Taste is subjective, but data is objective, right? Combining and quantifying thousands of people’s subjective opinions is probably the best way humanity has of ever reaching any kind of actual, real, profound truth, a truth bigger and more real than any of us, a truth that can unite us in a spiritual way as a force for good. It’s also how, like, Amazon reviews work and stuff. Google. All that shit.
Restaurant reservation site OpenTable has looked at 730,000 verified reviews from the last 12 months to produce as close as there has ever been to an objective list of London’s best restaurants. Well, sort of - OpenTable doesn’t cover McDonald’s, Pret, Wetherspoons, Subway, Gregg’s, anything that’s sold out of a van or the hole in the wall next to Camden Town station where the dude does great steak sandwiches that nobody has ever eaten sober or managed not to drop chunks out of.
Still though, the ten best ‘actual’ restaurants in London that actual people have actually eaten in. Pow!
1. The Ledbury
Where is it? Ledbury Road, Notting Hill
What does it cook? Contemporary European cuisine, experimental tasting menus.
How much is it? £120 for a four-course dinner
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Monkfish to die for, a relatively simple dish of suckling pig the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot!!)”
2. The Five Fields
Where is it? Blacklands Terrace, Chelsea
What does it cook? Seasonal British produce
How much is it? £65 for a three-course set menu
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “So attentive to detail and our favorite of the three Michelin starred restaurants we’ve dined at in the past few days.”
3. Scott’s
Where is it? Mount Street, Mayfair
What does it cook? Primarily seafood, with a big focus on shellfish
How much is it? Main courses range from £20 to £80
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “I’ve never seen what the fuss is about with Dover sole. My guest ordered it and I tasted some of hers, which was a revelation - melt in the mouth, subtle and buttery.”
4. Restaurant Story
Where is it? Tooley Street, London Bridge
What does it cook? British food intended to tell a story
How much is it? £80 for a four-course meal/”four-chapter story”
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Wonderful experience, even purchased a signed autobiography of Tom Sellers at £35, and a selfie.”
5. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Where is it? Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea
What does it cook? Modern French cuisine
How much is it? £110 for three courses
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “I’ve tried most of the Michelin restaurants in London and Paris, I have to say this is exquisite.”
6. Anglo
Where is it? St Cross Street, Farringdon
What does it cook? Modern British food
How much is it? £60 to £80 for an eight-course tasting menu
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Overall I was delighted that the whole-evening tasting menu experience that I had tried before. Could also translate into a manageable business lunch of exceptional quality.”
7. Mere
Where is it? Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia
What does it cook? French cuisine influenced by the South Pacific
How much is it? £70 for a six-course meal
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Monica is a great chef but all credit to David who is one heck of a master of wine and, as we learned at le Gavroche, his wine suggestions make the food positively sing.”
8. Typing Room
Where is it? Patriots Square, Bethnal Green
What does it cook? Modern European food with a focus on British seasonal produce
How much is it? £65 for a five-course tasting menu
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Adventurous without descending into simply peculiar.”
9. Portland
Where is it? Great Portland Street, Marylebone
What does it cook? Modern European cuisine determined by what fresh produce is available that day
How much is it? £49 for a five-course tasting menu
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “We tried several spots noted by reviewers as being at a similar or high level of food, but Portland is leaps and bounds above the rest.”
10. Chez Bruce
Where is it? Bellevue Road, Wandsworth
What does it cook? Classic French and Mediterranean cuisine with a particular emphasis on cheese
How much is it? £55 for three courses
Slightly annoying line from a five-star review: “Noise levels are a perfect balance.”
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