars aren’t robbed every single day on Harrison Street is because we are there making it a nice place to be.’ The Harrison has existed in its current state, as a community pub and folk music venue for the past 20 years. It regularly hosts all-day folk festivals and has seen shows from the likes of Peggy Seeger and Bonobo. It has also received the Cask Marque Award for its real ale offering. He continued: ‘We are the only place where everybody mixes from the Bengali boys to the old white geezers from the estate who have lived there from the 1920s. Or the solicitors and lawyers who come and work in London, the students at SOAS, all these people mix together next to e