UNITED KINGDOM
Where We Eat
From Michelin-starred dining rooms in London to rustic pubs in the Cotswolds and seafood shacks along the coast, the UK’s food scene is both storied and ever-evolving. We’ve filtered through the classics and the newcomers to spotlight only the tables that truly matter.
Breakfast And Brunch
Regency Café
Image courtesy of Google Reviews
London
Price: £
Location: 17–19 Regency St, Westminster, London SW1P 4BY
Vibe: Retro, cinematic, iconic London “caff”
Must order: Full English breakfast with tea
Need to know: Open since 1946, its art-deco interiors and traditional fry-ups have appeared in films like Layer Cake and Brighton Rock—a true cult favorite.
With black-and-white tiled walls, bustling chatter, and old-school fry-ups, Regency Café is a London institution. Beloved by locals and filmmakers alike, it serves one of the city’s best full English breakfasts, always affordable and always atmospheric.
Dishoom – Shoreditch
Image courtesy of Dishoom
London
Price: ££
Location: 7 Boundary St, Shoreditch, London E2 7JE
Vibe: Bombay-style café, stylish and buzzy
Must order: Bacon naan roll or the Big Bombay breakfast
Need to know: Inspired by Irani cafés of Bombay, Dishoom’s brunch is so beloved that queues often start before opening; reservations highly recommended on weekends.
At Dishoom Shoreditch, mornings are all about ritual: spiced chai, freshly baked naan wrapped around smoky bacon, and the hum of a café that feels worlds away from East London. A vibrant, soulful spot where breakfast becomes an occasion.
Queens Lane Coffee House
Image courtesy of Queens Lane Coffee House
Oxford
Price: ££
Location: 40 High St, Oxford OX1 4AP
Vibe: Historic, atmospheric, scholarly
Must order: Cappuccino and a warm croissant
Need to know: Established in 1654, this is Europe’s oldest continually serving coffee house, with deep ties to Oxford’s literary and academic circles.
In Oxford, Queens Lane Coffee House blends history and hospitality. Tucked into a 17th-century building, it serves rich coffee and light breakfasts in an atmospheric setting—perfect before exploring Oxford’s colleges and bookshops.
The Koffee Pot
Image courtesy of The Koffee Pot
Manchester
Price: ££
Location: 84–86 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
Vibe: Casual, eclectic, Northern institution
Must order: Mancunian breakfast or smoked haddock kedgeree
Need to know: A Northern Quarter landmark, the café has been serving hearty breakfasts to artists, musicians, and night owls since the 1970s.
For Manchester locals, The Koffee Pot is legendary—a laid-back breakfast spot known for strong coffee, generous portions, and a community feel. Whether it’s kedgeree or a fry-up, it’s comfort food with Northern character.
Claridge’s Foyer & Reading Room
Image courtesy of Claridge’s
London
Price: ££££
Location: Brook St, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR
Vibe: Elegant, timeless, old-world glamour
Must order: Claridge’s full English or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs
Need to know: One of London’s most storied hotels, Claridge’s serves breakfast in an opulent Art Deco dining room with world-class service.
At Claridge’s, breakfast becomes theatre. Beneath high ceilings and chandeliers, the service is flawless, the menu indulgent, and the setting unmatched. A true London splurge, perfect for marking a special morning.
Lunch And Dinner
Core by Clare Smyth
Image courtesy of Core By Clare Smyth
London
Price: ££££
Location: 92 Kensington Park Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2PN
Vibe: Refined, serene, modern British haute cuisine
Must order: Potato and roe, one of Smyth’s signature dishes
Need to know: Clare Smyth is the first British woman to hold three Michelin stars. Bookings open months in advance and sell out fast.
At Core, tasting menus unfold as quietly theatrical journeys — plates that look restrained but deliver layers of flavor and technique. The atmosphere is calm, the service almost reverential, and the experience firmly places this Notting Hill restaurant among the most important in the world.
Botrini’s
Image courtesy of Botrini’s
Athens
Price: ££££
Location: Leof. Vasileos Georgiou B 24, Chalandri 152 33, Greece
Vibe: Modern, creative, intimate
Must order: Multi-course tasting menu; Greek wine pairing
Need to know: Michelin star; closed Sundays and Mondays.
In the leafy suburb of Halandri, chef Ettore Botrini fuses his Corfiot-Italian heritage with inventive, hyper-seasonal Greek plates. The tasting menus are cerebral yet deeply flavorful—think red mullet with fennel pollen, lamb with Cycladic herbs—served in a warm, contemporary space. Dining here feels like being in on Athens’ most elevated culinary conversation.
L’Enclume
Image courtesy of L’Enclume
Cartmel
Price: ££££
Location: Cavendish St, Cartmel, Cumbria LA11 6QA
Vibe: Destination fine dining, bucolic, quietly extraordinary
Must order: Whatever is in season — the menu shifts constantly with produce from Simon Rogan’s farm
Need to know: Awarded three Michelin stars, L’Enclume is a pilgrimage-worthy experience where nearly all ingredients are sourced hyper-locally.
In the medieval village of Cartmel, L’Enclume rewrites the idea of farm-to-table. Multi-course tastings blur the line between land and plate, with flavors that feel rooted in the soil of Cumbria yet executed with finesse worthy of global acclaim.
The Ledbury
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London
Price: ££££
Location: 127 Ledbury Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2AQ
Vibe: Sophisticated but not stiff, inventive, world-class
Must order: Flame-grilled deer with smoked bone marrow
Need to know: After a major revamp, The Ledbury returned to reclaim its spot as one of London’s best — modern, creative, and already lauded again by critics.
At The Ledbury, chef Brett Graham delivers a menu that balances technical mastery with heart. The atmosphere is warm but focused, the plates meticulous yet soulful. It’s a restaurant that redefines contemporary fine dining while staying firmly connected to place.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
Image courtesy of Andrew Fairlie
Gleneagles
Price: ££££
Location: Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire PH3 1NF
Vibe: Elegant, hushed, celebratory
Must order: Home-smoked lobster
Need to know: Scotland’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, tucked inside the iconic Gleneagles estate. Booking is essential.
Andrew Fairlie is a masterclass in quiet luxury: French-inspired cooking elevated by Scotland’s best produce. The smoked lobster alone has achieved cult status, but every plate — from game to Highland venison — tells a story of refinement and place.
Brat
Image courtesy of Brat
London
Price: £££
Location: 4 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, London E1 6JL
Vibe: Buzzy, smoky, convivial, with Basque influences
Must order: Whole turbot cooked over open fire
Need to know: Brat is Tomos Parry’s ode to Basque grill traditions — expect queues, energy, and a wine list that matches the cooking’s boldness.
At Brat, the fire is the star. Dishes arrive with smoke and char, imbued with rustic flair yet executed with precision. The room hums with Shoreditch energy, making it one of London’s most exciting places for a night of serious food and serious fun.
The Kitchin
Image courtesy of The Kitchin
Edinburgh
Price: £££
Location: 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX
Vibe: Smart, modern, deeply Scottish
Must order: Highland venison with seasonal trimmings
Need to know: Tom Kitchin coined the philosophy “from nature to plate,” and his restaurant in Leith embodies it — Scottish produce interpreted through French technique.
The Kitchin is Edinburgh dining at its most thoughtful — intimate yet serious, rooted in Scotland’s land and waters. The plates are meticulous, the produce second to none, and the atmosphere strikes a rare balance between fine dining and heartfelt hospitality.
Dishoom
Image courtesy of Dishoom
London
Price: ££
Location: Shoreditch, King’s Cross, Covent Garden, and beyond
Vibe: Bombay-style café, soulful and stylish
Must order: Black daal and a side of naan (or the bacon naan roll if you’re here at breakfast)
Need to know: Inspired by the Irani cafés of Bombay, Dishoom redefined Indian dining in the UK. Expect queues even at odd hours; it’s a London (and now nationwide) ritual.
At Dishoom, every detail is steeped in nostalgia — tiled walls, vintage photos, the scent of chai in the air. The food is equally transporting: long-simmered black daal, perfectly charred naan, and cocktails infused with spices. Whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’s one of the UK’s most universally beloved restaurants.
St. John
Image courtesy of St John
London
Price: ££
Location: 26 St John St, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4AY
Vibe: Minimalist, nose-to-tail British
Must order: Roast bone marrow with parsley salad
Need to know: Fergus Henderson’s pioneering restaurant changed the way the world thought about British food. It’s Michelin-starred yet deeply unfussy — whitewashed walls, plain tables, extraordinary food.
St. John is a landmark of British dining. Since the 1990s, Fergus Henderson has been championing nose-to-tail cooking, bringing dishes like bone marrow or braised offal to cult status. It’s less about luxury, more about pure, honest flavor — and has become one of the most influential restaurants of its time.
Desserts And Sweets
Fortitude Bakehouse
Image courtesy of Fortitude Bakehouse
London
Price: ££
Location: 35 Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1JA
Vibe: Generous, fermented, bold
Must order: Oversized, deep‑flavor cinnamon roll fermented for 48 hours
Need to know: These buns are large enough to share and stand out for their complex flavor—thanks to a long fermentation and molasses-rich filling—that strikes a rare balance of indulgence and substance
At Fortitude Bakehouse, sourdough mastery meets comfort food. Their slow-fermented rolls are gooey, darkly spiced, and slightly tangy — a more adult take on the classic cinnamon bun, perfect with a strong coffee.
Hedone Bakery
Image courtesy of Hedone
London
Price: ££
Location: Chiswick, London
Vibe: Obsessive, perfectionist, cult-followed
Must order: The 100% sourdough loaf or the Paris–Brest
Need to know: Mikael Jonsson’s Hedone may be small, but it produces some of the UK’s most technically perfect baked goods, beloved by chefs and food insiders.
Every item at Hedone feels like an obsession — from croissants to baguettes, crafted with meticulous attention to flour, hydration, and time. For pastry purists, it’s one of London’s true grail bakeries.
York Cocoa Works
Image courtesy of York Cocoa Works
York
Price: ££
Location: 10 Castlegate, York YO1 9RN
Vibe: Heritage, artisanal, chocolate-obsessed
Must order: Hot chocolate flight or the handmade truffles
Need to know: York has a centuries-long chocolate heritage. At York Cocoa House, you taste that tradition reborn through small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate.
At York Cocoa House, cacao is elevated to its highest form. Workshops, tasting flights, and bars of single-origin chocolate make this one of the UK’s most indulgent stops for true dessert lovers.
