London's most romantic restaurants for Valentine's and beyond
London has no shortage of brilliant restaurants, with new options opening all the time. However, for a romantic evening, you need to know you can rely on impeccable service, charming staff, cosseting interiors and – it goes without saying – delicious dishes. Candles, velvet booths and soft lighting all add to the atmosphere, sharing plates encourage intimacy and watching the chefs at work gives an immediate talking point on a first date. We've rounded up the best places for romance here, from a Mexican restaurant to a Sicilian one, via hidden gems and institutions. Some of them are so good, they're also on our list of the best restaurants in London overall, so you'd be hard-pressed not to fall for them.
London's most romantic restaurants
1/22The Dover, Mayfair
Like a combination of a super-exclusive members club in New York, a carriage on the Orient Express and a very glam 1950s cruise ship, The Dover isn't lacking in decorative interest and atmosphere. It's no wonder that the Dover Street hotspot has become a regular haunt for intimate celebrity dinners.
It's the new brainchild of Martin Kuczmarski, one of the minds behind Soho House, and has some recognisable tropes and creature comforts from the franchise. But it also feels like an instant classic, a place for old Londoners or visitors looking for a great night out.
Many of the highlights from my visit are from the ‘snacks’ section of the menu, from perfectly crisp potato cakes topped with caviar, to lobster rolls and even mini hot dogs: all a perfect combination of kitsch and classic. You also can't go wrong with their spaghetti with meatballs.
While it was enveloping and transportive in the summer, I get the sense that The Dover will be even more charming and cosy as the days get shorter and colder in London. – Eve Delaney
33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
thedoverrestaurant.com
2/22Henri, Covent Garden
Attached to the bottom of the Experimental Group's charming Henrietta Hotel (on Henrietta Street, as you might guess) is this new French bistro by Jackson Boxer. It sounds like it's going to be impossibly cool, but it actually wears its chic lightly, and has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere that makes it ideal for just about every occasion. The interiors are by Dorothée Meilichzon, who has been behind other very stylish Experimental locations, and although there's a lot of tables packed into a small space, it all feels considered and comfortable.
The menu is filled with French bistro classics, some with a modern twist, others just as you would expect them. The steak frites is luxurious, the oysters are fresh and lively, and the desserts are wonderfully indulgent (the Royal Opera Torte is a must-try). As befits a restaurant in the heart of theatreland, Henri offers a very reasonably priced pre-theatre set menu (currently three courses for £30). You will find the place buzzing before the shows open, but it's an energising bustle, and you can also pop in for a cocktail at the bar if you're passing.
14, 15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH
henricoventgarden.com
3/22St Barts, St Pauls
Pulling open the curtains and entering the calm candle-lit bar at St Barts is an instant delight. Taking inspiration from the natural materials used to create the more historic buildings nearby (the restaurant backs onto London’s oldest church, the cloisters of St. Bartholomew The Great), culinary trio Johnnie Crowe, Luke Wasserman and Toby Neill have created a sanctuary of a space using raw materials like stone, wood and soft, fluffy fabrics throughout. It’s a dinner of two halves, with the first half of the tasting menu starting at the lounge bar with drinks and snacks before guests are guided to the dining room for the second half of the tasting menu journey where London’s oldest church comes into full view with floor to ceiling windows. A wax-sealed brown envelope is placed on the table at the start of the night featuring that evening's menu; you can either open it or keep the next few hours a surprise. It's as impressive an experience as they come.
Restaurant St-Barts,
63 Bartholomew Cl, London, EC1A 7BG
Ben Broomfield4/22Kolae, Borough
Phuket or southeast London? Hidden just around the corner from quintessentially British pub The Market Porter, in a former coach house, Kolae feels like you're immediately transported to warmer climes. It's the latest venture from Som Saa founders Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver. While Som Saa focused on northern Thai cuisine, their second venture Kolae is an homage to a Southern Thai cooking technique. Cooking ‘Kolae style’ is when ingredients are generously coated in a curry-like coconut marinade before being grilled over open flames to create a rich and aromatic smokiness.
On the evening we came for dinner, Kolae style meant fried prawn heads, chicken bamboo skewers, punchy sour mango salad with roasted coconut and a delightful southern gati curry of minced prawns. London has come a long way when it comes to Thai food and similarly, this is not your typical British Thai restaurant. Each dish is inventive in both its flavours and cooking and presentation.
Split across three floors, the interiors are also a lot larger than you'd imagine. We opted to sit on the ground floor, where you'll find counter dining beside the open kitchen as well as tables dotted around the room and some al-fresco dining out front. The first floor takes is a little more intimate and then on the second floor, find a private dining space for 12-16 guests, where many of the original beams and historical features have been celebrated to create a dining room that’s steeped in character. – Tal Dekel-Daks
6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB
kolae.com
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5/22Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell
Step past a heavy red velvet curtain and Sessions Arts Club unfurls before you with its layers of coloured, peeling plaster on the walls finding their foil in sumptuous textiles; a bar at one end twinkles in a tempting manner and a soft glow of candlelight flickering from the tables makes the room feel like a wonderful secret. There are two levels: the main room and a mezzanine that runs down one side, stopping those below feeling like the room is too cavernous to be cosy. For a romantic evening, it's probably best to be on or under the mezzanine, where everything feels that little bit more intimate. As for the food, it is simple yet decadent, pared back but heady and you're sure to be back more than once.
24 Clerkenwell Grn, London EC1R 0NA
sessionsartsclub.com 
6/22Bistro Freddie, Shoreditch
What could be more romantic that a white tablecloth, splattered in remnants of a shared chicken pie and wine? That's what the end of a meal at Bistro Freddie – the Shoreditch restaurant to know – looks like, so long as you order the now-famous chicken and tarragon pie. With interiors designed by Jermaine Gallacher, Bistro Freddie is half like stepping back into another decade in mittel Europe, and half too cool for school. One tempers the other and creates a cocoon of delicious food. It feels like you're in on a big secret, even if half of London is clamouring for a seat at the table and a spoon with which to attack the aforementioned pie.
74 Luke St, London EC2A 4PY
bistrofreddie.com
7/22Dear Jackie, Soho
Star designer Martin Brudnizki has created a romantic and enveloping world at Dear Jackie, with sumptuous red fabric lining the walls, charming Bloomsbury-style plates peering down at you, and colourful Murano glass lighting to cast a soft glow over the whole. The entire hotel it sits within is beautiful, of course, so any visitors should take the time to explore a little: the 7th floor bar with views over London is another must-see space. Dear Jackie has plenty more to offer beyond its interiors, however. The concise Italian menu is full of delightful things, from the addictively good crispbread they serve with drinks to stand-out mains such as lamb with puntarelle and monkfish with nduja. Other highlights include a mouthwatering dish of orecchiette with puttanesca sauce, and rich, melt-in-the-mouth scallops. This is a luxurious restaurant, but it's far from stiff and formal. The service is friendly and easy-going, and you're sure to spend an evening feeling right at home in such comfortable surroundings.
20 Broadwick St, London W1F 9NE
broadwicksoho.com/dear-jackie
8/22Noble Rot, Bloomsbury, Soho, Mayfair
A Bloomsbury institution on Lamb’s Conduit Street, Noble Rot leads with wine and follows with food. The sommelier’s list of bottles is endless and the team’s knowledge is unimpeachable. Start with oysters and a glass of muscadet before exploring the continental fare on offer, making sure you match your dishes to your wine choice. There are now three Noble Rots around London, each dimly lit and intimate.
51 Lamb's Conduit St, Holborn, London WC1N 3NB
noblerot.co.uk
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James Morris9/22Ida, Queens Park
This neighbourhood restaurant is – as all great neighbourhood Italian spots should be – a real family affair, run by Avi and Simonetta and their children. Opened in 2007 in a picturesque Grade II-listed ex-corner shop in Queens Park, the decor is eclectic and lovely, with pictures lining every wall. The food is consistently good, and they know how to handle classic dishes with confidence. Look out for Avi's new book which chronicles the history of the restaurant.
167 Fifth Ave, London W10 4DT
idarestaurant.co.uk 
10/22Brasserie Zedel, Piccadilly
Guaranteed to lift the spirits and warm the soul, this is the place we'll always reach for if someone is visiting London and wants to feel exceptionally special. Set up in 2012 by legends of the London food scene, restaurateurs Chris Corbin & Jeremy King, Brasserie Zedel was born 100 years old, with all the trimmings and treats of Belle Époque Paris, so it has only come into itself as time goes on. Just next to Piccadilly Station, dip down the grand steps and you'll find yourself plunged into a bygone (and much better) era, with a live brass band, fabulous cocktails, gold embellished interiors and pale pink tablecloths. They also have an authentically jazzy American bar and a bustling cabaret venue – so there's no real reason to leave once you get there!
The food is, of course, another pull factor. The prawn cocktail is the best version you'll find in London, and we recommend following it up with a steak haché or beef bourguignon. Despite its grandeur, it's also very reasonably priced.
– Evie Delaney
20 Sherwood St, London, W1F 7ED
brasseriezedel.com
11/22Brutto, Farringdon
The late founder of Trattoria Brutto, Russell Norman, was renowned for his generosity, warmth, and kindness, qualities that resonate in his inviting Clerkenwell Italian restaurant. Here, everyone is welcomed with open arms. Expect low lighting, chill music, red and white checkerboard tablecloths, friendly service and cuddles on the menu. The cuddles aka 'coccioli' are hot deep-fried dough balls stuffed to the brim with prosciutto and stracchino. Drawing inspiration from Tuscany's approach to harsh cold, the menu features brothy white beans, perfectly al dente tagliatelle ragu, luscious tiramisu and copious quantities of £5 Negronis. The ideal recipe for a romantic evening.
35-37 Greenhill Rents, London EC1M 6BN
https://www.instagram.com/bru.tto/?hl=en
LANGLEY12/22Sune, London Fields
Opened by one of our favourite sommeliers Honey Spencer and her Noma alumni partner Charlie Sims, Sune is everything that you want from a neighbourhood restaurants (in fact, it's so good we've named it one of the best restaurants in London). It's stylish without the pomp with a big focus on hospitality. Of course brilliant food is its biggest draw – and nothing is more romantic than an excellent meal, shared with someone special. Ex-Pidgin head chef Michael Robins (who's also cooked at Acme Fire Cult and Akoko) is at the helm of the kitchen and brings seasonal British food with a global twist. The setting makes it pretty lovey-dovey too, overlooking a pretty stretch of the canal at Broadway Market, where an acoustic guitarist regularly plucks his strings and the heartstrings of diners too.
129A Pritchard's Rd, London E2 9AP
www.sune.restaurant
13/22Mount St Restaurant, Mayfair
At Mount St's latest, art-filled restaurant, there is no such thing as a ‘bad table’ and we all know a bad table can really ruin a date; wherever you are, there is always a great view of the £50 million collection of artworks. It provides a great icebreaker if you're relatively new to your date, as you can play an art history-themed game of Guess whilst waiting for the menu: is that a de Chirico over there? that must be an oil painting by Matisse! Even the tables are covered in art, with miniature versions of Paul McCarthy's suggestive ‘Tree’ sculptures in the salt and pepper cruet and lamps by Sophie Taeuber-Arp. The dining room itself is beautiful, the room softly lit and the British fare stands up to everything else that's vying for attention. It's expensive and with dishes such as Lobster pie and raw scallops in a Bloody Mary broth, it's certainly a restaurant for when you want to impress someone.
41-43 Mount Street, London W1K 2RX
mountstrestaurant.com
14/22KOL, Mayfair
Every aspect of KOL is infused with warmth; the terracotta, wood and ceramic interiors, the incredibly elegant open kitchen and the sunny disposition of the staff. There is a lot to admire about it, but the food really is the star of the show and all the beautiful things in the restaurant revolve around it – different plates and bowls from a range of ceramicists to complement each dish, bespoke leather tortilla warmers, and an intriguing and modern wine pairing that balances the fiery heat of many of the dishes. The menu is a tasting one; choose seis or nueve for either a six or nine course spin around the complex cooking that chef patron Santiago Lastra and his team so deftly put together in the open kitchen. Every plate was so alive with flavour, texture and levels of heat that worked together in a kind of alchemy. It's not a step too far to say that the team create magic at KOL.
9 Seymour St, London W1H 7BA
kolrestaurant.com
15/22Luca, Farringdon
On one relatively quiet street in EC1, you'll find two of the best restaurants in London just a few doors from each other. Luca is neighbours with St John, and while it also puts British produce front and centre, it does it with a very Italian sensibility. The interiors are sleek and warm, making it a wonderfully romantic restaurant, the wine list is a tour de force of Italian greats and the food is outstanding. Opt for the chef's menu and let them choose your courses for you – you won't regret it and are in extremely safe hands. It also means no arguing over whose dish is better if you're both supping the same delights.
88 St John St, London EC1M 4EH
luca.restaurant
16/22Riva, Barnes
There's no denying that it's hard to beat a trattoria-style restaurant for a romantic evening, all white tablecloths, flickering candlelight and staff who have been there forever. When it comes to such neighbourhood delights, Riva in Barnes is hard to beat. Though Barnes is out of the way for some, Riva is always busy, perhaps in part due to its celebrity fans (namely, the Beckhams). It cooks classic Italian dishes exceptionally well – we recommend spaghetti alla vongole or deep-fried courgette flowers.
169 Church Rd, Barnes, London SW13 9HR
riva.restaurant
17/22Evelyn's Table, Soho
There's intimate and then there's intimate–and Evelyn's Table is the latter, with just 11 seats in the compact basement space. Other than a couple of separate high tables, each seat is at the bar, looking straight at the chefs as they plate up the freshest fish from Cornish day boats and happily guide you through the menu. It's an interactive environment, which makes it a good spot for an early date. Even better, you can make your way up two flights of stairs after the meal and settle into a dark corner of the bar, The Mulwray, if the date is going well.
Basement, The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert St, London W1D 6DJ
theblueposts.co.uk
18/22Spring, Covent Garden
Occupying a wing at Somerset House, Spring is run by inimitable chef Skye Gyngell. Remarkably soft-spoken for someone so high up in the restaurant world, Skye's welcoming demeanour is reflecting in the blushing pink, light-filled and foliage-adorned interiors, which instantly set any diner at ease. Spring dishes up Italian fare, choosing ingredients from trusted sources and keeping the preparation and dressing simple to let each element of the dish sing. It's refined, elegant and always a delight.
Somerset House, Lancaster Pl, London WC2R 1LA
springrestaurant.co.uk
19/22Decimo, King's Cross
From the moment the glass lift on the outside of the Standard Hotel starts its ascent to the tenth floor, where Decimo resides, Kings Cross melts away below and the mood changes. The restaurant is resplendent in red leather, tactile furnishings, glazed tiles, macramé, polished wood and plants, creating an atmosphere that cocoons you and makes you feel part of a buzzy, vibrant club. The food is Mexican and Spanish, with sharing plates and stiff cocktails to steer you through the evening.
The Standard Hotel, 10th Floor, 10 Argyle St, London WC1H 8EG
decimo.london
20/22Norma, Fitzrovia
Chef Ben Tish has brought the Moorish-inspired cuisine of Sicily to Fitzrovia, to great acclamation. The long, narrow interior of Norma has the feeling of an extremely luxurious North African train carriage, with Moroccan tiles on the walls, cosy booths and decidedly flattering lighting. The menu opens with a generous selection of small plates – snacks, antipasti and a raw bar – followed by pasta which can be ordered in small and large sizes, and proper large plates to finish. It's soothing cooking that promotes a sense of contentment.
8 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2LS
normalondon.com
21/22Andrew Edmunds, Soho
Andrew Edmunds is based in a eighteenth-century townhouse on Soho's Lexington Street and the interiors echo that mood with dark walls, wooden chairs, white linen and candlelit tables. It's something of a hidden gem in London, given that it's so inconspicuous from the street, however loyal fans populate its tables to dine on the daily changing menu of European classics, like burrata with puntarelle, hazelnuts and blood orange, braised rabbit with aioli and whole baked dover sole.
46 Lexington St, Soho, London W1F 0LP
andrewedmunds.com
22/22J Sheekey, Covent Garden
J Sheekey has been at the centre of London's seafood scene since 1890 and continues to serve immaculately sourced and perfectly prepared seafood dishes, including their famous fish pie. However, for a romantic meal, share a fruits de mer platter for a feast of oysters, prawns, langoustines and crab. The restaurant itself has maintained its late-Victorian charm with panelled interiors that are intimate without being overbearing.
28-32 St Martin's Ct, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4AL
j-sheekey.co.uk
