London Best Restaurants

The Albert

With cut-glass windows and original gas lights, this quaint pub and restaurant has a truly traditional feel. Within easy walking distance of Victoria Station and the famous New Scotland Yard, The Albert's first-floor restaurant is highly recommended for a reasonably-priced pub lunch. At night, there is a picturesque view of Westminster Cathedral. The Albert can usually guarantee a table in pleasing surroundings, but it can sometimes be packed with coach parties. The bar offers standard pub fare and a good selection of ales.

52 Victoria St. London, SW1H 0NP United Kingdom

Akash Indian Restaurant

This large and spacious restaurant is opulently decorated in swathes of red velvet and gold, and, during the Christmas period, there's a generous helping of lights and tinsel for a truly over-the-top experience. The restaurant's speciality is thali, a £12-14 set meal that includes starter, curry, rice, speciality bread, sweet and tea or coffee, all served in a number of small dishes called katories. Otherwise, the menu has all the usual curry suspects at slightly inflated prices, but considering its central location just off Leicester Square, it's pretty reasonable.

15 Irving St. London, WC2H 7AF United Kingdom

Petrus

One of London's top restaurants, Petrus offers a formal yet friendly atmosphere. Indeed, owner Marcus Wareing has Gordon Ramsays' seal of approval, and his restaurant is sure to provide hours of gastronomic veneration. The tables are well spaced making it an ideal place for business dinners or just large party gatherings, and prices are surprisingly reasonable for such a top-notch restaurant. The fine French cuisine has a decidedly modern twist. Entrees such as the classic pan-fried foie gras served with scallop, grilled salmon and risotto are designed to make you return.

33 St James's Street, London, SW1 United Kingdom

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay, the three-star Michelin chef now gracing our TV screens, has recently started up his own restaurant after a much publicised departure from Aubergine. Situated a bit out of the way, Gordon Ramsay is perfectly located to welcome its faithful fans and other epicureans rather than any riff-raff, and Gordon's faithful following continue to lap up his classic French creations. Lobster, salmon, mullet and truffle are all perfectly prepared. Fixed price menus are available, and the set lunch is a bargain at £25 for three courses. But whatever time you choose to eat out here, it will be a tad formal and a rarely beaten treat. Service is quite superb in the intimate dining room. Tables should be booked at least a month in advance.

68-69 Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HP United Kingdom

Julie's Restaurant and Wine Bar

Julie's restaurant provides consistently good food in the most idyllic, yet quirky, of settings, making it difficult to beat for a special night out. The interior decor is an interesting melange of styles, sporting Indian carvings, Gothic, and monastic items throughout. Modern British cuisine is complemented by a particularly fine wine cellar. The popular bar serves light meals, cakes, tea and glasses of wine, and the cheese board is outstanding.

135 Portland Road, (Holland Park), London, W11 4LW United Kingdom

Wiltons

Tucked in amongst the gentlemen's tailors along Jermyn Street is Wiltons, extoller of traditional British cuisine where the service is utterly discreet and completely attentive. Although it gets busy, you can salvage a bit of privacy at one of the partitioned dining spaces rather than fighting it out at the oyster bar. The menu features lots of seafood, all of an impeccably high standard, fresh and perfectly cooked. There is also game and a few vegetarian dishes.

55 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6LX United Kingdom

Boulevard Brasserie

The two floors of this Covent Garden brasserie are usually full to the brim. Boulevard seems to have a universal appeal, if you can stand the crush that is. Tourists, local residents and business people all flock here for good value fresh cooking with a strong French influence. The menu is split into sections of salads, large sandwiches, snacks, pastas, meats, vegetarian and fish. Pre- and post-theatre dinner menus are available (5pm-7pm and 10pm-midnight), and there's also a set lunch menu (midday-5pm).

40 Wellington Street, London, WC2E 7BD United Kingdom

Scarsdale Arms

Situated just off picturesque Edward Square in Kensington, this is an attractively designed and decorated establishment in a refined and elegant part of the capital. The Scarsdale Arms was built in the early 19th century to the designs of the French architect Louis Changeur and was reputedly planned as living quarters for the officers of Napoleon's army that the architect assumed would soon be conquering England. The lip smacking smell of grilling steak fill the bar room, the walls of which are hung with many works of art from the time of the pub's construction.

23a Edward Square, London, W8 6HE United Kingdom

Le Caprice

Le Caprice has perfected elegance in its restaurant. The black marble, off-set with sophisticated lighting, gives a feeling of intimacy, whilst remaining modern. For impatient diners without reservations, eating at the equally elegant bar-counter is an option. The details are attended to with flair and the fish dishes are particularly excellent. Try seared bream on wild garlic mash with deep-fried shallots for size. The wine list is short, yet bereft of annoying gaps, and the service is accomplished. Given the popularity (you will need to book three to four weeks in advance) and quality, the prices are reasonable.

Arlington Street, London, SW1A 1RT United Kingdom

Le Roussillon

16 St Barnabas Street, London, SW1W 8PB United Kingdom

Bibendum

The Conran designed Michelin house, home to Bibendum and Bibendum Oyster Bar, beautifully blurs the distinction between Conran the interior designer and Conran the restaurateur, and is arguably the best of his ventures. Lush pistachio carpets and armchair covers create a fresh, yet comfortable atmosphere inside this beautiful Art Nouveau building. The Oyster Bar has a relaxed atmosphere, and gets very busy at lunch - it makes a great resting stop if you're shopping in Chelsea. Bibendum leans towards European cuisine, with some innovative choices, such as the grilled scallops with squid ink linguine.

81 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6RD United Kingdom

1 | More London Restaurants