Jump to: Late night | Open 24-hours
It's often surprising to visitors that London isn't more of a late-night city. But there are good places to eat late at night (excluding takeaways) if you know where to go. Here's our guide to the best restaurants in town where the kitchens are open late.
Late-night restaurants
Bob Bob Ricard
Soho - 1 Upper James St, London W1F 9DF
How late: Last orders 10.30pm Thursday to Saturday
This is a restaurant that’s 100% built for late night dallying and toying with that Press for Champagne button. Whether you need stomach lining dumplings or lighter fare like salmon tartare Bob Bob Ricard is perfect. Frozen vodka shots are an optional bonus.
Bocca di Lupo
Soho - 12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB
How late: Kitchen closes at 11pm Mon-Sat (21.30 on Sundays)
This bustling Soho Italian keeps its energy levels high for late-night dining. Grab a seat up at the counter and order some exemplary crudo and pasta accompanied by some amazing Italian wine.
See also: Their gelateria across the road, Gelupo, also open until midnight Friday & Saturday.
Duck and Rice
Soho - 90 Berwick Street, London W1F 0QB
How late: Last orders Tuesday - Saturday are 10.30pm
Late-night pub food - but make it Chinese. If you don’t fancy leaving the pub but are after something more substantial (and interesting) than crisps or nachos then Alan Yau’s Soho spot is just the ticket. Baskets of dumplings and an extensive chop suey section make this menu a must-try.
Speedboat Bar
Soho - 30 Rupert St, London W1D 6DL
How late: Kitchen closes at 12.30am on Friday and Saturday
A popular choice with restaurant staff looking for something fiery and fun to eat post-service, Luke Farrell’s bar aims to bring the flavours of Bangkok’s Chinatown to London. Curries and cocktails are great, but there’s also an inventive no-alcohol list if you’re looking for interesting soft options.
Balans
Soho - 60-62 Old Compton St, London W1D 4UG
How late: Open until 5am Wednesday and Thursday, until 6am Friday and Saturday and 1am on Sundays.
A Soho classic in every sense of the word, Balans has been a part of the area’s late-night scene since the 80s. From midnight to 5am the late-night menu is served - all day and all night breakfasts are the big hit but alongside the Lobster Benedict they also do pancakes, quesadillas and more.
Cecconi's Pizza Bar
Soho - 19-21 Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JJ
How late: Open till 12am most days (11pm Sun) and till 3am Friday and Saturday.
Part of the Soho House Group, Cecconi’s is all about fresh pasta and pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven. That drops to pizza-only on the late menu at the weekends - pair a slice with Soho House’s best-known cocktail, the Picante de la Casa.
See also: Their Shoreditch branch takes bookings up to 11.15pm
Dumplings Legend
Chinatown - 15-16 Gerrard Street, London W1D 6JE
How late: Open till 3am Friday and Saturday
A personal favourite of ours in Chinatown, this (along with Gerard’s Corner which is open ‘till midnight every night) is always a good bet if you’re in this part of town needing late-night sustenance. Go for the xiao long bao and beef hofen for a perfect combo.
See also: Opium Chinatown upstairs which gets its dumplings from here and is open till the small hours every night.
Dean Street Townhouse
Soho - 69-71 Dean St, London W1D 3SE
How late: Last tables 11.15 Friday & Saturday
Another handy late-night Soho spot from the team behind Soho House, this is attached to a hotel so if you really don’t want to go home, you could always head upstairs afterwards. A rare place to order traditional dishes like mince and potatoes or roast chicken close to midnight.
Brasserie Zedel
Soho - 20 Sherwood St, London W1F 7ED
How late: Last orders are 11pm (Mon-Sat) 10pm on Sundays
Super handy as a post-theatre spot in the heart of theatreland, Brasserie Zedel’s cavernous dining room is great for groups needing to dissect the latest Pinter production while at the same time enjoying great value traditional brasserie dishes like steak tartare or fish stew.
La Bodega Negra
Soho - 9 Old Compton St, London W1D 5JF
How late: The kitchen closes 11.30pm Wednesday to Saturday (11pm Tuesday)
The subterranean restaurant behind the peep show frontage is where to find the action, if by action you mean flights of Mezcal, tacos, tostadas and more. There’s usually a DJ on late too to keep the energy high.
The Dover
Mayfair - 33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
How late: Last tables, Monday - Thursday 11pm, Friday & Saturday 11.30pm
Quickly becoming one of Mayfair's hottest restaurants, Martin Kuczmarski's The Dover is the perfect place to go for dinner if you're after a place with laid-back chic. A pleasingly old-school New York Italian in a gorgeous dark wood-clad setting, everything from the snacks to the excellent martinis is well worth a look here.
Hippodrome Casino
Leicester Square - Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
How late: Last orders 4.30am.
While a casino might not be the first place you’d think of for great food, the offering at the Hippodrome has been transformed in recent years and you don't have to be playing roulette to order it. There’s bar food across all floors and a particular standout are the sandwiches from Max Halley of Max’s Sandwich Shop. You could head to their Chop Chop restaurant from the Four Seasons group on the lower ground floor.
MEATliquor W1
Marylebone - 37-38 Margaret St, Marylebone, London W1G 0JF
How late: Kitchen open until 2.30am every day
If a messy burger, loud music and hard cocktails are what you’re after in a late-night establishment then the MEATliquor behind Oxford Circus is the place to come. Permanently busy with an always-up-for-it vibe, it gets our vote.
Hakkasan Hanway Place
Fitzrovia - 8 Hanway Pl, London W1T 1HD
How late: Last table booking is at 11pm.
The glitzy dark interiors of the OG Hakkasan have always been a vibe and if early date drinks have gone particularly well, this is a perfect spot to end the night. Expect a menu of luxe Chinese dishes, so the Peking Duck comes with caviar and there are wagyu dumplings to be had.
The Savoy Grill
Temple - 100 Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
How late: Last order to the kitchen at 11pm (Sunday 10.30pm)
Who says late-night London needs to be doners on the night bus home? For one of the more glamorous nighttime options, the Savoy Grill ticks all the boxes. Gordon Ramsay’s classic French restaurant with stellar service to match would be a great place to hit up post-theatre.
2850 by Night
Marylebone - 76 Jason Ct, Wigmore St, London W1U 2SJ
How late: A la carte till 12pm and after that there's a midnight menu till 1am.
Next door to 20:50’s wine bar you’ll find this venue serving up great wine alongside live music. The a la carte menu features everything from oysters to creative vegan mains - at midnight that switches to more of a cheese and charcuterie vibe.
Smoking Goat
Shoreditch - 64 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ
How late: Last table 10.45pm
If you find yourself wandering the streets of Shoreditch all hyped up and hungry then a late-ish (and very good) place to end up is Smoking Goat. A plate of fish sauce chilli wings alongside electric-hued cocktails and all is suddenly well with the world.
24-hour restaurants
Duck & Waffle
City of London - 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
How late: Open 24 hours. Late night menu from 2am to 5.30am.
London only has a handful of truly 24-hour operations and this is the only one that comes with a view over the city from sunset through to dawn. The late-night menu kicks in at 2am but while it’s shorter than the regular one it still has everything from corndogs to foie gras creme brulee and the signature duck and waffle dish on there.
Polo Bar
City of London - 176 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4NQ
How late: Open 24 hours
This is another City spot that’s truly open all day and night whether you’re after a pancake platter for a bunch of mates or have a hankering for shepherd's pie with peas at 2am. Looking for a bargain? Well, the bottomless brunch option is also on offer 24/7.
Vingt-Quatre
Chelsea and Bloomsbury
How late: Chelsea VQ is fully 24 hours. Bloomsbury VQ is 24 hours from Wednesday morning through to Sunday morning.
The first restaurant in London to be open 24 hours (hence the original name Vingt Quatre) the VQ in Chelsea has been serving up their all-day breakfasts and more to everyone from pop stars to normal punters for almost 30 years now. If you don’t fancy a full English there’s also a night menu with salads, burgers and club sandwiches on offer.
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