London
Overview
Map
Food
From experience
- Luca (3/3)
- YES YES YES. My favorite restaurant in London by far, and testified also by my colleages Mihai, Carmen, Simon and Ryan. I went by myself and the staff took such great care of me. The decor is modern and sleek – truly adds to a wholistic culinary experience.
- Also really like the prefix menu, can be paired with delicous Italian wine – the staff and chef are really adaptable to culinary restrictions.
- Love the scallops and the mushroom pasta.
- Noble Rot (3/3)
- French-British, wine bar + restaurant, undeniably special place. The food, the wine, the atmosphere, the posters on the wall – it just works.
- slipsole is a must.
- Copita (3/3)
- Tapas. Great for large groups. Very casual with a fantastic gin and tonic collection.
- Barrafina (3/3)
- Spanish tapas. Delicious delicous delicious. My favorite lunch spot in London. With a casual vibe, the staff was friendly and attentive. 1 Michelin star.
- Barshu Restaurant (3/3)
- My Chinese spot in London – Sichuan food – traditional, spicy, homey!
- Dishroom (3/3)
- Long lines but definitely worth it! Great Indian food, perfect for groups.
- Darjeeling Express (3/3)
- This restaurant is located on the second floor of Kingly Court. The court is adorable and the neighbourhood is fun (both for shopping and just for the vibe). Definitely need a reservation to get in – very packed even during weekday nights. On the louder front so probably not the best for romantic nights – but a great food spot.
- Bocca di Lupo (2/3)
- First-rate Italian food is my softspot – not super fancy but definitly on the more formal end.
- Zayna (2/3)
- Nothern Indian and Pakistani restaurant. Pretty decent but I know London can offer better.
- Talli Joe (1/3)
- Talli Joe came highly recommended for Indian food through many sources. However, I actually had quite a mediocre experience here. They lost our reservation, the food came slow, the service was terrible…BUT. I may just give it another chance since everyone else seemed to have a great time here.
My to-try list
- Kitty Fisher’s 9.3 on Infatuation. Old fashion British food.
- Gymkhana 9.1 “Best Indian food in a city known for Indian food”
- Gunpower 9.0 Indian, simply designed little restaurant right off Commercial Street serving inventive takes on Indian food
- Palomar 8.8 Israeli-inspired share plates, which can mean anything from beetroot carpaccio to ‘octo-hummus’ (octopus and hummus) to a truly excellent Jerusalem mix featuring a bunch of offal in delicious spices.
- Hoppers 8.6 “Best Sri Lankan food in London”
- Xi’an Impression XI’AN FOOD IN LONDON!!!
- Bao Taiwanese small plates restaurant. Lengendary for pork buns and the line.
- Jinli Chinese Restaurant Back up Chinese comfort food option!
- Chillicool Restaurant Another backup for Sichuan food.
- Leroy Timeless modern European small-plates joint with a seasonal menu. Parisian, 1 Michelin star, bistro style. Apparently they have a fantastic Instagram feed for social media fans.
- Sushisamba, Liverpool Street Peruvian, Brazilian, & Japanese Fine Cuisine
- Som Saa Northern Thai influenced, great for groups. “A real party restaurant is big, dark, and a bit loud. It’s one where 8pm turns into 9pm, and 9pm turns into 10pm and another round of drinks and some more of that chicken. This is what Som Saa is.”
- Duck & Waffle Spectacular view and the view is actually pretty good – posh British cuisine with a twist. Best for brunch (but book ahead). Also open 24 hours just in case.
Drinks
From experience
- The Fumoir (3/3)
- My absolute favorite bar in London. It’s tucked away in the lobby of Claridge’s, named Fumoir as it used to be the Fumoir. Fantastic bartenders and cocktails with art deco decor.
- Crackers. Salty and spicy and so perfect with the old fashioned. Love the bartenders Marco and Lucas!
- Bar Termini (3/3)
- A bar in Soho, very limited space so make a reservation. I went with a friend but this seems like a great date spot. The house Negroni was SO delicious. I alsy truly enjoyed Death in Venice with Campari. Definitely worth a visit!
- Artesian (2/3)
- I truly have a thing for hotel bars – Artesian is located at the Langham. Great classics with amazing snacks.
- Nightjar (2/3)
- Speakeasy with live music – my fovorite things in the world. I think it may be cash only so come prepared.
- Swift (2/3)
- Another soho bar! Very trendy and relaxed. The drinks were easy-sipping and I loved the sparrow on the hankerchief coasters.
- Must try the Sgroppino next time around. I’ve only been to the 1st floor of the bar, but apparently the basement is the place to be – with dark booths and dark spirits.
- Milroy’s of SOHO and the Vault (2/3)
- The Vault is actually like a vault. You get to it through a bookcase at the back of Milroy’s. Very intimate setting with good drinks – it’s on the lighter end.
- I only got to experience the Vault because Milroy’s was packed. I was drooling a bit upstairs at Milroy’s at their whiskey collection, wishing I could get a seat.
- Disrepute (2/3)
- Disrepute is located at an entrance to Kingly Court – velvet ropes, not super pronounced entrance. I think this is supposed to be a member’s bar, so recommendation is recommended by others. We stopped by during a weekday night and had no trouble getting a seat.
- The drinks are good but I was really in love with the decor. Very photogenic and beautiful bar.
- Dandelyan (1/3)
- Dandelyan is the hotel bar for Mondrian London on the South Bank. Although named best bar in the world in 2017, the place doesn’t seem all that special to me.
- +: The view and the beautiful hotel
- -: All the chairs/couches are weirdly uncomfortable; the drinks were just meh.
My to-try list
- Ronnie Scott’s One of the best jazz bars with world-class musicians located in Soho. Must get a ticket and worth a visit.
- Vortex Dalston’s legendary jazz bar, improvised and experimental music
- American Bar Second place on world’s best bar list! The American Bar is also a hotel bar, located at the Savoy Hotel. The menu takes inspiration from the famed celebrity photography of Terry O’Neil.
- Connaught More hotel bars! Named after the hotel, this one is located at the Connaught hotel in Mayfair. Art Deco interial + cocktail is a big yes.
- Oriole From the owners of Nightjar – it is also hard to get a spot at on short notice with theatricality upon entrace. They also have Jazz night with cover charge sometimes. Book in advance!
- Coupette It means “cheeky one” and shows a heavy French influence. Great neighbourhood bar. Must try the Truffled Negroni.
- Scout Minimalist decor with seasonal cocktial with unpretentious and easy service style.
- Three Sheets Apparently a beloved hangout spot for off-duty bartenders. Must try the Shiso Miso, a twist of an old fashioned, and the French 75.
- Happiness Forgets small place with exposed brick, very laid back. The Perfect Storm is a must try.
- Beaufort Another hotel bar at the Fairmont. – known for craft cocktail and selection of champagne
- Punch Room Hotel bars for the win. This one is at the Edition. Craft cocktail and reservation required.
- Mr Fogg’s Residence Known for cocktails with an old-world charm, styled in the period when Phileas Fogg set off around the world.
- TT Liquor Converted from a police station, the front looks like a liquor store, the back is a drinking parlour and upstairs is a dinner club. The best part is the speakeasy bar in the cellars.
- Blackrock Whiskey whiskey whiskey!
- The Alchemist cocktail forward, alchemy themed.
- Nine Lives Cocktail hangout with a tropical vibe and sustainable ethos. Known for sustainablity and ecofriendly.
- Nola - Roman Road East London bar paying homage to New Orleans.
- The Gibson The gibson, a cocktail, is a twist on the classic martini that swaps out an olive for a pickled onion. The bar is a small and intimate space, decked out with leather bar stools and etched glass windows. Cocktails includes a range ob gibsons.
- Satan’s Whiskers Exposed brick, taxidermy decorations, with killer drinks. Their Satan’s Whiskers and Scotch egg (the food not the drink) are musts.
- Worship Street Whistling Shop Speakeasy style, collar cocktail bar
- Untitled Restaurant and Bar Great cocktails
- Gordon’s Wine Bar many a Londoner’s favorite wine bar for good reason. You descend down a narrow flight of stairs to a time-worn space, dark and inviting, with candlelit tables nestling in the gloom under the railway arches.
- Behind This Wall A cool cocktail spot where vinyl rules. Speakeasy style, coc ktail-and-poke joint
- The Wigmore A modern British tavern at The Langham.
- Mint Gun Club :laid back tea and cocktail lounge that makes you feel like you are drinking in a Nordic living room”.
Destinations
From experience
My to-try list
Art & Architecture
From experience
- The British Museum (3/3)
- The National Gallery (3/3)
- Tate Modern (3/3)
- Tate Britain (2/3)
My to-try list
Lodging
From experience
- London Marriott Hotel County Hall (3/3)
- If you’ve never done it – get the top-floor suite, it’s worth it! Overlooking Thames and Westminister, the view is everything. It’s also super easy to walk along the banks – quite an enjoyable experience at night.
- London Marriott Hotel Marble Arch (2/3)
- I spent 10 days in this hotel once – it’s definitely a decent spot for business travel. Only complaint – the pool and the room are both on the smaller end. However, the staff was welcoming and remembered me by day 2 – I immediately felt at home :)
- St. Ermin’s Hotel, Autograph Collection (2/3)
- If you are in town for tourism – this is a great hotel for that. Tucked away in Westminister, it’s a boutique hotel with beautiful decors, cool history with certain intelligent services cough MI6 cough, and easy access to the tube and other main sites. The rooms are a bit too small but that’s pretty true for most European hotels.
- Downside – Not much to do around here at night. It’s a 20 minute + walk from bars and restaurants (at least) I like.
My to-try list
- The Napoleon It has one bedroom, no reception and three different and diverse bars — a ratio for good times if ever there was one. (Blackrock, Sack, and the Devel’s Darling)
- St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London 1873 Gothic Revival building in the railway station.
- Claridge’s Hotel London Mostly for the Fumoir but also love Claridge’s in general!
- Rosewood London
- The Wellesley Knightsbridge