Leonie Cooper

Forget starchy and old-fashioned. London’s best wine bars are bringing the humble grape to cool crowds of discerning drinkers. Find cosy, bistro-style settings with great food, sophisticated bars that are perfect for date night, or hip Hackney hangouts where wine is the drink du jour. Discover everything from natural wines to grapes from far-flung vineyards, plus service from knowledgeable, approachable staff. One thing is for certain, you’ll find more than a bargain bin Sauv Blanc at these great grape-peddlers. RECOMMENDED: These are London’s best bars.  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. June 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. 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. Hopefully things will stay dry though, and you can enjoy sitting outside while wearing sunglasses, looking important and snacking on a little salt cod fritter. Want to be outdoors all the live-long day? Get to Inis in Hackney Wick, which is open from 8am for breakfast Wednesday through to Sunday. 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. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now.

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. June 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. If you've got the cash to spare, then there are also super expensive spots such Luca, Murano and Sale e Pepe. But if you're on budget, then everyone’s fave one-stop pasta shop Padella is your best shout, and if you're 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.

The smog and stress of London can really take its toll on your skin. That’s why there’s nothing better than a regular facial (or a one-off treat) to give you that much-needed top-up, leaving you feeling glowing, fresh-faced and dewy.  Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. That’s thanks to the combined efforts of pollution and air-conditioned offices, as well as the added bonuses of harsh weather, booze, sun exposure, dehydration and – our least favourite – the inevitable passing of time. Happily, there are loads of great spas, treatment rooms and estheticians in London who can give your face a break and a much-needed zhuzh. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense such as microneedling or laser treatment, read our pick of facials in London.  RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London. 

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.  June 2025: New additions include fun bistro action at Hello JoJo in Camberwell and sleek Ukranian comfort food at Tatar Bunar. They join bawdy British fare at Rake in Highbury, Brit/Thai mashups at AngloThai in Marylebone, vegan Michelin star goodness at Shoreditch’s Plates, Iberian inventiveness at Tasca in Bethnal Green and The Most Controversial Restaurant in London™, The Yellow Bittern in King’s Cross.  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.

What’s the point of eating out if you’re just looking at your plate? Instead, we recommend dining like a demigod and staring down upon your enemies from these soaring, sky-high restaurants and cafés – as well as a few ground-dwelling joints with some stunning backdrops. From jawdropping views of (and from) The Shard, to Tower Bridge, and enough looking at the Thames to make you feel like you’re a boat, London’s has some of the most beautiful vistas in the world. If you fancy a panorama with your pizza, you’ve come to the right place.  June 2025: London has some of the most spectaular skyline views in the world, offering a mix of the historic (hello to you, St Paul's Cathedral) and the new school of skyscrapers in the City. Our latest update to this list incorporates some more recent openings, such as Forza Wine's National Theatre opening, as well as Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat by Liverpool Street, which is the highest London restaurant above sea level, situated on the 60th floor of the towering 22 Bishopsgate. RECOMMENDED: 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.

Fish and chips is London’s quintessential street food. It originated with the fried fish sold by Sephardic Jews in the seventeenth century, before being refined over the centuries into the golden, battered, crispy delight we know and love today. Traditionally, it involved cod, which used to be as cheap as, well, chips. But these days, dwindling stocks of the fish mean that London's fryers are getting creative: you’ll find halibut, hake, calamari and more on many chip shop menus. When done well, fish and chips is a stodgy godsend, ready to be drenched in salt and vinegar, and dipped into a delicious pot of mushy peas. When it’s bad, it’s just a load of beige. So let’s take the element of risk out of it. Here are the best places to get your fry on in London.  RECOMMENDED: London’s best seafood restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

June 2025 update: Hacks and The Rehearsal are the latest shows to earn a spot on our ‘best of the year’ list this week. The former sees Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder’s co-dependent star-and-assistant double act delivering another ten episodes of pass-agg magnificence, while Nathan Fielder delivers more must-see TV with his second season of The Rehearsal. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘TV’s golden age’ enough times over the past couple of decades to get wary of the hyperbole, but this year does seem to be shaping up to be a kind of mini golden age for the TV follow-up. Severance, Andor and The Last of Us all look like building on incredibly satisfying first runs with equally masterful second runs (even more masterful, in Severance’s case). The third season of The White Lotus has proved that, whether you love it or find it a touch too languorous, there’s no escaping Mike White’s transgressive privilege-in-paradise satire. Likewise for season 7 of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian-flavoured sci-fi Black Mirror. Watercooler viewing is everywhere at the moment,  and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Netflix has announced the finale of Squid Game this summer, along with the end of Stranger Things, a second run of Tim Burton’s Wednesday, and about a zillion other things. Here’s everything you need to see... so far.  RECOMMENDED: 🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)🔥 The 100 best movies ever made📺 The 100 greatest ever TV shows you need to binge

Oysters. Food of the gods. Sloppy globules of joy. But, more often than not, pretty pricey. Which is why the oyster happy hour has long been a firm favourite, letting mere mortals feast on these salty treasures for a more reasonable price. We’ve got together a list of the various spots across London that will offer you the chance to dine like a king, despite having relatively empty pockets. Don't forget that mignonette.  RECOMMENDED: The best seafood restaurants in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list. From morning mezze to croissants, udon noodle bowls and south Indian platters – it’s all here. RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 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 quite as romantic as a dinner date. London is full of romantic things to do, and flowers, gifts and grand gestures are all very well and good, but we reckon sharing a meal is the best way to conjure up some love – and don't worry if a little sauce dribbles down your chin. 'Eating with abandon couldn't be more of a turn-on: it shows that you're comfortable with yourself,' said the late, great Anthony Bourdain, and we're inclined to agree. The places in our list of London’s most romantic restaurants all provide excellent opportunity to shove food in your face while flirting.  From chic French spots to amazing Japanese joints, we’ve got somewhere for every amorous encounter, whether a big date, anniversary dinner or a ‘We finally got a babysitter’ celebration. Really want to push the (love) boat out? Then visit one of London's Michelin-starred restaurants with your beau. To paraphrase Shakespeare: if food be the food of love, munch on. RECOMMENDED: The most romantic hotels in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Covent Garden is so rammed with restaurants that decision fatigue can easily threaten the quality of your dinner. Weave through the tourists and theatregoing crowds and you'll discover that this area hosts many of the best restaurants in London, including French-styled Story Cellar, and The Portrait by Richard Corrigan, as well as old faves The Savoy Grill and J Sheekey. We’ve compiled a list of the best in the area, from cutting-edge eateries and classy counter joints to party-ready and casual hangouts, with pre-theatre favourites and cheap eats among them. Think of it as your Covent Garden bucket list. RECOMMENDED: The absolute best restaurants in Soho. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

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.

Bancone is a sleek Italian restaurant in Covent Garden with a short, simple menu that’s split into three sections: antipasti, pasta and dessert. Chefs in the front window roll out pasta dough almost all day: putting on a show for people passing by, frantically cutting and shaping for those patiently waiting for their pasta inside. There are generally around eight plates of pasta on the menu, and half of them are usually suitable for veggies. Proper al dente pasta is slightly undercooked, and hard to get right, but the chefs here nail it. Their best dish is the poetically named ‘silk handkerchiefs’ (it’s technically called fazzoletti) with walnut butter and confit egg yolk. Simple, but delicious: soft sheets swimming in a rich sauce, with little chunks of walnut for texture. The restaurant itself is a little office-like (it looks like it used to be one), but no matter, you don’t come here for the looks. You come to Bancone to devour cheap, delicious pasta at the bar, and to people-watch those around you doing the same thing.  Time Out tip Check out the other branches of Bancone across the city, in Soho’s Golden Square, Borough Yards and Kensington.  Order this Alongside those glossy, infamous handkerchiefs, check out Bancone’s signature negroni menu. We like the one with orange blossom.

Going for dinner at a hotel is A Very American Thing To Do.  Most Brits will only eat at a hotel if they are actually staying there and can’t be arsed to leave the building in order to get fed. It’s fitting then, that the NoMad’s newly revamped in-house restaurant is a high-octane tribute to the big, ballsy American brasserie.  It’s good, but it’ll send your arteries straight to hell Previously known as the slightly more descriptive ‘Atrium’, the roomy, well, hotel atrium’s rebrand as Twenty8 NoMad also reeks of flashy New York, utilising the kind of chaotic jumble of letters and numbers that brings to mind Manhattan staples Bungalow 8 and Eleven Madison Park. It’s brash, even grating, but we’ll give it a pass, as it fits the aesthetic bang on, which is all Manhattan-by-way-of-the-Marais, an extravagant Yank take on the French brassiere, complete with excessively high ceilings, balustrades and balconies. ‘Intimate’ it is not, but cosy is overrated, and we’re struggling to think of anywhere else in London that seems at once like peak Studio 54 and the ideal date spot for Romeo and Juliet.  Into this truly special space steps a lavish ‘raw bar’, supersized-steak frites and an entire menu devoted to the martini. Our dirty vodka offering comes with a whole second helping, courtesy of a sidecar on ice, as well as three blue-cheese stuffed olives. It’s the first in a carnival of oversized (read: American) offerings. A starter of crispy artichokes, which, though deep fried, are sur

The Camberwell Riviera has surely reached its final form.  The gastronomical possibilities on the lively Church Street strip are now nigh-on endless; there’s the holy meat juice bread at FM Mangal, posh pub fare at the Camberwell Arms, burly bargain wraps at Falafel & Shawarma, lamb skewers at Silk Road, panuozzo and pizza at Theo’s, Kurdish soul food at Nandine, superlative sarnies at Cafe Mondo, and cult croissants at Toad, as well as Vietnamese, Nigerian and Greek spots. Is there even room for another restaurant? Hello JoJo seems to think so.  There’s something faintly medieval about the menu Though the concept doesn’t bark originality (Hello JoJo is planning to open as a bakery by day, while in the evening it serves seasonal plates both small and large), when we visit on a Friday, the place is rammed. The people of Camberwell truly love to eat! Their name might sound like a brand that makes hemp dungarees for toddlers (and the red and blue colour scheme does give off some serious preschool energy) but the Hello JoJo crowd are pleasantly pitched in the mate date and actual date hinterlands. Everyone blethers raucously and the front door is propped open so you can enjoy the tender chugging sound of the 171 bus. Such heady conviviality is helped no-end by £6 glasses of house wine. A warm, mini loaf of brown bread comes to the table alongside a requisite pickle plate, and a serving of cool, deftly whipped goat’s curd topped with a pool of luminous celery splodge and crunchy

It’s wild that nobody before has ever thought to name a restaurant ‘Town’. Think of the endless possibilities of ‘Town’! It’s the place everybody wants to go; the place where so many thrilling things happen; the place where, if you can make it there, you are highly likely to make it anywhere.   Town isn’t about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself This new, shimmering incarnation of ‘Town’ can be found on the fringes of Covent Garden, far enough away from the frantic piazza so as not to be heaving with tourists and/or street performers. It’s a truly grand room, a Ballardian boudoir in shiny, wipe-clean burgundy, with an open kitchen framed by a massive, oval-shaped and lime green opening. The retro-futurism thing is further dished up via the soundtrack; Dorothy Ashby’s ‘Afro-Harping’ slinks groovily in the background, and there’re a vinyl copy of Lou Donaldson’s 1968 sax odyssey ‘Alligator Boogaloo’ perched on a record player (which nevertheless remains switched off for the duration of our visit).  Such a space-age aesthetic is perhaps at odds with Town’s menu, which has more in common with the rustic likes of surrealist late-1990s cookery show River Cottage than it does Barbarella. You see, Town isn’t about the chaos of the city, but super seasonality, regenerative farming, and letting the produce speak for itself. It is, essentially, a plotline from The Archers. In practice, this means that the food is

If you’re seeking a historical feast, you’ve come to the right place. One of London’s most elderly restaurants, Wiltons has been in the game since 1742. Beginning life as simple shellfish mongers, Wiltons became a proper restaurant in 1841, and, after numerous address changes, moved into their current premises in 1984. Still, 40+ years in the same room is pretty good going for a city that turns restaurants over like pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. You’ll find a carving trolley here that’s almost as famous as their regal regulars Foodie lore runs deep at this London institution; they supplied oysters to Queen Victoria (there’s a signed picture of Her Maj in the ladies loo), and you’ll find a carving trolley here that’s almost as famous as their regal regulars. The dining room itself is pitched somewhere between Victorian grandeur and Jilly Cooper camp, with giant oil paintings of be-suited board members hanging next to jolly wooden booths, perfect for politicians who might need to plot the downfall of a colleague over an ice-cold Chablis. Red velvet swags hang heavy with portent over indoor windows which seem to lead nowhere, and the female waiting staff wear matronly tea dresses. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the food at Wiltons was as old school as the decor, but there’s some seriously impressive cooking happening here. An implacably good, twice baked stilton soufflé is wildly cheesy, served in a sterling silver dish, perfectly crisp on the outside and cashmere-soft on the insid

Remember The Nest, or, if you’re even older, Barden’s Boudoir? The excellent basement club below what is now the Red Hand has finally got the relaunch it deserves. A roomy 150 capacity cocktail bar from Andy Kerr (founder of Discount Suit Company and The Sun Tavern) and Tom Gibson (Ruby’s, Corrochio’s, The Bluecoats), they’re calling it a ‘1980s NYC style mutant disco’ with classy cocktails and regular DJs. Much cosier than any of its former incarnations, Parasol features little booths spread around a main dancefloor. Drinks are not just delicious, but pretty reasonably priced - there's a £7 martini (the Umbrella Vesper), and all the rest are a tenner. We like the smooth and chocolately Kinder Bueno, made with whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, hazelnut, cacao and clarified milk, and the punchy Korean Jesus, with tequila, mezcal, plum soju, gochujang, sesame, coriander, ginger and honey. Time Out tip Run by some of the same team as Parasol, line your stomach with extremely good tostadas and tacos at nearby Corrochio’s (one of Time Out’s favourite Mexican restaurants in London) before getting on the cocktails here. What’s nearby? Dalston is simply riddled with bars. Go on a proper crawl with help from our list of the best bars in Dalston. Not after any more drinks? Here are the best 20 things to do in Dalston, from Turkish grill houses to independent cinemas, live jazz, and drag shows.

Since opening in late 2024, myriad rants have been inspired by The Yellow Bittern. Largely, these haven’t been about the food, but rather the pretentious-leaning lore around it. To wit; you can only book this lunchtime-only bistro by phone (or a giddily anachronistic postcard), it’s expensive but cash-only, and proudly displays two portraits of Lenin. The food itself has been painted as a sort of spartan, St John-ish take on meat pies, luxe gruel and many, many stews.  I have never felt more like George Orwell seeking sustenance after a morning’s grind at the typewriter Now that the dust has settled on The Most Controversial New Restaurant in London™, it seemed time to finally check out this contentious font of day drinking, stodge and socialism. A 2pm booking on a Friday is secured (it is only open on weekdays and seatings are at 12pm or 2pm) and we step off the chaotic King’s Cross end of the Cally Road into a room that’s somewhere between a French village luncheonette and an interwar Lyons teashop. There are brown tiled floors, chunky wooden dressers, vases of floppy astrantias, and the interior are walls painted primrose yellow, which gives the impression that the decorator was simply decades-worth of cigarette huffing. Oh, and don’t forget the communist bookshop in the basement. I have never felt more like George Orwell seeking sustenance after a morning’s grind at the typewriter.  We start as we mean to go on (in 1934, essentially), with Belfastian chef Hugh Corcoran t

Japanese and Italian may seem unlikely bedfellows, but this mash-up – also known as itameshi – dates back to the 1920s in Japan. And though Angelina opened up on Dalston Lane Terrace’s restaurant strip in 2019, it's still a pretty unique concept in London. Inside, it’s a restaurant of two halves: the front is all monochromatic fancy dining with ashen marble tables, bold foliage and lantern lighting, while the back is home to a bustling L-shaped bar overlooking the kitchen. On offer is a 13 dish kaiseki tasting menu for what feels like a rather reasonable £68 a head. Though it changes every five weeks, our most recent visit saw the production line of laser-focused chefs rattling out creamy and crispy (and pleasantly sizable) starters, such as cod cheek karaage and tempura courgette flower stuffed with miso ricotta. Fun to eat and even more enjoyable to say is the wagyu ragu, which comes layered on a pleasantly goopy dashi and egg custard. A nori-dusted focaccia is a revelation, served with a marmalade and uni butter that tastes like breakfast in the best possible way. There’s more wagyu to come, slivers of A5 dolloped with citrus ponzu, before a ravioli souped in a tonkotsu-style broth. Previous visits have seen velvety soy butter on a John Dory fillet, sea bream sashimi delicately infused with bergamot, and bonito-dusted doughnuts with anchovy aioli.  Time Out tip If you fancy an a la carte taste of itameshi, Angelina have a second space in Spitalfields. Osteria Angelina spec

Soho used to be full of places like this. Casually chaotic boltholes where you’d be plied with massive portions of perfectly serviceable food, before being booted back onto the street, very full, quite happy and a little bit pissed. From Lorelai to The Stockpot (ask your mum), this was what powered the neighbourhood until the fateful dawn of a sanitised Soho, which saw branches of Supreme and End Clothing replace the peep shows and smut shops. In many ways, 27 Old Compton Street is a passport back to 1987. It’s walk-ins only (but in a how-convenient way rather than an that’s-annoying way) and their thing is mega dishes of pasta that are never more than £14, with most hovering around the £11 mark. A couple of hastily erected vintage Vermouth prints and brown leather banquette seating gives the place a tidy feel and service is jolly but a tad rushed. And frankly, that’s fine with us. 27 Old Compton Street’s thing isn’t Sophia Loren-style glamour, but about priding ludicrous value over interior design swag and a server incessantly folding your napkin every time you go to the loo.  In many ways, 27 Old Compton Street is a passport back to 1987 For just £3.50 there’s an overflowing bowl of crispy courgette fries that’s somewhere in between quintessential fritti and batter-heavy chip shop scraps, while two burly cacio e pepe arancini in a pool of parmesan soup feels a steal at £6.50. A massive mortadella flatbread doesn’t scrimp on pistachio, mozzarella or honey, and is, essential

Sometimes a menu item leaps up at you in the same way that a slobbering puppy might lick your mouth seconds after you’ve been introduced. At Tasca, that item is the jambon beurre gilda. The mere suggestion of the queen of pintxos in a daring tryst with the prince of sandwiches had me in raptures. Be still my beating epiglottis.  Was the dish as good as it was in my head? Better. A silver toothpick of nubbly, caperberry-brined pickle nestling against a sharp guindilla pepper and a dollop of espelette butter wrapped in ham, it was melty and meaty, and tangy all at once. Like a vintage John Waters movie, it’s a bit much, but that’s the whole point.   Who would be so bold as to conjure up this outrageous offering? That would be head chef Josh Dallaway, once of Sager + Wilde, working alongside former Bistro Freddie manager and sommelier, Sinead Murdoch. After munching their way around Portugal and Spain, the couple came back to east London with bellies full of tapas and heads full of ideas. In a year-long residency at Cav – a newly-opened wine bar in the railway arches of Paradise Row – Tasca hits all the 2025 buzz points; there’s bold Basque cookery, an embarrassment of ferments, and a cocktail menu that features a couture martini fit for the racks at Dover Street Market (theirs comes with dill and anchovy oil).  Like a vintage John Waters movie, it’s a bit much, but that’s the whole point Yet there’s something about the playful Tasca that makes it more appealing than other Iber

Think of the balmy Costa Del Sol, and you think of Marbella. Since the 1950s it’s been a tourist hotspot thanks to the promise of (almost) guaranteed sunshine and a sweet subtropical climate. Because of this, there are plenty of places to stay in this buzzy beach town – so many that you might end up paralysed by choice. If you’ve got the cash, then El Fuerte Marbella makes that decision a whole lot easier. This grande dame of the Costa Del Sol has been there since the start of this particular boom in Spanish tourism, opening in 1957 – back before the skyline was dominated by highrise blocks – and securing itself an enviable beachfront spot. Over the years the family-run hotel has just got bigger, with a complete refurb in 2023. It’s right in the middle of town, with the charming old town just a five minute walk away.  Why stay at El Fuerte Marbella? If you like things fancy, you’ll like El Fuerte. It’s a large, luxury hotel and their recent refurb still feels spanking brand new, with lots of putty pink Mediterranean tiling. Of the 266 rooms and suites, 78 come under the ‘Selected’ banner, which is basically a high-end hotel within the hotel. It’s all-inclusive but not as you know it; book a ‘Selected’ room (of course, they are more expensive) and you’ll have exclusive access to an all-day space with free snacks and booze, as well as a separate breakfast room to keep you away from the riff-raff. There’s also a lovely rooftop for all-day sunbathing and dips in the pool, which t

After 25 years of trading, the legendary, family-run Thai canteen shut down its Leytonstone location in autumn 2024. It was revealed that the restaurant would be moving to Shoreditch this year, and news now reaches us that they’ll be flinging open the doors to the new spot on June 19. That’s so very soon! The new restaurant will be located at Unit 7 Montacute Yards, just off Shoreditch High Street. Singburi was named Time Out’s restaurant of the year in 2021. Famously hard to score a table, it had no website and you could only book by phone or when you were at the actual restaurant. Even so, Singburi gained semi-mythical status due to its famous blackboard specials menu, and dishes such as their phenomenally good crispy fried pork belly moo krob. Chef-patron Sirichai Kularbwong will be joined by chef Nick Molyviatis (previously at Oma, Agora, Speedboat Bar, Plaza and Kiln) for Singburi 2.0, with Kularbwong’s parents - who ran the original Singburi - retiring from the kitchen.  Speaking about the new restaurant, Molyviatis commented: ‘At its heart, the menu is an evolution of the Singburi blackboard menu, and a reflection of what we love to eat and cook. Thai food is communal - dishes are served all together, and they should complement each other.’ The menu will include dishes such as dill and lemongrass pork sausage, tiger prawn southern curry, mussels and wild ginger pad phet, and smoked beef rib panang curry. Photograph: Singburi/ Tony Mak The interiors of the new joint w

Like a view with your vichyssoise? Then you’re going to eat up our recently updated ranking of the 18 London restaurants with the best views. At the hallowed number one spot is Forza Wine at the National Theatre, which is situated in a prime position on the South Bank, meaning serious views of the Thames over to Embankment, as well as a food menu so good that the restaurant has also made it onto our 2025 list of the top 50 restaurants in London. ‘Forza Wine’s spot at the National Theatre ticks all the boxes,’ we said. ‘Cocktails, natty wines and seasonal small plates from their self-proclaimed “Italian-ish” menu. A wraparound outdoor terrace with views of the South Bank. A spot at the top of a cultural institution, in a building loved by 1960s architecture pervs across the land.’  New entries into the list include Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, aka the highest restaurant in Europe, which is in seventh place. Lucky Cat opened earlier this year and is on the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate. The food? Fine. The views? Sensational. The Portrait by Richard Corrigan is at number two, which you’ll find on the very top floor of the National Portrait Gallery. We said: ‘Basically every London skyline landmark is visible at once from the bright, simple and airy restaurant space, and the menu is stonking, offering modern British delights with an emphasis on the light, fresh and seasonal.’ Another gallery spot, the Tate Modern Restaurant, also features on the list.  We also feature a couple of

Another London boozer bites the dust. Soho pub The Shaston Arms will be shutting its doors on June 15. In a statement, brewers Hall & Woodhouse said, ‘We are disappointed that after 25 wonderful years, we are sadly saying goodbye to The Shaston Arms in Carnaby. Our wish was to renew the lease on the building, but we understand that the landlord wishes to pursue a restaurant offer on Ganton Street.’  Though it looked like a Victorian-era pub, The Shaston Arms actually opened in 1999, and was previously a pair of shops. Run by Dorset-based brewers Hall & Woodhouse, the name ‘Shaston’ was taken from the Shaftesbury-inspired town present in a number of novels by Dorset-born writer Thomas Hardy.  A number of other Hall & Woodhouse pubs in London remain, including the famous Ship and Shovell by Embankment, which is split across two buildings facing each other that are joined by an underground cellar. Earlier this year another much-loved London pub closed, north-west London’s Ye Olde Swiss Cottage.  Want to drown your sorrows? These are the best pubs in Soho, according to us. The Ritz has been named the UK’s best restaurant at the National Restaurant Awards.  And the UK’s first-ever cat café is at risk of closing.  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 Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. 

I like trains more than your average person. Not in a weird, obsessive way (honest!) but I will admit to using my lunch break in order to look at pictures of vintage rolling stock. I’ve also travelled three days on Amtrak from Los Angeles to Chicago, and always enjoy the low-level thrill that comes with a window seat and a decent view. Yet the idea of 48 (or more) hours stuck in cattle class on a British train has never quite appealed. A weekend on Belmond’s luxury Royal Scotsman sleeper however? Well that’s a different proposition entirely. Leonie Cooper for Time Out Starting at an eye-watering £5,300 per person for a two night trip, this lavish train is more expensive than a stay in London’s poshest hotels. In lieu of a surprise windfall from a forgotten and fabulously wealthy great uncle, I was jammy enough to be invited as guest onto the Royal Scotsman as it sailed around the Highlands for a weekend of unrivaled, track-based opulence.  Leonie Cooper for Time Out With its 1930s-styled soft furnishings, the occasional potted palm and mahogany-paneled corridors, the Royal Scotsman might look like something out of the pages of an Agatha Christie murder romp, but actually only dates back to 1985. A ride on this train isn’t about getting anywhere quickly: it’s about the indulgence of the journey, not the destination. This is Belmond’s bag, who run 32 luxe hotels from Cape Town to Cusco, as well as six equally glammy tourist trains, including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Expres

Congratulations are in order for a little spot known as The Ritz. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Yes, this plucky up-and-comer has been named Best Restaurant in the UK 2025 at this year’s National Restaurant Awards.  We jest, of course. The Ritz Restaurant is world-famous, but seems to be having something of a second wind. Earlier this year, their executive chef John Williams secured the Mayfair spot’s second Michelin star (after getting the first in 2016).  The Ritz Restaurant has been open since 1906 (when the hotel itself opened), and Williams has ruled the roost since 2004. Speaking about the win for The Ritz, restaurant editor Stefan Chomka commented: ‘As a bastion of fine French food served in unashamedly refined surroundings, The Ritz stands alone in the UK. ‘The top 100 restaurants list reflects the diverse nature of our eating out scene and the changing trends within it, whether they be less formality, more farm to fork menus, or embracing new cuisines, but it’s also wonderful to see a restaurant unwavering in its focus finally get the recognition it merits. The Ritz is an exemplary restaurant, one fully deserving of the title National Restaurant of the Year.’ We had similar thoughts when we last visited the restaurant, awarding it a glowing five star review. ‘It’s a performance worthy of any world-beating theatre down the road, and it’s all we can do not to burst into applause after each dish,’ we wrote.   The awards - which were held on June 9 in London - also saw anot

A homegrown, London-based pizzeria has just come first at the 50 Top Pizza Europa Awards and we couldn’t be prouder. For the second year in a row, west London’s Napoli on the Road has decimated the doughy competition to be named Europe’s finest pizza slingers. Bravo! The ceremony was held in Madrid on June 4, and as well as receiving first place in the contest, Napoli On The Road - which has outlets in Chiswick and Richmond – won the title of Pizza of the Year 2025 for their 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 previously named World Pizza Maker of the Year 2023 by 50 Top Pizza and Best International Pizza Maker 2024 by the Accademia Nazionale Pizza DOC. He certainly knows his dough.  ‘Winning for a second year means more than I can say,’ commented Pascarella. ‘This award belongs to the entire team, who share my commitment and passion every day. Taking first place at the 50 Top Pizza Europa in 2024 changed my life and it’s an honour to receive this recognition once again.’ This is Time Out’s list of the best pizza in London.  And 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 Time

Another month comes with another bunch of plucky cooks risking it all to launch themselves upon London’s hungry masses. When it comes to new chain-y stuff, Lina Stores continues its eau de nil-shaded takeover via the medium of al-dente pasta with a Canary Wharf branch, while Harry’s opens its fourth Italian restaurant in King’s Cross. Meanwhile, Fortnum & Mason Royal Exchange will be home to a summer residency by seafood zaddy Rick Stein. Here’s the best of the rest.  The 10 best new London restaurants opening in June 2025 Lupa 1. The one with a famous person Lupa, Highbury Depending on your level of addiction to Deux Moi, the most compelling thing about this north London-based Roman-style trattoria isn’t the supplì al telefono croquettes, but the fact that White Lotus alumni Theo James is part of the team. The dishy actor has joined forces with restauranter and Carousel co-founder Ed Templeton to open Lupa, and ex-Pidgin head chef Naz Hassan will be in charge of the kitchen. Expect carbonara, puntarelle, and a steady influx of flustered local mums. Lupa opens late June.  3 Highbury Park, N5 1UA Felix Dol Maillot 2. The Euro burger place Dumbo, Shoreditch French smashburger titans Dumbo are opening their first London location in mid-June. Their first joint outside of Paris, the powerfully brief menu sees them serving up cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, fries (French, of course) and chicken nuggets. And that’s basically it. 119 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG 3. A telly chef bran

All’s been a bit quiet on the Big Mamma Group front in London for a while.  The European restaurant group known for its lavish mega-trattorias have been busy opening up its first UK spots outside the capital, with spots in Birmingham and Manchester. But now Big Mamma is returning to London for the company’s first new restaurant launch in the city since Carlotta opened two years ago.  Barbarella will open this June in Canary Wharf. In-keeping with the group’s ultra camp styling, the waterside spot will be inspired by 1970s Italian cinema and be just as outrageous as the other Big Mamma restaurants in London; Gloria, Carlotta, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario and Jacuzzi. Expect a mirrored glass bar, a chrome lounge, and a jungle theme. When it comes to food, the kitchen is headed up by Roma-born chef Marco Rastelli. There’ll be thin and crispy Ruota di Carretto pizzas, as well as stunty fresh pasta, such as a one-metre long spaghettone. You’ll be able to order from a dedicated gelati menu on the terrace and there will also be the biggest-ever cocktail menu from any Big Mamma restaurant yet. The pistachio espresso martini has our attention.  Barbarella will open its doors on Friday, June 20 at YY Building, 30 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, E14 5HX. The best Italian restaurants in London. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.  Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events

Maps make everything easier. Imagine trying to check out a restaurant you’d never been to before, in a part of town you’d never been to before, without a map. Impossible! That’s why we’re grateful for the good people at the National Fish and Chip Awards. They might smell faintly of batter and vinegar, but they’ve got together an extremely helpful map, which shows you all the best chippys in and around London.  There are only two spots within the M25 on the map, Stones Fish and Chips in Acton and Brockley’s Rock in Brockley (the latter was named London’s best chippy last year). But if you’re happy to venture further afield for the sake of heroic haddock, then it’ll also show you how to get to Seafare Guildford, Harrisons Fish & Chip Co. in Oxford, Newington Fish Bar in Ramsgate, The Hook of Halstead in Clacton on Sea and Mike’s Traditional Fish & Chips in Eastleigh.  Sure, some of them might take a while to get to, but what’s more British than going on a proper day trip in search of the perfect portion of fish and chips? See the full list of winners from the 2025 National Fish and Chip Awards here and you can check out the national chippy map in full here. London’s best fish and chips, according to Time Out. 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 to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. 

If there’s anything Londoners love more than pubs, it’s beer gardens.  Now that the sun has started rearing its lovely golden head, it’s time for us to deliver the very best pub terraces and beer gardens that this fine city has to offer. Step forwards, Time Out’s definitive list of the very best beer gardens in London, 2025. We’ve ranked our favourite 21 al fresco drinking spots across the capital, from Lewisham to Highbury, and top of the list this year is Finsbury Park’s majestic, occasionally confusing Faltering Fullback. One of the weirdest, but most enjoyable beer gardens in London, this beer garden contains multitudes. A kind of treehouse/Ewok village hybrid, what the Faltering Fullback’s beer garden lacks in width it makes up for in height. There are stairs. There are nooks. There are even crannies. And on a hot summer’s day, it’s pretty much the best place to be in London. Other notable entries include the beer garden at Brixton’s Duke of Edinburgh, notable for being extremely vast and Newington Green’s Army and Navy, notable for being extremely busy when Arsenal are playing. We’ve also featured some all time beer garden classics; Highgate’s The Flask, Wandsworth’s The Ship, Camden’s Edinboro Castle and Twickenham’s ever-charning White Swan, which is basically on the banks of the Thames. Here is Time Out’s full list of the best beer gardens in London right now. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow ou

For some reason, restauranteurs across the capital have been saving up all their new openings for May. We have no idea why, but we’re here for it. As well as stand-alone spots and independent outings, there are also a handful of non-rubbish chains launching new sites this month, with a new Bancone promised for Kensington, the biggest ever Black Bear Burger opening up in Westfield White City and a new outing for e5 Bakehouse at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick. Frankly, there aren’t enough days in May for us to visit all of them, so you might have to be picky. Here are some of the best – choose your foodie fighter.  The best new London restaurant openings in May 2025 Sally Gurteen 1. The super-sustainable spot Town, Covent Garden There’s nowt so buzzy as regenerative farming right now. Town, a new central London spot from Pastaio’s Stevie Parle, is all about sustainable British produce, from potato bread with beef dripping and tempura sage leaves drizzled in chilli and honey from Stevie’s own bees, to Seasalter clams with sherry and grass-fed butter, and wood-grilled Romney Marsh hogget with Chianti and anchovy butter. ‘Town is the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve ever done. We are helping to pioneer a genuinely new approach to restaurant supply chains, built on knowing every farmer who grows what we cook,’ says Stevie. Town opens May 12.  26-29 Drury Lane, WC2B 5RL Setlist 2. The one with the views Setlist, Strand Somerset House’s riverside space is getting

It is officially beer garden season! The weather is now clement enough for you to sit outside the best of London’s pubs and sip a shandy in the sun. It’s also time for a lucky boozer to be named the best in London. Congrats to the Punch Bowl in Mayfair, which lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos has named the city’s ‘best destination pub’ in the 2025 Muddy Stilettos Awards. Now in its 12th year, each year the awards recognise a host of shops, pubs, hotels and venues according to public votes.  The Punch Bowl is a Georgian pub on a central London backstreet (Farm Street, to be exact). It used to belong to Guy Ritchie and Madonna, who bought it from Greg Foreman, son of gangster and Kray twins associate Freddie Foreman, in 2008.  Ritchie sold the pub in 2013 and it was refurbished in 20914. It’s now run by Butcombe Brewery and, impressively, is open from 8am for breakfast, serving a £50 sharing brekkie grill platter. The Grade II-listed boozer dates back to 1750.  Speaking about the pub’s win, The Punch Bowl’s general manager Kyra Roberts said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted to have won Best Destination Pub in London! The team works tirelessly to give our guests the very best experience – from our exceptional food and drink to the live music, supper clubs and quiz nights we organise each month. ‘We love the community we serve and to know our reputation for quality is spreading, leading to us winning an award as prestigious as this, is incredible!’ Photograph: The Punch Bowl The Punch