Another month, another inevitable lineup of restaurants trying to convince you they’re worth your time. In true London style, some will disappear before they’ve had a chance to matter. Others will get a wave of attention then settle into the background, forgotten, as soon as the next big tide arrives. But every so often, a handful of restaurants—new, reinvented, or quietly exceptional—stand out. Not because of hype, but because they’re doing things properly.
This month, I’m going to introduce you to a few of them. Most with menus that prove the simplest things, done well, will always win over dishes designed purely to be photographed (though, let’s be real, there’s still plenty worth Instagram-ing here, too).
These are the spots that will still be great in six months, once the hype cycle moves on. The ones that remind you why going out to eat in London still feels exciting. The ones worth your time this March, and beyond.
Where to eat in London right now:
Voyage with Adam Simmonds
Tourist thoroughfare that it is, King’s Cross isn’t exactly short on restaurants, but Voyage feels like it belongs in its own category. Adam Simmonds—a chef with serious pedigree (Le Gavroche, The Ritz, Ynyshir)—has created something that doesn’t rely on gimmicks, theatrics, or ego. A tasting menu, yes, but not in the way that suggests an endless parade of tiny plates or ‘conceptual’ dishes.
Every dish is restrained but deeply considered, focusing on a single ingredient and elevating with imaginative techniques. Imagine you’d never get excited about a dish named, simply, ‘sea buckthorn’? Think again. With an open kitchen and small team with serious skills, there’s a sense that every element has been stripped back until only what matters remains.
23 Euston Rd., London NW1 2SD
Milk Beach Soho
If you’ve been to Milk Beach in Queen’s Park, you already know the drill—Australian sensibility, serious but not pretentious food, really f***ing great coffee. The Soho location has the same DNA but bigger ambitions, particularly when it comes to wine.
They’ve just launched ‘Toast Australia’, a monthly wine series partnering with leading Australian wineries to showcase a selection of their best vintages alongside a bespoke three-course sharing menu by Executive Chef Leonard Swan. There’s no eye-roll-inducing evangelism here—just smart, interesting selections that elevate the dishes executive chef Leonard Swan curates to match each flight, and vice versa. Book now, as spaces are limited to 20 seats per event.
14 Greek St, James Court, London W1D 4AL
Sparrow Italia
Mayfair has no shortage of high-end Italian restaurants, but Sparrow Italia is the diamond among, well, lesser diamonds. Should your credit card have the capacity, you can’t beat the experience: this is a place that understands the weight of Italian food in a city saturated with it, delivering on cuisine and ambiance without trying to reinvent the wheel (though it will, with no expense spared, twirl your cacio e pepe in its very own wheel of parmigiano, of course).
The Grilled Branzino—with sicilian pistachio, fine herbs and charred lemon—is the best I’ve had in the city, deep, briny, and unafraid of seasoning, while the wood-fired dishes—especially the lamb—prove why the open flame reigns supreme over sous vide in most scenarios. A wholly polished affair.
1-3 Avery Row, London W1K 4AJ
Applebee’s
Borough Market is great until you’re balancing a cardboard plate of food in one hand, an umbrella in the other, wondering why you thought standing in the rain for a £14 portion of TikTok-famous fruit was a good idea. Then there’s Applebee’s, which has always been one of the only places in the market where you can sit down, warm up, and eat properly without elbowing strangers for space. Now, after a quiet renovation and a refreshed menu, it’s even more of a destination.
The seafood is still the draw—grilled octopus with harissa, market-fresh fish cooked exactly how it should be, fish and chips that justify skipping the pub version. But the best draw? A Bloody Mary that sets the bar high, served with an impossibly juicy oyster on the side. Arguably the best bar snack in London.
5 Stoney St, London SE1 9AA
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