Guide to the best restaurants in Westminster

Chef Andrew Wong’s restaurant serves elevated Chinese cuisine that’s a world away from your neighbourhood takeaway. Explore the rich and vibrant regional culinary traditions of China through a range of tasting menus that emphasise sharing and communal dining. The extravagant meals can be paired with wines from a carefully curated list, with signature cocktails available as well.

A sophisticated Indian restaurant decorated with bespoke artwork, the Michelin-starred Quilon flexes its culinary chops through a range of seafood-emphasising dishes from the southwestern regions of Goa and Kerala. The chefs will gladly craft a tasting menu that’s personalised according to your preferences, and there’s a world-class wine list to go along. À la carte options are also available. In addition to a separate cocktail bar, Quilon also boasts a private dining room with its own kitchen, bar and entrance.

This compact, unassuming restaurant in Westminster does all the classics that have made Italy such a culinary force to be reckoned with. The menu features pizza, pasta and so on, with the simple and unpretentious food served in a similarly simple and unpretentious setting. Judging by the high ratings this eatery keeps getting from satisfied customers, it must be doing something right.

Art afficionados who are looking for a break from the urban jungle would do well to duck into the bright and colourful Artist Residence Clubhouse. The comfy furnishings, surrounded by bold contemporary art, are just the thing for laidback sampling of modern British and international dishes, from breakfast all the way through to dinner and evening cocktails. There are different private spaces for hire as well, decorated with unique artwork.

The somewhat difficult-to-spell Th@51 offers all-day dining in a chic, pastel-tinged setting, with international culinary favourites cherry-picked from all over the globe – don’t be surprised to find bao buns side-by-side with fish ‘n’ chips here. If you like a bit of showmanship with your meal, the open kitchen, Robata grill and artful presentations provide added flair, and the outdoor garden is full-on vibes in sunny weather.

Some of the best pizza in the capital can be found just off of Trafalgar Square, courtesy of renowned Neapolitan pizza chef Ciro Salvo. Suffused in familial Italian hospitality, the high-ceilinged, marble-clad 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo temple to pizza uses extremely hydrated dough to craft award-winning Nepaolitan-style pies. You can choose from a variety of authentic toppings, add an Aperol Spritz and wrap things up with a tiramisu for the full Italian experience.

Located in the Grade II listed Old Westminster Library, acclaimed chef Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Club serves a fine dining take on Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s tasting menus are famed for their blend of traditional flavours and spices with modern influences and Western-inspired twists. Expect specialities such as chargrilled king prawns and tandoori venison with masala mash, with set lunches, brunch and other options available as well.

Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge’s first London venue is devoted to laidback and warm hospitality, creative cuisine and the finest produce. With specially commissioned artwork hanging on the walls, the contemporary space feels like an art gallery. The menu showcases its own works of art, elevated British staples such as pig’s cheek pie, pork and mushroom pâté, and fish ‘n’ chips. Drinks include a dedicated gin and tonic menu.

The main culinary offering at The Rubens at the Palace is split across two eateries, The English Grill and The Curry Room. The former is an opulent British restaurant with Murano chandeliers, theatrical cooking and oodles of old-school charm, while the latter offers upscale Indian dining with pan-African influences, refined service and rich decor. Both are a top choice for a sophisticated night out.

This creative restaurant near Victoria Station focuses on seasonal British cooking, serving modern twists on culinary traditions in a light, inviting dining space with planters bringing the outdoors in. You can choose from both main and set menus, including vegan and vegetarian alternatives. Wine is also a big part of the draw at Lorne, with the curated selection including international vintages that are available by the glass, carafe or bottle.

If you’re looking for the next big culinary thing, you might just find it at The Vincent Rooms, where Westminster Kingsway College students get hands-on experience in cooking and serving fine cuisine, hoping to join the ranks of famous alumni such as Jamie Oliver and Ainsley Harriott. The food is of Michelin-starred quality yet much more affordable, with two elegant dining spaces to choose from – one focuses on eclectic flavours, while the other combines chef and school co-founder Auguste Escoffier’s principles with modern techniques and presentation. 

Offering laidback all-day dining in a stylish Art Deco setting, The Ivy Collection’s Victoria branch spans two floors. These British brasseries are an integral part of London’s hospitality sector, serving contemporary cuisine that ranges from global favourites such as tempura prawns to national staples such as shepherd’s pie or veal sirloin. The signature Ivy cocktails are also on hand in case of any thirst-related emergencies.

If you’re after a proper Full English, Regency Café won’t mess around. This venerated establishment was opened after the Second World War and draws both diners and filmmakers with its smart and simple black tiled exterior. It’s not all about the brekky here, however, as there’s a menu of sandwiches, salads and cooked lunches and dinners to keep the nation fed throughout the day as well.

Sally Abé, a much-celebrated chef of the younger generation, is behind the scenes at this tasteful burgundy restaurant at the Conrad London St James. Through a menu of contemporary British-inspired cuisine and seasonal ingredients, The Pem pursues depth of flavour and culinary excellence. A typical meal might take you from Steamed Porthilly Oysters to Glazed Guinea Fowl Breast and then round off with Bramley Apple Pie, all accompanied by a curated wine list. Book the private dining room if you'd like to have the chef create a fully bespoke menu for you.

Living up to its grand name by offering a refined take on traditional Chinese cuisine, Imperial Treasure is located in a Grade II listed venue with a subdued, intimate atmosphere. The extravagant menus at this luxurious restaurant draw on China’s rich culinary heritage to showcase authentic delicacies, ranging from dim sum to live seafood and Peking duck. The sizeable wine cellar offers vintages from around the globe, with a lengthy array of cocktails, spirits and other drinks available as well.

You’ll find members of parliament as well as members of the public at this elegant Chinese restaurant that focuses on cuisine from the Sichuan region. There, the dishes are known for their bold, pungent flavours and the characteristic spiciness of the Sichuan pepper. All the traditional specialities  are present and accounted for on the menu at Ma La Sichuan, including Ma Po Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken and egg-fried rice.

Swedish superstar chef Niklas Ekstedt chose Scotland Yard for his first venture outside his native country. Specialising in smoking and cooking over flame, the smart dining room complements the seasonal menus with an earthy, comfortable setting. A typical set menu at Ekstedt at the Yard might include items such as hay-smoked custard with trout roe, smoked Orkney scallop and slow-roasted pork neck. Choose between a set menu or the nine-course tasting menu.

For a bowl of hearty Japanese noodle soup, stop by Bone Daddies, a community-based ramen restaurant that has branches at different locations all over the city. At the Victoria location, you can enjoy Japanese cuisine with a Western twist, such as pig bones in a sweet and spicy sesame glaze, along with the house-made broths and noodles.

The luxe Wild Honey St James was launched by acclaimed chef Anthony Demetre and is home to his signature modern European cuisine, available in a selection of changing menus that aim to satisfy every appetite. The simple recipes bring out the best in the quality ingredients, while the striking interior pairs the cuisine with marble-top tables, velvet furnishings and memorable artwork. An extensive range of drinks is served as well.

Bbar is a trendy spot for laidback dining and spontaneous cocktails, situated at a prime location across from Buckingham Palace and beneath London’s largest living wall. Celebrating the culinary heritage of South Africa, the kitchen showcases it through modern international dishes such as jackfruit burgers and bobotie spring rolls. The decor goes for classy savannah vibes with animal prints and sculptures, and there’s also a South African-style afternoon tea service.

Rather than solely relying on external suppliers, Caxton Grill maintains a rooftop kitchen garden and beehives, using what it grows as both produce and inspiration. The sustainability-minded modern eatery offers familiar European fare with pronounced natural flavours, ranging from wagyu steak burgers with spiced tomato relish to Josper-roasted aubergines. Caxton Grill has a cosy, familial feel to it, and also features a separate bar with refreshing cocktails.

A bastion of refined Italian cuisine in Westminster where you might bump into your MP, Osteria dell’Angolo takes you on the full culinary ride, starting with antipasti and progressing through pasta or risotto to meat- or fish-based mains and the classic tiramisu finisher. You can complement you meal with fine wines from Italy, and there’s a set lunch menu available as well. The elegantly furnished restaurant with white tablecloths also has a bar where you can unwind with a refreshment.

The Northall is the high-ceiling dining room at the five-star Corinthia London hotel where you can sample seasonal menus crafted by acclaimed executive chef André Garrett. The internationally-inspired menu utilises fresh ingredients in main courses such as roasted Norfolk black leg chicken with bread sauce, roasted potatoes and seasonal veg, or roasted monkfish tail with summer cabbage, chorizo, buttermilk & horseradish. You can pair your set menu with wine as well.

The 2020 National UK Burger of the Year was born out of a love for the classic Zaitzeff burger in NYC’s East Village. Bleecker Burger dry-ages and cooks to order the rare-breed, grass-fed beef from small farms around the country, with the resulting rich beefy flavour hard to find anywhere else. Choose from different burgers with American Cheese and special scratch sauce, fries on the side and ice cream shakes to top it all off.

This cheerful bistro is a hit with local diners, using fresh, nationally sourced ingredients to prepare a delightful assortment of small plates and quick bites. The tapas-focused menu draws on a variety of international influences, as well as offering some other European classics, for example risotto. You’ll find everything from garlic bread and Spanish cheeses to gravadlax or seafood croquettes on the menu here.

For vintage French haute cuisine, visit this classic bistro next to St James’s Park station. The vibrant eatery cooks up contemporary incarnations of traditional recipes, serving everything from sweet and savoury breakfast options to a varied all-day menu with specialities such as beef bavette, cauliflower steak and pan-fried cod. French wines are de rigueur, of course, but there are classic cocktails and aperitifs to drink as well.

With a team that gained cred working with famed chef Heston Blumenthal manning the station, it’s no wonder Fallow keeps coming up with inventive takes on contemporary British food that aims to delight and impress, yet still fill you up. Weekday set lunch and Sunday roast menus are available, featuring creative items such as whipped salmon belly, steaks and plant-based burgers. The spacious and modern dining area is a guarantee no matter the weather, but the heated pavement terrace can hold its own as well.

Combining Korean BBQ and sushi across two combined venues, Jumak39 is a cool spot with a casual dining room where you can pick and choose off the à la carte menu. For a more intimate, Korean pub-like vibe, however, head into the neon-lit downstairs, where the all-you-can-eat buffet lets you take as much sushi and meat to grill at the table as you like, plus lots of sides.

Drawing on head chef Ramael Scully’s mixed heritage, Scully St James’s presents bold flavours through unique, colourful tasting menus. Expect eclectic ingredients and top quality produce, served in a bright interior with artwork on the walls and shelves lined with house pickles and preserves. As well as a menu for omnivores with choices such as short rib pastrami or nasi jagung, a dedicated vegan tasting menu is available as well.