Before we tuck in to a whole new year of feasting in the capital, it’s time to look back at London’s best restaurants in 2024 and these are the restaurants we’d go back to in a heartbeat and that’s the criteria of the Top Ten Restaurants of 2024.
London’s best restaurants in 2024
From a Korean restaurant with a dish so delicious we just had to go back for seconds to the best pizzeria in Europe, we dined at some truly incredible London eateries in the last 12 months.
But after much deliberation, we finally came up with our official ranking, and only one restaurant could come out top…
The Top Ten Restaurants of 2024
Read on for our top recommendations to book in 2025 – plus the tasty new openings to keep an eye out for later in the year.
#10: Crispin at Studio Voltaire
There’s a sense of theatre at Crispin’s latest south London venture, probably because, with thick black curtains covering painted breeze block walls, it looks an awful lot like a drama studio. But a really cool one, with handblown glass chandeliers, melting black iron candelabras, and wine literally on tap.
The arty vibes make sense, as Studio Voltaire is actually a gallery, and as you walk through the tranquil courtyard garden, you get the sense a masterpiece awaits. As ever, Crispin’s focus is hyper-seasonal British-European fare that’s cooked really, really well (there are some impressive CVs in the kitchen). The menu changes frequently, but the vibes stay the same – rustic, yet assuredly modern plates of all sizes.
Highlights from our visit included a perfect croquette under a fragrant mound of comte cheese, plump cod swimming in a bright fennel velouté, and a beautifully seared bavette steak on grilled pepper sauce. But the star of the show was a simple, refreshingly old-school pudding – a wedge of warm brown butter cake, topped with a dollop of tart creme fraiche and hot pink strips of forced rhubarb.
The Slice says: We reviewed two new-ish openings from Ham Restaurants just weeks apart from each other, but Crispin at Studio Voltaire just edged it over Bistro Freddie for a spot on this list. A little bit more laidback, a little bit livelier, and equally excellent food.
Large plates from approx. £20. 1A Nelson’s Row, Clapham.
#9: The Devonshire
Been living under a rock? Chances are you’ve still heard of The Devonshire. Sure, it’s a pub in Soho, but it’s taken on an almost mythical lore fuelled by a Glastonbury-style booking system, incandescent reviews and word of mouth.
What did my mouth have to say about it, though? It was too stuffed full of the tastiest langoustine cocktail and melt-in-your-gob slices of Bearnaise sauce-drizzled sirloin to make any sense. Too busy trying to fathom how they get the steak’s cuisson, texture and char grill so bang on. It’s something to do with their two in-house butchers and a wood-fired oven.
As for their now-legendary Guinness, it achieves its famed smoothness by relentlessly cleaning the lines so there’s no stagnation. New pleasure level, unlocked.
Mains from £24. 17 Denman St, Soho.
#8: Napoli On The Road
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Europe’s best pizza would be found in Italy, somewhere like Rome or Naples. Luckily for us, it happens to be right here in London. Napoli On The Road, which has restaurants in Chiswick and Richmond, was recently crowned the best pizzeria in Europe in the 50 Top Pizza Awards 2024. If that wasn’t enough, owner Michele Pascarella, a chef from Naples who has been making pizza since he was 11 years old, was crowned the best pizza chef in the world at the most recent World 50 Top Pizza Awards.
So is Michele’s pizza really the crème de la crème? Simply put, yes. Alongside classics and an ever-changing specials menu, the star of the show is The Cheesewick (a play on Chiswick), which is topped with Buffalo ricotta, fior di latte, buffalo stracciatella, crisp Parmesan chips, dry blue Stilton, and tangy piennolo cherry tomato jam. It’s essentially a very fancy five cheese pizza (don’t expect to find any cheddar here). No wonder Michele has been winning such prestigious titles left, right, and centre. It really is that good.
Read Courtney’s full review of Napoli On The Road here and her 2024 foodie picks here.
Pizza from £11.95. 9A Devonshire Rd, Chiswick; 12 Red Lion Street, Richmond
#7: Tamila
Run by ex-roti King chef Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson, Tamila is Battersea’s newest, and arguably best, curry house. Sister to Islington’s celebrated The Tamil Prince, this dimly-lit spice heaven is perfect for a date night. The buttery paneer puts modern curry king Dishoom to shame, while the tandoori chicken is a seasoning sensation.
Don’t expect a huge bowl of bright pink British curry on a bed of mushy rice, but instead sumptuous small plates to share that pack a tasty punch, putting a welcome twist on Indian dining.
You must – I repeat, must – try the Gunpowder Margarita, too. It’s the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve had many). Expect friendly staff – thank you Josephine – and good vibes only. Plates from £10 each, with a few recommended per person. It’s not super cheap, but damn, it’s tasty.
Plates from £10. 29 Northcote Rd, Battersea.
#6: Ibai
Anything with an ‘EC’ in the postcode isn’t the obvious place to trek for a meal, unless you work in the area. Trek there anyway, Richard Foster, ex-Exec Head Chef of The Chiltern Firehouse (from where many of the waiting staff have come), has created something exceptional.
The room is vast, all polished concrete floors, exposed ceilings and overhead ventilation pipes like a cosy loft apartment in New York’s Meat Packing district, but it is the precise and well-thought-out Basque/French Pyrenean menu that steals the show. The Croque Ibai is a grilled cheese sandwich on performance enhancers, with carabinero, aka a deep-sea prawn (I had to ask), Tomme de Bribis, a hard cheese from the French Pyrenees, and boudin noir.
The setup here is impressive, the staff super genial and the food is simply exceptional. Bang-on pricing and somewhere I’ll be returning to pronto.
Mains from £24. 90 Bartholomew Close, St Paul’s.
#5: Bottarga
Greek small plates couldn’t get any sexier at new spot Bottarga, Zephyr’s ‘younger and more casual’ sibling. Peel back the curtain and walk straight into sultry dim lighting, with paintings on the wall you’d see at an art pop-up in Shoreditch, and elegant stainless steel serving plates on the tables. Bottarga is the newest ‘it girl’ and she knows it.
And the food? Our all-round-good-vibes waiter, Luis, tells us bookings are full up until January – that says it all. The spicy feta and red pepper and tzatziki dips are must-tries: showstopping enough to eat by the spoon, but even better piled on a hunk of their soft, pillowy flatbread.
Still hungry? Order the Caesar salad – which comes hiding coquettishly under a mound of cheese – and melt-off-the bone tender lamb chops. This is the kind of place you’ll dream about.
We say: What’s not to love at Bottarga? With chic yet cosy decor and impeccable food, we’re itching to go back (and probably will as soon as we can get a table). Later this year, look out for the next Aegean creation from the Pachamama group, Effie, opening in Bayswater. (Check out more hot new openings to look forward to in 2025 at the end of the newsletter).
Mezze from £3.50. 383 King’s Rd, Chelsea.
#4: Miga
When was the last time you ordered a dish at a restaurant… Twice? And not because you and your date wanted the same starter – but because you just had to have more. That’s exactly what happened during my visit to Miga, in Hackney, when I tried their succulent japchae (glass noodles), and seriously considered a third serving.
This family-run Korean restaurant is understated and earnest (you’ll love it if open kitchens are your thing), and lets the food and service do the talking. The mood is welcoming and casual (‘You were here last month before your trip to Korea, weren’t you? How was it?’). I wholeheartedly recommend the maeun saeu (king prawns with gochujang sauce), but remember to bring your own booze if you’re going all out. If it’s not at the top of your list of places to try in 2025, it should be. And good luck getting a spot.
£30-55pp. 1 Mare St, Hackney.
#3: Rhum Tavern
A pirate ship-themed bar round the back of Regent Street should be naff. Except with Gabriele de-Vere, the industry veteran behind openings like Sketch and Mr Foggs, at the helm, it’s a work of pure genius – with some seriously delicious rum cocktails to boot.
Rhum Tavern is Gabriele’s passion project, and you can tell: every detail has been meticulously planned, perfected and executed to a level that would make the set designer of Pirates of the Caribbean blush. ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’, a macabre version of a Porn Star Martini, is served in a startlingly realistic resin skull (I believe there was a 3D printer involved).
Meanwhile inspired lighting – which filters through wooden grates overhead – gives the feeling of being hunkered below deck in a 16th century galleon. Except instead of miserable sailors rations, you’re quaffing the crispest daiquiris while eyeing up the 400-bottle strong rum list, and feasting on cubes of Rotaba-grilled salt beef (apparently this was all the rage on the high seas in the 1500s). Maybe it’s the pirate life for me after all…
We said: Okay, we know this isn’t a restaurant. But for sheer novelty factor and one of the most fun nights out we had in 2024 (other than Albert’s Schloss, but we’ll save that review for another list), we had to give this brilliant pirate bar a feature.
It was also one of our readers’ favourites, with more clicks than any other review this year. Have you been yet?
Cocktails from £10. 48 Margaret St, West End.
#2: Ekstedt At the Yard
Navigate your way through the rather arresting lobby of The Great Scotland Yard hotel, and you’ll find yourself in a tranquil Nordic pine woodland… that’s also on fire. This is a hotel restaurant with a difference: flashes of flame erupt from a kitchen where everything is cooked with natural heat, led by Michelin-starred Chef Niklas Ekstedt.
There’s a series of dishes here that make you double-take (what do you mean mustard ice cream?) but they all – and I mean all – deliver. From the smoky oysters caramelised with beef dripping to the veal tartare with the contrasting aforementioned mustard ice cream, my tastebuds were dancing with a childish glee.
Guided by a volcanic wine menu (new fact – the harder roots have to grow as they do in volcanic rock, the deeper the flavour of the grape becomes), and finished off with world-class cep mushroom soufflés – which are set to rise within the wood fire – this is one of the very few £90+ menus that will end up feeling cheap. Praise the gods. What a brilliant feast.
Set menu from £90pp (three courses); wine pairings from £70pp. 3-5 Great Scotland Yard, Westminster.
#1: The Slice’s Pick: Chishuru
Chishuru goes big with the first dish on their lunch set menu – Sinasir, a fermented rice cake. It’s a deconstructed version of the well-loved jollof rice, topped with deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes, clementine & chilli dressing, and bronze fennel fronds. It’s hard to believe the famous dish (that has become a bit of a West African celebrity) could be topped, but I think Chishuru just might have done it.
The next standout? Yassa, moreishly tender charcoal-grilled guinea fowl breast, accompanied by a beautiful lemon sauce. Each dish on the menu has a different texture, which makes for a consistently exciting journey. Pair yours with the Suya & Smoke cocktail, which blends pleasant bitterness from blood orange syrup with smoky Mezcal, finished with a nutty suya spice rim.
The decor is elegant and pastel themed. Abstract ornaments dress the shelves and the lighting is soft. It feels noticeably homely – guests are told to ‘come as they are’, as there’s no dress code here. Chishuru is clearly not afraid to make clear what kind of restaurant it is (its own website states that despite its accolade, it’s not fine dining). This made what was my first Michelin-starred meal feel special yet inviting, a feeling sometimes missing from high-end restaurants in Fitzrovia and the surrounding areas.
Adejoké Bakare is the chef behind the restaurant, and is the first Black woman in Britain to receive a Michelin star. A huge (and well-deserved) achievement and hopefully an example of many more to come.
Chishuru exceeded all our hopes and expectations. If you want to dine somewhere with both spice and depth, that oozes personality, you’ll find it all at Chishuru. Their latest lunch menu includes new additions such as Asun (pressed lamb belly, red pepper & anchovy sauce) and Taliyha (millet & sorghum pasta).
Set menu from £55 (three courses). 3 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia.
