The Best Places to Eat in London

The minimalist, meat-centric menu and bargain craft cocktails at Soho's Blacklock have proved so popular that it launched two more restaurants, one in the City and another in Shoreditch. For its venue, the restaurant transformed the basement of a once-seedy building near Picaddilly Circus (they don't mind telling you it used to be a brothel) into a trendy, industrial-chic space with communal tables and exposed brick. The menu is a showcase for the finest British meat cut from carefully sourced heritage breeds. Lamb, beef, and pork chops come in skinny, big, and off-the-bone cuts a la carte. Side options are substantial and flavorful, among them beef dripping chips, a 10-hour ash-roasted sweet potato, and barbecued baby gem lettuces with anchovy dripping. On Sundays, Blacklock offers an old-fashioned British roast.

The journey toward making COYA Mayfair one of the best trendy restaurants in London was a genuine around-the-world quest for chef Sanjay Dwivedi. Before devising his acclaimed Incan-Peruvian fine dining experience, Dwivedi spent a year tasting the flavors of Latin America and delving into the incredible culinary heritage of the Andes and Amazon. The result is a menu offering authentic delights like uncommonly fresh ceviches, Japanese-Peruvian fusion sashimi and antichuchos, marinated skewers of tender meat, and seafood cooked over charcoal. And, of course, COYA Mayfair does a mean Pisco sour.

A seasonal delight at Angler, on top of the South Place Hotel, is the rooftop terrace with views across the city. A retractable roof extends the availability of coveted terrace seating, but every seat in the house promises a delightful dining experience, especially for those who love fish and seafood. Chef Gary Foulkes amazes with his ever-changing menu of meticulously prepared, impeccably sourced British seafood with French, Asian, and Scandinavian influences. A signature dish is the yellowfin tuna tartare with avocado, shiso, and wasabi. Regulars also rave about the banana, salted caramel, and Guanaja chocolate tart, a highlight of the dessert menu.

Australian chef Brett Graham is at the helm of the 55-seat space, presenting his signature contemporary European cuisine centered around British game, seafood, and produce. Graham's signature dish, flame-grilled mackerel with smoked ell, shiso, and Celtic mustard, is a certain highlight of the menu.

As one of the oldest restaurants in London—it started out as an oyster bar in 1851—Scott's Restaurant has certainly proved its ability to evolve with the ever-changing trends of contemporary cuisine while focusing on classic British seafood. The restaurant has had plenty of time to perfect its traditional offerings, among them potted shrimps, dressed crab, and goujons of Cornish sole. Japanese, French, and Nordic traditions come into play as well, particularly with the raw bar selections. Some interesting vegetarian options and hearty meat dishes round out the a la carte lunch and dinner menus.

The signature of St. John, which opened in Smithfield in 1994, is chef Fergus Henderson's pioneering whole-animal approach to classic British cuisine. Diners enthusiastic about offal, game, and uncommon cuts of meat find a lot to love on St. John's menus that change daily, especially when it features Henderson's famous roasted bone marrow on house-made sourdough bread. The lunch and supper menus also feature some top-notch vegetarian, seafood, and more-approachable cuts of meat, along with sides exemplifying the best of British comfort food, like cauliflower cheese and Welsh rarebit. Traditional puddings are an essential finale.

The name of Galvin at Windows is a nod to its famously incredible views from the top floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, a panorama encompassing the ancient rooftops of the city and green expanse of Hyde Park. Chef Joo Won has his work cut out for him in diverting diners' attention from the views, but his creative offerings combining contemporary French cuisine with the influences of his own Korean heritage do so admirably.

An immediate critical darling upon its debut in 2015, Portland Restaurant has gained rave reviews and earned itself a loyal following among London locals. The open kitchen turns out beautifully presented contemporary British fare amplified by Mediterranean-inspired flavors but emphasizing local ingredients of the highest provenance. Tasting menus for lunch and dinner showcase exemplary dishes, while the a la carte dinner menu includes shared plates for a more casual approach. A Portland Restaurant signature is wild game pies.

"Liberated Chinese cooking" is the founding ethos of Kai, a Mayfair institution (since 1993) that boasts a solid claim to being one of the best trendy restaurants in London. The menu is lengthy, pricey, and thorough, a journey through the culinary heritage of Chinese South Seas-regional cuisine as interpreted by Malaysian-born chef Alex Chow. The signature dish is wasabi prawns, and the hot and sour soup is another best seller. Kai's creative desserts are such a highlight that they're presented at the beginning of the menu rather than the usual relegation to the back.

One of three Nobu locations in London (the other restaurant is on Berkeley Street and there's a Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch) and over 40 across the world, the Old Park Lane restaurant offers all the markers of Nobu Matsuhisa's famous brand. A lengthy menu of Japanese-fusion cuisine focuses on seafood in hot and cold, cooked and raw preparations, as well as grade A5 Japanese wagyu beef. Visiting and local sushi aficionados know that Nobu promises some of the best sashimi and hand rolls around. An omakase tasting-menu option offers a series of Nobu's most exemplary enticements, but an evening of cocktails and bar snacks might prove just as tempting.

Hakkasan Hanway Place isn't the only Hakkasan in London (there's another in Mayfair), but it's the original restaurant that launched an international empire. The location is famous for the prodigious skill of chef Tong Chee Hwee and his elevated versions of classic Cantonese cuisine. The Peking duck entree accompanied by caviar is a signature, and lunchtime dim sum always draws a buzzy crowd. Hakkasan's cocktails gain as much attention in glowing reviews as the food, as does its stunning black and gold dining room and an open kitchen behind the noticeably nondescript back-alley entrance.

The Ivy Chelsea Garden dazzles a chic crowd of diners with its venue, light-filled space on King's Road with an orangery and leafy garden terrace in the back ideal for warmer-weather meals and drinks. The British bistro-inspired cuisine on the lengthy all-day menu, along with a dedicated vegetarian and vegan menu, fits with Ivy's sunny vibe. Comfort food like the classic hamburger and shepherd's pie share space with lighter options like a warm chicken salad with barley, apples, pomegranate, and herbs, and the raw market salad of seasonal vegetables sliced paper thin next to avocado hummus.

A vast and eclectic assortment of paintings united by gilt frames blanket every inch of wall space around Berners Tavern, perhaps competing for diners' attention with the beautifully ornate ceiling—or the impeccable versions of British comfort food and modern European fare that characterize the menu. Breakfast, an afternoon tea, and a weekend roast give Londoners and visitors ample opportunities to sample incredible British produce transformed into something truly gourmet. The overall vibe is one of hip glamour, securing Berners Tavern a solid claim to being one of the best trendy restaurants in London, along with the rest of chef Jason Atherton's acclaimed empire.