18 Best Restaurants in London, England

One of only three three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester achieves the pinnacle of classical French haute cuisine in a surprisingly fun, lively, and unstuffy salon. Diners feast on a blizzard of beautifully choreographed dishes, including classic rum baba with Chantilly cream, sliced open and served in a silver domed tureen. Slick service is off-the-scale outstanding, while the sommelier is a brilliantly charming expert on all things vino.

The last days of the Raj are invoked here at one of London's finest Indian curry emporiums, where top choices include dosas with fennel-rich Chettinad duck and the famed suckling pig vindaloo. Diners admire the whirring ceiling fans, rattan chairs, and other decor inspired by the colonial-era gymkhana sporting clubs of yesteryear. Other goodies include all-India delights such as Tandoori Masala lamb chops and Lasooni wild tiger prawns. A £100 tasting menu is the most extravagant way to sample the range of the restaurant's delights. 

A-listers head straight for 34, off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, simply because all the other celebrities seem to hang out here, too. It must be the plush Edwardian and art deco dining salon, the neat fish, game, and steak-focused menu, and the smooth Upper Manhattan–style service. Appetizers like Devon crab and shrimp cocktail face off against chunkier delights from the Argentine parrilla charcoal grill—think 28-day Scottish Bridge of Allan rib eyes, USDA New York strips, and Japanese Wagyu fillets. Top crowd-pleasers include a luxurious surf and turf and truffled lobster macaroni. When done with mains one can opt to see the dessert menu or the cigar menu—or even both.

Revel with the A-listers in the glamorous buzz at this upscale Italian brasserie wedged between Cork Street, Savile Row, and the Royal Academy of Arts. It's perfect for a pit stop during a West End shopping spree or after browsing the nearby Mayfair galleries and auction houses, with diners spilling out onto pavement tables for breakfast, brunch, and cicchetti (Italian tapas)—and then returning later in the day for something more substantial. The luxe green-and-brown interior is a tony backdrop for classics like red mullet carpaccio, veal Milanese, and tagliatelle bolognese, and don't forget the pick-me-up tiramisù.

This successful chain serves up delicious juices and smoothies, as well as sandwiches, soups, and wraps.

Austrian-born star chef Wolfgang Puck amps up the stakes at this ultraexpensive steak house on Park Lane. Set against a luxe backdrop of Damien Hirst artwork and globe lights, carnivores go crazy for the pricey prime cuts from England, Australia, Japan, and the United States. Options include impeccable 35-day Creekstone filet mignon, Black Angus New York sirloins, and an 8-ounce rib eye of pure Kagoshima Wagyu beef from Kyushu in Japan. Add bone marrow, French fries, chimichurri, or creamed spinach with a fried egg on top for the whole nine yards.

This Manhattan-themed, Russian-owned swanky steak house, named after Chicago jazz legend Benny Goodman, has everyone in agreement: these truly are some of the best steaks in town. USDA-certified, 150-day corn-fed, and on-site dry-aged Black Angus T-bones, rib eye, porterhouse, and New York bone-in sirloins compete for taste and tenderness with heavily marbled grass-fed prime cuts from Scotland and the Lake District. There's also grilled cauliflower steaks, tuna tartare, and a superb burger, but everyone at this sultry mecca has only one thing on their minds: the sizzling 250 g–400 g Josper chargrilled steaks, which come with truffle chips and creamed spinach, plus Béarnaise, pepper, or Stilton sauce.

The city's wealthy flock to French virtuoso Hélène Darroze's restaurant at The Connaught for her dazzling regional French haute cuisine, served up in a stylish Edwardian wood-paneled dining salon. Taking inspiration from the Les Landes region in southwestern France, Darroze sallies forth with a procession of magnificent dishes like lobster with carrot, coriander, and tandoori spices. A beautiful venison Wellington is served with hispi cabbage and quince.

Mayfair is home to more than its share of fussy fine-dining restaurants, so HIDE is a welcome alternative, charming with experimental dishes that make the new-Nordic, produce-focused modern European menu shine. Look out for art-like dishes strewn with wildflowers on the seasonal eight-course tasting menus served in a fairy-tale setting. There's also an in-house bakery, and a menu that includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and cocktails; be sure to explore the 6,500-bottle strong wine list, one of London's finest.

There is no finer fish dish in town than the Malai stone bass tikka at this upmarket Indian restaurant. The food and spices here are so authentic that it regularly buzzes with Bollywood stars, wealthy Mayfair moguls, and the entire well-heeled Indian diaspora. Inspired by the Viceroy's House in New Delhi and oozing with Lutyens-style furniture, this spot is perfect for luxuriating in mini dosas, coconut spiced lobster, or Old Delhi butter chicken.

Named after an infamous 18th-century courtesan, Kitty Fisher's is situated in a tiny, creaky Georgian town house in Mayfair’s Shepherd Market. Crammed with antique prints, portraits, and silver candelabras, here you can sample some of the finest wood-grill and smokehouse fare around. Options on the changing menu include to-die-for Highland beef and luxurious Wagyu steaks.

With the legend Tous Célèbres Ici ("All Famous Here") boldly etched on the front doors, the delightful LPM boasts an impressively well-sourced and balanced French Mediterranean, Ligurian, and Provençal menu based on the relaxed Riviera style of the original La Petite Maison in Nice. Try the soft Burrata cheese with a sweet Datterini tomato–and–basil spread or aromatic baked turbot with artichokes, chorizo, five spices, and white wine sauce. Dishes come to the table as soon as they're ready, and the très jolie and informal waitstaff make for a convivial rosé party vibe.

Part of Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton's dining dynasty, Little Social backs its elegant, modernist dining room with a menu of adventurous dishes celebrating the joy of British produce. Expect to find a range of prime cuts straight from the Josper grill, and pay special attention to the maple-glazed pork rib eye with charred cabbage and pomme purée.

Hidden away in the depths of a Mayfair hotel, Ormer delivers modern British cooking at its finest. In the art deco–inspired basement haven, you can indulge in elegant dishes from executive chef Sofian Msetfi, which celebrate the seasonal and the foraged. You'll find options from roast anjou pigeon to warm Iberico ham jelly. The wide-ranging wine list features an excellent selection of English fizz. At £85 a head, the tasting menu is exceptionally reasonable for the quality you receive.

Gastro god Jason Atherton may not man the stoves here anymore, but his flagship in a cute Dickensian alleyway off Regent Street still knocks the London dining scene for a loop. Fans can enjoy refined small and large dishes ranging from a "Fruite of the Sea" appetizer to sublime braised neck of lamb with neeps, tatties, and a haggis sauce.

Imposing doormen in bowler hats greet visitors with a wee nod at this ever-fashionable seafood haven on Mount Street in Mayfair. Originally founded in 1851 in the Haymarket, and a former haunt of James Bond author Ian Fleming (he apparently enjoyed the potted shrimps), Scott's draws the wealthiest of London, who come for the fresh Lindisfarne oysters, Dover sole, and tasty shrimp burgers. Prices could make a Saudi sheikh blanch, but that's the price to pay for what many consider the hottest table in town.

Glide past the parked royal-blue Armstrong Siddeley, through the foyer of the five-star hotel The Beaumont, and into the swank art deco--inspired dining salon of The Colony grill room. Fans of 1920s New York will admire the throwback decor before digging into classics like steak tartare, Caesar salad, and bananas Foster. There's also fine shrimp cocktail, pancakes at brunch, and Suffolk Wagyu beef from the grill. The exemplary service is, naturally, from a gilded age.

With its walls covered in Gilbert Spencer murals, the Royal Academy's café is almost as beautiful as the art hanging in the galleries. The accent is on variety, with hearty dishes like fish pie, cold cuts, and upscale salads and sandwiches. It's open daily 10:30–5:30.