We have also put together the best restaurants in Soho, between Oxford Circus, Picadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden, take a look here.
Restaurants near Oxford Circus
Din Tai Fung at Centrepoint, Tottenham Court Road
Famed for its pork dumplings, Din Tai Fung has opened a third London branch (also in Covent Garden and Selfridges, Marble Arch) next to the bustling food hall arcade. This gleaming new space is focused around an open kitchen where, at counter seats, you can observe a team of committed dim sum chefs making its famous xiao long bao – hot soup dumplings, made with precisely 18 folds. Try these steamed beauties with signature filling of minced pork, or pork mixed with chilli crab or truffle. Other menu highlights include the punchy cucumber in spicy sauce; wood ear mushrooms with ginger strips and vinegar dressing; crispy golden prawn pancake; and special noodle soup with braised beef. There’s a futuristic vibe with a grand, high-shine staircase, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, glossy dining bar and the occasional friendly robot whirring into action. dintaifung-uk.com
Pali Hill, Oxford Circus
After several covid-related false starts in 2020, Pali Hill recently reopened permanently just off Oxford Street. Named after one of Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods, Pali Hill’s menu reflects the diverse culinary heritage found there, offering regional dishes from all over India. After kicking off with cocktails, try the papadi chat. It harmoniously marries a myriad of contrasting flavours and textures, including soft chunks of potato and tomato, creamy spiced yogurt, crunchy papadi (wheat crackers) and sev (crispy gram flour noodles), tamarind chutney and sweet pops of pomegranate. The Mangalore buns are another top pick from the small plates. Two hot, bready pockets are served with a generous mound of spiced crab for loading into the buns. You can’t go far wrong with any choice in the tandoor & grill section, but our highlights included tandoori monkfish with lemony braised peas; tender aged sirloin with a peppery curry sauce, and beautifully sweet-fleshed grilled Scottish langoustines, coated in a punchy green sauce. As for the larger plates, the homestyle fish curry is light and fragrant, while meat-eaters shouldn’t miss the Chettinad-style veal shin, so beautifully cooked that it falls off the bone at the merest touch. To finish, if you think you don’t have room for dessert, think again, because the passionfruit ‘gola’ is a must. The ultimate palate cleanser, this Indian shaved ice dessert full of zingy passionfruit is so refreshing, it’ll stop any post-dinner slumps in their tracks. palihill.co.uk
20ft Fried Chicken, Market Halls, Holles Street
The latest addition to the bustling communal eating space that is Market Halls, off Oxford Street, is 20ft Fried Chicken. Don’t take that literally: this refers to the outlet’s logo and its super-stacked fried chicken burgers. Crunchy coating, juicy buttermilk-brined meat, squidgy brioche bun and tangy, fiery toppings – it sure beats lugging shopping bags around. The menu is simple, which makes everything a must-try including The 20 FT burger – buttermilk fried chicken, habanero, honey mayo, pickles and slaw – and The Big Chill Burger – buttermilk fried chicken, fermented chilli hot sauce, pickled celery, ranch dressing, shredded iceberg and pickles. But the surprise is a spring roll: fried chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a deep fried, crispy package. 20ft comes from the team behind Black Bear Burger, so they know a thing or two about serving fresh food fast, but it isn’t frenetic. Place your order, grab a beer from one of the bars and enjoy the atmosphere until your food pager starts buzzing. 20ftchicken.com
Fallow, St James’s
After 18 months at Heddon Street, ex Dinner by Heston chefs Jack Croft and Will Murray have moved their sustainable-focused restaurant down the road to St James’s. There’s a buzz from friends and colleagues catching up on tables beneath suspended planters of dried flowers, and chefs slicing, sizzling and charring ingredients in the large open kitchen. Beetroot lends the jasmine winter highball its vibrant pink hue in the colder months, while frozen margaritas make the perfect summer pairing to the iconic kombu-seasoned corn ribs. A rich, smooth swirl of mushroom parfait is topped with shiitake and grey oyster mushrooms, grown on-site above the kitchen, frills of fried cabbage and pieces of smoked venison and beef sit atop wood-fired flatbreads, and layers of potatoes are pressed together to create crispy stacks of boulangère potatoes. Ingredients otherwise destined for waste are elevated into exquisite dishes such as the large cod’s head soaked in pools of sriracha butter, served with spoons to seek out meaty pieces. This ethos continues through to desserts, which are worth squeezing in, with coffee-waste ice cream balancing a rich Pump Street chocolate ganache and surplus whey transformed into the silkiest caramelised tart. fallowrestaurant.com
Ginza, St James’s
Whether enjoying the action at its kitchen counters (teppanyaki, sushi, robata grill), ensconced in a private room (12-16 people) or taking an afternoon tea that includes black cod croquettes with wasabi mayo, this Japanese restaurant and cocktail lounge is a deliciously glamorous affair. High-grade ingredients underpin menus that include king prawns with garlic soy butter and yuzu, and coconut silken tofu with strawberries and blood orange. ginza-stjames.com
Arcade Food Hall, New Oxford Street
You’ll find Arcade Food Hall just steps away from Tottenham Court Road Underground station, under the Centre Point building. The food hall – formerly known as Arcade Food Theatre – has been transformed by JKS Restaurants, the group behind fan favourites such as Gymkhana, Hoppers, Berenjak and Bao. It’s now a space containing nine kitchens showcasing various cuisines, a main bar and negroni bar on the lower level, and a southern Thai restaurant on the mezzanine level. Dishes start from £3 for a brown butter cake from Provisions, and range up to £40 for omekasi by Sushi Kamon. arcadefoodhall.com
Mexa, New Oxford Street
In Luke Farrell’s southern Thai outfit, Plaza Khao Gaeng, Arcade Food Hall is home to arguably 2022’s hottest restaurant. But olive is also taken with Mexa, where Sonora Taquería’s Mexican chef, Michelle Salazar de la Rocha, serves incredible slow-cooked lamb birria quesadillas, sea bass ceviche tostadas and authentic corn tacos topped with brisket, onion and salsa roja. Dishes £5-£13; arcadefoodhall.com
Franks Bar, Piccadilly Circus
This is one of those brilliant places — in the basement at upmarket French brasserie Maison Francois — to go when you haven’t made a booking. The lighting is soft and the music is uplifting. A concise cocktail menu (try the Dirty French, a riff on a dirty martini) is complemented by superior, substantial bar snacks. Must-orders are silky jambon noir de Bigorre (ham) sliced at the bar; tomatoes with anchovy, pâté du maison and an unmissable sourdough bread. The signature crispy calf brain bun is a brave choice and so rich it’s best shared between (at least) two of you. There’ a small choice of puddings, ice cream or sorbet with a glug of calvados, and a knockout rum baba. maisonfrancois.london
Bar La Rampa, Oxford Circus
Exuberant interiors, live music and a crowd-pleasing menu define this vibrant celebration of 1950s Havana. The expansive site — minutes from Oxford Circus — marries a rich palette of warm neutrals and earthy hues with masses of tumbling, tropical greenery. There’s also an outdoor terrace, a wood and rattan bar, sleek mid-century furniture and velvet banquettes.
The food menu comes courtesy of Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng of Tātā Eatery — expect modern spins on traditional Cuban and Central American dishes. Particular highlights include the juicy, succulent elote corn ‘ribs’ with a spicy vegan chipotle mayo, and a decadent Cuban sandwich with crispy pork belly, ham, raclette cheese and gherkins — it’s a must-order.
Designed by Sager + Wilde’s Marcis Dzelzainis, the drinks list is focused on classic rum cocktails, including plenty of mojitos and (pleasingly large) daiquiris. Alongside all of this is a live music programme that includes a house band and Cuban-themed nights during the week. barlarampa.com
Sabor, Heddon Street
A buzzy regional Spanish restaurant tucked behind Regent Street, from Nieves Barragán Mohacho and José Etura, a pair that have been the driving force behind Barrafina’s success for the past decade.
With a friendly service style and nods to Andalucían tapas bars (colourful tiles, high tables), Sabor has the authentic feel of bars found all over Spain. Wait in the lively brick-walled bar area and whet your appetite with cured presa Iberica and crisp, golden prawn croquetas as good as any we’ve ever tasted in their homeland.
Charismatic José will then seat you at a counter overlooking the open kitchen, where conversation with the Spanish chefs is encouraged while they cook camarones fritos (tiny shrimp, deep-fried, and served with a crispy, paprika-dusted fried egg), chubby mussels ‘a la Bilbaina’ in a light sauce of tomatoes, sherry, sherry vinegar and herbs, and sobrasada in a rusty rubble on top of lightly crushed new potatoes, bobbing in a garlic cream.
Desserts tick every box – chocolatey bombas, sharp and creamy rhubarb and mascarpone tartlets, and an inspired goat’s cheese ice cream with a liquorice sauce rounded off a perfect meal. The all-Spanish wine list begins with txakoli, the lightly effervescent Basque wine that’s poured from a dramatic height. There’s vermouth on tap, too!
To dine at the heart of the action at Sabor, you can’t book, and you can’t sit in parties bigger than four, but it’s worth any first-come-first-serve frustrations.
Click here to read more about the 10/10 food at Sabor in our pro vs punter review…
Al Dente, Goodge Street
This neighbourhood glass-fronted pasta spot is a casual affair, with simple black and white walls, a reggaeton soundtrack and a fridge packed with colourful San Pellegrino cans. In front of the small open kitchen, creations from the on-site pasta lab are laid out in all shapes and sizes to take away, from twirly fusilli to ribbed tubes of maccheroni and filled tortelli.
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After a starter of fresh tomato cubes on toasted focaccia doused in Sicilian olive oil, tuck into an array of handmade pasta dishes. Spaghettoni coated in a silky, yolk-yellow sauce jewelled with salty guanciale (complete with melty fat) and pecorino cheese makes a top-notch carbonara, while large tubes of paccheri soak up a sweet tomato sauce of finely minced beef and vegetables. Vegetarian options include the peppery punch of cacio e pepe tossed through chewy worms of tonnarelli (thicker spaghetti), and ravioli parcels filled with pumpkin and ricotta adorned with crispy sage. Simple desserts are well executed, with ricotta-filled housemade cannoli, and thick folds of mascarpone layered with boozy sponge in a Kilner jar tiramisu.
The wine list showcases producers from across Italy – floral Umbrian San Giovanni, rich Puglian primitivo, and soft, smooth chianti from Tuscany.
pastificioaldente.com
Les 110 de Taillevent, Cavendish Square
You’re out to dinner with a friend. You’ve just sat down, opened the wine list, and your so-called friend announces that they’ve jumped on the latest fad diet band-wagon and aren’t drinking. Traitors. This is inevitably means that you either have to join them on their virtuous endeavor, or you’re forced to make the choice between a pathetic handful of uninspiring wines by the glass. Reader, I find this deeply traumatic.
Click here to read our full article on Les 110 de Taillevent
Clipstone, Clipstone Street
Clipstone is on a corner of Clipstone Street in Fitzrovia and is the sister to nearby (and Michelin-starred) Portland, a modern-European dining room set up by restaurateurs Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau with chef Merlin Labron-Johnson.
Click here to read our full article on Clipstone
Ember Yard, Berwick Street
Just off Oxford Street, this tapas restaurant sits between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road underground stations. Part of the Salt Yard Group, Ember Yard serves Italian- and Spanish-inspired tapas and small plates using a bespoke, Basque-style grill and sustainable charcoal and wood from Kent, which gives a distinctive taste to dishes such as chargrilled Iberico presa with whipped jamon butter, and grilled octopus with broad beans, preserved lemon, pea and mint purée. Head chef Brett Barnes says: “The char and the smoke working in unison are a magical combination that appeals to our most basic instincts.”
Sketch, Conduit Street
Take a pause from Oxford Street shopping to visit the other-worldy surroundings of Sketch. An unimposing door in Mayfair opens into the reading rooms – take a right at the end of the stone corridor and you will find yourself in the David Shrigley Gallery. Squashy pink velvet sofas, cheeky cartoons on the wall, quirky waiters and a show-stopping cake stand – what could be better?
The fresh and elegant Pommery Brut Silver champagne with creamy notes started the afternoon tea as it meant to go on. We loved the show–stopping cake stand packed with little cakes, pastries, sweets and mini sandwiches of all varieties.
Read our full review of afternoon tea at Sketch, Mayfair, here.
Ethos, Eastcastle Street
If you’re looking for a vegetarian restaurant near Oxford Street, this is the place. Self-service vegetarian, and often vegan, food served in smart surroundings. The dishes are drawn from all over the globe and as well as wines and cocktails there are speciality teas.
Read our full review of Ethos, Oxford Circus, here.
Dishoom, Carnaby Street
The décor is Mumbai 70s heaven in the newest Dishoom near Oxford Circus and as usual details are spot on. Don’t leave without a thorough inspection of the photographs on the walls. If you arrive before midday at the weekend you can have brunch – try the bacon and egg naan roll or bun maska, toasted bun and butter with spiced chai.
From midday onwards the full menu is your oyster, from chilli cheese toast and chicken ruby to spicy lamb chops and the prawn and pomelo salad.
Check out our review of Dishoom, plus our favourite Indian restaurants in London here.
Kingly Court
This isn’t single place but a collection of venues with diverse food offerings from Oka sushi, sashimi and robata grill to Peruvian Señor Ceviche and Hakata tonkotsu ramen at Shoryu.
The Good Egg at Kingly Court
After the success of their first site in Stoke Newington, The Good Egg crowd-funded to their second site in Soho’s Kingly Court. This café-cum-restaurant, inspired by the Jewish café-culture of Montreal, serves all-day brunch Monday to Sunday. Take a seat on one of the dark-teal wooden chairs and watch chefs at work behind the metal counter. Walls are covered in jars of pickles and bottles of wine and blackboards list names of the meat, fish and veg producers that feature on the menu.
The menu offers a selection of sweet and savoury choices. Choose between a kanafeh croissant filled with pistachio and rose, cardamom buns and rugelach (a light, flaky pastry) for a sweet baked treat. The rich, buttery brioche-like babka is a must, with a thick chocolate spread running through the layers of dough and a crisp crust. If you’re there in December, grab a slice of the Christmas babka, flavoured with marzipan, currants and spiced butter and get a piece to take home, too.
Read our full review of brunch at The Good Egg here.
Restaurants near Marble Arch
Looking for restaurants near Marble Arch, on the Western end of Oxford Street? On face value Marble Arch looks like a bit of a wasteland unless you want a quick sandwich from Pret, but if you walk around the block behind the tube station you’ll find Seymour Place, a whole street of lovely places to eat including these two recommendations:
Seymour’s Parlour at Zetter Townhouse, Seymour Street
Leave busy Oxford Street behind and pay Uncle Seymour a visit for a wintery cocktail. Inside this Georgian townhouse lies a secret drinking den that exuberates the eccentric charm of the Zetter Townhouse’s ficticous owner, wicked Uncle Seymour. Seymour’s Parlour is more front room of curiosities than hotel bar: trinkets clutter a cabinet that spans one side of the room, portraits adorn the wine-red walls and crystal decanters filled with bright orange liquid dress up antique wooden tables.
The room has a hushed atmosphere with intimate lighting that creates secluded corners to settle in to. Dapper Italian waiters take your order, and shake cocktails at a little bar tucked into one corner.
The seasonal cocktail list changes regularly, so the winter menu is made up of little coupettes full of punchy, warming mixes and remedies from the cold. Try the healing Scarlet’s Antidote, made with earthy homemade beetroot cordial, smooth Ocho tequila and the subtle spice of caraway from Kümmel liqueur. Dainty gimlet-like cocktail, The Rake, takes inspiration from ladies of the night in the series of paintings ‘A Rake’s Progress’, with fragrant orris (iris flower root) ‘powdered notes’ and a little drop of juniper oil that forms a delicate black beauty spot on the surface of the clear cocktail.
Find out more about Seymour’s Parlour Marylebone here.
Lurra, Seymour Place
Tucked away on Marylebone’s pretty (and seriously foodie) Seymour Place, Lurra is a contemporary, sophisticated Basque-inspired restaurant. It’s sister to Donostia, just across the road, and the building has a shiny new extension. There’s more to this trendy joint than its good looks though: ingredients are key. With a meat import business (think 14-year-old Galician Blond, 67-day hung beef) supplying the likes of Kitty Fisher’s and Chiltern Firehouse, and a cellar downstairs housing top Spanish wines (including an incredible Louro from Valdeorras), owners Nemanja and Melody know their stuff.
Read our full review of Lurra, Seymour Place, here.
Bernardis, Seymour Place
Clean and bright Bernardi’s has a hip hotel bar vibe – groups settle into soft leather booths or leather-cushioned chairs around marble tables while the open kitchen hums in the background. The stylish furnishings and brass light instalments designed by the restaurant’s owner, Gabriel Bernardi, make this a trendy place to be seen; nevertheless, staff are discreet and maintain a friendly, un-hassled atmosphere.
Head chef Sabrina Gidda has mastered the repertoire of Italian dishes (such as this slow roast lamb with roasted salsify, brussels sprouts tops and bagna cauda) at this Marylebone restaurant. Try dishes such as rich parmesan gnocchi, with venison shin ragu, or visit for a leisurely brunch with a Mediterranean twist.
Read our full review of brunch at Bernardis here.
Vinoteca Marylebone, Seymour Place
Vinoteca offers a wall of wine to choose from and excellent menus. Wine is optional but it will be all around you, so you might as well… the menu recommends a glass for each dish. Fixed price lunch, 2 courses for £15 and 3 for £18.
Restaurants near Bond Street
Avoid Bond Street itself and escape around the corner to James Street or the block to Wigmore Street for a breather at lunchtime. Wigmore Street is also a convenient, crowd-free route between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus.
Hoppers, Wigmore Street
Named after the lacy, bowl-shaped pancakes that are a staple of Sri Lanka, Hoppers has quickly established itself as one of London’s hippest hangouts. From the can-do-no-wrong team behind Michelin-starred Gymkhana, Hoppers references the food of southern India and Sri Lanka. There’s a succinct menu starring traditional hoppers: light fermented rice and lentil pancake bowls, with a softly steamed egg and a selection of confidently spiced karis.
Load up on the ‘short eats’, though. Mutton rolls are like crunchy cigars – with a golden crumb, shredded gamey meat and lightly spiced tomato chutney. Bone marrow is so seductively sauced that you would be forgiven for refusing to share. The best, perhaps, are buttered devilled shrimps: juicy and fiery. There a fab and refreshing cocktails also.
hopperslondon.com
Try our egg hoppers recipe here…
Zoilo, Duke Street
Zoilo is the second offering from Argentinian chef Diego Jacquet and restaurateur Alberto Abbate. The duo’s first restaurant, Casa Malevo, opened back in 2010 and Zoilo at the end of 2012, both with the aim of showcasing authentic Argentinian cuisine.
This Marylebone restaurant is split over two levels; the ground floor a light and airy Buenos Aires-style café, and the lower ground has an open kitchen and narrow dining room. A long bar runs the length of the kitchen, so diners can get close to the action.
The menu takes inspiration from regional Argentina, including Diego’s native Patagonia and the famous wine region of Mendoza. The menu is made up of tapas-like sharing plates. Choose from morcilla and criolla (black pudding and onion relish on toast); ox tongue, white beans and mustard, or classics such as empanadas (crisp, meat or veg-filled pastries), and the starter dish of provoleta, a semi-hard cheese similar to Italian provolone, melted and topped with almonds and honey.
Click here for Zoilo’s alfajores recipe…
Patty & Bun, James Street
Burgers in brioche buns (try the Smokey Robinson with smokey mayo and caramelised onions), chips with roast chicken mayo and chicken skin salt, and if you can manage it, a side order of ‘thunder thighs’ with smoked jalapeno butter sauce. No bookings so avoid the busiest times, lunch starts at 12 daily.
Comptoir Libanais, Wigmore Street
On calm Wigmore street, away from the frenzy of Oxford Street, is one branch of bright and cheerful Lebanese restaurant chain Comptoir Libanais. You can eat lightly from the mezze menu or fill up on tagines and flat breads, so it’s ideal if you’re with friends of varying appetite. Bottles of pomegranate molasses, jars of harissa and silver teapots line the walls should you be short of a gift (it would save you plunging back into the hoards).
Restaurants near Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road area is still undergoing a huge transformation while Crossrail bores its way underground across the capital. It’s within spitting distance from Soho and Charlotte Street, both of which appear to have a café, restaurant or pub every other door so you’ll be spoilt for choice. These are some of our favourites – if you pick your timings carefully, you should be able to bag a table.
Koya Soho, Frith Street
Duck through the curtains at Koya and you’re transported straight to Tokyo. A wooden counter spans the narrow space: punters huddle over bowls of springy udon noodles on one side, while chefs add eggs to breakfast bowls, and slip noodles, prawn tempura, tofu and miso pork into hot broth on the other.
Copita, D’Arblay Street
If a plate of jamon and a sherry is your top scoring lunch (or gin, they have 20 kinds), then stop by Copita. Tapas is modern: try smoked anchovies & pork crackling or sweet potato with bravas sauce. You can book at lunchtime, which is helpful.
Newman Arms, Rathbone Street
Absolutely no use to you on a Saturday, but Tuesday-Friday and Sunday this is an oasis of beautifully cooked food sourced from Cornwall. Stop off the beaten track and savour a seasonal dish such as steak and kidney pie or pan-fried mackerel followed by pudding. 3 courses for £19.
If you have ventured out on a Sunday then book in for the roast, on a Monday you have to eat pie. Lunch starts at 12pm.
Read our ‘pro v punter’ review of The Newman Arms here.
Princi, Wardour Street
Wood-fired pizza and focaccia are the main-stay at this Milanese bakery chain, and if you’re in a hurry you really can grab a quick bite. Add some salad to offset the carbs and eat at the shared counters or opt for a table in the pizzeria next door. Breakfast is also an option – they open at 8am.
If you’re shopping in Covent Garden, we have plenty of restaurants in Covent Garden here.
Check out more London restaurant guides here:
Best restaurants in Marylebone
Best restaurants in Mayfair
Best restaurants in Fitzrovia
Best restaurants in Kings Cross
Best restaurants in Brixton
Best restaurants in Notting Hill
Best restaurants in Battersea
Best restaurants in Shoreditch
Best restaurants in Camden
Best restaurants in Covent Garden
Best restaurants in Soho
Best restaurants in London Bridge
Best restaurants in Hackney
Best restaurants in Paddington
