London Restaurants - South Bank, London Bridge, Bermondsey

14-16 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD

Cafe Francois is a spin-off of Maison Francois in which they've brought an extremely fancy French cafe to Borough Yards. it's a combo brasserie, bakery and deli offering everything from sandwiches and pastries to take away to a dine-in menu that roams from escargots and gougeres to rotisserie steaks and chicken.

102 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB

Lolo is Jose Pizarro's third restaurant on Bermondsey Street and, like the others, this brings something a little new. This time it's an all day, casual affair. So he's added extras like sandwiches and some truly great egg dishes, alongside a Spanish sharing plate experience.

2 Dirty Lane, London SE1 9PA

Barrafina comes from the Harts Group (also behind El Pastor) and the restaurants serve up some of the very best Spanish tapas in London. It's also predominantly about counter dining and if you manage to get a seat at that counter, the tapas (particularly the tortilla) will be worth it. There's also a bar, Bar Daskal, attached if you want to have a drink before or after.

4 Dirty Lane, London SE1 9PA

This Spanish Grill restaurant is a spin-off from Barrafina (indeed there's a Borough Barrafina just next door). Here, there's a big focus on grilled meat and fish and a big alfresco space. Plus, if you're outside, you'll get the chance to grill your own dinner on their tabletop grills.

2-4 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL

These are actually two separate but linked restaurants, coming from David Carter, the man behind Smokestak and Manteca. Both Greek-inspired, the downstairs Agora is more of a taverna-style walk-in-only affair with flatbreads, skewers and cocktails. Upstairs is Oma, a slightly more upmarket place with a live fire grill at the heart of it and some hugely impressive mezza, breads, and larger Greek-inspired dishes (as well as an extensive semi-alfresco area). Both come with a strong vibey feel that adds a bit of buzz to the market.

Arch 208, 18 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD

Aji Akokomi, the man behind Fitzrovia's Akoko, is behind Akara in Borough Yards—a West African restaurant where the menu centres around crispy akara fritters with diverse fillings. The drinks list also showcases West African-inspired cocktails (as well as an impressive scotch bonnet cordial) and it's all set within repurposed railway arches, with an impressive mezzanine private dining space too. Definitely order the akaras, but make sure to take in some of the excellent larger plates too.

6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB

Kolae comes from Som Saa's Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver in Borough Market and showcases a modern Thai grill concept. The three-story restaurant has a menu which features Southern Thailand-inspired dishes, like their Kolae chicken bamboo skewers, and it's well worth checking out the cocktail section and the well-thought-out wine list.

8 Melior St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3QP

Sollip is from husband and wife team Woongchul Park (formerly at The Ledbury and Koffman's) and Bomee Ki (former pastry chef at The Arts Club). They're marrying the team's European cooking style with Korean influences in a fine-dining, paired back approach.

36 Snowsfields, Bermondsey, London SE1 3SU

Trivet is a joint collaboration between chef Jonny Lake and master sommelier Isa Bal, both alumni of Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck. Here you can expect an informal take on fine dining with a truly epic wine list that covers the globe. The attached wine bar also serves the restaurant menu and it's open on Mondays (when the restaurant is closed) as Labombe serving special wines by the glass.

Arch 35b, Flat Iron Square, Union Street, London SE1 1TD

The people behind Bar Douro have used their Portuguese ancestry to bring the authentic tasted of Portugal to London. But it's not just about the food, there's an extensive selection of Portuguese wine too, all in a counter dining setting.

6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ

Probably the London restaurant that's done more for this city's passion for pasta than any other opening, Padella comes from the Trullo stable and serves up freshly-made-each-day pasta. The only downside is the queue or waiting time for a table. Prepare to be patient.

104 Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey, London SE1 3UB

José Pizarro has a small but select group of restaurants in London - this is his diminutive sherry and tapas joint. The menu changes daily and consists of simple sharing plates such as Razor Clams 'a la plancha' and the best Jamon Iberico. The decor mirrors the style and feel of Barcelona's Boqueria market.

194 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ

Further along the same street as his popular tapas bar José, this is Jose Pizarro's more formal Spanish restaurant (in that you can book a table here). Expect bigger dishes with an emphasis on sharing and it's notably good forlarger groups.

12 Stoney St, Borough Market, London SE1 9AD

Elliot's has become a staple of Borough Market, sourcing its produce from the market for an ever-changing small-plates menu, with plenty of use of their wood-fired grill. A wine bar as much as a restaurant, it's one of the best places in the area to try natural wine, which the team has a real passion for.

10 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD

Rambutan is a Sri Lankan restaurant from chef, restaurateur and author Cynthia Shanmugalingam. The restaurant takes influence from both her family's cooking as well as her travels across Sri Lanka.

2-3 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA

Camille comes from Clare Lattin and Tom Hill, the people behind Ducksoup. For this restaurant, they've taken a French bistro approach both for food and wine. The former can be seen in a menu of provincial French cuisine while the latter comes across in a wine list focusing on small French producers, with a focus on low-intervention wines.

132 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE

This vintage cafe survived the threat of closure recently to the delight of its many fans. It serves up great coffee by day, moving to more of a cocktail vibe in the evenings. The vibe is homespun and the welcome is always warm.

97 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AB

Chef and founder Sugen Gopal's boutique restaurant group serves up a easy-to-like menu of Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The fabulously flaky roti canai are obviously what to order here alongside other classics like nasi lemak and beef rendang.

41-45 The Cut, London SE1 8LF

The South Bank branch of the Flat Iron empire is a great spot to hit up if you're after good, but affordable steak. There's always the signature flat iron cut along with beef dripping chips on offer along with soft serve for dessert.

Southbank Riverside, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7PB

Tokyo-born Chef/Proprietor Daisuke Shimoyama grew up working in his uncle's restaurant before training up as a chef (and also a sake sommelier). The ex-Umu chef has moved from running his own street food stall to this bricks-and-mortar spot on the South Bank serving up an omakase menu at lunch and dinner.

14 Gambia St, London SE1 0XH

This long time Bankside tapas joint has survived the test of time. The owners pride themselves on their close links to producers in Spain and, in addition to the tapas menu, there are always some interesting specials to check out.

56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP

Trinidad and Tobago-born Chef-Owner Sham Mahabir serves up a menu of home-style Caribbean cooking at this restaurant and beach club on the South Bank. Treats include the Trinidadian street food snack of doubles.

22 Leake St, London SE1 7NN

For a taste of Philadephia without having to cross the Atlantic, this American dive bar underneath the arches in Waterloo is the place to go. The Philly cheesestakes are a speciality but there's plenty of options on the menu. It's also a good place to catch NFL and NCAA games.

County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB

Riverside steakhouse Gillray's with its views over the river and London Eye goes big on its British heritage with all its meats sourced from South West London butcher Browne's.

Barge House St, London SE1 9PH

This longstanding London riverside establishment still has the wow factor, not least down to its amazing views across the City. The brasserie is the more casual dining space while the restaurant offers a more elevated menu focusing on British produce.

Arch 25, Old Union Yard Arches, 229 Union St, London SE1 0LR

With a menu billed as a modern twist on Israeli cooking, this Southwark spot aims to transport London diners to Tel Aviv. Chef Eran Tibi serves up a range of sharing plates in a lively atmosphere.

53 The Cut, London SE1 8LF

This little corner of Spain in Waterloo is a family-run, longtime London institution. Inspired by the tapas bars of Madrid it serves up a classic menu of Spanish dishes with a range of changing specials by chef Christian.

137 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE

This self-styled 'quirky' wine bar is run by a pair who met up while working at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. They're super keen on making wine accessible and the food menu is a good mix of interesting small and large plates.

14th Floor, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Rd, London SE1 8NY

Perched on the top of The Hoxton in Southwark, Seabird is a great rooftop restaurant focusing on seafood with a Spanish influence. They go big on oysters, with one of London's largest oyster lists, and weekend brunches are big here too.

National Theatre, Upper Ground London SE1 9PX

They started out as a rooftop in Peckham and for their second restaurant, Forza Wine took over one of the restaurants at The National Theatre. It has a great view of the Thames and on a good day, you'll definitely want to grab a table on the extensive terrace. As for the food, expect Italian small plates and a natural wine list that's pretty good value for the area.