The City may be on the quiet side at the weekends, but there are some cracking restaurants there - not least at Bloomberg Arcade which houses a few on our list. All of these places will be at their buzziest during the week - and that's the best time to visit them.
1 Lombard Street is now something of a City institution, in what used to be a former banking hall. Known for its highly impressive domed bar, it has a modern European menu and the large restaurant seats up to 200. So expect a big City crowd during the week.
D&D London, are behind this restaurant which is part of the South Place Hotel in the City. This restaurant sits on the top of the hotel and, as you can imagine from the title, does have a focus on fish. Expect a fine fining experience which has gained the restaurant a Michelin star.
On the edge of Finsbury Square, this has a view overlooking the square - albeit mainly from the terrace and bar at the front of the hotel - with some excellent views from the private terraces one floor down, which are highly covetable. In winter, there are bookable igloos too while the menu is a modern European affair with a very strong weekend lunch.
There's a distinct Spanish flavour to Barullo, the City restaurant from Victor Garvey, the person behind Rambla in Soho. Expect a big focus on paella as well as classic tapas dishes.
Blacklock, famed for their chops have an extended menu in the City with new cuts, starters, and their all-important cut-price cocktails in a 100-cover restaurant with reservations available too. A good option for a great value meatfest.
Charred, smoked and grilled is the name of the game at Brigadiers, which is cooking up all manner of kebabs, chops, tikka and feasting options for hungry City sorts at the Bloomberg Arcade, with a huge selection of beer to wash it all down. It comes from the same people behind Trishna, Hoppers and Gymkhana - so it's easily one of the best Indian restaurants in the City (with a good bar too).
Cabotte is a restaurant founded by two Master Sommeliers. So while the menu is classic French, really the key thing here is the wine list that accompanies it. A good wine for bringing any really keen wine drinkers.
Canto Corvino comes from people behind the popular Manicomio restaurants. This modern Italian restaurant boasts an extensive Italian wine list, weekend brunches and more.
Chiswell Street Dining Rooms is part of the ETM Group, the same people behind The Botanist. It's based within what used to be the old Whitbread Brewery building and offers a modern British menu which is particularly strong on game.
The City base for Vivek Singh's Cinnamon group of restaurants has been a staple of Devonshire Square for over a decade. They're serving up modern Indian cooking and there's a decent sized bar here too.
City Social is Jason Atherton's City restaurant high up in the high-rise Tower 42. There's a fancy design by Russell Sage, a more high-end experience some of his other ventures and a huge bar space. Oh, and there's a fantastic view too.
Run by chef Pascal Aussignac, this Smithfield restaurant has been around for a couple of decades - an impressive feat in London - and has held a Michelin star for many of those years. So it's very much a London institution. The menu focuses on Gascon cuisine, so yes there is foie gras.
Coq D'Argent is a restaurant by D&D serving up classic French cuisine. It's a classic City restaurant, over 20 years old, with a prime place at the top of 1 Poultry and with an impressive outside rooftop bar space too.
Part of the Angel Court development, COYA's City branch features a Latin American bar and a restaurant serving contemporary Peruvian dishes. Head to the Pisco Bar for their own bespoke Pisco cocktails and look out for their popular weekend brunch.
Duck and Waffle has a well-earned reputation as being one of the best restaurants with a view in London - and what a view. It's almost worth a visit for the elevator ride alone. The restaurant has much to recommend besides the view, including the signature Duck and Waffle itself.
Think of this Spitalfields spot as an elevated wine bar, serving not only a cracking list of Italian wines, but a range of traditional Tuscan dishes using top-notch produce. Their slow cooked regional stews are particularly worth seeking out.
Brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin run this restaurant, set in the frankly stunning St Botolph's Hall. Think fine, French, Michelin-starred food in historic surroundings.
Goodman was one of the restaurants leading the charge to transform London steakhouses into restaurants that could rival their American counterparts. Expect a damned good steak and much more at this City outpost.
Gunpowder serves Indian small plates just around the corner from Spitalfields Market. It's run by Harneet Baweja, who was an Indian entrepreneur who wanted to bring something different to the scene. The dishes on their menu are inspired by those that the team grew up with.
Everything that Hawksmoor does turns to restaurant gold and this restaurant is no exception. Things kick off with a proper breakfast for City folk and the whole thing is housed in an incredible looking basement room. You'll find their usual great steaks, cocktails and more.
If location is all, then this river-facing restaurant has won the lottery. Making the most of its river frontage, High Timber is a high-end steak restaurant for city boys with a serious wine list, courtesy of owners Gary and Kathy Jordan who own the Jordan vineyard in Stellenbosch.
This is the third restaurant from Jose Pizarro (and his first outside Bermondsey) one of London's top Spanish chefs. Here, they serve up all manner of classic and inventive Spanish dishes with a big focus on grilled meats like presa.
koya has been a Soho institution and this was its first expansion outside that area, with a larger location and with the same udon noodles and more that made the original such a big hit.
For his second restaurant, Andrew Wong has his own take on classic Chinese dishes. The city in Bloomberg Arcade seat over 120, with a separate bar and private event space and a bloody great big tree inside the restaurant too (which looks amazing). The roasted meats are amazing.
The main restaurant at the Four Seasons has triple-Michelin-starred French chef Anne-Sophie Pic as the chef - and she's Michelin star for this restaurant too. It's very much a modern French fine dining affair.
Whether you're looking for Peking Duck or sushi, this restaurant (one of two at the Four Seasons Trinity Square) has what you're after - covering traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes with what they say is a 'modern approach'. Tables are well spaced too making it good for confidential convos.
The original BBQ boys, Pitt Cue Co, outgrew their Soho spot and relocated to much bigger premises in the City. And the menu has taken something of a shift too, with much of the meat sourced from pigs at Coombeshead Farm (and their amazing bread too). Choose from a wide selection of meat cuts, plus the bone marrow mash is unmissable.
Sweetings has been a London institution for over 100 years. It's certainly one of the city's oldest seafood restaurants and is only open during the week at lunchtimes. It's a City of London favourite and decidedly old school to boot.
Temper City is one of the group of restaurants run by Neil Rankin that specialises in barbecue, complete with a huge central firepit. On the menu you'll find steak, fish, tacos and more - as well as plenty of mezcal and gin concoctions to wash it all down with.
The Ned is both an impressive City hotel as well as a collection of restaurants. Soho House took over an impressive (and huge) old banking site and stuffed it with places to eat. There are ten restaurants to choose from and while some City restaurants get quiet at the weekends - this is buzzy at all times.
Yauatcha City is the second outpost in London for the high-end Chinese restaurant - also famed for its excellent dim sum menu. As well as the restaurant, there's also its own standalone Yauatcha Patisserie, mixing Chinese and European influences. And some damned fine macarons.
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