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This is a city whose diners are adventurous to a fault, spawning all kinds of niche pop-ups and fleeting, Insta-fueled trends. Beyond the gimmicks, though, there’s a growing appreciation for ingredients and craft, whether it’s hand-rolled pasta at Padella or fiery clay-pot cooking at Kiln. Our list runs from Michelin-starred dining rooms to tiny neighborhood joints, serving exquisite tasting menus (see Pidgin) or terrific, offal-laced flatbreads with a side of Metallica (Lee Tiernan’s Black Axe Mangal, a cult address among chefs). Be prepared to book ahead—and where you can’t, to queue—but rest assured, it’s going to be worth it. Read on for our picks for where to eat when you’re in London.

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108 Garage

Darkly atmospheric, thanks to the row of flickering votive candles and eccentric decorative touches, 108 Garage is the perfect spot to impress a date. Chef Chis Denney’s five-course tasting menu is furiously inventive, and the wine list offers a dozen options by the glass to pair with it. (Plus giant, inventively garnished gin and tonics.) The vibe is upscale but relaxed, and the dining experience is like no other—from the house sourdough all the way to dessert: a classic chocolate crémaux, audaciously twinned with artichoke ice-cream.

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40 Maltby Street

It’s all about the natural wines and the serious talent in the kitchen at 40 Maltby Street, where trains rumble overhead and the decor’s strictly DIY (a tiny kitchen, home-made tables, and wine festival posters on the walls). You’ll find a scribbled blackboard by the bar, listing the menu—it changes daily. The wines are all sourced from small-scale producers, and there are half-a-dozen options by the glass and eight pages of bottles. Come here for a wine-fueled weekend lunch, with the Maltby market in full swing outside.

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Aulis

The constantly changing menu at Aulis—expect around 15 courses—is a chance for the chefs to let loose, experimenting with the best ingredients money can buy. It’s as much immersive theater as fine dining, with chefs cooking just across the counter. Come for a seamless succession of wildly inventive dishes that both look and taste exquisite, with a pairing of unusual but reliably delicious wine with each course.

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Bao Fitzrovia

At Bao Fitzrovia you’ll walk into an airy, stripped-back space, with stools around a U-shaped bar, where waiters will hand you a tick-box menu and a pencil. Our advice? Don’t panic and try to order all at once: you can—and should—add more dishes later. Naturally, you should start with a plump, pillowy bao or two, but don’t neglect the small plates or the larger main dishes (one should be enough for two people). Drop by for a quick dinner with friends, or a solo lunch at the bar.

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Barrafina

Every dish has earned its place on the menu at Barrafina, a cult tapas bar with an ever-present queue, from the crisp-skinned chicken in Romesco sauce to the molten, magnificent tortilla. The best way to order it is to watch the chefs at work, and get whatever’s looking good. The convivial vibe makes solo dining an extra attractive prospect, but it’s also a great place to take a date (so you can share more plates).

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Black Axe Mangal

Black Axe is a tiny, low-lit joint with a serious heavy metal habit. The vibe is “dive bar meets Chinese takeaway,” with black and gold walls, waving lucky cats, and floral plastic tablecloths, and there’s serious talent in the (small) kitchen. Come for a dinner big on flavors, spices, and offal, with every component slow-cooked, crafted, or smoked in house, or a more kid-friendly brunch of cinnamon-banana flatbreads. Service is fast, friendly, and suitably rock ‘n’ roll.

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Claude Bosi at Bibendum

This is is just the place for a blow-out meal: one that starts with champagne and witty amuse-bouches, and ends with a show-stopping cheese trolley. Tables get booked up weeks ahead, and there’s a tangible air of expectation for the seven-course tasting menu that blends beautifully elaborate dishes with rustic French cooking. Service is smooth and formal, the sommelier is very helpful, and the meal is unforgettable. Even the set lunch menu feels gratifyingly grand.

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Below, you’ll find historic corners of London, hidden-away art and antiquities, curiosities and beautiful buildings that don’t appear on traditional tourist itineraries for London attractions.

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Little Venice

Just as its name suggests, Little Venice is London’s answer to the famous Italian city. Home to various waterside cafes, pubs and restaurants, the area comes alive in the summer months as Londoners jump on canal boats or walk along the riverside to nearby Camden or Regent’s Park.

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Camden Passage

Tucked behind Upper Street in Islington, Camden Passage is a real treasure trove of cute cafes, independent boutiques, vintage shops – where you’ll find everything from exquisite one-offs to fun party outfits – as well as an antiques market selling furniture, curios, war memorabilia and various bric-a-brac.

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Pie and mash shops

It doesn’t get much more traditional London than a plate of pie, mash and the classic green liquor; maybe with a side of the cockney favourite, jellied eels. Here are seven of our favourites, from East End pie and mash shops to some more gastronomic takes on the classic.

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The Thames Path

The Thames is home to many of London’s treasures, not many of them hidden, but the 40-mile-long Thames Path has many quieter spots to be discovered. The best way to explore is to hire a bike and cycle the length of the path, with public beaches, one of Charles Dickens’ favourite pubs (The Prospect of Whitby) and the village of Rotherhithe just some of the highlights to discover.

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Chin Chin Labs’ liquid nitrogen ice cream

Indulge in an ice cream like no other at Chin Chin Labs in Camden. The original concoctions of this unusual ice cream parlour come to life thanks to the freezing properties of liquid nitrogen. You can see the process as you wait to be served, amid chemical clouds in the shop’s laboratory. Chin Chin Labs’ delicious creations come in quirky flavours such as watermelon and red velvet.

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Wilton’s Music Hall

A traditional Victorian music hall in London’s Tower Hamlets, Wilton’s Music Hall has been fully restored in recent years to its former glory. Book tickets to a variety of performances, drop by for a drink in the impressive Mahogany Bar or simply take a tour of this wonderful, historic venue.

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Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park

The Kyoto Japanese Garden is a hidden gem wrapped in another hidden gem: Holland Park. The beautiful park is tucked away in smart Kensington and has plenty of its own hidden corners, with winding paths, statues, peacocks, an opera house and an orangery, alongside the tranquil Kyoto Gardens.

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Sir John Soane’s Museum

The former residence of Sir John Soane, architect of the Bank of England, is one of London’s finest public museums. More than 20,000 architectural drawings and antiquities, including the Egyptian Sarcophagus of Seti, sit alongside works by Turner, Canaletto and Piranesi at Sir John Soane’s Museum, where everything is left in much the way Soane wanted.

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Dennis Severs’ House

One of London’s stranger tourist attractions is Dennis Severs’ House. Visitors are invited to wander around the artist’s former home, which is presented as if it has just been left by an 18th-century family, with food uneaten and beds recently slept in, making it one of the capital’s original immersive experiences.

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Eltham Palace

The unusual blend of a medieval palace and an Art Deco mansion makes Eltham Palace one of the most unique historical properties in London. Once a favoured hunting spot of Henry VIII, the royal palace fell into decline until the 1930s when millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld turned it into a glamourous home for entertaining leading society figures.

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