London Restaurant Guide

This “hectic but enjoyable” trio of pizzerias from Alan & Mark Wogan (the late Sir Terry’s sons) – in “lovely Neal’s Yard”, Marylebone and the City – specialises in large 20-inch pizzas (enough for 2 or 3), with “not the usual toppings” – air-dried wagyu beef with truffle creme fraiche, curried minced lamb with smoked burrata – “served alongside the usual ones”. Top Tip – “you can have a half-and-half if you can’t decide”.

2023 Review: A handy location, near the Guildhall, “buzzy” large interior and versatile menu of “decent (if unspectacular) food” mean it’s worth remembering this “reliable option in the City”, although it “can be incredibly busy”.

2021 Review: “Escape the feel of the City for very reasonable home cooked-food” in the ancient crypt of Bow Bells church. “There are no better dining establishments in the Square Mile: affordable, great service, good food with delicious daily changing salads” including “excellent veggie and vegan options”. Depending on when you go, it’s either a “quiet” space or quite a “noisy” one.

“Is this what business lunching was like 50 year ago?” – this “elegant and wood-panelled” steakhouse, “hidden away in the vast opulence of the Ned” (itself the former Midland Bank HQ) “always impresses a client” with its “wonderful club-like atmosphere”, “the smell of leather and the feeling of luxury” (it’s where “old-school stockbroker dining meets Wolf of Wall Street”). “Power lunches abound within a serene ambience” – “the food leans heavily towards meat with beef Wellington a highlight”.

Sit at the bar where there’s “Prosecco on tap” and hang with the Mayfair glam crowd at this “always buzzy” and “professional” Italian brasserie in Burlington Gardens, at the back of the Royal Academy: “a favourite for some good people watching”. Nowadays part of Soho House, “there’s something for everyone on the menu” and it’s a favoured lunch spot for local business types. On the downside, prices are high, the food is “average” and service can be so-so. (Reports on its Soho ‘Pizza Bar’ spin-off and City branches are few and far between).

“Steak, steak, and steak are all brilliant” at Misha Zelman’s NYC-style grill-houses also praised for their “great wine pairings” and “knowledgeable staff”. With branches in Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf, they are a particular business favourite, and had the edge on their arch-rival Hawksmoor in survey results this year. Meat is sourced from Scotland, the US, Australia and Japan, dry-aged on site and cooked over charcoal.

2021 Review: “Good value” sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes trundle past your seat at these two ‘kaiten’ (conveyor-belt) operations in the City, tempting you to help yourself. It makes a fun, fast and efficient way to grab lunch. The chain also has takeaway and delivery options for evenings.

“Still one of the steak stalwarts of London…”; “still our go-to place for a relaxed night out…”; “still the place for a discreet business meeting in the City…”. Few brands inspire as much long-term adulation as Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse chain, which has ridden the zeitgeist since its founding in 2006; and which is now (with the help of Graphite Capital, who own most of it nowadays) to be found in NYC and Dublin, as well as Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool. A “terrific” cocktail in the bar, precedes “awesome steaks with fantastic side dishes, all in a cool setting”. At least, that’s long been the accepted wisdom anyway, although there’s a widespread feeling that quality “has dropped off a bit in recent years”. In this year’s annual diners’ poll, ratings improved in some respects and declined in others, with historical concerns over stratospheric prices supplanted by niggles that maybe the formula is just “starting to look a tad tired” and that service – though often “excellent” – can also sometimes seem increasingly “impersonal” (“you are just a number!”). The majority verdict for the time being, though? Still “always hits the spot”.

“Signs of returning normality with a full Coq!”. This “purring” D&D London operation sits on the top floor of No 1 Poultry – with leafy roof terraces in sight of the Bank of England – and is a well-established linchpin of the Square Mile lunching scene. For foodies, it can seem a disappointing experience, but for those packing corporate plastic it’s valued as a “great location in the heart of the City for a pricey-but-decent business lunch serving upmarket staples with a French twist”. Top Tip – “good for breakfast in the summer on the outside terrace”.

2022 Review: This 55-year-old City trattoria is a popular, lunchtime rendezvous spot on account of its “huge” helpings of classic dishes; its terrace by Bow churchyard for al fresco eating; and its good regional list of Italian wines.

2022 Review: “A stalwart for lunches in the City”, this “unpretentious” venue in “lovely Bow Lane by the famous church” has “kept its standards up” for 35 years. The outdoor seating was a major attraction during the pandemic restrictions, and prices are “very reasonable” for the area, while “the boisterous tables make it easy to have confidential chats without being overheard”.

2022 Review: Yet another option for eating at The Ned! This time, the colossal hipster hotel near Bank has added a new basement bar and entertainment space, complete with regular live music. The food is more than just bar bites though – Lobster Thermidor anyone?

“It’s as though time was paused 100 years ago” at this Square Mile legend, founded in the 1830s and on its current site since the 1920s. Arrive early if you want to beat the City pinstripes to a table or a spot at the counter, although “it’s worth the wait for a seat while sipping a tankard of Black Velvet”. “Traditional, hearty British fish is served in a manner unchanged by time” – oysters, smoked eel, whitebait – and “the fish pie is still good and not too expensive”. “Longstanding staff add to its stalwart appeal”.

2021 Review: In less than 20 years, Danny Meyer has transformed his New York City hot-dog cart into a global fast-food brand giant with eight outlets in London – including a Covent Garden flagship that was revamped earlier this year. Ratings remain remarkably solid for “a chain that does what it’s supposed to do”.