When you have just two days to enjoy all that London has to offer, you don’t want to waste time searching for good places to eat and drink. For all your minibreak and staycation requirements, we’ve got you covered with our shortlist of the best restaurant, cafe and bar options for 48 hours in the capital, whatever your budget, right down to what to stock up on for the journey home.
Day 1 - West End
Breakfast
You're up (hopefully not too wiped out by your journey here) and ready to hit the town for London’s world-class culture and shopping. But first, before you can do all that, breakfast.
The miso bacon escargot at Arome - a perfect start to any day in London
Luxe: The Wolseley is the breakfasting venue of choice of hedge funders and A-listers. You’ll need to book well ahead to ensure your table here, but the viennoiserie and star-spotting is worth it.
Cool: Arome Bakery in Covent Garden serves up French patisserie with a twist and is best known for its miso bacon escargot. For a very different breakfast experience head to Soho to Koya and have the English Breakfast udon up at the counter.
Budget: The star of numerous movies and TV shows, The Regency Cafe in Westminster opened in 1946 and still serves a blinding breakfast.
Forget Pret - THIS is where you want to get your sandwiches from
Lunch
Luxe: Wander around the newly spruced-up National Portrait Gallery before lunch at Richard Corrigan’s restaurant The Portrait which has amazing views over London. For lunch with a spot of history, you need Quo Vadis where Marx started writing Das Kapital. Over in Mayfair, if it’s good enough for the King and Queen then Mount St. Restaurant is good enough for you. In St James, you can join the gallery owners and high rollers lunching at Maison Francois (make sure the dessert trolley swings by your table) and nearby Wiltons is a great pitstop for oysters and Champagne.
Cool: The best place to spot a Marvel movie star is at Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express. At Lisboeta in Fitzrovia grab a seat up at the counter for a bifana lunchtime special. And Mayfair restaurant Apricity is the place to go for sustainability credentials while TikTok favourite Fallow is a popular haunt for social media savvy foodies.
Budget: Shoppers in Covent Garden have a super place to decamp in Lahpet with its Burmese noodle bowls while everyone's favourite Indian chain Dishoom has two central London branches (Covent Garden and Carnaby), if you don’t mind queueing. For a quick bite, you can’t do better than the baos at Bao and Insta-favourite Paul Rothe & Son is a great place to try a proper British sarnie.
Dinner
On your first night out, you might not want to go too large too soon, but these dining and drinks options will give you a great introduction to the city’s dining scene in all its diversity.
Just some of the treats in store if you head to Humble Chicken in Soho
Luxe: Lovers of live fire cooking should try Humo in Mayfair while Gymkhana’s great for Indian food but also star-spotting. Similarly A-list friendly with a long history is seafood spot J Sheekey in Covent Garden while Ikoyi in the Strand is currently storming up the World's 50 Best list.
Cool: The counter dining scene at Humble Chicken in Soho is a great place if you like being up close and personal with the kitchen and - if you can get a table - Mountain is probably the city’s coolest restaurant right now. Just as cool but easier to get into is Rita's, also in Soho, and for a vibey dinner in the heart of old Mayfair the Noble Rot on Shepherd Market is the place to be.
Budget: For a glamorous West End lunch on a tight budget there’s no beating Brasserie Zedel in the heart of Piccadilly. Alternatively, head to Chinatown for the prerequisite Insta shot down Gerrard Street before jumping into Dumplings Legend for a basket of their xiao long bao. If it’s steak you’re after then Flat Iron in Soho’s always a good budget choice especially when dessert (soft serve) is free. And if you’re with a group and can’t make a decision on where to go then Arcade Food Hall at the end of Oxford Street is the place to go with its seven kitchens.
Drinks: A regular inclusion in the World’s 50 Best Bars list is The Connaught Bar, where ordering the martini trolley at this Mayfair hotel is a theatrical experience. For traditionalists, you can’t go wrong with Gordon's Wine Bar - a candlelit subterranean spot by Charing Cross that’s been a great date night spot and opened back in 1890. Underneath Michelin-starred Kol in Marylebone, you’ll find its Mezcalaria with perfect antojitos/bar snacks. But if it’s a proper pub experience you’re after, then The French House in Soho is unmissable (just know that they only serve beer in half pints).
It might not be chic and it's definitely shabby but that's why everyone loves Gordon's
Day 2 - City, Borough Market and East London
For your second day, we’d suggest going east where the City and surrounding area’s winning mix of history and modernity should offer something for everyone.
The full fry-up at Terry's complete with Bloody Mary
Breakfast
Luxe: London’s only true 24 hour restaurant Duck & Waffle also has views to die for. Order the signature dish for breakfast or brunch.
Cool: Ottolenghi's East London branch is the perfect pitstop for shakshuka or scrambled tofu before you go shopping in Spitalfields Market. If you mainly need caffeine to get you going then Nagare is the place to pop into (just look for the old shop sign saying Verde & Company Ltd).
Budget: For a proper full English head to Terry’s Cafe in Borough - it might look like a greasy spoon frozen in time, but the breakfasts are excellent and alongside a builder’s brew you can order macchiatos and green tea.
One of London's oldest, and best known markets - Borough Market.
Lunch
Luxe: It’s lovely when lit by candlelight but lunch at Sessions Arts Club is probably easier to get into at lunch and you can still enjoy the aesthetic. Equally jaw-dropping but in a much more glitzy way is Bob Bob Ricard City where you simply must use the Press for Champagne button.
Cool: Prove your foodie credentials by grabbing one of the daily-changing sandwiches at 40 Maltby Street. Alternatively, there’s always great charcuterie to be had at Manteca while the walled garden charms of Rochelle Canteen aren’t to be beaten. It’s a little further out but Cafe Cecilia draws a very cool crowd and a trip here can be bookended by a wander through the bustle of Broadway Market.
Budget: Probably the easiest and cheapest way to eat in this part of town is by making your way to Borough Market - there are always long queues for the Shellseekers’ roast scallops and the perfect cheese toasties from Kappacasein. Other places to pull up a stool include Tacos Padre and Juma Kitchen while the ever-popular Padella has a perma-queue for its pasta for a reason.
Dinner
Put your glad rags on because tonight you’re going ‘Out Out’ with the best that London has to offer discerning foodies.
Still boasting its original features from the 19th century, dining at Quality Chop House is a quintessential London experience.
Luxe: For a dress-up night out The Ned rarely disappoints with its multiple restaurants and bars. A more sedate (but gastronomically thrilling) evening can be had at Cycene while The Clove Club in Shoreditch has been deservedly on the World’s 50 Best list since 2016.
Cool: Climb the stairs of Farringdon Pub the Three Compasses to find the wonderful Bouchon Racine (book well ahead) serving up classic French cuisine. Also in Farringdon is the Quality Chop House where the modern menu is a perfect match for its old-school decor. Just down the road, you’ll find one of London’s most iconic restaurants St John which remains a superb spot for dinner. Newish spot Rambutan in Borough Market is also an excellent choice for its Sri Lankan mutton rolls.
Budget: Stick to the snacks and small plates at Smokestak in Shoreditch and you’ll stay within budget. The all-in platter at Blacklock nearby is always a budget bet while you can’t beat the lamb chops at Tayyabs or the pho at Sông Quê Café.
Drinks: East London’s awash with great bars, so we’ll provide you with an uber edit of where to try.
First up has to be Tayer + Elementary up at No 2 on the World’s Best Bars (make sure to try both the front and back bars for the full experience). Londoners love a natural wine and Oranj in Shoreditch has quite the list and a line-up of interesting food residencies too. A little further north, but worth the trek, you’ll find Cadet - perfect for great wine and best-in-class pate en croute. If time is running out, go to A Bar with Shapes for a Name where the pre-batched cocktails are peerless.
If you manage to secure a seat at Hackney spot A Bar with Shapes for a Name you'll be doing well.
Food shopping
Before leaving, make time to swing by one of London’s great food emporiums to stock up on goodies to take home, whether they’re the best of British or from around the world.
Harrods Food Hall has everything you could possibly need, or want.
For all the classics, start in Piccadilly at Fortnum & Mason. A London institution used by most of the royal family, the store’s a treat to wander around.
Harrods Food Hall over in Knightsbridge is a world-class place to buy food - we particularly recommend a turn round the chocolate hall. Off Leicester Square Japan Centre’s food hall sells everything from sushi-making kits to artisan Japanese tableware, while Tian Tian Market in Aldgate has every conceivable type of instant noodle to choose from along with a sake bar. For all things Italian you want Eataly at Liverpool Street where produce is shipped in daily from Italy.
And that’s it. Your 48 hours are up and it’s time to spend the journey home, planning your next trip to London.
48 hours, mapped
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