Where to eat and drink in London, UK

London is a massive city and could not possibly be explored with deapth in a single visit. This guide is based on multiple visits over multiple years. It is a living list of our favourite places to eat and drink in the UK’s urban capital. Find casual pubs, terraces, multicultural cuisine, and hidden cocktail bars. New spots are added in alphabetical order as they are visited.

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Aba-Ra!

108 Brick Ln, London E1 6RL, United Kingdom | map link
abara.co.uk

Georgian restaurant on Brick Lane, a neighbourhood famously known for Indian food. Georgian cuisine is rich and flavourful. Try the restaurant’s signature dishes, ajarian khachapuries (cheese-filled bread) and freshly made khinkali (dumplings). Make sure to accompany your hearty meal with a glass of Georgian wine, it is, after all, where wine came from.

Blacklock Shoreditch

28-30 Rivington St, London EC2A 3DZ, United Kingdom | map link
IG: @blacklockchops
theblacklock.com

The space is a renovated furniture factory, the industrial feel is still very much present. A modern British pub by design, this is a traditional chophouse with a hefty menu of meats with a wide selection of sides. As you wait for your main meal, pick a few single-bite snacks from the Pre-chop Bites menu. The beverage list is pretty robust and includes wine on tap. This restaurant is B Corp certified.

Chez Elles Bistroquet

45 Brick Ln, London E1 6PU, United Kingdom | map link
IG: @chezellesbistro
chezellesbistroquet.co.uk

A French bistro in Brick Lane. This is a small restaurant with a very homey feel. On the menu are French cuisine favourites like the French onion soup, snails in garlic butter, truffle cheese soufflé, mussels, duck, and steaks. In the summer, the team puts out a few tables outside, extending the casual feel to the street.

China Tang at the Dorchester

251 Tooley St, London SE1 2JX, United Kingdom | map link
IG @thedorchester
chinatanglondon.co.uk

Chinese restaurant at The Dorchester Hotel, London. The hotel has two Michelin keys, and the food reflects this. The menu is the best of Chinese comfort food, from dumplings to Peking duck served up with a white-glove flair. The bar menu is equally impressive, created by an award-winning bartender. The bar at Chine Tang is worth the visit just for the drinks.

Left: Discount Suit Company, image courtesy of the bar.
Right: China Tang table at The_Dorchester Hotel, image courtesy of the hotel.

Discount Suit Company

 29A Wentworth St, London E1 7TB, United Kingdom | map link
IG: @discountsuitco
discountsuitcompany.co.uk

A bit of a hidden gem cocktail bar, located below street level. The space used to be a tailor’s stockroom and was converted into a small bar. The lights are dimmed, the cealings is low, and the good vibes are flowing. The craft cocktail menu is amplified by the knowledgeable bar team, prepared to improvise a beverage to your taste.

East London Liquor Company (ELLC)

Bow Wharf, Unit GF1, 221 Grove Rd., Old Ford, London E3 5SN, United Kingdom | Google maps
IG @eastlondonliquorcompany
eastlondonliquorcompany.com

Distillery, bar, and restaurant with a wonderful outdoor space. Located in London’s East End, this is a popular spot with a fun vibe and a fantastic drink selection. They distil gin, vodka, and whisky, while rums are imported from Jamaica and Guyana. ELLC offers distillery tours for those interested in looking behind the scenes. The cocktail menu is a selection of carefully crafted drinks with simple names like “Gin + Asparagus” or “Tequila + Pumpkin”.

East London Liquor Company. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Muhib’s best in Brick Lane

73 Brick Ln, London E1 6QL, United Kingdom | map link
IG: @muhibindian
muhibindiancuisine.com

On a street packed with Indian restaurants back to back, it can be difficult to choose one, but this one came recommended by the locals. On the menu are pages and pages of dishes from starters to Muhib’s specialities, to curries, masalas, dansak and pathia dishes, and much more. Everything is well seasoned and packed with flavour. Save your appetite and bring friends to share a few plates with.

Swift cocktail bars

A classic cocktail bar with locations in Soho and Shoreditch. The Soho location has an upstairs bar and a basement den. The upstairs is an airy and open space with a rich selection of cocktails, beers, and wine. Swift is also known for their scotch selection, which includes over 300 options from around the world. The downstairs at Soho has a very cool menu, one drink per page, each dedicated to a different celebrity. This menu is fittingly titled “Legends”. The cocktail selection is really interesting, for example, the ode to Hemingway is “Eden,” a silky and rich rum-based cocktail. Snoop Dog’s bevi, on the other hand, is a tropical and refreshing vodka cocktail called “Long Beach”. Swift is included in the world’s top 50 best restaurants. The Shoreditch is smaller and more laid back, but with the same high-quality service and expertly made craft cocktails.

Swift Soho. Images by Kateryna Topol.

Swans Bar at Maison Assouline

196A Piccadilly, London W1J 9EY, United Kingdom | Map link
IG: @maisonassouline
eu.assouline.com

Cocktail bar and cafe inside the Maison Assouline bookshop. As an Instagrammable spot, this bar gets quite busy, but if you happen to come across an open spot, take a seat for a tea or a cocktail break and enjoy the library vibes. Snacks and food are available to make it a complete lunch or dinner.

Swans Bar at Maison Assouline, images courtesy of Maison Assouline.

L’ETO Piccadilly

199 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HA, United Kingdom | Map link
IG: @letocaffe.official
uk.leto.delivery

L’ETO Cafe is hard to miss because of the cakes and pastries in the window. You can almost taste them just by looking. The interior is a classic cafe-style room where you can sit and enjoy your dessert with tea or coffee. Savoury lunch and brunch dishes are also an option. L’ETO has locations allacross the city, check which one is closest to you.

The Toucan

19 Carlisle St, London W1D 3BY, United Kingdom | map link
@thetoucansoho
thetoucansoho.co.uk

If you like Guinness, this is the place to be. Pouring more fresh Guinness daily than all of downtown Toronto, the Toucan is an institution. A small pub with an equally small area outside this pub spills out onto the street with tipsy patrons clutching onto dark pints. The Toucan is an institution.

Bonus: Secret Food Tour in SoHo

Book on secretfoodtours.com or GetYourGuide

One way to see and eat as much as possible during a short visit is doing a food tour with a local. The Secret Food Tours adventure through Soho is a fun walk through the neigbourhood filled with stories and many bites and sips. You will taste cuisine across multiple cultures, try gin, and end the evening in a very, very old bar that used to be a brothel.

Alternatively, you can See London on a panoramic gourmet food bus, while enjoying lunch or dinner.

Secret Food Tour in SoHo. Images by Kateryna Topol.