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Welcome to London

Theres never been a better time to eat or drink like a Londoner. New restaurants and drinking establishments open here every week, constantly upping the base level and increasing the options on offer. The dining scene, in particular, is booming: where once eating out meant a starched world of fine dining accessible only to a few, now more people than ever, across generations and income brackets, eat out regularly in noodle bars, at street food markets, sushi counters, steak restaurants, pie shops and Michelin-starred restaurants.

As home cooks and food shoppers, Londoners have become a lot more discerning (and spoilt). Farmers markets sprout and bear fruit in most neighbourhoods. The city boasts numerous sourdough bakeries, coffee roasters, craft brewers, picklers, charcutiers and cheese makers. And there are multiple quality delicatessens, cafs and independent bottle shops, each proactively seeking to stock and promote locally made products, while also providing consumers with access to the very best from elsewhere across the country and beyond.

Few, if any, of Londons best restaurants are secret or hidden, though you do need to seek, ask and be willing to venture beyond the obvious chains that appear on every high street. An open mind will be rewarded by a city whose kitchen has something for everybody. Indeed, this cosmopolitan capitals palate is evidently multicultural you can travel the world on the back of an Oyster card, while also feasting on food thats very definitely British.

Explore the City

Central Bustling Soho is the epicentre of casual, concept dining. Busy from early afternoon to the end of the night, all tastes are catered for, though expect queues as few restaurants take reservations. Nearby Chinatown has a similar vibe, whereas dining in Covent Garden , Holborn and Fitzrovia is marginally more relaxed, with a mix of large name chains, long-established independents and bookable bistros.

North Central Formerly a no-go area, Kings Cross is now a near-fully regenerated zone with multiple enticing concepts attracting a mix of office workers, commuters and local residents. Nearby Clerkenwell and Islington attract a similar clientele, thanks to bijou clusters of characterful, mid-range and informal restaurants.

South Central Perennially busy chain restaurants line the Southbank , attracting tourists, theatre buffs and museum-goers. Local young professionals tend to swarm to areas slightly beyond the waterfront, such as the charming and foodie-oriented Bermondsey to the east of London Bridge , and the vibrant edges of Borough Market .

The City & Shoreditch City workers are well-fed in high-end restaurants and by fast-paced lunch concepts. In the evenings, suits mix with (or change into) creatives on the eastern edge of the Square Mile; Shoreditch , Hoxton and Old Street are home to some of Londons most cutting-edge restaurants and bars.

East Londoners used to head to Kingsland Road for authentic Vietnamese, and to Dalston and Stoke Newington for great value Turkish feasts and they still do. But fashionable Hackney is perhaps now better known for its youthful creatives, forward-thinking neighbourhood restaurants, artisan bakeries, coffee shops and breweries with tap-rooms.

West End High-end restaurants, classic hotel bars and a taste of the good life are de rigueur in Mayfair , St Jamess and the western end of Piccadilly , where both dining and diners are smart, mature, refined and well-funded. Theres a slightly more relaxed, continental feel to Marylebone , though restaurants and cafs remain classy.

West Elegant wine bars, smart pub kitchens, safe mini-chains and modern juice bars serve the well-heeled residents of Kensington and Chelsea , not least in the once cutting-edge, now more rounded, Notting Hill . There are a scattering of top-end and chichi places too, particularly in and around the hotels and department stores of Belgravia and Knightsbridge .

South Though some lament recent gentrification, south London retains an edge and an air of independence. Locals are rightly proud of their mix of ethnic cuisine and contemporary neighbourhood restaurants. The likes of Brixton and Peckham attract young eaters and restaurateurs, and there are long-established local gems in Camberwell , Clapham and Stockwell .

North Affluent northern neighbourhoods of St Johns Wood , Primrose Hill , Hampstead and Highgate feature village-like high streets with reliable, if uninspiring, chains and bars. Their backstreets, on the other hand, contain some of Londons best pubs and gastropubs ideal retreats post park walk or urban meander.

Meet the Locals

Ed Smith

rocketandsquash.com

The author of the website rocketandsquash.com, a food journal regularly updated with restaurant reviews, recipes, news round-ups and short films, Ed has featured as a resident chef for the Guardians supplement Cook and guest cookery writer at the Independent on Sunday. His debut cookbook, On the Side, was shortlisted for the inaugural Jane Grigson Trust Award.

Catherine & Gavin Hanly

hot-dinners.com

Co-founders of Hot Dinners, an eating out website for London that was set up in 2009 as an alternative to directory restaurant sites, Catherine and Gavin bring a new way of looking at the London restaurant scene and cover everything from pop-ups to openings. They were first listed in the Evening Standards 1000 most influential Londoners list in 2012 and, with the exception of 2014, have been on the list every year since.

Celia Brooks

celiabrooks.com

A former private chef for director Stanley Kubrick and author of nine cookbooks, including her latest: SuperVeg. She makes regular television appearances and runs a London food tour business called Gastrotours. She is the only person licensed by Borough Market to run tours there, and writes regularly for their website.

Chloe Sachdev

unseen247.com

Specialising in food, drink and travel trends, Chloe is a freelance writer who contributes to various publications including Cond Nast Traveller, Gourmet Traveller and the Evening Standard. She is the co-founder of lifestyle and culture newsletter Unseen 24/7.

George Reynolds

egoscriptor.space

George Reynolds is still clinging onto a 2016 food writing award (for pieces completed in 2015), which he has parlayed into occasional work at The Sunday Times, Noble Rot and Eater London.

Rosie Birkett

rosiebirkett.com

A food writer, food stylist and author based in Hackney, east London. Rosie has written two books: A Lot On Her Plate and, most recently, East London Food a book exploring the rich and diverse culinary culture of her London neighbourhood.

Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton

haaralahamilton.com

A photographic duo specialising in capturing food, people and places. As well as photographing cookbooks they shoot the weekly Food and Drinks pages for the Telegraph, Stella and Grazia, and are regular contributors to numerous magazines, including