Guide to celebrity-owned restaurants and bars in London

This contemporary European restaurant, wine bar, and wine shop is a joint venture by French oenophile David Farber and the incessantly multi-talented actor, musician, and is-there-anything-he-can't-do Idris Elba. They've set up shop in one of the striking Gasholder buildings in King's Cross, serving an 800-strong wine list along with seasonal continental sharing plates and daily specials.

In 2023, star winger Hakim Ziyech, who helped take Morocco to fourth place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, became part owner of Taco Taco. There's a minute chance he misread and thought he was investing in a next-gen Toca football machine, but more likely he saw a good business opportunity. Taking an already massively popular Mexican dish and evolving it with unusual fillings such as marinated salmon, teriyaki sauce, and pickled cucumbers sure does sound like the latter.

The Grapes is one of the oldest drinking spots in London, dating back around half a century, and, quite fittingly, it's co-owned by one of the oldest beings on Middle-earth – or rather, the actor who played Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” films. Sir Ian McKellen is not only one of the leaseholders of this snug, narrow pub by the Thames, he also provided some of the decor by bolting his wizard staff behind the bar, wrote the “About us” section on the website, and has even been known to pop down to run the pub quiz. No word if he's had to “You shall not pass!” any drunken fools at the door, though.

This upmarket steakhouse in Knightsbridge is the London headquarters of Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae. The Turkish butcher became a viral sensation thanks to his signature salt sprinkling technique, built on his success with a number of outrageously expensive restaurants around the world, and finally attained new heights of fame when he crashed the pitch for Argentina's World Cup celebration in 2022.

We're trying to avoid putting too many celebrity chefs in this guide, as it feels a bit like cheating, but at this point, Gordon Ramsay is arguably more famous as a personality than an actual chef, more meme than man. His restaurant empire is vast and varied, stretching from street-level pizza joints to three-Michelin-starred gastronomical palaces, though there don't appear to be any idiot sandwiches on the menu anywhere.

Not owned by a celebrity per se, but when you're the father of a global pop superstar, that counts as famous in our book. The Queens Arms pub in Kilburn is owned by Rita Ora's father, and it's actually one of the places she performed at very early in her career. The family's Balkan roots are reflected in the pub's menu, too, as it serves a selection of classic regional specialities in addition to the usual pub fare.

There's a case to be made for “Bertie Blossoms” being a better artist name than “Ed Sheeran”, but considering the English singer-songwriter has done fine for himself as is, we'll let it go. This cosy Notting Hill restaurant and bar gives off strong pub vibes and is a good choice whether you're after a nice meal or just a few drinks. Disappointingly, when it comes to the bill, they're all about Sheeran's debut album “+”, not his 2023 effort “-”.

Don't go into the Lore of the Land expecting the type of motor-mouthed petty criminals who are a staple of Guy Ritchie films - you're more likely to bump into the Beckhams than Turkish or Soap here. Building on the director's self-professed love of the British countryside, this elegant three-storey pub serves quality British food alongside craft beers, including house brews by the Gritchie Brewing Company.

When you're able to get your tyres changed in a matter of seconds, it stands to reason you're not fond of waiting around for food, either. Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton owns the award-winning Neat group, serving burgers, fries, and other typical fast food in vibrant, colourful settings. Notably, Hamilton has been a vegan since 2017, so there's no animal products to be found at Neat either.

Allow us to be blunt: this one's owned by singer-songwriter James Blunt. The cosy pub does its best to get his signature ear worm out of your head with a charming countryside atmosphere thanks to multiple fireplaces and a pleasant conservatory with a retractable roof. The tasty pub grub and drinks on the menu help as well. Pity the staff who've undoubtedly had to put up with plenty a desperate “you're beautiful” crooned at them at last call, however.

The first outpost by the celebrated Danish craft brewery on these shores comes in part thanks to the friendship struck up between brewery founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and venerated musician Rick Roll, errr, Astley. In a relaxed setting in Shoreditch, they offer a changing assortment of Mikkeller brews and guest beers on tap, making for a pleasant hangout spot. Just be careful clicking on any links …

Nobu is an international luxury group whose London ventures include hotels, restaurants, and bars. The upmarket establishments are known to be very popular with major entertainment stars - no surprises there, as they're co-owned by none other than Hollywood icon Robert De Niro. If anyone knows their way around an opulent hospitality establishment for the rich and famous, it's the guy who ran “Casino”.