London Restaurants - Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden

17 Denman Street, London W1D 7HW

One of Soho's biggest success stories, The Devonshire is a team-up between top landlord Oisin Rogers, founder of Flat Iron Charlie Carroll, and chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. Downstairs, the pub sells some of the best Guinness in London (as well as unique features like three hidden snugs). The wood-ember grill upstairs takes classic grill dishes and elevates them considerably, with some of the best lamb chops in London, a great suet pie and a standout chocolate mousse. if you're lucky, you'll be invited into the celeb-heavy Green Room downstairs, but every element of the building is a roaring success.

Ground Floor, 36–40 Rupert St, London W1D 6DW

Taking over what used to be the ground floor of Hovarda, this sees Australian chef David Thompson, known for cooking Thai food, back in London with an outpost of his casual Thai restaurant. Here, there's a short, tight menu that's specifically influenced by Bangkok.

16-18 Beak St, London W1F 9RD

Tomos Parry is the man behind the uber-successful Brat and this is his just-as-successful Soho restaurant. Here Parry takes his influences from both Spain and Wales, with a big eye on local sourcing and both cheese and bread made in-house. Expect top sharing plates like lobster caldereta and if the spider-crab omelette is on, it's a must-order.

1 Upper James Street, Soho, London W1F 9DF

Bob Bob Ricard remains one of our personal favourite spots in town. We don't know whether it's the fantastically blingy design, the rich food with just a hint of Eastern European in there, the "press for champagne" button or... who are we kidding, it's definitely the Press For Champagne button.

26-29 Dean Street, London, W1D 3LL

Quo Vadis has Jeremy Lee in the kitchen and he's been cooking up a wonderfully British menu. The restaurant has recently had a revamp, bringing it back to former glory and it now fits in twice as many diners as before. The food serves some of the best British/European dining in town, and the pies and smoked eel sandwich are a must.

64 Dean Street, London W1D 4QQ

Victor Garvey's Soho restaurant looks towards Californian fine-dining restaurants for its inspiration. So there's a West Coast USA vibe to the restaurant, fitted into its Soho location.

Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1B 5PW

Asma Khan's restaurant returns to where it all began, in Carnaby's Kingly Court. Now the restaurant is much more of an open affair, showcasing the kitchen. The menu still serves up some of the best Indian food in London, as well as their much-loved biryanis.

2 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4NB

This is the follow up to the original Noble Rot, led by Mark Andrew and Daniel Keeling. This Soho outing is a purely restaurant affair, which takes on the building that used to be the Gay Hussar. Dishes explore the heritage of that Hungarian restaurant and, of course, there's an excellent wine list.

12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB

Jacob Kenedy's Soho Italian wins universal praise for its cuisine, a well-chosen wine list and for being one of the best counter dining spots in London. Pull up a stool at the counter and enjoy the regional Italian dishes on a menu that changes regularly..

48 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4EF

This classic French institution has been in Soho for more than 100 years, serving up classic French cuisine. And, as you can imagine from the name, it serves the very best snails in London. A wonderful institution that still has great life in it.

49 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 5BG

The French House is mainly known as a classic Soho pub - but it also has a dining room upstairs. It's a small affair - it almost feels like a private dining room - but it's hosted some great names. It's now home to chef Neil Borthwick who's very much at home here serving up French classics.

49 Lexington St, Soho, London W1F 9AP

After a number of years in pop-ups and other spaces across town, Rita's have settled in Soho for their main restaurant (they also do sandwiches in Dalston). The menu is inspired by owners Gabriel Pryce and Missy Flynn travels across the Americas and the wine list is pretty special too.

46 Lexington Street, London W1F 0LW

Often cited as one of the most romantic restaurants in London, this Soho stalwart is also a great old-fashioned bistro with a decent wine list. If you're looking for somewhere to be flatteringly lit by candlelight - this is the spot.

28 Rupert Street, London W1D 6DJ

Downstairs from Soho pub The Blue Posts is this tiny restaurant, run by head chef James Goodyear. It's a small counter dining affair with only 11 seats. Expect a regularly changing menu that mixes up British produce with Scandinavian and Japanese techniques.

30 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NG

Lisboeta comes from Nuno Mendes, the man behind Viajante, the launch of Chiltern Firehouse and more. As the name suggests, it's heavily influenced by the cuisine of Portugal and Lisbon in particular. Expect plenty of Portuguese small plates, rice dishes and more.

70 Charlotte St, London W1T 4QG

Kitchen Table is the high-end counter dining restaurant from James Knappett and Sandia Chang. It's in a setting that sees you seated around the open kitchen watching and interacting with the chefs while they create a spectacular tasting menu for you.

21 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LP

Akoko is centred around West African cuisine and they say their aim is to "pay homage to the country's culinary heritage by using recipes passed down through generations and traditional cooking techniques of smoking, curing and fermenting".

22 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NB

Jun Tanaka's Fitzrovia venture is a French/Mediterranean neighbourhood-style restaurant which uses fine dining cheffing techniques but with a more casual feel. The Pain Perdu with ice cream is an absolute must.

64 Goodge St, London W1T 4NF

64 Goodge Street is a French bistro in Fitzrovia that comes from the same people behind nearby Clipston and Portland. Here they're approaching the French menu from "an outsider's perspective" so you can expect some twists on classically french dishes in a compact but friendly space.

40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HX

The Big Mamma Group's second opening in London saw them hit up Fitzrovia with a massively OTT slice of Mediterranean charm and flavour. It's extremely popular with a stunning looking room.

113 Great Portland Street, London W1W 6QQ

From the team behind Clipstone and Quality Chop House, this all day spot sets out its stall as "cooking the best produce, simply but with imagination and plenty of care". Both the main menu and wine list change frequently.

5 Clipstone St, London W1W 6BB

This was the third opening from the team behind Quality Chop House and Portland. The corner site has loads of natural light and serves up dishes influenced by seasonal UK produce.

30 Brewer St, London W1F 0SS

This counter-dining sushi spot in the heart of Soho is the second restaurant from the well-respected Cubé in Mayfair but it's all concentrated around sushi. As such, it represents one of the best places in Soho for truly great sushi and the omakase menu in particular is great value.

Lower Ground, 20 Broadwick St, London W1F 9NE

This opulently decorated lower-ground restaurant is part of the eequally lavishly decorated Broadwick hotel in Soho. If you're after a place with plenty of atmosphere and very flattering lighting in Soho, this is the place to come. The food is a high-end Italian affair and the restaurant has been known to be quite a magnet for A-list celebs.

13-15 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PS

This is the third opening from the Delamina restaurant group, serving up Eastern Mediterranean dishes in a gorgeous old Georgian building just off the Covent Garden piazza. What you can be sure of is that everything tastes amazing with the plant-led options being particularly creative and delicious.

35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LB

One of London's oldest restaurants, there has been a Rules serving food in and around this part of Covent Garden since 1798. Here is where you come if you're after history and classic British dishes, served well. The upstairs cocktail bar is legendary.

28-34 St. Martin's Court, London WC2N 4AL

Often seen as both the theatregoers and the actors' port of call post-theatre, Sheekeys is a London institution. It remains best known for its seafood, including an incredible fish pie which is still one of the best in London. A must-visit for every Londoner and notably great for counter dining, as well as its extensive, covered terrace.

32 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8NA

The Oystermen originally started up as an oyster-shucking pop-up but their Covent Garden restaurant is so much more. It started tiny before they acquired the next-door space and doubled the size. But all along, they've been serving up excellent seafood from a menu that depends on the catch of the day.

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE

Right at the top of the revamped National Portrait Gallery, this is the main restaurant with excellent views across London. In charge of the food is top Irish chef Richard Corrigan (Bentley's) who has brought with him a modern approach to European cooking with plenty of seafood on offer too.

37 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9EN

Thirty7 comes from the Oystermen (Matt Lovell & Rob Hampton), and is just around the corner from their first Covent Garden restaurant. They describe the restaurant as a neighbourhood restaurant and bar which goes beyond the seafood focus of before (although you will find oysters on the menu). Make sure to have the cheddar beignets and also pop down to the excellent bar downstairs.