From fine-dining and extravagant affairs, to the understated and casually chic, here’s The Resident’s guide to date night bars and restaurants in London.
1 Hakkasan, Fitzrovia
A sultry, lower-ground level restaurant rich in colours, texture and drama, Hakkasan is a date night option for those who who want to show they are trying. The Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant delivers a feast to your table, and prepares theatrical, statement cocktails at the bar. There’s another venue in Mayfair too.
Address: Hanway Place, W1T 1HD
Website: hakkasan.com
2 LPM Restaurant & Bar, Mayfair
A convivial spot on a corner behind billowy curtains, LPM Restaurant and Bar is sophisitcated but not stuffy – ideal if you want to impress someone in an effortlessly stylish way. The closely-packed, bustling restaurant plates up the taste of a southern French holiday, as well as the charm of one too.
Address: 53-54 Brook’s Mews, W1K 4EG
Website: lpmrestaurants.com
3 Turnips, Borough Market
There's a real novelty and charm to eating out the back of one of Borough Market's long-standing greengrocers and with trains rumbling overhead. Fine-dining Turnips with Tomas Lidakevicius is a down-to-earth affair despite the level of finesse with the food. Chef patron Lidakevicius (ex-City Social) has designed a small plates menu along with several veg-forward tasting menus where fresh produce zings.
Address: 43 Borough Market SE1 9AH
Website: restaurant.turnipsboroughmarket.com
4 Legare, Bermondsey
A stone’s throw from Tower Bridge and along Shad Thames’ cobbled street, lies this compact, clean-lined restaurant. Understatedly stylish and effortlessly chic, the restaurant plates up unfussy Italian dishes done well and killers views of Tower Bridge on the way home.
Address: Cardamom Building, 31G Shad Thames, SE1 2YR
Website: legarelondon.com
5 The Water House Project, Bethnal Green
This one is good for those who want to eat at a high-end restaurant but don’t want to take their trainers off. The laid back fine-dining supper club by Gabriel Waterhouse serves up a flawless nine-course set menu Wednesday to Saturday paired with wine, or house-made alcohol-free infusions in a scandi-esque restaurant housed in one of London Field’s old warehouses.
Address: 1 Corbridge Crescent, E2 9D
Website: thewaterhouseproject.com
6 Paradise, Soho
Contemporary Sri Lankan restaurant Paradise serves up fiery dishes that draw on the family recipies of owner Dominic Fernando, as well as Portuguese, Malay, South Indian and Dutch influences. The utiliarian interiors also have buckets of understated style, your date will think you're naturally that cool too.
Address: 61 Rupert Street, W1D 7PW
Website: paradisesoho.com
7 The Mulwray, Soho
Natural wine is not for everyone, but if it is for you, then The Mulwray, a dark cosy den up the stairs off an alley in Chinatown is a good one to keep in your back pocket for when you're looking for the next place to go. Polished, yet laid back and friendly, there’s a wall of wine to try, and a sommelier on hand to guide you through the extensive choice.
Address: First Floor, The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert Street, W1D 6DJ
Website: tjblueposts.co.uk
9 Bar Crispin, Soho
Anothe natural wine bar, and this one comes snug and casually hip. The younger sister to Crispin in Spitalfields, the Soho bar carries through the same ethos as the Shoreditch venue; Wine is by the glass or bottle, and the kitchen serves up sharing plates made from locally sourced ingredients and independent producers.
Address: 19 Kingly Street, Soho, W1B 5PY
Website: barcrispin.com
10 The Petersham, Covent Garden
Elegant and botanical, The Petersham restaurant is set within a secluded floral courtyard near King and Floral Street, and another top option for a date served with a side of extra. With understated grandeur and a seasonally changing display of flowers, the restaurant brims with wild natural beauty and plates up wholesom Italian fare. There’s also the Petersham Nurseries Cafe in Richmond too which celebrates nature with arguably more amounts of ethereal charm.
Address: Petersham Nurseries, Floral Court, WC2E 8JD
Website: petershamnurseries.com
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