Tower Hill Restaurant Guide

This comfortably decorated national chain feels akin to dining in a hotel, but minus the bedrooms; and its two London branches – near the Tower and in Putney – benefit from attractive Thames-side locations, where “it’s lovely to sit outside on a warm day by the river, or year-round in one of their igloo pods”. “There’s a warm fire inside with cosy armchairs”, too, which make the venues “fine for coffee or snacks”, although for more substantial meals “the food is only OK”.

2021 Review: “A nice, laid-back American buzz” has helped win a loyal following over the years for this small chain of Kansas City-style diners: one of the first in London to bring BBQ indoors. “It’s a fun place” (in the right mood) and the food is “decent” and in man-sized portions, but “not particularly special”.

Evens Lopez has been at the stoves since June 2022 at this five-star hotel near the Tower of London. Run from afar by Anne-Sophie Pic – France’s most decorated female chef – it has held two Michelin stars for many years, yet has a fairly low profile largely due to its City-fringe location, in the monumental former HQ of the Port of London Authority (which, apparently, also served as the venue for the inaugural meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946!). A fair number in our annual diners poll who do make the trip say the dining room is a “wonderful” environment with modern French cuisine that’s “just superb”, from a selection of menus starting at £145 per person. What’s encouraging is that criticism of the place is most notable by its absence.

“Well-executed Chinese and Japanese fare (if at strictly expense account-only prices)” from Singapore-born chef Peter Ho, wins consistent praise this year at this plush dining room. Part of the Four Seasons hotel in the extremely imposing former headquarters of the Port of London Authority (built in 1922), near Tower Hill, this august chamber “very much feels like the high-end hotel restaurant that it is”.

“Recovering nicely from the Covid effect” – this “perennial favourite for lunch” near Tower Hill is a classic bolt hole for professional buddies conspiring to kill off an afternoon over a decent bottle. Run by an independent wine merchant in a superbly characterful Victorian cellar, it provides “basic platters” of cheese or charcuterie (with veggie/vegan options) to help absorb the “very good wine at accessible prices, with good advice from the owner”. A flat £12 corkage fee makes it a good place to explore more expensive vintages, and it hosts regular events – “did a Chinese wine tasting... who knew?”

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.

“Fresh food and an affordable set menu for lunch” are prime attractions of this cheap ’n’ cheerful Turkish chain – a fixture after more than two decades in the City, where there are now five branches, plus a more recent pan-Mediterranean spinoff in Covent Garden, Olea Social.

2024 Review: “Reliable tapas in handy locations” is the USP of this 16-year-old trio with a flagship near King’s Cross station (by far the best known) and offshoots in Shoreditch and Monument. But while they’re “decent enough”, they offer “standard fayre” – it’s “nothing exceptional”.

“A great view” is the undeniable plus point of this D&D London venue, on the 14th floor of the scraper at 120 Fenchurch Street. Other than the odd recommendation as a business lunching venue, however, it inspires strikingly few reports for a venue boasting 2,500 evergreen plants and – though harsh critiques are lacking – its luxe-brasserie menu incorporating oysters, sashimi, caviar, steaks and other grills goes uncommented-on.

“Simple pasta done very well” lives up to the billing at this straightforward chain, which added a branch on Baker Street complete with outside terrace to its other three locations at the start of 2024. They are “nothing amazing, but the food is good, the service friendly, and it is a very easy option” when out and about or “when cooking just feels like a chore”.

“Still a legendary destination with consistently excellent meats, sides, drinks all far cheaper than at Hawksmoor” – these “dark and noisy” operations are “a go-to destination when you want some serious meat (perhaps more chophouse than steak house), with many good options that don’t dent the wallet”; and widely seen as “a better bet than other big high-end steak chains”. “They pack the punters in, so a good tip is to request a booth”. “Steaks are cooked just right. Staff are happy and helpful. Why didn’t I go here years ago?”. Top Menu Tips – “Sunday lunch is legendary”. And “try the ‘All-In’ for a variety of chops on excellent grilled flatbreads, and a couple of tasty sides between two. Also a (poorly promoted) option to BYO for £10 corkage at any time”.

London’s highest rooftop brasserie is on the 36th floor of the Walkie Talkie – “booking a meal here is the easiest way to get the view as the free public tickets vanish very quickly when made available!”. “The venue does not trade too rapaciously on the location and offers a pleasant if unambitious menu”. (“The view is best appreciated from the ‘Sky Garden’ that surrounds the restaurant, so it is worth taking time before or after eating to explore that”).

2021 Review: “Sensational Asian-fusion cooking, with the freshest of ingredients” creates an “exciting” culinary experience at this small waterside café, in St Katharine Docks. “The team is friendly and you can chat to the chef – who is a real artist – as he works in the open plan kitchen area, adjacent to your table”.

This “very accommodating” grill house occupies quite a stylish modern unit near Tower Bridge and is the “London copy” of an operation in Brighton. A good selection of fish, chicken and vegetable options is available alongside a wide array of steaks: “quality of the ingredients is excellent and presentation is special”. Top Tip – a good pre-show dining option near the Bridge Theatre.

‘A taste of South Africa’ is the promise of this City-fringe duo in Farringdon and London Bridge, which combine “an excellent choice of steaks” and dishes from the braai with a wide selection of South African wines. There’s also the prospect of a trip to the (very un-African) walk-in cheese room to end off a meal. But even those who acknowledge “decent Saffa-inspired grills” can say “the overall feel of the place is a little tired” or “functional”. And that it’s “not cheap for what it is” was also a repeat-complaint this year.

“Novel dishes full of spice and intrigue” draw a “buzzy” crowd to this “refreshingly innovative” and hugely successful modern Indian trio: an “elevated street-food experience that’s really good fun”. The “tiny but perfectly formed” Spitalfields original is “still the best”, say fans, but the food also hits the spot at “tapas-style” venues in Soho and Tower Bridge.

An incredible (if, nowadays, rather touristy) South Bank location – with a big outside terrace in summer – is the reason to discover this modern Italian with magnificent views of Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast from a new development next to the former City Hall. The Italian food can be good too, but is not the main driver for a visit.

2021 Review: The “lovely Thai food” at these reliable cafés is “impressively authentic given that they are a chain” – “excellent value” and “fast”, if occasionally let down by “iffy service”. Founded in 2008 by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who inherited the name of their first East End site, the group has 18 branches in London and expanded to Liverpool, Manchester, Reading (delivery only) and Leeds following the sale of a majority stake to US investors. The couple also have two spin-offs, Lao Café in Covent Garden and the new Chinese noodle bar Hoh Sek in St Katharine Docks.