23 Best Romantic Restaurants in London

© Ceru South Kensington

Ceru is a vibrant restaurant in South Kensington that brings the sun-blessed shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the heart of London. Nestled just off Old Brompton Road, the charming little Levantine diner boasts brightly colored walls, dizzily patterned furniture, and a bustling open kitchen that produces equally fresh, fun, and colorful cuisine. Using fresh Mediterranean ingredients sourced from all over the Med and Middle East, the restaurant serves a menu of mouthwatering dishes such as zucchini and feta fritters, shish taouk, Persian kaftas, chicken tikka, crisp apple, mint and pomegranate salad, and pancar beetroot. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of fine wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits.

7-9 Bute Street, London, SW7 3EY, Phone: +44-20-31-95-30-01

© Chez Bruce

Based on the leafy Wandsworth Common, the phenomenal Chez Bruce is a high-end modern French restaurant that has been serving exceptional cuisine for over 20 years. The Michelin star-winning restaurant has a simply decorated dining space with polished wood floors, neatly laid tables, striking modern art on pastel walls, and an unpretentious ambiance. Chef Bruce Poole creates flavorsome Euro-inspired cooking with an ever-changing seasonal menu of dishes such as roasted garlic sausage, sautéed duck hearts with pearl barley, a rump of veal with ragù-dressed hispi cabbage, and courgette purée and girolles. The cuisine is accompanied by an exceptional 600-bin wine list featuring classy vintages from around Europe.

2 Bellevue Rd, London SW17 7EG, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-86-72-01-14

© Clos Maggiore

Located in the heart of Covent Garden, Clos Maggiore is a contemporary French restaurant that draws influence from the stylish country inns of Provence and Tuscany to bring diners a gourmet dining experience. Boasting intimate and warmly decorated interiors, the restaurant has a flower-filled conservatory with a fully retractable glass roof that creates a bright and airy dining space that can be enjoyed in all seasons. Head Chef Marcellin Marc establishes a menu of sublime Provençal-inspired cuisine using locally sourced seasonal ingredients, which is accompanied by a notable wine list from the extensive cellar at Clos Maggiore featuring over 2,000 labels of wines from around the world.

33 King St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-73-79-96-96

© Galvin La Chapelle

Situated in the Spitalfields Market, Galvin La Chapelle is a gourmet eatery that pays homage to the grand designs of traditional French bistros with polished surfaces, artisan tiles, and reflecting mirrors and a vibrant, pleasant atmosphere. Galvin La Chapelle offers several dining options that cater for socializing and entertaining, business gatherings, discreet one-to-one meetings, and private parties. A variety of menus feature a fusion of classic French brasserie favorites and local, seasonal specialties, including roast partridge, Puy lentils, and Alsace bacon. Savor a sumptuous Scottish seafood platter of Berwick crab, Orkney scallop, Loch Broom langoustines, Cumbrae oysters, and Shetland mussels at the seafood counter or sip cocktails at the central oval bar.

35 Spital Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6DY, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-72-99-04-00

© GBR - Great British Restaurant

Based at Dukes London in the heart of St. James, GBR – Great British Restaurant is a posh destination for traditional British dining, including afternoon high-tea and weekend Champagne brunch. The 58-seat restaurant boasts a beautiful contemporary dining space with a trendy and vibrant design and serves a seasonal menu of the finest traditional and modern British dishes for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. The restaurant has a private dining room for special celebrations and offers a full bar menu of local London and British craft beers, classic and inventive cocktails, and an extensive international wine list.

37-38 St James's Pl, St. James's, London SW1A 1NS, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-74-91-48-40

© HIDE

Spread over three floors in a prime position overlooking London’s Green Park, HIDE is a striking glass-fronted eatery with a specially designed Art Deco staircase that boasts an ambiance that takes diners into the pages of a storybook. Each floor of the restaurant has a dedicated menu from an á la carte menu for both lunch and dinner and a bakery on the ground floor to a tasting menu and set lunch on the first floor and a sophisticated bar menu and high-end cocktails on the second floor. The diverse selection of delectable grub and carefully-crafted food is accompanied by 6,800 bottles from boutique wine retailer Hedonism Wines.

230 Hendon Way, Hendon, London NW4 3NE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-82-03-16-70

© olezzo/stock.adobe.com

Kerridge's Bar & Grill is an elegant Michelin-starred restaurant that serves refined British comfort food in a glossy, marbled space. Helmed by renowned chef Tom Kerridge, the London restaurant boasts dark green walls adorned with contemporary art, vibrant, Burgundy leather seating, and fridges filled with prize cuts of meat from Kerridge’s butchery. The thoroughly British, proteinous menu features creative takes on the UK’s most famous dishes, such as dry-aged rib of beef with ox cheek bordelaise, mushroom risotto with parmesan, glazed omelet lobster thermidor, and raspberry and rose geranium trifle. A marble-topped bar serves English sparkling wines and craft ales and lagers.

10 Northumberland Ave, Westminster, London WC2N 5AE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-73-21-32-44

© Kitchen Table

Kitchen Table is a two-Michelin-starred that serves a multi-course menu of small European dishes in a quirky, eclectic space. The eatery has a 19-seat, U-shaped counter set around a cooking station where guests tuck into sublime micro-sized plates of food. The menu boasts oysters with elderflower granita and smoked oil, rosemary-infused mascarpone, and chicken skin sarnies, sea trout with green almonds and fennel, and yogurt parfait with gooseberry coulis. The restaurant boasts industrial girders and rustic wood and leather décor and exudes an ambiance of log cabin-meets-warehouse. Sommelier Sandia Chang flaunts the 100-bin wine list and Champagnes from the Bubbledogs’ bar.

70 Charlotte St, Bloomsbury, London W1T 4QG, United Kingdom

© Korova

Korova is a quirky, family-run eatery in Tufnell Park that is a charming café by day and an elegant French restaurant and cocktail bar by night. Named after the famous Korova Milk Bar that once served milk mixed with mind-altering drugs, the tiny restaurant serves a concise menu of contemporary cuisine with dishes like seared foie gras, silky shallot soup, braised lamb shank with butter beans, ribeye with gratin dauphinoise, and chocolate mousse. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of fine wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits such as negroni and a Vesper martini from the art-deco-style cocktail bar.

9 Campdale Rd, London N7 0EA, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-72-63-15-15

© Margaux

Margaux is an elegant neighborhood restaurant that serves European-inspired bistro-style food and Old World wines in comfortable and atmospheric space with exposed brick walls. Urban décor and pendant lights create an intimate ambiance, and the menu boasts creative dishes include homemade pork terrine and tuna tartare, venison fillet, pappardelle with rabbit ragù, and roasted confit duck with cocoa. A 200-strong wine list accompanies the cuisine, including the namesake Bordeaux, along with signature cocktails, local lagers, and brews.

152 Old Brompton Rd, South Kensington, London SW5 0BE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-73-73-57-53

© Ognisko Restaurant

Formerly reserved for members of The Polish Club, the revitalized Ognisko is a smart Polish restaurant with an opulent white dining room and a hotel-style bar. Established in 1940, the restaurant is based in a grand stuccoed townhouse and serves a menu of upscale, orthodox, and traditional Polish and Baltic dishes with a variety of ingredients sourced from Europe. The menu features baskets of pumpernickel and dark rye bread, Ukrainian barszcz (borscht) with beetroot and smetana (sour cream), wheat flour dumplings, Siberian-style pelmeni, and rabbit and prune stew with kopytka (potato dumplings). The elegant bar serves a range of generously poured vodka Martinis, and numerous gin and whiskey-based classics.

55 Exhibition Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2PG, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-75-89-01-01

© Ormer Mayfair Restaurant

Ormer Mayfair is a celebrated Michelin-star winning restaurant in the Flemings Mayfair hotel with elegant décor and a hushed, intimate atmosphere. The wood-paneled hotel dining room boasts brass-fitted, plush-furnished rooms with Art Deco-inspired furnishings like 1930s leather banquette seating and handcrafted chevron glass screens. A creative menu features classic British cuisine with a contemporary twist such as lobster ravioli, roast duck and foie gras, and salt-baked sea bream with artichokes. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of fine wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits.

Flemings Mayfair, 7-12 Half Moon St, London W1J 7BH, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-70-16-56-01

© Victor Koldunov/stock.adobe.com

Tucked inside the InterContinental London at the O2, the elegant Peninsula Restaurant offers an unrivaled dining experience against a backdrop of dramatic views of Canary Wharf and the River Thames. The restaurant has a stylish dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a private dining suite seating 24 guests. The creative menu features artful dishes such as tender Iberico pork fillet, prawn ceviche with squid ink, and vanilla parfait with sticky toffee and tonka crumble and are accompanied by a carefully selected wine list of fine wines around the world.

2nd Floor, 1 Waterview Dr, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0TW, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-84-63-68-68

© Scott's

Located in Mount Street, Mayfair, Scott’s is a seafood restaurant with an elegant oyster and champagne bar that sells a massive selection of market-fresh sustainably-caught fish, crustacea, caviar, and oysters. Established over 150 years ago, Scott’s also serves seasonal game, meat, and vegetarian dishes and an elegant oyster and Champagne bar serve a full à la carte menu of fresh oysters and Champagne from around the world. Signature dishes include Cornish sardines, scampi Provençale, seared sea bass, sautéed monkfish cheeks with bordelaise sauce, and bass ceviche. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of fine wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits.

20 Mount St, Mayfair, London W1K 2HE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-74-95-73-09

© funkyfrogstock/stock.adobe.com

Located in Covent Garden, Sticks 'n' Sushi is a Japanese restaurant chain based on a renowned Danish concept that specializes in serving sushi and grilled yakitori skewers. The restaurant boasts a stylish Scandinavian design and is hailed for serving inventive and sensational top-notch sushi, yakitori, sashimi, nigiri, and colorful maki rolls, as well as miso black cod dragon rolls, tempura shrimp temaki, and beef with crunchy chili and garlic. The drinks selection includes traditional saké, artisan teas, and craft beers.

11 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8PY, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-31-41-88-10

© Restaurant Story

Restaurant Story is a Scandinavian-inspired restaurant helmed by Chef Tom Sellers that serves a range of British classics in the form of a six-course lunch and a ten-course dinner menu featuring creative and evocative dishes. The sleek restaurant has a glass-walled dining room with storybook décor, ornate sculptures, crisply dressed tables, and soft lighting creating a romantic ambiance. The menu features delectable and unique dishes like snail porridge, bread with dripping and caviar, veal sweetbread and turnip, and oscietra caviar. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of fine wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits.

199 Tooley St, London SE1 2JX, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-71-83-21-17

© The Barbary

Tucked away in Covent Garden’s cozy nook known as Neal’s Yard, The Barbary is a petite eatery that specializes Middle Eastern-meets-North African food and serves small plates with Berber-style flavors. The charming little spot has a Middle Eastern courtyard, a central kitchen and a weathered zinc bar, colorful décor, and a warm and welcoming ambiance that evokes images of an exotic land of pirates and traders. The Barbary offers an enticing menu of deftly spiced and seasoned dishes like tender, slow-cooked Persian goat stew, grilled swordfish with capers, roast garlic, and vine tomatoes, and desserts such as semolina pudding with rose syrup. The drinks list encompasses trendy orange wines, arak, and vermouth.

16 Neal's Yard, West End, London WC2H 9DP, United Kingdom

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The Ledbury is a West London dining institution helmed by Chef Brett Graham that serves inventive, palate-challenging cuisine. The relaxed haute cuisine Michelin-starred powerhouse boasts sophisticated décor and modern appeal with leather chairs, arty tortoiseshell chandeliers, and gorgeous mirrors, and serves sublime dishes like dried eel with English caviar and clay-baked ‘candy’ beetroot, Cumbrian veal grilled artichoke oil, truffle-sprinkled beef fat on toast, and monkfish with orange and pumpkin purée. Desserts include Mara de Bois strawberries and ewe’s milk sorbet, and a selection of fine wines from around the world, craft beers, and signature cocktails are served from the full-service bar.

127 Ledbury Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2AQ, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-77-92-90-90

© The Northall

The Northall is a striking restaurant based in the luxurious Corinthia Hotel with a glitzy, high-ceilinged dining room with designer lighting that serves seasonal, sustainable British cuisine. Opulence reigns supreme with double-volume ceilings, striking crystal chandeliers, studded leather chairs, and fresh flowers. Helmed by award-winning Executive Chef André Garrett, the Northall serves a seasonal menu of sublime European cuisine featuring fresh seafood and sustainably-caught fish, prime, grass-fed meats, organic vegetables, and British cheeses. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of award-winning and globally-sourced wines, imported craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits.

Corinthia, 10a Northumberland Ave, Westminster, London WC2N 5AE, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-73-21-31-00

© The Palomar

The Palomar introduces a slice of modern-day Jerusalem to the heart of London’s Chinatown with an array of contemporary Middle Eastern cooking and other exotic cuisine. The cozy restaurant boasts an intimate wood-paneled dining room lined with windows showcasing barbecued duck and bubble tea, a zinc kitchen counter, tables and chairs, and a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu is fresh and vibrant with dishes such as kubaneh bread with tahini and tomato sauce, lamb with pistachios and pine nuts, Josper-grilled chicken with black rice and pomegranate seeds, and the signature shashlik kebab.

34 Rupert St, West End, London W1D 6DN, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-74-39-87-77

© The Ritz Restaurant

Epitomizing the sheer opulence and timeless grandeur that brings royalty to mind, The Ritz Restaurant is a magnificent bastion of the haute cuisine culture. Established by Auguste Escoffier and considered to be one of the most beautiful hotel dining rooms in the world, The Ritz’s towering marble columns holding up ornately frescoed ceilings, soaring floor-to-ceiling windows and gilded neoclassical statues create nothing less than an ethereal and other-worldly ambiance. An elegant terrace is perfect for summer al fresco dining. Classical and indulgent ‘palace style’ cuisine keeps up the standard with sensational contemporary incarnations of traditional French dishes using the finest seasonal British ingredients. Expect to dine on fresh, native lobster, plump game birds, tender new season Welsh lamb, and crisp Yorkshire rhubarb – all from the British Isles. The dessert menu is as decadent as the surroundings – try the crêpes Suzette which waiters flambé tableside.

150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9BR, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-73-00-23-70

© Aerial Mike/stock.adobe.com

Set beneath in an eight-story glass-roofed atrium in the elegant Landmark London hotel, the Winter Garden offers an unrivaled dining experience surrounded by spectacular architectural and interior design. The vast dining space changes mood with the weather, which can be seen through the glass roof and is manned by buttoned-up staff who cater to every whim. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an award-winning afternoon tea, complete with assorted finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and mouthwatering French pastries from The Landmark London’s patisserie.

The Landmark London, 222 Marylebone Rd, Marylebone, London NW1 6JQ, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-76-31-80-00

© Zuma London

Zuma is a high-end and ultra-trendy Knightsbridge restaurant where A-list celebs, swanky bankers, and sporting super-stars rendezvous to dine on award-winning Modern Japanese fare. Sleek, post-industrial décor with a splash of Zen creates a seductive and oh-so-fashionable ambiance for the high-rollers who come to dine on high-art sushi and sashimi, and a line-up of sublime dishes such as crispy shrimp tempura with shiso and citrus mayonnaise, squid with chili and lime, black cod wrapped in hoba leaves, and pecan pie and kokuto caramel sundae for dessert. A refined wine list features vintages from around the globe, along with premium saké, signature cocktails, and the inevitable green tea.

5 Raphael St, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DL, United Kingdom, Phone: +44-20-75-84-10-10