Leonie Cooper

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 and restaurants, and even art galleries and theatres. We’ve worked out what makes an afternoon tea a truly memorable (and delicious) experience. It’s not just perfect pastries, the most elegant of teeny tiny cakes and chic little sarnies with the crusts cut off, but swish service, the option to have something boozy and bubbly and a characterful room in which to enjoy it all. From The Ritz to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and even a working prison, there’s truly something for every cake-munching tea-drinker in this round-up of London’s best afternoon tea spreads.  Expect to pay in the region of £50 to £100 for the pleasure per person, but you’ll be in for a treat if you go with one of our recommendations. Many of these teas have set times for seatings, so booking in advance is always a good idea. May 2025: We've just updated this list, highlighting some of London's newest and most intriguing afternoon sarnie sessions. A bunch of new, themed teas have recently opened; including Rosewood London's offering, inspired by iconic Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai; the covert Secret and Spies afternoon tea at Raffles London; and what's set to be the 'Brat' of afternoon teas - the mini martini-fuelled London By Lily Vanilli at Four Seasons Tower Bridge. RECOMMENDED: The best hotels in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drin

July 2025: We launched Time Out’s brand new list of the very best restaurants in London for 2025 in May, after 12 months of eating our way through the city, re-visiting some all-time classics, checking out low-key neighbourhood favourites and getting stuck into the best newcomers on the scene. After some serious deliberation we ranked London’s 50 finest restaurants. The result is this: your indispensable guide to where you’ll find the best food right at this moment in one of the world’s most exciting places to eat. There’s a focus on new openings and places that we’ve visited recently, so we can hand-on-heart vouch for their deliciousness.  A new Top 50 also means a new Number 1, as well as a whole bunch of brand new entries. From modern Korean masterpiece Miga in Hackney, through to slick Italian-American joint The Dover in Mayfair, and stealth sandwich bar and diner Cafe Mondo in Camberwell, you’ll find something for every budget and neighbourhood.  But London doesn’t stand still and neither do we. Our latest update to this list includes a new five star entry; Tatar Bunar in Shoreditch, a sleek Ukrainian restaurant that we reckon looks set to become one of London’s hardest-to-secure reservations. Check out London’s 20 best new openings here.  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 is at a different Lo

Looking for the best restaurants in Mayfair? You’re spoilt for choice in this extremely swanky central London neighbourhood. There are enough Michelin stars to feed a village here and prices are fittingly fierce. But if you’re after some indulgence or looking for the perfect celebration spot, then this is where you should be taking your hard-earned cash, with hotel joints such as The Ritz and Claridge’s in-house eateries some of the area’s finest. A tip: look out for set lunch menus, which many Mayfair fine-dining restaurants such Pavyllon, Murano and Ambassadors Clubhouse offer, and make the whole experience that much more affordable. Go forth and feast: these are Mayfair’s most impressive food spots. 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.

London might well be the world’s greatest food city, but thanks to a never-ending cost of living crisis, it’s not like any of us can eat out as much as we’d like to. So welcome to our list of London’s best cheap eats. Every highlighted dish here costs £10 or less and variety is the name of the game. Expect London staples such as pie & mash, but also discover the best bargain places for naan, lahmacun, baps, doubles and burgers. These places give you the kind of buzz only a bargain bite can deliver, while you can relish the fact that you’re supporting small independent London businesses. So hit the streets – feasting at some of London’s best restaurants needn’t empty your wallet. July 2025: In a city where eating out seems to be getting pricier by the minute, this list remains one of Time Out London's handiest guides. We've given it a bit of a summer spin, listing a bunch of brilliant places where you can grab your bargain food and then hang out in a nearby park, munching your meal down while you soak up the sun. May we recommend Abney Park as the ideal eating place for your tacos from Sonora Taqueria (yes, we know it's a graveyard, but's also one of Stoke Newington's loveliest outdoor spaces); Peckham Rye Park & Common for your Asian Takeaway haul; and Regent's Park for your Paul Rothe & Son sarnie.  RECOMMENDED: The best vegan restaurants in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hot

Borough is known for having one of the best food markets in the world, but it’s also home to some seriously good restaurants as well as the brilliant market. The new Borough Yards development – just next to this historic, edible wonderland – is where you’ll find some of the latest spots to have a sit-down feast, including west African restaurant Akara. If you’re off to SE1 and your stomach is rumbling, then consult this list so you can hunt down all our favourite spots for a fabulous feed, from contemporary Greek classics at Oma and Pyro, to pasta at Padella, and classy French cuisine at Camille.  RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in London Bridge. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

When it comes to outdoor dining there are some excellent – and hopefully sun-dappled - options at some of London’s best restaurants. These terraces, canal-side spots, gardens and al fresco restos should make you feel like you’re on a proper holiday in your hometown. Whether you’re in the mood to have spaghetti in the sun or snack on sushi by starlight, our list has you covered. If you don’t mind heights, then check out some of the finest rooftop restaurants with views in London as well. July 2025: We've just added a few new spots to this list now that summer is in full swing; the terrace at London Fields favourite (and one of the best restaurants in London) Sesta, for example and the newly opened outdoor space at Basque steakhouse Ibai as well as the massive outdoor area at Pyro in Borough. Of course, London weather is temperamental at best, so quite a few of these restaurants (such as Acme Fire Cult and Ombra) offer covered terraces, just in case the heavens open. But hopefully things will stay dry, and you can enjoy sitting outside while wearing sunglasses, looking important and snacking on a little salt cod fritter. Want to be outdoors all day? Get to Inis in Hackney Wick, which is open from 8am for breakfast Wednesday through to Sunday, or Soutine in St John's Wood, which opens at 9am on weekends. RECOMMENDED: These are the best rooftop bars in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. T

Thirsty? Of course you are, but thankfully we’ve got just the tonic. Our cities are packed with brilliant, innovative and downright wacky bars, where crafty mixologists are shaking, mixing and stirring cocktails and bartenders are carefully pouring moreish wines. But the best ones? Only locals can tell us that, so that’s why we’ve called on Time Out’s international network of writers and editors to tell us all about their favourite spot for a drink in their city. Below is a varied menu of vibes and flavours, from a classy little wine place in Madrid to a speakeasy in Manila, a sultry cocktail joint in Edinburgh to a no-fuss institution in London. Read on for Time Out’s fresh roundup of the best bars in the world’s best cities. Recommended:🌇 The best rooftop bars in the world✨ The best cities in the world for nightlife🍕 The best pizzas in the world🍝 The best cities in the world for food Liv Kelly is the writer for Time Out Travel, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts.

Bottomless brunch. These words strike excitement – and also a slight sting of fear– into our hearts. Endless quaffing of wine, cocktails and/or fizz, usually within a 90 minute time limit, and some hearty breakfast foods seem like the perfect backdrop to catching up with mates on a weekend. Simply bash your cash down and let the London restaurant of your chosing do the rest. Will you get drunk? Most likely. Will you be so full of food that you may explode? Also possible. Are you in? Yes, of course you are. In London, you’ll find bottomless bubbles and bloody marys, as well as options with wine, beer and cocktails. The food doesn’t have to be straightforward breakfast stuff either. Brunch can be anything from bao to barbecue and sushi. Time to go hard then go home. All that sounds a bit too much? You could just stick to regular old brunch. RECOMMENDED: Find more great breakfasts in London. July 2025: Our latest update to this list includes some particularly seasonal bottomless brunches, including Nine Lives' Guadalajara-inspired Saturday sesh, which will fill you up with tacos and tequila. If you like a theme to go along with your day drinks then fill your boots at the 411's Cowgirls & Cocktails brunch in Angel.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

London is a great place to get a cocktail, but knowing where to look can be daunting - there is far too much choice. This is where our extremely helpful list of London’s best cocktail bars comes in handy. Here you’ll find everything from fancy hotel spots to secret-ish speakeasies, party palaces to hidden basements. What they all have in common is drinks that will impress. Some of these joints stick loyally to the classics – visit The Connaught for a martini you’ll never forget or Satan’s Whiskers for a legendary margarita – while others experiment to create some of the most wildly original cocktails around. Either way, you’re guaranteed incredible drinks and a great atmosphere, whichever bar you choose from our curated list of London’s best places to sink cocktails.  Want something a little less swanky? Here are the best pubs in London. July 2025: Our latest update to this list has seen the addition of the tiny, tucked-away Umbrella Workshop in Shoreditch, a test kitchen for creative cocktails which we really should gatekeep but are feeling far too generous to do so.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Pasta and pizza are way more than just fast-food comfort carbs at these exceptional London restaurants and trattorias, which excel in properly good and authentic Italian cuisine. The basics – a creamy carbonara, say, or a simple margherita – are all present and correct, but the capital’s repertoire extends to stylish antipasti, crusty sourdough pizzas, richly sauced pasta and beyond. You can also find finely crafted specialities drawn from the traditional trattorias of the rustic south and fashion-conscious north of the country at London’s best Italian restaurants. July 2025: Our latest update includes tasty neighbourhood joints such as south London fave, Peckham's Artusi (which now has a Soho outpost), as well as the legendary Ciao Bella, and Hackney newcomer Dalla as well as the well-worth-seeking-out Polentina in Bow and Elephant, which you'll find in a Victorian pub in Clapton. If you've got the cash to spare, then there are also super expensive spots such as Luca and Murano. If you're on budget, then one-stop pasta shop Padella is a good shout, and if you're really, really skint, then a simple coffee and cannoli at Bar Italia is the move. Wherever you end up, London’s Italian dining scene is irreproachable.  RECOMMENDED: The 50 Best London Restaurants.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Head to Hackney and you've got a seriously exciting evening of dining ahead of you, as some of the city's boldest chefs have set up shop in this rapidly-gentrifying patch of east London. High-end restaurants sit alongside chic brunch spots, inviting gastropubs and long-established neighbourhood joints. Whatever you're after, you'll more than likely find it here. Go east(ish) and eat. The latest additions to the list include modern Korean marvel Miga, Sesta in the old shell of the much-loved Pidgin, fun with fire at Lagom, chef Abby Lee's incredible Mambow, Bethnal Green kitchen residency Tasca and Elephant - an Italian restaurant in a Victorian pub space.  RECOMMENDED: Here are London's 50 Best Restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor and thinks Hackney restaurants are some of the best in London (but don't tell the other boroughs, they'll only get jealous). 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.) 

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened in the past year and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene.  July 2025: New additions include great Caribbean cookery at Marvee's Food Shop in Notting Hill, new school Vietnamese at Lai Rai in Peckham, plush Roman pasta at Lupa in Highbury, modern surf and turf at Island in King's Cross, pizza at Elephant in Clapton, and a brand new home for Thai legend Singburi in Shoreditch. They join fun bistro action at Hello JoJo in Camberwell, Japanese-Italian fusion at Osteria Angelina in Spitalfields, bawdy British fare at Rake in Highbury, and Iberian inventiveness at Tasca in Bethnal Green.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. 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 nothing that puts me on edge more than the threat of someone ‘doing up a pub’. More often than not, it means stripping a historic community hub of everything that made it special, before whacking in some Metro tiles, a couple of Babak Ganjei prints and hoping for the best.  Beef with murky tonnato sauce is intensely savoury, and wears fried sage leaves like a Wiccan tiara  Elephant on Lower Clapton Road – once the statuesque Elephant’s Head, but more recently an Irish pub, then a forgettable bar, then boresome brasserie – has escaped the pitfalls by working backwards, peeling away various refits to reveal a striking Victorian boozer. Of course, it’s not really a pub anymore; there is table service, menus, and a very good wine list. You could call it a gastropub at a push, but to call it anything other than a restaurant would be doing it a disservice, because what it is a great restaurant.  With a restored, curved-glass ceiling at the back of the room (apparently once part of a local opera house or cinema, reports differ) and elephant-adjacent 1950s movie posters on the walls, the room feels like the Prince George in nearby London Fields, shabby and welcoming, with booths, nooks and one long table for family-style dining (while we’re here, two groups of eight take it over in turn).  With ex-Manteca chef Francesco Sarvonio in the kitchen, the food is of a southern Italian persuasion and not a single dish falters. Creamy seabass crudo comes in an addictive melon sauce,

This tucked-away test kitchen for nearby bars Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern and Parasol, weirdly might be the best of the bunch and finding it is all part of the fun. Head down an alleyway it doesn’t look like you should be heading down and you’ll be greeted with the site of a teeny, tiny 12-seater bar situated in a 19th century atelier workship. At once dramatic and extremely cosy, it would be perfect for an illicit liasion were you that kind of person. If not, use it as a place to try out a host of weird and wonderful cocktails that might end up on the menus of the other Umbrella Project bars. On our last visit we tasted a baklava old fashioned and saw God. Seats outside double the capacity, and there might not be a nicer place in the area to drink away a warm summer evening. Time Out tip You are but steps away from one of the best restaurants in London; Rochelle Canteen. Order this If none of the experiemental specials take your fancy, they can make pretty much any classic cocktail you care to drink.

Will the comestible wonders of Rye Lane never cease?  Peckham’s perma-packed main drag currently offers everything from indulgent Malaysian cookery (Janda Diner), to rooftop picantes (Forza Wine), one of the cheapest pints of non-’Spoons Guinness in London (Nag’s Head), and impeccable Nigerian barbecue (Suuyar). The exact point where Saigon canteen culture meets the contents of Charli xcx’s Dropbox Follow the smoke drifting across the road from Suyaar and you’ll find the latest addition to SE15’s substantial food trail, Lai Rai. A new-school Vietnamese with an adamantly ‘no pho’ menu, Lai Rai has local roots (it’s run by the same family as nearby Bánh Bánh) but is a snackier, share-ier proposition than its big bowl-proffering sibling.  Lai Rai’s discreet shopfront is immediately rendered indiscreet thanks to a red-and-white striped awning nabbed from a passing funfair. Inside, Lai Rai continues with its endearing brand of intensity. Lit by red neon and with a clinical stainless steel counter, the rest of the small space is a jumble of high and low tables (there’s also an airier, less full-on upstairs level); suggesting the exact point where Saigon canteen culture meets the contents of Charli xcx’s Dropbox. We match the chaotic energy and start with a mango-muddled picante complete with strands of potent red chilli, and so begins a fast and furious assault of flavour. A bowl of slow-braised pork belly pieces, sweet and sticky nugs of crispy, crunchy, and fatty flesh, could be

A hotel bar can be a staid and stuffy thing but Seed Library has none of that awkwardness or exclusivity. Instead, this basement adjunct to One Hundred Shoreditch is a relaxed, impressively low-lit and supremely welcoming space with terrazzo tables, cool pine panelling and soft 1960s stylings. Megastar mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana – aka Mr Lyan – is behind Seed Library’s menu, which features an unsurprisingly excellent and fairly bonkers selection of beverages. Their Breakfast Bellini contains ‘century beans’ - a twist on Japan’s century eggs - while their Orkney Breezer comes filtered through a sheep’s pancreas. All Bar One, this most certainly is not. The vibe is low-key, unobtrusive and great for a third date, with a muso-satisfying soundtrack oozing out of an expensive-sounding PA. Mr Lyan’s done it again. Order this: There’s nothing on Mr Lyan’s menu that’s going to be boring. A tequila-based Lada Lada with ‘lager sizzurp’? Sure! A gin-centric sipper containing lettuce that’s just called Salad? Why not!Time Out tip: A posh version of a nacho cheese dip, served with Japanese rice crackers, White Lyan Magic Cheese was first debuted at Mr Lyan’s original Hoxton bar and lives once more as a Seed Library snack. They don’t call it ‘stoner food’ for no reason.

While looking for the Spy Bar, I get lost. Which is, perhaps, the point.  Located deep in the bowels of the glossy OWO and Raffles hotel complex – once the HQ of the Ministry of Defence – the Spy Bar trades heavily on its history. Yes, this is the building in which Ian Fleming worked and came up with the idea for James Bond, and they don’t let you forget it. The basement bar is behind a door marked with a tiny 007 - it’s easy to miss, and we do - twice. It was once a storage vault for the reports and papers of MI5 and MI6 agents, while the entrance lobby was once a guard room. Once inside, we’re greeted as an ‘agent’, but thankfully, this isn’t laboured upon. The Spy Bar isn’t an immersive experience, but simply a very good place to drink a cocktail.   Aside from the real Aston Martin sunk into the wall behind the bar, it’s a relatively demure spot; painted brick walls, comfy velvet armchairs and a second room lined with cosy, private-ish booths just asking for a scandal of Profumo levels. It’s dimly lit – so much so that a light has to be delivered to our table in order for us to read the menu – but it seems churlish to order anything but a Vesper martini. At £27, it’s not cheap, but it is ridiculously smooth, and, when you’re halfway finished, a smart, suited bartender will pour the dregs into a glass fresh from the freezer. An elite touch. Cocktails are all loosely themed around Bond and the storied building, with references to Churchill’s prodigious booze intake (a ‘Whisk

From the reasonably priced likes of Sushi Kyu in Soho, to the filthy-rich-only-need-apply Sushi Kanesaka in Mayfair (a snip at £420 a head), London is brimming with sensational Japanese omakase spots.   This is tender, buttery beef as a lifestyle choice But what of the Japanese steakhouse? For a country known for its elite cattle – the tender, moist and majestically marbled wagyu – there are far fewer restaurants dedicated to the delights of these cosseted cows than sushi. Largely, London favours fishier flavours when it comes to Japanese cuisine, but Kanpai Classic laughs in the face of delicate nigiri and volleys back a robust barrage of meat. The room, too, is fittingly butch; black, glossy marble walls and tables hench enough to contain the ungodly amount of food set to descend upon them. There’s a downstairs room too, a kind of yakiniku grill-house take on a Berghain-style sex dungeon, in which moody dates sit in semi-darkness and slurp increasingly unhinged cocktails (kumquat and shiso mojito; wagyu carre; kilted samurai). But back to the meat in hand. Kanpai Classic isn’t just about a serious slab of steak on your plate, but a whole wagyu experience. This is tender, buttery beef as a lifestyle choice, with various cuts, all imported daily from Japan, displayed on a platter complete with name cards. There’s your knuckle, your rib finger, and beef tongue so you don’t forget which raw slice of beef is about to be converted into a buttery, creamy hunk of perfectly rare me

Le Beaujolais is about as far away as you can get from London’s new wave of natural wine bars. The restaurant downstairs is a members -only venue but the ground floor bar is open to all. A central London mainstay since 1972, this robust timewarp comes complete with rustic French tables that are pleasantly well past their best, a chaotic seating arrangement, scrappy chalkboard menus and ties hanging from the ceiling, as if the last 1980s yuppie has only just been asked to leave. It is, in other words, pure Keith Floyd-core. Sure, there’s a food menu of classic French cuisine; croque monsieurs, steak frites and boeuf bourguignon, but people aren’t really here to eat, they’re here to drink bottles, carafes and glasses of the Frenchest of wines. The list is exclusively French, and broken down by region, from the Loire to Bourgogne, via the Rhône, Bordeaux, and of course, Beaujolais.  Time Out tip If you’re after some ‘Old Soho’ energy – now only matched by the likes of the French House – swing by Le Beaujolais at 3pm on a weekday to soak up some Chardonnay with a crowd of old school Soho characters.

The foodie equivalent of a blockbuster franchise that becomes increasingly ludicrous with each new movie, the Big Mamma Group is back with a sixth London restaurant, this time set among the shiny skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.  The showy-offy spaghettone al tartufo is made up of metre long strands of pasta Barbarella takes its name from the high-camp sci-fi flick of 1968, a film known more for the appearance of a pert Jane Fonda in silver bodysuit than anything resembling a cohesive plot. It’s fitting, as this Barbarella isn’t really about the food, but the sheer spectacle. Every detail is made for your phone camera; from the gleaming leopard-print tables (somehow… lit from within?) and mega palm trees, to the zebra skins on the wall (ethics be damned!) and a giant glass chandelier (imported from Venice, of course) dangling imposingly over the central bar.  Food is of the non-specific Italian variety, and there’s plenty of it. The massive menu comprises lots of pizza, loads of pasta, and various permutations of meat and cheese. Some dishes are named as they would be in Italy, the ‘paccheri alla norma’ pasta for example, or ‘tagliata di manzo’ beef fillet. Others have punny names that sound like someone’s dad has snuck into the development meeting; the ‘Looking For Truffle’ pizza or ‘Sundae Mood’ ice cream. There’s also a pizza named after Versace, for some reason. Barbarella is not about authenticity, it’s about having fun, and still isn’t sure if it wants to banter you relent

Bold move, Lupa. Very bold.  There’s already a glut of great Italian restaurants in London, and quite a lot of them happen to be right here in Highbury. The incomparable Trullo, for example, is just around the corner! But Lupa has something the others do not. Lupa not only promises ‘Roman comfort food’, but the slim chance of catching sight of its Very Handsome co-founder, the actor Theo James.  This is a ballsy offering of big, bold food, heavy with hearty guanciale  That man’s intense bone structure and dreamy eyebrows are not the only draws however. Carousel co-founder Ed Templeton is also behind this new opening, and in the kitchen is the extremely capable Naz Hassan, who we last encountered during his tenure as head chef of the much-missed Pidgin. Hassan has done time in some of London’s most esteemed kitchens, from high-end Indian at Bibi, supercharged steak at the Cut at 45 Park Lane, and non-specific Euro sharing plates at Crispin. And it’s evident from our first bite that such a gifted all-rounder hasn’t encountered any trouble turning his hand to Italian cuisine.  It’s a courgette flower, lightly battered, deep fried and stuffed with smooshy burrata, then draped with a fat anchovy and resting in a pool of its own green courgettey juices. Sure, it’s steep at £10.50 for a single courgette flower, but it sets the tone for the cavalcade of sturdy Roman flavours that are about to descend upon us. This isn’t a delicate menu of rural farm fare, but a ballsy offering of big

If the Pocket feels familiar, that’s because it comes to you from the same independent pub pros as Gospel Oak’s incredibly good Southampton Arms. Despite appearances, the rustic-leaning Pocket hasn’t been here for 100 years, but was opened by stealth in the spring of 2025, complete with new-old wood panelling, a 1930s anaglypta ceiling, a nerdishly impressive collection of 1970s pub ashtrays (on the walls alas, not the tables), and a battered upright piano (which gets played three times a week).  The Pocket’s premise is simple, and, let’s be honest, perfect: ‘No reservations. No green food. No shit beer. No terrible modern music,’ they say. The bar snacks come in various shades of beige (scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pasties, and pork pies), the music comes from either the piano or a vinyl record player which favours vintage jazz and soul, and the crowd is gorgeous. Beer is priced in order of strength, meaning it’s possible to get that rare thing - a London pint for a fiver. We are fully in the Pocket’s pocket. Time Out tip The Pocket is mere steps away from another great Islington pub, the Compton Arms. If you’re looking for more of a gastro experience, pop over for one of their unfailingly good kitchen residencies; as of summer 2025, it’s the powerhouse Rake boys.

I’ve long attempted to work out what exactly people mean when they call something a ‘neighbourhood restaurant’. In the London context at least, I have arrived at the conclusion that it is simply a restaurant that isn’t in Soho (or Shoreditch at a push). Pasero then, plonked on the Seven Sisters end of West Green Road in Tottenham, certainly makes the cut, a welcoming space with something of the 1960s primary school aesthetic about it, with shades of beige, terracotta and British racing green, as well as a small deli and bottle shop.  It’s like Monty Don’s offering a helping hand in the kitchen Opened in 2022, the idea was for it to be a hub for a series of rotating chefs, a bit like Carousel in Fitzrovia. Of course, this is a lovely idea – Marie Mitchell one week, Ling Ling’s the next, and Anna Sogaard right after – but surely a logistical pain in the arse. After almost three years, the Pasero people have decided to make their lives easier and go steady with a full-time chef. It’s a good one, too - previous Pasero pop-up champ Diamantis Kalogiannidis, who honed his skills at double Michelin star wonder Da Terra in Bethnal Green.  His blackboard menu is short and sweet. A ham-hock croquette is a powerful thing. Almost as large as a scotch egg, and with a crunch to rival on a Twiglet on the outside. Inside, it’s densely packed with sweet, moist and perfectly pink hock. This is a hearty, Hampton Court Palace banquet-worthy snack, the ideal thing for King Henry VIII to nibble on

Padella, a sleek but casual pasta bar from the duo behind Islington’s Trullo is just a stone's throw from Borough Market. Dishes are small enough – and, at around £10-15, cheap enough – to let you to order three between two. Do this. In fact, bring extra friends so you can order a bit of everything. Who cares if you’ll likely be sat in a row? Talking is so overrated. There’s a changing mix of classics and lesser-spotted varieties such as tagliarini (skinny tagliatelle) or pici cacio, a kind of hand-rolled no-egg noodle from Siena. Padella’s version is not just chewy and satisfying (a bit like Japanese udon), but comes smothered in a simple yet moreish sauce of parmesan, butter and cracked black pepper. Order this Trullo fans will be pleased to see the signature eight-hour beef shin ragu (served over pappardelle) here. Time Out tip There are no bookings at Padella, yes, you have to join a queue, but come for an early lunch (11.30am), or early dinner (5pm) when doors open, and you won’t have to wait long to get fed.

We’ve known that Jeremy King – the hospitality brains behind the likes of Brasserie Zédel, The Wolseley and recent Bayswater opening The Park – has been planning to reopen the legendary Simpson’s in the Strand for a while. And finally we have an opening date.  ‘At the end of 2025, just a few years short of its 200th anniversary, Jeremy King will relaunch this legendary restaurant,’ says an official statement. It was initially thought that Simpson’s would be re-opening in May of this year. Serving up traditional British fare since 1828, and beloved by literary luminaries Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Simpson’s was one of the first UK restaurants to earn a Michelin star back in 1974. However, this London dining institution has been shut since 2020 and in 2023 it auctioned off a bunch of fixtures and fittings, including carving trolleys, tables, booths and three pianos.  In other words: expect a whole new look inside. More information about the revamped resto has also been newly released. Simpson’s will have two dining rooms -  the Grand Divan and the Green Room (which is apparently a ‘working title’) – as well as two bars – Simpson’s Bar and Nellie’s. There will also be private ballroom for 100 covers, called the Assembly Room. ‘Food throughout will be British at its core, with a meal in the Grand Divan being a rather traditional affair and the Green Room offering a more flexible service at a lower price point.’ Simpson’s, 100 Strand,
WC2R 0EW.  Get the latest

Nothing says summer in London like pizza and a Lime bike. It is heartening then to hear about a new collab between Yard Sale Pizza and Lime, who’ve come together for a special pizza inspired by this city’s courageous fleet of electric bikes. The ‘Pibil Power’ pizza will be available from all 14 branches of Yard Sale from now until August 26 and features pork pibil, sweetcorn, red onion, and a Lime-shaded green tomatillo salsa on top of a tomato and fior di latte mozzarella base.  There’s also a mushroom pibil version for vegetarians and the pizza can be made vegan as well. To double down on the luminous Lime green, each pizza will come with a Lime Crema garlic and lime dip for crust-dunking purposes.  Though the pizzas won’t be delivered on a Lime bike, they will all come in a limited-edition Lime x Yard Sale Pizza box with Yard Sale’s mascot, Juan the Chilli, riding on a Lime bike.  The Lime collab is the latest in a string of many Yard Sale collaborations, with special pizzas made in league with rapper Loyle Carner, and comedian Romesh Ranganathan as well as London’s leading restaurants, including former Time Out London Restaurant of the Year Mambow, as well as Tayyabs in Whitechapel, Stoke Newington’s Sonora Taqueria and Chuku’s in Tottenham.  Yard Sale has eat-in and takeaway locations in Clapton, Finsbury Park, Walthamstow, Leytonstone, Hackney Road, East Dulwich, Balham, Crystal Palace, Crofton Park, Tottenham, Hither Green, Earlsfield, Tufnell Park, and Bermondsey, as

We’ve got bars on the brain at the moment and it seems like we’re not the only ones.  Just days after Time Out named London’s Best Bar for 2025, Side Hustle at the NoMad London has been honoured with the title of ‘Best International Hotel Bar’ at the 19th annual Spirited Awards. Covent Garden’s Side Hustle is a favourite with us too. ‘While you might find more extensive collections of tequila and mezcal elsewhere, few agave-focused bars can match the sophistication of this elegant Latin American-themed spot in the Grade II-listed former Police Station that now houses the NoMad hotel,’ reads the Time Out review. ‘There’s an old-school gentleman’s club kind of grandeur to this low-lit space, decked out in dark wood booths, green leather seating, an imposing marble-topped bar and walls covered in vibrant photographs taken on the streets of London and Southern California.’ Side Hustle features in Time Out’s list of the best hotel bars in London, and has been open since 2021. The NoMad also recently revamped its in-house restaurant, renaming it Twenty8 NoMad. Read our review here.  The Spirited Awards take place as part of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and the winners were announced in New Orleans on July 24. The awards are voted on by a panel of 250 industry experts, including London bar pro Mr Lyan aka Ryan Chetiyawardana, who is the international Spirited Awards chair, and who also recently helped Time Out decide on London’s best first date bars.   Spirited Awards’ bigg

If this month’s new openings are anything to go by, London remains in the pocket of Big Pizza. This August also sees the return of one of east London’s most legendary pubs in a brand new (somewhat classier guise), as well as a beefy new brewery for Walthamstow.  The best new London restaurants opening in August 2025 Legado 1. The big ticket Spanish spot  Legado, Shoreditch Founder of Mayfair’s turbo tapas joint Sabor, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, is set to open her second restaurant in league with the all-conquering JKS Restaurants. Legado – which translates to ‘Legacy’ – will serve up lesser-known regional Spanish dishes, and will also be home to La Taberna, an all-day bar and terrace where you can pick up pintxos, cava and sherry.  1C Montacute Yards, 185-186 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6HU Opening date: August 28 Macbeth 2. The return of an indie sleaze icon The Macbeth, Hoxton  This pub will be extremely familiar to anyone who got drunk in London about 15 years ago. Formerly the site of grotty gigs, indie discos and nu-rave raves, the Macbeth is reopening as a Portuguese gastropub with Jamie Allan - formerly of Four Legs, who opened Finsbury Park’s The Plimsoll and Tollington’s – in charge alongside his good pal Patrick Nolan.  70 Hoxton Street, Hoxton, N1 6LP Opening date: August 13 Bad Boy Pizzeria 3. Pizza! Bad Boy Pizzeria, Bethnal Green Another day, another London pizza parlour opens. After years of shifting their award-winning slices at Bad Boy Pizza Society pop-up

Grumbling diners have been a little miffed over a seemingly new (but totally discretionary) fee on London restaurant bills of late. According to Metro, a livid Reddit thread has seen a user sharing their receipt from Islington gastropub The Pig & Butcher, which contains an ‘Optional Carbon Free Dining’ fee of £1.23. ‘I kind of got desensitised to the service charge already, but carbon free dining? That’s something new,’ wrote user tauhou_ after posting the picture of their receipt. The fee, which can be removed from the bill if the customer wishes, goes towards the very decent sounding GiftTrees - an environmental initiative which backs carbon neutrality and sustainability by ‘planting of life-saving trees in developing countries to offset the environmental impact of the meal and help lift 1 million people out of poverty’. The restaurant also works with the excellent StreetSmart, which raises money for homelessness charities via a similar method.  A representative from The Pig & Butcher told Metro:  ‘This is optional and we explain this to customers. They can just ask to remove it. So far this calendar year our customers have donated £31,000 to GiftTrees and £9,211.75 to StreetSmart.’ StreetSmart was established in 1998 and has raised £13 million for homeless and vulnerable people across the UK. StreetSmart will always make diners aware of the £1 voluntary donation via a tablecard or reference on the menu. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and review

Soho is perhaps London’s most bar-studded neighbourhood, but one sits head and shoulders above them all as the greatest place to drink. It’s a bar that Time Out has diligently supported over the years (aka drank there a lot), and we’re happy to call it the best bar in Soho for 2025; it’s the excellent Trisha’s on Greek Street! The bar’s proper name is the New Evaristo Club, but the basement hangout and member’s club is fondly known as Trisha’s in homage to the venue’s leading lady and de facto Queen of Soho, Trisha Bergonzi.  Late chef and presenter Anthony Bourdain infamously branded Trisha’s the ‘Dean Martin of drinking establishments’ after he visited with Marco Pierre White in a 2011 episode of his show The Layover.  Once a men-only Italian gambling club, Liverpool-born publican’s daughter Bergonzi began drinking in the club with her late husband decades before she took over the bar. ‘They wouldn’t let me in, but I made such a fuss over it that they had to,’ she once said. ‘Then I just stayed there!’ The bar has been open for over 80 years.  The bar is behind a discreet blue door on Greek Street and down a rickety flight of stairs. ‘We’ve never advertised,’ explained Bergonzi. ‘We just sort of grew – we’re one of those little gems.’ Trisha’s was saved from closure in 2013, after making headlines when Westminster Council applied for a licence review, stating that the bar was being investigated due to complaints from local residents. Other bars to feature in Time Out’s Top

Enfield based duo Oliver Paterson and Phoenix Ross have landed a place in the Guinness World Records after creating the biggest scotch egg known to man. The north Londoners created the massive 7.81kg snack by using an ostrich egg from Scotland (which took 90 minutes to boil), alongside 22lbs of sausage meat, before being dredged in semolina and panko breadcrumbs. In order for the record to be completed, the scotch egg had to be successfully cut open with the yolk still intact.  Photograph: @elburritomonster With an 80cm circumference, the hefty scotch egg was 24,000 calories, and was fried for 30 minutes before being cooked in the oven for three hours. The egg beat the previous record of 6.2kg. Oliver Paterson – who is known on social media as El Burrito Monster – was earlier this year named Content Creator of the Year in the public-voted category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. The Guinness World Record rules state that no food should go to waste in the creation of ludicrously large snacks, so the egg was portioned up after being measured and split into the filling of 19 burritos which have been frozen and split between Paterson and Ross. The Guinness World Record rules state that no food should go to waste in the creation of ludicrously large snacks, so the egg was portioned up after being measured and split into the filling of 19 burritos which have been frozen and split between Paterson and Ross. ‘Phoenix has been going viral for his But Bigger series on s

Famous Pimlico diner The Regency Café has reopened its doors after being shuttered since the end of last year. The historic greasy spoon, which first opened in 1946, closed in 2024 as its owners since 1986 – Antonio Perotti and Gino Schiavetta – put the business up for sale. The cafe is now back in action, under new owners Fevzi and Zafer Gungor. Speaking about the cafe, Fevzi Gungor said: ‘I’m honoured to take over such a historic and much-loved institution. As someone born in Turkey and raised in White City, west London, my journey started humbly – delivering newspapers at 13 before school – and I’ve never looked back. Over the years, I’ve launched over 50 successful eateries across the city, but taking the reins at Regency Café is truly special.’  Gungor explained that major expansion plans are set for the business, with a new range of merch, and plans for ‘partnerships with major British brands for co-branded sauces, beans, and more.’  Looking to the future, Gungor added there are even possible plans for taking the brand overseas. ‘We may look at expanding the kitchen to cater for Halal dining, reflecting the diverse communities and tourists we serve, including many from the Arab Peninsula. In time, I’d love to see the Regency name in key global cities – Amsterdam, Berlin, Istanbul, Dubai – but our immediate focus is on Regency Street. We want to ensure it continues to be a place where locals and visitors alike can enjoy one of London’s best breakfasts.’ With a stunning

Atomix, the New York-based experimental Korean restaurant, is coming to London for one night only. Ranked at number 12 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – the highest placement for any north American eatery in the ranking – Atomix will be teaming up with Marylebone’s Kol (which currently sits at 49 in the list) for two seatings of an eight-course menu on August 19. It will cost £250 per person. Manhattan’s two Michelin star Atomix is run by Ellia and Junghyun Park, and it’s Seoul-born chef Junghyun who will be joining Kol’s Santiago Lastra in the kitchen for the special menu. Atomix was praised as the ‘ultimate gastronomic manifestation of the K-wave phenomenon’ and ‘Korean dining at its very finest’ with ‘dishes grounded in heritage, but distinct and innovative,’ by the World’s 50 Best organisers.  Earlier this year it was revealed that manager Ellia and Junghyun Park will be opening their first London restaurant in Mayfair in 2026. Named ‘Kiji’, the Korean BBQ restaurant will reportedly ‘take diners on an unmatched culinary journey’.   Atomix – which is the follow up to Ellia and Junghyun Park’s first Manhattan restaurant Atoboy – serves a 10 course tasting menu and offers ‘new Korean cuisine’.  The restaurant says: ‘Ato, stemming from the ancient Korean word for “gift”, is the innovative cuisine that husband and wife team – chef Junghyun and manager Ellia Park – hope to deliver to the world using New York City as their stage. ‘Atomix, a follow-up to their well-love

What’s better than pizza? Free pizza.  Next week Napoli on The Road – which came first at last month’s 50 Top Pizza Europa Awards – will be handing out thousands of slices of free margherita pizza on the South Bank from a nifty Napoli on the Road van. This cheesy giveaway will take place on Tuesday July 29 and Wednesday July 30, from 11am-7pm, at Observation Point near Gabriel’s Wharf.  To what do we owe such an honour? We can thank tomatoes, specifically Italian tinned tomato brand Mutti, whose tomato sauce will take pride of place on the pizza slices. Mutti will also be dishing out free samples of its new garlic pasta sauce.  Napoli On The Road - which has outlets in Chiswick and Richmond – won the title of Pizza of the Year 2025 at the Pizza Europa Awards for its signature pizza Ricordi d’Infanzia, which is topped with slow-cooked ragu with beef, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, fondue and basil. Napoli on the Road was set up by pizzaiolo Michele Pascarella, who hails from Maddaloni, near Naples. Pascarella was also named World Pizza Maker of the Year 2023 by 50 Top Pizza and Best International Pizza Maker 2024 by the Accademia Nazionale Pizza DOC.  Time Out’s list of the best pizza restaurants in London.  And, while you’re here, take a look at our roundup of the best Italian restaurants in London. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Ti

London is brimming with brilliant bars, and here at Time Out we’ve been drinking in loads of them in order to find out which one is the very best.  After many cocktails and much deliberation, the new number one in our ranking of the best bars in London is Equal Parts in Hackney, which opened in 2023. ‘London has been overrun with ‘listening bars’ in the last couple of years, but few, if any, take such a fastidious approach to their drinks list as this Hackney Road specimen,’ reads our glowing review. ‘Partly inspired by Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, the decor in the corner bar is similarly atmospheric; all bare plaster walls, dark wood and mid-century furnishings.’  At Equal Parts, the cocktail list is divided into two main sections, with short, strong drinks made with equal measures of each ingredient, and a ‘signature list’ featuring more unique recipes. The bar was opened by Michael Sager of Sager + Wilde fame, and we like it very, very much. Also making the grade in our brand new top 50 is the newly-opened Ellie’s in Dalston, which this weekend was the site of Charli xcx’s wedding afterparty (after she enjoyed a meal at Dalla, one of our top 50 London restaurants for 2025). Keith Floyd-core Covent Garden wine bar Le Beaujolais also made the cut, as did Peckham rooftop spots Frank’s Cafe and Forza Wine.   The best bars in London according to Time Out Here are our top 10 drinking spots in the capital right now. Equal Parts, Hackney Scarfes Bar, Holborn Jumbi, Peckham Satan

Congratulations to Ida in Queen’s Park, which has been named the Best Local restaurant in London by the Good Food Guide. This is the 15th year of the GFG’s Best Local Restaurants campaign, which sees the publication celebrate 100 cosy neighbourhood spots across the UK. According to the Good Food Guide, the list heralds ‘wine bars serving sensational small plates, neighbourhood bistros breathing life into faded seaside towns, and the cherished family-run gems where you can enjoy a great meal for under £20’. The list is broken down into areas and Ida, a family-run Italian on Kilburn Lane, came up top in London. However, the overall number one was Malaysian pub residency Lucky Lychee in Winchester, which also topped the South East list.  Ida opened in 2007, taking over a Grade II listed corner shop site. It is run by husband and wife, Avi and Simonetta, alongside their three children. ‘The dream was to recreate the kind of simple, home-cooked Italian food you might eat at the house of your favourite aunt,’ they say.    Photograph: Alessia Filippetti   ​The other London restaurants given the nod in the list included Time Out’s current best restaurant in London, Miga in Hackney, as well as Clapton’s Mambow, which topped our best restaurants list in 2024. See below for the full list of London restaurants named in the Best Local Restaurants campaign.  London restaurants in the Good Good Guide’s 2025 Best Local Restaurants list Ida, Queen’s Park  Brutto, Farringdon  Chuku’s, Totte