Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016, runs a daily-changing list of fresh-pasta plates and a walk-in queue.
Signature dishes: Pici cacio e pepe, Pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu
Must order: Pici cacio e pepe and the pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu.
Tip: Join the virtual queue at 12:00 sharp via their app for the first lunch slots; otherwise expect a 60-minute wait on Saturday.
Address: 6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ
The Hart brothers' walk-up tapas counter on Adelaide Street in Covent Garden London, opened 2014 and Michelin-starred, runs a daily-changing list of Spanish small plates.
Signature: Tortilla de patatas, Pluma Iberica
Order: Tortilla de patatas and a daily specials seafood plate from the blackboard.
Tip: No bookings. Aim for 11:45 to be first in at the lunch open; sit at the counter to watch the plancha.
Nieves Barragan Mohacho's Mayfair Spanish dining room off Regent Street in London, opened 2017 and Michelin-starred, runs a tapas counter downstairs and a wood-fired upstairs.
Signature: Suckling pig, Pulpo a la gallega
Order: Pulpo a la gallega at the counter and the suckling pig upstairs at El Asador.
Tip: Counter seats downstairs take walk-ins. Upstairs has a six-week booking lead time but a fixed-price suckling pig set menu.
Jose Pizarro's standing-only tapas bar on Bermondsey Street in London, opened 2011, a Spanish counter that runs Cantabrian anchovies, jamon and croquetas from morning to late.
Signature: Iberico jamon, Croquetas
Order: A plate of Iberico ham, the croquetas and the daily fish specials at the counter.
Tip: No bookings; squeeze in standing at the bar from 18:00 onwards. Lunch from 12:00 is walk-in friendly all week.
Chris Leach and David Carter's whole-animal Italian dining room on Curtain Road in Shoreditch London, opened 2021, charcuteries pork in-house and rolls pasta to order.
Signature: Pig's head fritti, Cacio e pepe rigatoni
Order: Pig's head fritti, cacio e pepe rigatoni and a glass from the all-Italian wine list.
Tip: Bar seats and the counter overlooking the open kitchen take walk-ins. Tables book a month ahead through Resy.
The Clove Club team's neighbourhood Italian on St John Street in Clerkenwell London, opened 2016, runs British-Italian seasonal cooking in a tiled dining room and bar.
Signature: Parmesan fries, Tagliolini al limone
Order: Parmesan fries with truffle mayo, tagliolini al limone and a Negroni from the bar.
Tip: Sit at the bar for the four-course tasting menu at half the dining-room price. Lunch books at three days, dinner at three weeks.
Lee Tiernan's ocakbasi-influenced Turkish-British flatbread room near Canonbury station in London, opened 2015, runs the city's loudest dining room and an offal-forward charcoal grill.
Signature: Lamb offal flatbread, Lahmacun
Order: Lamb offal flatbread and kissed-cod lahmacun, soundtracked by whatever Iron Maiden record is spinning.
Tip: First-come, first-served from 18:00. Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no booking, no compromise.
