At The Hero it goes up three floors: downstairs you can enjoy drinks at the bar, one flight up in the restaurant The Grill (with open kitchen) and at the very top you can sip cocktails in the chic library bar.

The menu is full of British bar classics, such as sausage rolls, Old Winchester fritters en mince toastAt the restaurant, you're presented with a hip, slightly laborious menu – the ingredients are listed, but what exactly ends up on your plate remains a mystery. Oh well, if that's the worst of it...

More Public House Group to indulge your desires? Join us The Pelican, The Fat Badger of The Hero – the youngest member of the group.

Last year, the team behind Lupa brought Roman-style dining to Highbury. Now there is Ornella, the Northern Italian follow-up to Lupa. Behind both restaurants stands, among others, Theo James – indeed, that picture of an actor from season 2 of The White Lotus.

While Lupa is inspired by Rome, Ornella revolves around Milan. Both cities are fully steeped in the concept, from the food to the cocktails. Anything else? Not really. It is exactly what you would hope for in a new London hotspot: cool and hip. And cool and hip equals making a reservation,

Land & Ornella

Holy Carrot now has two locations in London: the first in Notting Hill and, more recently, a second in Spitalfields. Fortunately, the food here is much better than the name suggests. Chef Daniel Watkins proves that. plant based doesn't have to be boring at all, with fire-cooked vegetables, fermentation, and dishes that silence even die-hard meat eaters.

Holy Carrot

On the corner of Ezrastreet you will find Campania & Jones, the popular Italian restaurant in London. Upon entering, the bustling, homey ambiance immediately stands out. Inside, it is warm and cozy: brick walls, wooden tables, and soft candlelight. The best spot? Right at the back, by the fireplace, where you get to toss the logs on the fire yourself.

The cuisine is rooted in the traditions of the Italian region of Campania, with a menu that changes with the seasons and features local ingredients. The pasta is hand-rolled daily. It's safe to say: nonna-approved. Prefer something a bit more substantial? Go for the buttery-soft ribeye or the fresh John Dory lemon.

Campania & Jones

Tucked away beneath a pub in Chinatown is Evelyn's Table: an intimate restaurant with room for just twelve guests at the counter. Chef James Goodyear is now at the helm, with a resume full of Michelin-starred restaurants and influences from Scandinavia, Japan, and classic French cuisine. Don't expect a stiff fine-dining atmosphere; rather, expect an evening where the music jumps just as easily from grunge to The Spice Girls while a five-course menu is cooked right in front of you. Before or after, you can have a drink upstairs at The Blue Posts or wine bar The Mulwray.

Evelyn's Table

Because we remain fans of Italian food, wherever we are. Provided it's good, of course. With sisters Pan en teal we are in a perfect position, because the food is here picobelloPadella is a true pasta bar with multiple locations (Shoreditch, Soho & Burrough Market) and is therefore more suitable for a quick bite. Although fast, it is always busy, and if you haven't made a reservation, you will have to wait. That wait is rewarded, however, with fantastic dishes that your wallet will be happy with too – more shopping credit. Enjoying a long meal and ourselves indulge we do at Trullo in Highbury. The interior is reminiscent of an American one diner with the low, white curtains at the windows and the sofas to sink into. The dark wood contrasts with the—if you are lucky—light of the fine sunbeams shining on the white tablecloths.

Pan + teal

Yes, you will most likely have to queue, especially if you go to the branch in Soho (Bao Fitz is slightly quieter). But hey, then you also have something. The hype is real. The sticky boa sandwiches are the tastiest you - perhaps - ever had. The one with lamb shoulder, for example, or the Pulled Pork with nut crumbs or the fried chicken with sriracha mayo and kimchi. The interior is slick Japanese-looking and just, cool.

Bao London

Caravan in London has been a regular fixture for years and a favorite time and time again, so we are happy to sing the praises of that address. And this time, we are glorifying the Caravan branch in Bankside. Mimosas, anyoneJust a stone's throw from London's best museum: the Tate Modern. This branch is just as fun, fresh, and pleasant as our regular. go-to in Exmouth. Why are we so fond of Caravan? The concept is well thought out and they are genuinely committed to sustainability. Furthermore, they roast their own coffee beans, which you can also buy to try your hand at being a barista at home. You’ll want that, so keep some room in your suitcase.

Caravan Bankside

At the end of one of London's most evocative streets, Portobello Road, sits a dark façade. Behind those dark walls hides the kind of restaurant that is perfect for those who have something to celebrate (after all, it really isn't cheap). A nice setting with good staff and delicious, modern cuisine inspired by traditional Greek cooking. Quite surprising.

A classic. The simple restaurant has been an unmissable destination in the city for years: after all, it is the restaurant of self-taught chef Fergus Henderson who created it nose to tail single-handedly put cooking on the map. On the menu – of course – yummy bread and butter to start with, and then small lots yummy dishes to share. Hake in (lots of) butter and vegetables, for example, a spring chicken and many more quickly changing seasonal dishes. Did I mention it's not to be missed? If you want to have lunch or dinner during the weekend, reservations are a must.

St John Bread and Wine

Osteria Vibrato is located on Greek Street in Soho and looks almost remarkably modest from the outside for a restaurant that is now the talk of the town. Behind the scenes is Charlie Mellor, known from cult favorite The Laughing Heart, together with sommelier Cameron Dewar. The Laughing Heart built an almost legendary status in Hackney: late nights, natural wine, industry chefs at the table, and an atmosphere that balanced somewhere between chaos and genius. It eventually closed due to the aftermath of COVID, to the dismay of a large part of the London food scene. Osteria Vibrato now feels like the spiritual successor to that same concept. Good food, good wine, and an atmosphere that balances classic Italian with a bit of that Laughing Heart vibe?

Osteria Vibrato

Restaurant Sketch is secretly just a playground for adults thanks to the Alice in Wonderland-esque classrooms in one fancy Mayfair townhouse (in the upscale neighborhood of Mayfair itself, of course). The Sketch Aternoon Tea Extravaganza (with champagne of course) in the Sketch Gallery (formerly the iconic Pink Room) borders on perfection. Even the toilets are a special experience.

Sketch

These two are fun! And also un-London affordable. They are sister restaurants, where you are welcomed with a friendly smile and easy chat. At Pachamama it will be Peruvian inspired menu served in a colorful, dark cellar. No daylight here, which is a shame especially in the summer, but we are in Great Britain so who cares. And oh thanks to the Latin American one vibes It's always summer inside. The chicken kebab is tender and soft and spicy of the chili, the ribs just right.

Pachamama

A vegan restaurant that should be on your radar is Studio Gauthier, the new restaurant of French Michelin star chef Alexis Gauthier. Around the corner from Tottenham Court Road tube station you will find this gem, and it is still relatively undiscovered. Crazy, because here we ate the very best vegan sushi – we would jump on the Eurostar for one bite alone. French cuisine is of course known for classic dishes with meat or fish, but Alexis Gauthier has been brave enough to goodbye to say to animal products. Everything (really everything) is vegan at Studio Gauthier. The must-try tips: the homemade caviar and the Studio Sushi Set.

Studio Gauthier

Japanese is never a bad idea either. Certainly not if you end up with the elegant Sumi in Notting Hill. Expect a lot of wood in light color schemes. They eat here casual en low key, but if that comes from the hands of a chef with a Michelin star, then it is of course all relative. Endo Kazutoshi has trained his chefs well and the most beautiful, tasty dishes come out of the kitchen. And not only is a lot of attention paid to fish, the vegetables are also grown locally and chosen according to the seasons. Add a layer of Japanese cooking techniques and Sumi brings unique flavors to the table.

Sumi

It is London's highest restaurant, Duck & Waffle, open 24/7, and they serve, well, waffles. Among other things. Doomed to fail, you would think. Not so. Duck & Waffle is fantastic! Seriously. You take the glass elevator to the 40th floor. Oysters and ceviche are on the menu, and, naturally, the signature dishes: a waffle with fried duck and a snout side up egg on top.

Duck & Waffle

A place of a completely different caliber is Bob Bob Ricard in Soho. Do you know that one? instafamous knob 'press here for champagne'? Well, it's from here. They serve a classic British & Russian menu and serve more champagne than any other restaurant in the UK. Look, they obviously want to maintain that record – we're happy to give them a helping hand (or two). It's a real I-never-get-tired-of-here place. Immerse yourself in dark blue learning bench and see if that champagne button works. Spoiler alert – it actually works!

Bob Bob Ricard

The Greek restaurant mazi may not get rave reviews online on every site, our London local tried and tried and tried! And damn it is definitely a fantastic recommendation. Hidden in an almost too small and therefore too cozy building in a street in Notting Hill. The menu consists of a mix of traditional and modern Greek dishes and clearly only the highest quality products are used. In summer it feels like real Greece in the small garden.

mazi