When it comes to dining in London, it’s best not to believe the hype—both hypes. First, that English food is god-awful and second (the line you’ll get fed by the locals), that London’s dining scene is the world’s best. Neither is true, and randomly choosing a restaurant can lead to a meal so bad it verges on comedy.

If you know where to look, however, visitors can be rewarded with an incredible meal. Thanks to celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey and Marco Pierre White, London has become a destination for discriminating diners. But over the last decade, a more important change has taken place. The Brits have been reinventing their own cuisine—reaching into their past for traditional recipes, overseas for inspiration, and to their own farms for seasonal, fresh ingredients. The result: simple, hearty fare presented with unpretentious style.

Luckily for those dining alone, that appreciation of informality has been expressed in the design of London’s better new restaurants. You won’t have to hunker down behind your white tablecloth, watching couples whisper to each other, to find a top-notch meal. There are plenty of counters and banquettes to nudge into, in spots where the people-watching is excellent, the service is attentive, and the food is as fine as you’ll find anywhere . But do plan ahead. Reservations are almost always required, even for an early dinner on a Monday night.


Whitechapel: New Tayyabs
83-89, Fieldgate Street
+44 (0)20 7247 9543
England’s most popular dish is not fish and chips or bangers and mash but chicken tikka masala. And some of the best Indian restaurants are just east of London’s financial center. Avoid the tourist traps on Brick Lane and instead head for New Tayyabs. The line for a table can be long, but it moves quickly. Tayyabs is large and busy, and seats are squeezed in close enough that conversations often start up between tables—usually beginning with a question about the cryptic menu. Tayyabs specializes in Punjabi cuisine from Pakistan (you must bring your own alcohol), and the specialty here is grilled meat. The lamb chops are not to be missed. But it’s also a great place for chicken tikka masala—it’s not on the menu but they’ll make it if you ask.

Dress: casual; jeans are appropriate
Prices: moderate
Reservations: recommended (It will help you beat the line.)
Close to: Threadneedles


Shoreditch: Hawskmoor
157 Commercial Street
+44 (0)20 7247 7392
Few London restaurants serve a steak worth leaving the hotel for, but this year-old informal steak house easily matches some of New York’s best. Plus, the small, simple space is welcoming to those dining alone. Though you can’t eat at the bar, they will happily seat you at a banquette, from which you can watch the mix of businesspeople and T-shirt-clad locals eat and sip. The service, which in London can be spotty, is attentive here. As a bonus, the owners have dug up 100-year-old cocktail recipes—and they’ve found some gems, including a half-dozen different juleps and the Brooklyn, a slightly sweet and tangy bourbon concoction that puts the better-known Manhattan to shame.

Dress: trendy to suits
Prices: expensive
Reservations: a must
Close to: Great Eastern Hotel


Clerkenwell: Moro
34-36 Exmouth Market
+44 (0)20 7833 8336
Solo diners can grab a seat at this Spanish restaurant’s spacious zinc-topped bar without a reservation. Two large mirrors over the bar let you peek at the airy dining room and the kitchen, which is open to the restaurant. You can choose from a lengthy list of traditional tapas, options posted on a chalkboard, or from the full menu, also available at the bar. The food is hearty, and the chef is willing to stretch beyond Spain’s borders for inspiration in dishes like roast pork with wild Scottish girolle mushrooms.

Dress: trendy
Prices: expensive
Reservations: a must for tables; not taken for the bar
Close to: Malmaison, Charterhouse Square

Mayfair: Bentley’s Oyster Bar
11-15 Swallow Street
+44 (0)20 7734 4756
Bentley’s, which opened during World War I, was recently dusted off by chef Richard Corrigan, of the well-respected Lindsay House. Those dining by themselves are best off angling for the oyster bar, where they can settle in at the marble-topped counter and sample the British shellfish that are trucked in daily. You’ll find yourself in like company here. A bustling staff ensures top-notch service and you can look on as they shuck your oysters for you. The rest of the menu leans toward traditional British seafood items like fish pie and Dover sole. Added bonus: you can stroll in at 8 o’clock and still find a seat, a rarity in London.

Dress: suits or business casual
Prices: expensive
Reservations: taken for the restaurant, but not for the bar
Close to: Le Meridien Piccadilly

Soho: Arbutus
63-64 Frith Street
+44 (0)20-7734 4545
Since this restaurant opened last year, it has become popular among solo diners. For starters, guests aren’t limited to a handful of lesser wines by the glass—Arbutus’ entire wine list is available in 250 ml carafes. And it’ll take reservations for a seat at the bar. The chef has developed a rotating menu of creative takes on pan-European dishes. There is a nod to the English interest in nose–to-tail eating with a surprisingly tasty braised pig’s head. Entrées like the monkfish are surrounded with strong complementary flavors of roasted peppers and deep-fried sardines. Service can be uneven, but the food and the presence of so many others dining alone make it a spot worth seeking out.

Dress: business casual/trendy
Prices: expensive
Reservations: a must for bar or table
Close to: Thistle Bloomsbury

Covent Garden: 32 Great Queen Street
32 Great Queen Street
+44 (0)20 7242 0622
Gastropubs—spruced up boozers with fancy menus—have sprung up everywhere in London, and some of them serve great food. But if you are on your own they can be uncomfortable—many cater to larger crowds, some seat you in the pub or strand you in an eerily quiet upstairs dining room. This spring, staff from the Hope and Anchor, one of the city’s top gastropubs, and the Eagle, which launched the phenomenon a decade ago, opened this restaurant. You can settle in at the large bar for drinks and dinner or book one of the small tables along the wall. The food is simple, hearty, and without pretension. The menu features classics like crab on toast or stewlike mushroom soup, and heartier fare like lamb neck, quail, and rabbit pie.

Dress: everything from suits to jeans
Prices: expensive
Reservations: a must for tables
Close to: The Savoy