Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where London actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where London actually eats.
Britain's first gastropub on Farringdon Road in Clerkenwell London, opened 1991 by Mike Belben and David Eyre, still serves Mediterranean-leaning daily-changing food at the bar.
Signature: Bife Ana steak sandwich, Whatever is on the chalkboard
Order: The Bife Ana steak sandwich, on the menu since 1991, and a pint of bitter.
Tip: Walk-in only. The chalkboard menu rewrites every day at 12:00; the best dishes go by 14:00 on a busy lunch.
Gordon Ker's basement chophouse on Great Windmill Street in Soho London, opened 2015, runs charcoal-grilled chops in a 1850s-era basement room, the cheap-and-loud Sunday roast destination.
Signature: Lamb chops, Pre-theatre skinny chops
Order: The all-in chops board with beef, lamb and pork, plus the bone-marrow gravy.
Tip: Sunday roast is £20 and books two weeks ahead through Resy. Pre-theatre chops at 17:00 walks in for half-price.
Steve Williams's wine-bar-with-kitchen inside a Maltby Street railway arch in Bermondsey London, opened 2010, runs a daily-changing chalkboard of small plates and an unfussy natural-wine list.
Signature: Whatever is on the chalkboard, Smoked-eel sandwich
Order: Whatever the smoked-fish or charcuterie opener is, with a half-bottle of growers' Champagne.
Tip: Open Wed-Sat lunch and dinner; closed Sun-Tue. Walk-up only; first sitting at 12:00 always has bar seats.
Mike Davies's gastropub on Camberwell Church Street in south London, opened 2014, runs a daily-changing seasonal menu and a famous family-style Sunday roast.
Signature: Sunday roast, Whole roast meats
Order: Sunday roast for four (booked in advance), or whatever whole-animal cut is on weeknight dinner.
Tip: Sunday lunch books a fortnight ahead and serves until they run out. The bar room takes walk-ins all evening.
The candlelit Lexington Street bistro in Soho London, opened 1985 by print-dealer Andrew Edmunds, still runs a daily-handwritten Modern European menu in a creaky-floored Georgian townhouse.
Signature: Whatever the daily seasonal plate is, Sticky toffee pudding
Order: Whatever seasonal main is on the handwritten menu, and the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
Tip: Bookings take a six-week lead; bar seats at the front are released as walk-ins after 21:30 on weekdays.
John Devitt's hand-pulled udon counter on Frith Street in Soho London, opened 2010, runs the city's most serious Japanese noodle kitchen with a daily-changing seasonal special.
Signature: Hot udon with English breakfast, Mushroom udon
Order: Hot udon with the English breakfast (bacon, egg, mushroom) at brunch, or the kake bukkake at dinner.
Tip: Walk-up only. Doors open 12:00; arrive at 11:45 for first sittings without a wait. Closed Sundays.
The Layo Paskin brothers' Jerusalem-leaning counter and dining room on Rupert Street in Soho London, opened 2014, runs a kitchen-counter front and a calmer back room.
Signature: Kubaneh bread with tahini, Octopus mishmish
Order: Kubaneh bread (warm pull-apart with tahini and pepper jam) followed by the octopus mishmish main.
Tip: Counter seats face the open kitchen and take walk-ins. Tables in the back take bookings two weeks ahead.
Neil Borthwick's upstairs dining room above the historic French House pub on Dean Street in Soho London, opened 2017 in the room Free French resistance used through the war.
Signature: Daily-changing chalkboard
Order: Whatever the seasonal main is on the chalkboard, with a glass from the focused wine list.
Tip: No mobile phones, no music. Tables book one week ahead. The downstairs pub still pours a proper half-pint of bitter.
Jacob Kenedy's regional Italian dining room on Archer Street in Soho London, opened 2008, plates dishes from Piemonte, Friuli, Calabria and beyond, with the date and region listed.
Signature: Suckling pig porchetta, Whatever regional special is on
Order: Suckling pig porchetta with crackling on a soft roll, and a Lambrusco from the carafe list.
Tip: Counter seats face the open kitchen and take walk-ins. Tables in the back book a fortnight ahead through their site.
The 1944 Brewer Street deli's first sit-down restaurant on Greek Street in Soho London, opened 2018, runs hand-rolled pasta and Italian-deli classics in a green-tiled room.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Tiramisu
Order: Whatever fresh stuffed pasta is on the daily menu, and the tiramisu in the original Lina recipe.
Tip: Walk-up only at the deli original on Brewer Street; the Greek Street site takes bookings via Resy two weeks ahead.
Brett Redman's small-plates dining room on Stoney Street next to Borough Market in London, opened 2010, runs wood-fire cooking and a market-driven daily-changing chalkboard.
Signature: Wood-fired flatbread, Burrata with seasonal greens
Order: Whatever the wood-fired flatbread topping is, and a burrata with whatever's in season.
Tip: Walk-up only at the bar. Tables book a fortnight ahead. Closed Monday; the Borough Market kitchen runs Wed-Sat.
Jonathan Lawson's Italian-leaning dining room on Rivington Street in Shoreditch London, opened 2017, runs hand-rolled pasta, North African accents and a Sicilian wine list.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Whatever Sicilian special is on
Order: Whatever fresh pasta is on, and the Sicilian-spiced lamb if it's on the night.
Tip: Counter seats wrap the open kitchen. Walk-up only at the counter; tables book a week ahead through their site.
Owen Kenworthy's Modern European dining room on Columbia Road in Shoreditch London, opened 2010, runs a daily-changing menu of small plates with a natural-wine list.
Signature: Charcuterie board, Whatever offal special is on
Order: House charcuterie board, then whatever offal main is on the night.
Tip: Best on a Sunday after the Columbia Road flower market closes at 14:00; the kitchen runs to 17:00.
Charlie Mellor's wine-bar dining room on Hackney Road in east London, opened 2017, runs a Modern European small-plates menu with a natural-wine list and late kitchen.
Signature: Beef tartare, Whatever Modern European plate is on
Order: Beef tartare with bone-marrow chips, and a glass of Jura red from the natural-wine list.
Tip: Open Wed-Sun, kitchen runs to 23:30. The downstairs wine room takes walk-ins on weeknights.
The 1946 Westminster greasy spoon on Regency Street in London, white-tiled formica-tabled cafe, runs the canonical London full English at the counter for under £10.
Signature: Full English breakfast, Beef pie
Order: The full English with white bloomer toast, plus a mug of strong tea.
Tip: Cash and contactless. Closed Sundays and Saturday afternoons. The 09:00 queue is film-crew familiar.
The Pellicci family's 1900 east-London cafe on Bethnal Green Road, Grade-II listed for the 1946 marquetry interior, runs a daily Italian-British greasy spoon menu.
Signature: Full English breakfast, Pasta lasagna
Order: The full English with extra fried bread, and a slice of their housemade lasagna.
Tip: Cash and card; closed Sundays. Queue runs out the door on Saturday morning. The interior is the listed treasure.
Giuseppe Mascoli's original sourdough-pizza counter inside Brixton Market in London, opened 2008, runs slow-fermented Neapolitan-style dough at under £8 a pie.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Anchovy and capers pizza
Order: Margherita with mozzarella from a Cumbrian buffalo farm, plus a glass of Gavi from the list.
Tip: Walk-up only at the Brixton original. Friday and Saturday queue 30 minutes; weekday lunches walk in without waiting.
Tom Barton, Phil Eeles and Dorian Waite's first Honest Burgers counter in Brixton Village London, opened 2011, runs dry-aged Ginger Pig beef and the rosemary-salt chips.
Signature: Honest burger with rosemary chips, Plant burger
Order: The Honest burger (smoked bacon, mature cheddar, red onion relish), with rosemary chips on the side.
Tip: Walk-up only at the Brixton original. Online queue system; expect 30 minutes on weekend lunches.
The Jugged Hare on Chiswell Street in the City of London, opened 2012 by ETM Group, runs a game-led gastropub menu with hung-game cabinets in the dining room.
Signature: Whole roast game, Sunday roast
Order: Whole roast partridge or grouse in season, or the family-style Sunday roast in winter.
Tip: Lunch and pre-theatre runs walk-in friendly. Sunday roast books a fortnight ahead through their site.
Harneet Baweja's family-recipe Indian small-plates kitchen on White's Row in Spitalfields London, opened 2015, plates regional Indian home cooking, no buffet, no naan basket.
Signature: Spicy venison doughnut, Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder
Order: Spicy venison doughnut, then Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder for two.
Tip: Tiny room. Bookings open six weeks ahead and burn fast. Counter seats released as walk-ins from 17:30.
Robin Hancock and Ben Wright's seafood counter on Stoney Street next to Borough Market in London, opened 2002, runs a daily-fresh oyster menu and a serious fish pie.
Signature: Native oysters, Fish pie
Order: Half a dozen West Mersea or Lindisfarne native oysters, then the fish pie with mashed potato top.
Tip: Counter seats face the bar. Lunch runs walk-in; Saturday at noon is the un-touristed slot before market crowds peak.
Skye Gyngell's Modern European dining room inside the New Wing of Somerset House in central London, opened 2014, runs vegetable-led seasonal cooking and a Scratch dinner program.
Signature: Whatever spring vegetable course is on, Brown butter custard tart
Order: Whatever the spring or autumn vegetable opener is, and the brown butter custard tart for pudding.
Tip: The Scratch dinner uses kitchen offcuts to fight food waste and costs £25; the regular menu runs £55 for two courses.
The Evangelou family's Primrose Hill Greek taverna on Regent's Park Road in London, opened 1979, still the village's Sunday-lunch destination for lamb kleftiko in a packed dining room.
Signature: Lamb kleftiko, Saganaki
Order: Lamb kleftiko (slow-cooked in paper for three hours), with saganaki to start.
Tip: Sunday lunch books two weeks ahead through their site. Tuesday-Thursday dinner walks in any time after 19:00.
Peak food season in London is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. London rewards trust.