Where to eat near the Elizabeth Line

Gavin Hanly 24 October 2022

It's hard to believe the day would ever come, but the Elizabeth Line is finally open. And that means it's easier than ever to reach some of London's best restaurants. If you're on the line and feeling peckish (in central London) here's where you can step off and refuel.

Paddington

Mash with ALL the cheese on The Cheese Barge

Paddington has come a long way food-wise in the past few years, with restaurants by (or even on) the canal being the best bets for this area.

The Cheese Barge - A restaurant that literally does what it says, serving all manner of cheese dishes on a (moored) barge. Every bit as good as it promises to be.
The Grand Duchess - Another restaurant on the water, this comes from London Shell Co and there's a big focus on seafood.
The Cleveland Arms - A short walk from the station and one of the best pubs in the area with a great menu

More from Paddington

Bond Street

The gorgeous stripped-down room of Apricity

This is the last major Elizabeth Line station to open - and perhaps one of the handiest for Central London, being in the centre of Mayfair and right next to Marylebone. There are two exits, one on Davies Street (the normal Bond Street exit) and another on Hanover Square. Of course, this is the stop right next door to Selfridges, with the Food Hall there (and many of their restaurants) well worth a visit.

There are a LOT of restaurants in this area but the top four that we'd recommend right next to the station exits are:

Apricity - Just a couple of streets away from the Davies Street entrance, for some great sustainable eating.
Pollen Street Social - Steps away from Hanover Square, you'll find Jason Atherton's signature restaurant.
Roji - Just around the corner from Bond Street on South Moulton Street is this tiny omakase spot.
Claridge's - They may be searching for their main restaurant right now, but this hotel has some of the very best bars in the area all under one roof

For more in the area, check out these guides:

Tottenham Court Road

The amazing-looking dining room at Circolo Popolare

Tottenham Court Road is your next main central London station for Crossrail. Here you've got very easy access to three of London's best dining-out areas - Soho, Covent Garden and Fitzrovia.

Almost on top of the station exit at Tottenham Court Road is the new Arcade Food Hall, with lots of impressive dining options all under one roof. And soon, there will be a new Din Tai Fung just above it too.

But if we were to pick the top three restaurants closest to the brand new station on Dean Street, those would be:

Circolo Popolare - The Big Mamma Group's most popular restaurant in town serving up great value Italian food in an amazing looking space
Noble Rot Soho - The second Noble Rot restaurant saw them taking over the classic Gay Hussar site with a menu that is very much of the now, while also having influences from the Hungarian restaurant that went before. It also has an amazing wine list.
SOLA - Head straight down Dean Street and you'll find Victor Garvey's Michelin-starred restaurant that takes Californian fine dining as its inspiration

If you're looking to explore, then these guides are what you need:

Farringdon

Brutto At Brutto, make sure to order the "cuddles" - doughballs that you stuff with prosciutto

Next up is Farringdon, which gives you access to the best restaurants in Farringdon, Smithfield and the wider Clerkenwell area. The top three spots nearby are:

Brutto - Russell Norman (who started Polpo) returned with this hit restaurant that is inspired by restaurants in Florence, including their huge T-Bone steaks.
Sessions Arts Club - One of London's coolest new restaurants which boasts a jaw-droppingly beautiful dining room paired with an amazing menu from Florence Knight.
St John - One of London's institutions, a visit to Fergus Henderson's nose-to-tail restaurant is a must

And if you're looking for more, check out our guide to the very best restaurants in Clerkenwell.

Liverpool Street

Bob Bob Ricard City The City version of Bob Bob Ricard looks ever so slightly bling

This is your main connection to the City of London as well as Shoreditch but it's also worth noting that the station is so big that there's a second exit at Moorgate. Close by the best restaurants in our book are:

Bob Bob Ricard City - A short walk from the station, the city outpost of Bob Bob Ricard has recently been given a big glam overhaul
Galvin La Chapelle - The jewel in the Galvin group's crown, this Michelin-starred restaurant looks amazing
Brat - About a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Street gives you access to some of London's best restaurants, including the amazing Galician steaks and turbot at Tomos Parry's Brat

There is of course, also Eataly which is right next door to the Liverpool Street station exit. And if you're looking for more, check out our guides to the area:

Whitechapel

Tayaabs The lusted-after chops at Tayaabs

Starting to move farther out (but still quite handy for Brick Lane and Commercial Road), the nearest and best restaurants are...

Tayaabs - The Punjabi restaurant is still beloved, now in its 50th year!
Lahore Kebab House - Another Whitechapel classic, the chicken tikka and, of course, the kebabs are what you need to zero in on here
Townsend at the Whitechapel Gallery - The gallery's restaurant has really found its stride with Townsend, a modern British dining room with an excellent evolving menu

Canary Wharf

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf The only Hawksmoor that's floating on the water.

With the working population ever-growing, the Canary Wharf dining scene has come along in leaps and bounds too. And the new line makes it incredibly easy to get here from central London (and vice versa). Nearest to the station here, we'd go for:

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf - Any outpost of Hawksmoor will get you an amazing steak dinner, but the added bonus of this restaurant is that it's actually floating on the water.
Big Easy - If it's a huge barbecue dinner that you want, then this Big Easy is their biggest yet and just by the station
Caravan - For breakfast, brunch and everything in between (as well as their own coffee), Caravan is always reliable.

Stratford

Allegra An Allegra classic - their pistachio choux buns with black garlic

Not on the main line at the moment, but worth a mention is an easy link to Stratford, another area that's become much improved in recent years. Our best bets here are:

Allegra - Hands down the best restaurant in the area (with an amazing terrace too), Patrick Powell's restaurant continues to be the place to go in Stratford
Haugen - This is D&D's Stratford outpost, and it's all about Alpine dining (and is blessed with a great rooftop space)
Japan Centre - There's a lot in Westfield itself, of course, but your best bet here is to head to Japan Centre where you'll find a sushi bar, a Japanese bakery and more

Yes, there are many, many more stations on the Elizabeth line but right now, we're just concentrating on the main ones. We'll be back to update this guide soon.

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