Grace Dent has revealed her top London restaurants for 2026, spanning from a classic Notting Hill establishment to a bikers' tea hut in Epping Forest.
New Favourites and Established Gems
Among her new favourites is Chez Rose in Mayfair, a French bistro that feels a hundred years old, with low light and intimacy perfect for a date night. Spencer Metzger, head chef at Row on 5 on Savile Row and formerly of the Ritz, is praised for his cooking.
Kudu, now on Moxon Street after eight years in Peckham, serves South African splendour. Dent recommends the bread with melted Cape Malay butter, and the Kudu Kit Kat with chocolate mousse and kumquat under torched marshmallow. Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin run the restaurant.
Wildflowers in Belgravia, Aaron Potter's first solo restaurant, offers Mediterranean food cooked over fire. The gnocco fritto with coppa, gorgonzola, and truffle honey is unmissable, and the upstairs wine bar is useful for group rendezvous.
Borough and Mayfair Highlights
Oma in Borough, by restaurateur David Carter with head chef Jorge Paredes, serves spanakopita gratin with malawach, lobster bisque börek, and oxtail giouvetsi with bone marrow. Agora downstairs is rowdier but equally delicious.
The Dover in Mayfair, run by Martin Kuczmarski, offers flattering lighting and dishes like crispy potato cakes with caviar, lobster ravioli, and chicken cordon bleu in pizzaiola sauce. Seven martinis are on the list.
Apricity, also in Mayfair, is chef-patron Chantelle Nicholson's almost vegetarian restaurant. Dent recommends the koji-glazed barbecue oyster mushrooms with black garlic and salted caramel soft serve with honeycomb.
Classics and Hidden Gems
The Ledbury in Notting Hill remains a benchmark of top-class hospitality. Dent suggests ordering the mushrooms from the cabinet, grown in-house over a truffle royale, and the brown sugar tart, on the menu for nearly two decades.
Gymkhana in Mayfair is praised for its vigour and raffishness. Dent often orders the venison biryani, kid goat methi keema with salli and pao, and tandoori masala lamb chops with walnut chutney. The waiting list is long, but the food never disappoints.
Akoko in Fitzrovia is recommended for a Guinness martini, moi moi with yellowtail, and Ghanaian bofrot doughnuts. The tasting menu is ever-changing, and Aji Akokomi and Ayo Adeyemi are praised as very clever.
A National Treasure
The Original Tea Hut in High Beech, Epping Forest, has been serving fried egg sandwiches, builder's tea, and flapjack since 1930. It's a cash-only spot for petrolheads or those who enjoy a down-to-earth cup of coffee, and is fast becoming a national treasure.
