The best restaurants in West London

Lush & Hush is a cosy West London restaurant and delicatessen where you can both dine and shop, set in a small, stylish space with marble tables and a playful leopard mural. The focus is on top-quality produce, particularly fully traceable Japanese A5 Wagyu and seafood, served in simple dishes that let the ingredients shine. Strong coffee, a concise wine list, and regular tastings make it a popular neighbourhood spot.

A relaxed West London restaurant by none other than Jason Atherton, There Darlings is a top choice for food and drinks throughout the day. In the morning, it's a pleasant spot for a tasty breakfast plate or just to pick up some coffee and pastries. Later in the day, it evolves into a full-blown dining destination, complete with a British produce-led menu, premium steak nights, and cocktails. Clad in marble and a millennial pink palette, it's memorable option for special occasions and group gatherings.

Hidden away in Belgravia's Eccleston Yards you'll find The Jones Family Kitchen, a contemporary steakhouse that has won awards for its premium cuts. Charmingly furnished with floral wallpaper, stripped columns, and lighting to set the mood, it's a good one to keep in your pocket for romantic occasions, though casual everyday dining is more than welcome here as well. Thoughtful touches like a dedicated potato menu or seasonal feasts add another level of enjoyment to the proceedings.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what this lively West London restaurant is all about. The menu is built around premium beef and sea bass, with a few vegetarian options to cover all bases. The high-quality cuts and fresh fish are expertly cooked over charcoal, filling the snug dining room with an invitingly smoky aroma. Before or after your feast, you can nip into the speakeasy-style cocktail bar for a sharpener.

Having cemented her reputation as one of the world's leading chefs at her three-Michelin-starred flagship Core in Notting Hill, Clare Smyth brought her refined, produce-driven cooking to Chelsea as well. The venues showcase Smyth's skilful reimagining of British cuisine, with Core taking an elevated fine dining approach, while Corenucopia keeps things a bit more grounded with its bistro stylings. Both West London restaurants are strikingly beautiful and well worth a visit.

Another three-Michelin-starred restaurant in West London, The Ledbury was founded by Australian chef Brett Graham and has long been held in high esteem by both serious food lovers and the wider dining world, being previously declared the best restaurant in all of the UK. Celebrating the best of British produce, the restaurant offers carefully structured tasting menus at both lunch and dinner.

Since opening on Portobello Road, this West London restaurant has quickly built a strong following. The kitchen focuses on contemporary European cooking shaped by the seasons, with techniques such as open-fire grilling and wood roasting at its core. Standout plates include the likes of roasted cauliflower with spiced yoghurt or slow-braised beef short rib finished with porcini butter, while cocktails lead the way on the drink menu.

Housed in a smart, industrial-leaning dining room in West London, chef Max Coen directs a menu built around elegant plates that celebrate the finest seasonal British ingredients. Expect combinations such as wood-roasted Orkney scallop with pumpkin or a 55-day-aged pork chop when visiting for lunch or dinner, alongside a precisely compiled wine list.

At his West London restaurant, chef Fadi Kattan – a leading voice in modern Palestinian cooking and a trailblazing restaurateur from Bethlehem – brings together distinctive regional herbs and British seasonal produce to express the breadth of Palestinian flavours across stews, salads, and other dishes. The drinks are inspired by arak, the world's oldest spirit, with wines and cocktails also drawing on Levantine influences.

At The Lavery in West London, the daily changing menu travels across the Mediterranean, with a detour to Scotland for premium Scottish ingredients, all supported by a well-curated wine list. The restaurant takes its name from the former occupant of the Georgian townhouses it inhabits, the painter Sir John Lavery, and preserves many of the original period features. There's an on-site café for a quick pick-me-up as well.

The River Café has been around for decades, but its appeal never wavers. Celebrated for its superb Italian cooking and tranquil riverside setting, the Michelin-starred West London restaurant has long been considered an authority on classic Italian cuisine, highlighted in the daily changing menus, underlined by a welcoming atmosphere, beautiful views, and a commitment to top-quality ingredients. Pro tip: the notorious Chocolate Nemesis cake is an essential finale to your meal.

Buzzy West London spot Martino's is devoted to Italian cooking from morning until night, set within a polished dining room of terrazzo flooring and chandeliers. Menu highlights include the likes of spicy roast chicken diavola, fettuccine Alfredo, and meatballs in rich sugo, complemented by a well-stocked selection of cocktails, wines, and other drinks. With restaurateur Martin Kuczmarski at the helm, no detail is too small.

Set beside Hammersmith Bridge, Sam's Riverside is a modern British restaurant with some of West London's finest Thames-side views. The stylish space features bar seating, a covered terrace overlooking the water, and a private dining room, while a deli tucked away at the back makes sure there's something tasty to take home as well. An international wine list and expertly made cocktails round out the experience.

One of only two London pubs to boast a Michelin star at the time of writing, The Harwood Arms is a top destination for British cuisine in West London. Emphasising best-of-British produce, including game and other wild foods, it's a stylish contemporary take on traditional pub comforts, serving things like a venison Scotch egg or an exemplary Sunday roast. The pub is fitted with wooden furniture and mounted stag heads.

The award-winning Sufi is a reliable choice for a genuine taste of Persian culinary prowess. This relaxed yet elegant West London restaurant offers a menu packed with classic Iranian dishes prepared using top-quality produce. Expect everything from slow-simmered khoresh stews and fragrant appetisers to expertly grilled kebabs, with plenty of variety to suit all tastes.

Wildflowers is a warm Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar led by chef Aaron Potter, whose CV includes stints at Maria G's and Elystan Street. Set across two levels and complemented by an outdoor terrace, the West London restaurant provides an attractive setting for both leisurely meals and more intimate private dining, while the on-site Bar Flor is perfect for a more playful, relaxed stop. PS - We recommend ordering the slow-grilled Segovian suckling pig to share.

This pretty Mediterranean-style pizzeria in West London is the original flagship of Michele Pascarella, crowned Europe's Pizza Maker of the Year 2023 by the authoritative 50 Top Pizza Guide. Napoli on the Road has earned a reputation as one of the finest pizzerias globally, drawing devotees from far and wide. The menu spans everything from time-honoured favourites like margherita and capricciosa to Pascarella's rotating seasonal creations.

Paulette in Maida Vale is a traditional French bistro with a homely, rustic charm, from its chequered tablecloths to the wine-lined shelves. The kitchen turns out old-school French dishes that feel both generous and refined, paired with a thoughtfully sourced selection of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic bottles. The venue also hosts regular wine tastings and features a deli counter stocked with gourmet provisions.

Former Nobu chef Scott Hallsworth has turned his cult Freak Scene pop-up into a permanent home, delivering a high-energy, full-throttle dining experience. His West London restaurant serves up a playful, boundary-pushing take on Japanese flavours, reworking crowd-pleasers like burgers, fried chicken, and small plates from a Tokyo state of mind. Deliberately brash and a little punk, this is contemporary dining with a sense of fun.