In London you’re rarely more than a fork stab from top-drawer dining, so choosing to eat in when staying over can feel unadventurous. But London’s hotels are – figuratively – flipping the tables on this notion, sexing up the scene with daring dishes, secret menus, considered decor and a whole lotta fun.
We’ve narrowed down London’s best hotel restaurants, including the rampantly romantic, those with telescopic city views, humble pubs with haute plates, and iron-clad classics.
GO AS A COUPLE
The Franklin
You may preen like a parrot in the Anouska Hempel-designed dining room of Kensington hideaway the Franklin, which is lined with Venetian mirrors, but you’ll only have eyes for each other (and glances at Egerton Gardens) as you bond over chef Alfredo Russo’s Piedmontese cuisine. Amid dove-grey velvets and ikat-printed silks, you’ll try celeriac in liquorice sauce, Gressingham duck with lemon-glazed chicory or passionfruit mille-feuille.
Signature dish The light and luscious wild-lobster panzanella, which will transport you to summertime in Russo’s Italian homeland.
Pair with… the Blueberry Bloom: grapefruit gin muddled with blueberries and garnished with sugar glass and edible violas – our preferred cocktail conduit in the glamorous bar where there’s a raft of gins to try.
Top tip The haute-couture-themed afternoon tea is a heady affair of buttery croissants, truffle-dusted delicacies, chocolate scones with champagne cream and ‘perfume’-spritzed sweet things that ironically may have buttons popping off.
At Sloane
No bullish behaviour in At Sloane’s sixth-floor restaurant, not least because it’s so heart-swellingly romantic that it should come with a warning for first-daters, but also because it’s lined with 300 delicate Chinese vases. In fact, all in white with a high ceiling, it resembles an intimate chapel, one where praises are heaped on French-leaning eats: beef tartare, lobster pasta, pommes allumettes, caramel brioche, pavlova… Menus change frequently and are kept secret, which – like the lean in on a kiss – all adds to the anticipation.
Signature dish We wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise…
Pair with… a decadent digestif. After dinner is when things get spicy and dirty, by way of jalapeño margaritas and briny, olive-accentuated martinis in the bar, that is.
Top tip Proposal-planners, At Sloane has your back, with a dining room just for two, secluded away down a slender corridor.
Dear Jackie at Broadwick Soho
Designer Martin Brudnizki goes big at Broadwick Soho’s Italian eatery Dear Jackie (sweetly named for the owner’s mum): embroidered scarlet silk walls are more embellished than a Vatican altar, with painted plates, gilded mirrors and turned-down-low lamps; plus there are chandeliers, Sicilian ceramic tabletops… Oh, and food too: scallops in champagne with finger-lime, orecchiette with tomato and smoked almond, and Campari and grapefruit semifreddo.
Signature dish Go luxe: the crudo with caviar or agnolotti with truffle.
Pair with… It’s L’Amore, a fruity concoction of Italicus, prosecco, grape and apricot soda and Sicilian lemon. Or perhaps a bottle of the £5,335 2010 Domaine Leflaive – Chevalier-Montrachet for sir?
Top tip Head up to Flute bar for a digestif – from its terrace you can see right across London.
GO WITH FRIENDS
Berners Tavern at the London Edition
Spare a thought for the picture-hangers who decorated Berners Tavern – the frames run practically floor to ceiling here, lit by a globe chandelier and overseen by ceiling stuccos busier than the maitre’d. There’s a true sense of occasion, furthered by a visit from the champagne trolley and Jason Atherton’s indulgent British cuisine: pork and pistachio pie, lobster mac and cheese, Chateaubriand in Marmite butter, Calvados-flambéed baked Alaska…
Signature dish The Buccleuch Estate Scottish steaks are prime cuts, but Atherton can do light and delicate too – try the yellowfin tartare with daikon and plum.
Pair with… the Storm in a Teacup with Bombay gin, Moscato d’Asti wine and peach liqueur.
Top tip It’s not exactly a secret, but hidden away behind the London Edition hotel’s lobby, the Punch Room bar certainly feels like one, with potent pours.
Vintry & Mercer
London’s shape-sorter skyline is fabulously configured from the Mercer Roof Terrace at City stay Vintry & Mercer, with a clear eyeline over the Shard, St Paul’s and more beloved landmarks. But this glazed eatery has something for a rainy day too, thanks to executive chef Sam Dunleavy’s elevated Brit menu of Cornish crab cakes, Chalkstream trout with caviar, wagyu burger with Somerset brie and bacon jam, and nursery puddings.
Signature dish Go for the 28-day-aged Hereford sirloin and load up on sides: Keen’s cheddar-enhanced creamed spinach, potatoes with wild garlic and lemon butter, heritage tomato salad…
Pair with… cocktails that come in whimsical vessels: glass milk cartons and screws – adding to the sensory experience, which is fresh or fruity: say, gin with pea-shoot and elderflower or a Pisco with spiced mango. And remember, ‘vintry’ refers to the area’s wine-drinking history.
Top tip Come winter, you can still admire the view from a cosy igloo.
The Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London
Rosewood London’s restaurant fizzes with activity: groups gossiping in booths, couples cosying up at the bar counter, waiters in tartan ferrying about handmade pies, seafood platters, Scotch eggs and other Brit dishes. It’s a space for the big meals – birthdays, anniversaries, or just a Tuesday when you want something fancy – with marble columns, cherry-red leather and brass accents; but chef Calum Franklin’s love for gastropub-y treats keeps things from feeling too lah-di-dah.
Signature dish Who ate all the pies? We did, when the pastry’s encasing beef and blue cheese, dauphinoise potatoes or chicken, mushroom and leek fondue.
Pair with… gin – there’s a dedicated bar for the spirit and the hotel has its own (made in collab with Tarquin’s). Drink with tonic or as a martini.
Top tip Book a table for 6.29pm on Wednesdays – from 6.30pm it’s ‘Welly Wednesdays’, when an off-menu beef Wellington is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
GO AFTER PAY-DAY
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
There’s a Christmas-morning-like sense of anticipation before you even pick up a knife and fork at Dinner, knowing that Heston’s talented elves are slaving away over a below-freezing cryo container or manning a pineapple spit; and for the unknown theatrics ahead. The menu’s brilliance is less bonkers than the Fat Duck, instead showcasing Heston’s knowledge of food history, with dishes dating back to the Dark Ages (duck umbles with turnip tops), and his excellent cooking chops (which would be sumptuously Ibérican).
Signature dish The meat fruit (circa 1530) is a must, with chicken-liver parfait playfully wrapped in mandarin gel. Finish with the tipsy cake with pineapple and lashings of rum, or – if it’s on the menu – the ice-cream is created for you tableside in its own nitro cart.
Pair with… Wine – there’s practically a lake’s worth from all around the world in the cellar, so you’re guaranteed to find at least one which you’ll sip and go ‘mmm’ approvingly.
Top tip The chef’s table overlooks all the excitement of the kitchen, a worthy show. And staff have been briefed in the background of all dishes; before you dine choose how much of a history lesson you want – maverick, guide, adventurer – from the cards provided.
The Ned City of London
The Ned is a dream for dining dilettantes, and a nightmare for decision-paralytics, with eight cuisines to choose from. Take tacos and margs at the Malibu Kitchen and Cantina, burgers and shakes at Electric Bar & Kitchen, classic Italian at Cecconi’s, rare-breed steaks at the Lutyens Grill, Brit favourites at Millie’s Lounge, and pan-Asian plates at Kaia; or dinner and a show at cabaret bar Parlour. Spread over the vast lobby of an old bank, Ned’s given many more answers to ‘where shall we eat?’ in Bank’s surprisingly low-yield restaurant scene.
Signature dish Each eatery has a break-out star: a Montgomery cheddar soufflé; crab ravioli; truffled chicken kiev; sea-bream tacos with mango and papaya; lamb Wellington…
Pair with… the creative concoctions. Set around a central marble pedestal atop which musicians play, the Nickel Bar anchors the global influences together in a cocktail list laced with cachaça, Patrón, single malts, Campari, yuzu sake and homegrown gins (not all in one drink).
Top tip Go belt-free for bottomless serves (depending how much you can eat in a time slot) of 44-day-aged prime rib – carved tableside – at Lutyens Grill on Fridays; and a smorgasbord of upmarket eats and pours from a drinks trolley at Ned’s Feast on Sundays.
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
Compared to the unabashed opulence of Hotel Café Royal’s gilded and frescoed Oscar Wilde Lounge, laurelled chef Alex Dilling’s eatery plays in a lower key of creams and soft greys. It’s the tasting menus that sing with the confidence and creativity achieved when one proves their mettle alongside the likes of Ducasse and Darroze. With the flourish of a begloved jeweller, waiters present gems of pâté de campagne, poussin ‘pot au feu’ and vin jaune-soused Brittany pigeon that need no more embellishment.
Signature dish Fans fly in just to tuck into Dilling’s hunter’s chicken, which uses birds from Le Landes stuffed with chicken mousse, Alsace bacon and chopped black truffle.
Pair with… Dilling’s own 5 Puffins gin, served in a souvenir bottle, which you can try by stopping in before dinner at the intimate six-seater bar at the entrance of the restaurant.
Top tip Bring three or more friends and you could score one of the circular banquettes which overlook Regent’s Street.
GO LOW-KEY
The Bull & Last
Whether you’ve worked up an appetite wandering Hampstead Heath, or need fuel for a push up Parliament Hill, you’ll find superlative sustenance at pub with rooms the Bull & Last, along Highgate Road. The menu implores you to hold up the waiter with ‘this, oh, this too’ demands as you load up on fried chicken, stuffed courgette flowers, seasonally styled burrata, shorthorn prime rib – and Cobble Lane coppa, just in case. And, if you do make it to the comforting-as-can-be dessert menu, you’ll need a room to haul yourself back to.
Signature dish The beloved fish board (house-cured gravadlax, smoked-mackerel pâté, crab, chipirones and trimmings) has stayed constant on the menu for over a decade.
Pair with… the Goldtooth Spritz, with Ibizan vermouth and botanicals foraged from the Heath.
Top tip Make it a moveable feast and ask the chefs to pack you a picnic with breads, salads, charcuterie, sandwiches and something sweet.
Hans’ Bar & Grill at 11 Cadogan Gardens
Just a few designer-shoe steps from Sloane Square there are alfresco tables and indie stores, trimmed with bunting, along Pavilion Road. Here’s where 11 Cadogan Garden hotel’s eatery Hans’ Bar & Grill is happily placed. It might be named after a sir who founded the British Museum, British Library and Natural History Museum, but it’s a laidback spot where you’ll sidle onto a racing-green leather banquette for chorizo croquettes dipped in basil and pistachio pesto, pumpkin gnocchi in parmesan cream, juicy burgers and steaks.
Signature dish If piling up on small plates, order several of the cauliflower wings with spicy Korean sauce. And good old Hans also brought chocolate to the UK, so order dessert in his honour.
Pair with… the rosé wine flows for aperitivo, between 4pm to 6pm each day.
Top tip Snag a table on the terrace, since the ’hood has fabulous people-watching potential. And for steak and crispy, crispy frites, come for ‘Entrecôte Wednesdays’.
GO ALL OUT
Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
The dining space in Marylebone’s Nobu Portman Square outpost is vast, but the satellite tables feel intimate enough for VIPs, and there’s enough space for a sit-up sushi counter. It’s sultrier and livelier than rooms more Zen-inducing than the sound of one hand clapping kōan, and entertains a glamorous set of black-cod-miso fanatics; but a menu divided into ‘classics’ and ‘now’ will entice you to try one of the chef’s fresher concoctions, say crispy tuna rolls or pork belly with apple wasabi.
Signature dish Nobu Matsuhisa’s most famous dish is adhered to his legacy like a sticky miso glaze on meaty white fish. But, such is his talent, that the whole classics section could be listed here.
Pair with… cocktails that are taken from snapshots of Nobu’s life – we like the Japanese-inspired Kokoro, with vodka, sakura vermouth, hibiscus and jasmine kombucha.
Top tip In summer, dine out on the terrace, which has foliage occasionally changed to match Japanese seasons.
The Fuji Grill at the Beaverbrook Townhouse
Set at a highly coveted London address along Sloane Street, theatre-inspired Beaverbrook Townhouse (sister to a chic country pad) is partial to a show when dining too. At 6pm each evening, a handful of guests gather at a counter in the Fuji Grill for the nine-course omakase experience. Chef Pavel Kanja takes guests on a flavourful journey that might involve blue prawns with yuzu-truffle dressing, tempura black cod and bream with Kentish ants.
Signature dish You’re at the chef’s whim for the omakase, but you can take the guesswork out and go for the sea-bass in finger-lime ponzu.
Pair with… Kanpai over a variety of sakes. Or take yours in a refreshing Saketini.
Top tip If ordering à la carte, have the table groaning with small plates loaded with grilled meats, sushi and sashimi.
GO FOR FUN
Decimo at the Standard, London
Decimo’s red-pill-shaped lift whisks you up from King’s Cross’s grime so you’re eye-to-eye with the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel’s clock tower. Here you’ll feel untroubled by anything happening fewer than 10 floors up, as remixed retro tunes and sultry crimson and bottle-green decor make it feel like one of those Seventies parties. But sexiness comes in the form of chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’ smoky red peppers, caviar-oozing tortilla and Baja-style tacos to share.
Signature dish If you don’t fancy splurging £175 on the world’s fanciest take on an omelette, then croquetas with the creamiest filling, quail in mole and chilli-spiked lobster are excellent stand-ins – don’t sleep on the veggie dishes either.
Pair with… Decimo’s muchas mezcales, which are guaranteed to make the ride back down in the lift feel slightly dizzier. If neat’s too much, have it in a citrusy margarita or martini.
Top tip You may already have a room (and you should, because these are the coolest and quirkiest London crashpads), but if not you can order one – and a sleepover survival kit – with dessert.
The Twenty Two
The Twenty Two’s restaurant resembles a Wedgwood plate with its hue of London-spring-sky blue, white fireplace and intricate cornicing. But the attitude’s far from fragile if the conversation swells as much as the combined cocktail millilitres. Spirited gatherings unfold around chef Alan Christie’s Euro-centric eats – beef carpaccio with marrow croutons, pasta al limone, Dover sole meunière – and, if you have a room (or an in), spool out late into the night at the hotel’s exclusive club.
Signature dish Pre-order the beef Wellington, as much an event as a meal; for something more casual, even the humble burger is dressed up with pastrami, Comté and truffle.
Pair with… several rounds of the Margarita’s Sister, with Patrón, pineapple, coconut cordial, yellow chartreuse and clarified lime.
Top tip Finish on a sweet note at the cookie stand. We like the OG with chocolate and flaky sea salt, or the bread and butter pudding.
GO CLASSIC
The Colony Grill at the Beaumont
Sometimes fine dining really is as simple as meat and two veg (even if the meat’s Suffolk wagyu and the ‘veg’ are triple-cooked chips and barbecued broccoli with almonds). Classic is the Colony Grill’s MO, with its decor of vermillion-leather banquettes, white napery and wood and brass accents. Chef Michael Turner serves shellfish to surf up your dish, caviar on brown-butter waffles to start and a wine list thicker than the tomahawk to pair up.
Signature dish Four legs (and going ‘moo’) is very good here, especially when the meat’s aged for 42 days, raked over charcoal and oak, and comes with creamy, peppery and wine-sloshed sauces. Start with the prawn cocktail, and for dessert, choose the make-your-own ice-cream sundae.
Pair with… the most muscular of reds from the wine compendium.
Top tip You can’t beat a banquette. If you’re craving protein a little earlier in the day, brunch runs on Saturdays and Sundays here.
Feeling thirsty? See our collection of the best hotel bars in London