The most romantic restaurants in London, England for the loveliest lovers on date night

As cliche as it sounds, London truly is a melting pot of culture. One-third of its residents come from outside the country. So it’s safe to say that these plates are packed with authenticity. Add to the fact that Central London and beyond is dotted with some seriously swanky districts, lined with restaurants for the perfect date night. Candlelight, shareable treats, and fine wines are just the icing. Here are the most romantic restaurants in London, across all budgets, for any occasion.

The best romantic restaurants in London

1. Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay | The Strand

Restaurant 1890 within The Savoy Hotel was a coveted seat even before it rightfully earned its first Michelin star in 2024. With just 24-26 spots set for course after course of French showstoppers, perfectly curated wines to accompany, and a meticulous service you’re unlikely to ever forget; a visit marks any occasion that cannot be topped. These dishes are inspired by the legendary chef Georges Auguste Escoffier during his tenure at the hotel in 1890. Team Ramsay scoured the globe for the best on which to execute them. Items are seasonal, such as the oozing lobster tortellino and the most beautiful Isle of Wight tomato and roe creation imaginable, and the wines…unforgettable, particularly if you opt for a rare underwater find. 

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2. The Ninth | Fitzrovia

£35 for a three-course Michelin-starred lunch? Sounds too good to be true. Thankfully, The Ninth spins our daydreams into reality. Jun Tanaka’s award-winning restaurant highlights the best of the season, with a Monday to Saturday lunch set (recently) comprising Cured Sea Trout, Grilled Poussin, and Pain Perdu & Tonka Bean Ice Cream (add a glass of wine for just £10). The atmosphere is romantic yet approachable, so locals can easily make this a weekend ritual, staying in the same outfit they’ve had on for museum hopping. Handy, since this is right on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia. Overall, exceptional value for exceptional gastronomy and service. 

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3. Kitty Fisher’s | Mayfair

Since 2014, West Enders have been meowing over Kitty Fisher’s—a cozy and intimate rendezvous named after a famed 18th-century courtesan. Within this townhouse, patrons dine on seasonal wood-fired delicacies like the Brixham Hake paired with lobster bisque and fennel or the big-enough-to-share Belted Galloway Chateaubriand, whilst sipping on signature gin-based Bad Kitty cocktails or old-world vintage wines without worry of time or what happened earlier in the day. The Chocolate Ganache helps that further. The focus at Kitty’s is simple: good food and good company. Everyone’s got the cream.

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4. The Tent | Oxford Circus

The Tent (at the end of the universe) is one of London’s best-kept secrets, and you’ll impress anyone with a sought-after reservation at Chef John Javier’s Little Portland Street boudoir of culinary dreams. The food draws on his professional journey, spanning traditional Chinese to classic French bistronomy, with samples like Scallop Silks with Green Nahm Jim, Mushroom Shish with Marmite Glaze and ‘Cacio e Pepe’ Cheung Fun, to name but a few innovations served within a plush and futuristic venue. Open for double dinner seatings every Wednesday to Saturday, no flash photography allowed inside.

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5. Umu Mayfair | Mayfair

Concealed behind a discreet Burton Place block with a luminous ‘touch to enter’ button, Umu Mayfair scoops all that presses it off the dizzy streets of Mayfair and gently places them by the torii gates of Kyoto. From there, a Michelin-awarded team ensures a special occasion to remember. 

A kaiseki journey is presented, where Chef Ryo Kamatsu uses intricate Japanese methods on fresh local ingredients. At our time of visit, delicacies included scallop miso topped with caviar, and Cornish lobster and girolle spring rolls, but do note that items are seasonal, and future visits will see change. That’s why you’ll need to trust the resident sommelier with an (impeccable) sake or wine pairing. 

Find out more about Umu Mayfair

6. Zoilo | Marylebone

Zoilo is a Marylebone institution, and rightly so. The Argentinian grill flames the finest steaks in town, using strictly seasonal ingredients to harness optimum freshness and robust flavours. Chef Diego Jacquet does your meats and fish ‘Asado’ style, from the five prime beef cuts to the likes of grilled octopus or wild seabass with peppers. Hand-cut Provenzal Chips marry perfectly with any combination, as does the wine list comprising classics to the lesser-known varietals and regions that’ll surprise your beau. A warm and inviting candlelit boudoir situated on Duke Street.

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7. Bébé Bob | Soho

Fans of Bob Bob Ricard with a penchant for chicken and caviar will soar on date night at Bébé Bob; a glamorous Art Deco space in Soho celebrating the two delicacies.  Plus additional C’s: champagne and cocktails. The golden chicken schnitzel is crisped just right, but the star cluck is the slow-roasted Vendée Chicken, served all week (not just as Sunday roast!), alongside chicken jus, and decadent add-on sides like truffled cauliflower cheese. Caviar is very generously served from some of the largest tins in London making this the place to really spoil your tasteful lover. They’re even available by the scoop.

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8. Roe | Canary Wharf

Roe’s been collecting rave reviews like Adele at an awards ceremony, and it certainly lives up to the hype. From the trio behind Fallow St James’s and FOWL, this Wood Wharf restaurant is a yacht-sized stunner that impresses from designer wall to seasonal plate, focused on modern British cuisine. We loved the English tuna crudo and cuttlefish fried toast to start, and the Roe Sunday Roast is a comforting feast for two. The wine list has greats from Europe, including sparklings from Hampshire and Kent. 

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9. The Barbary | Notting Hill

Following the runaway success of the Neal’s Yard original, Zoë and Layo Paskin open The Barbary Notting Hill, and it’s decked in West London sophistication. Guests still enjoy the culinary flair of the Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery, with plates taking inspiration from the Barbary Coasts of Southern Europe to Northern Africa. Our highlights are the fresh oyster mushroom skewers, grilled Harissa Launceston lamb cutlets, and tender chalk stream trout with aubergine. Pair with any of the fabulously curated wines or cocktails, and save room for the choux dessert.

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10. Ekstedt at The Yard | Westminster

Chef Niklas Ekstedt fans the wild of FIRE-dining to London, with his first outpost outside of Stockholm. At the back of the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in Westminster, The Yard focuses on Scandi cooking techniques using seasonal British ingredients. Tasting menus are five or seven courses, with seasonal items such as Pine Smoked Wild Duck Breast and Seaweed Baked Langoustine all cooked over a dramatic open fire. Volcanic wine pairings curated by Head Sommelier Klearhos Kannellakis accentuate flavours like you’ve never had before. Quality pours span Sicily and Tenerife. 

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11. Manzi’s | Soho

No matter what season the skies are serving, know that at Manzi’s the sun always shines. This is where to come for a little bit of seaside escapism; ocean blues, kitsch decor, and Mediterranean-inspired classics like the Bateman lobster roll and fries, or the whole roasted monkfish for two. 

Tuesday to Friday it’s Oyster Hour at 5:30 pm, so get in the mood with smacking deals on the slurp. Of course, they’re best paired with fizz: may we suggest the Pommery Brut or a Louis Roederer? 

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12. Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal | Regent Street

Alex Dilling At Hotel Café Royal is magic at every turn. Enter the iconic Hotel Café Royal, frequented by VIPS throughout history, and inside you’ll find an intimate 34-seat boudoir helmed by the acclaimed British chef. Even lifelong Londoners will see windowed Regent Street in a new light. Tasting menus harness ingredients of the season, providing a modern take on French gastronomy. Samples include a layered Hunter Chicken with sauce Albufera, and a sumptuous Pate De Campagne; Iberico pork shoulder, black pudding, and foie gras.

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13. KIN Cafe and Restaurant | Fitzrovia

For veggie lovers, the way to a heart is KIN. This neighbourly cafe and restaurant serves plant-based delights in a bistro-style setting. Catering to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and flexitarian diets, each thoughtful dish designed by chef Shayan Shams packs flavour; from the crispy broad bean croquettes to the miso-glazed aubergine. Whatever your rooted base, save room for the sensational avocado, lime and pistachio cheesecake. Waste-free cocktails, wines and kombuchas are available from the bar.

Find out more about KIN Cafe and Restaurant

14. The Palomar | Soho

Serving the cuisine of modern Jerusalem, The Palomar has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2014. Every dish here is not only scrumptious but also feel-good. Ingredients are locally and sustainably sourced and made from scratch, including bread which is baked in their kitchen daily. Start with their warm falafels, savour the tender Chicken Labanieh, and seal it with an ice cream sandwich, featuring baklava of course. This intimate Soho restaurant is ideally located before an evening of theatre and is sure to impress.

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15. Ormer Mayfair | Mayfair

It’s about time Ormer snagged a star. Chef Sofian Msetfi’s seasonally changing tasting menus ensure every patron who makes it to the front will want to rejoin the queue right after. Opt for regular, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan five-course (£79pp) or seven-course (£115pp) tasting menus, each spotlighting the best of British, including signatures (you’ll maybe sample) such as warm Ibérico ham jelly with Parmesan, Bramley apple and nasturtium; and the cured Cornish mackerel with sesame, kombu and spiced nage. Exquisite wine pairings round off a perfect evening.

Find out more about Ormer Mayfair by Sofian

16. Macellaio RC | South Kensington

There’s good reason Macellaio now has three locations in London; the Fassona Piemontese beef is a game changer. Sourced from special mountain valleys in the north of Genoa, each cut under dramatic cloche melts in your mouth, and oozes with flavour. Accompany with a glass of Tuscan red and the tiramisu for a classic Italian steakhouse experience. For couples looking to veer off the red meat list, the menu also features Vegetarian Tigella, Gnocchi al pesto, and Focaccia Pizzata. All made in partnership with Italy’s finest producers. The restaurants also offer masterclasses in butchery, dessert, and pasta making.

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17. Jacuzzi | Kensington High Street

Romance bubbles at Jacuzzi, an unashamedly opulent and ostentatious display of an Italian restaurant (the website reads ‘crazy trattoria’ if you want the official description). Couples: you’re entering a fantasy Venetian villa, stacked floor on floor with climbing plants, chandeliers, statues, art, antiques and even swimwear. It’s easy to forget you’re on High Street Ken. Untangle yourselves out of the fresh handmade spaghetti, share a truffle-laden pizza, and end with the grandma-style tiramisu. Of course, everything’s best accompanied by Italian wine.

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18. The Portrait by Richard Corrigan | Trafalgar Square

Art lovers won’t be able to resist an evening at the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery, and the exhibits aren’t the only thing they’ll come and savour. The Portrait Restaurant on the fourth floor is one of the best under-the-radar spots to catch views in the glow of sunset, including that of Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. While you watch, taste the freshness of Corrigan’s seasonal British fare, including long-beloved and sometimes overlooked delicacies. Think lamb rump & kidney with an anchovy tapenade; Shallow fried cod served with tartare sauce; and blood orange sorbet.

Find out more about The Portrait by Richard Corrigan

19. Fish & Bubbles | Notting Hill

Impress your date with something new for 2024: Fish & Bubbles brings fresh seafood and an aperitivo bar to Notting Hill, and does so in a way you wouldn’t quite expect. One-metre fish-sharing boards are what they’ve already come to be known for, laden with fried seafood goodies (and £18.00 pp makes for excellent value). Fish tapas, tartare, and seafood sandwiches in a house-baked Rosetta bun are just some alternative ways to celebrate your love of all things Southern Italy. Don’t miss their negronis, or of course, any of the Proseccos.

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20. Spring | The Strand

Guide your love back in time to a quaint 19th-century drawing room within Somerset House: Spring’s a fairytale from the outside in. The seasonal offerings are wholesome and produce-driven; great for sharing, and even better with a premium glass of Bordeaux. Think: Crab croquette with heirloom tomatoes, or monkfish and clams with tomato, almonds, and aïoli, to name but a few sample items. The romantic Thames River calls for a post-dinner stroll.

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21. Berners Tavern | Fitzrovia

A fixture for camera rolls, the Berners Tavern dining room is easily one of the most breathtaking spaces in town; art-decor in style and draped every inch with paintings, guests dine under dual chandelier sparkle on contemporary British fare. While there’s brunch to dinner, our pick of a winter warmer is their Sunday Roast; two or three courses, including Herdwick lamb saddle with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, sugar snaps and carrots, and plenty of gravy. Don’t shy from the luminous centrepiece bar afterwards. 

Find out more about Berners Tavern

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