The best restaurants for comfort food in London

There are moments in life when only fare of the cosy kind will do, and London’s best comfort food restaurants are ready to welcome you with open arms for when the craving strikes. Whether you’re in need of cheering up after a particularly challenging day, or are looking to combat the chill of winter with food that warms you from the inside out, we’ve rounded up the best restaurants in the capital that deliver soul-warming dishes.

Comfort food is a deeply personal thing. For some, it's the joy of heading to a pub at the weekend to indulge in one of London’s best Sunday roasts, preferably followed by sticky toffee pudding and a snooze – in that order. Others find intense comfort in the gooeyness of a cheese toastie, or a hot, butter-rich pie served with creamy mash and gravy.

Then there are the people who crave comfort food of the sweet kind. If edible refuge to you looks like a slice of La Maritxu’s rich Basque cheesecake, or Italian Bear’s chocolate cake drowned in triple hot chocolate sauce, you can find that and more in this guide too.

There are, of course, many things that comfort food is not. In our minds, it is neither a tasting menu or a fancy-dan dinner – small portions and needless precision should not come into the picture. Rather, comfort food should warm you from the inside out, offering solace by way of glossy sauces or buttery pastry. It should be associated with the following words - rich, hot, filling – and bring a smile to your face with every mouthwatering bite.

If our guide to the best comfort food in London makes you grin from ear to ear, then we've done our job. Keep on scrolling to find London’s cosiest dishes, from proper British fare to soul-soothing Sri Lankan food.

The Devonshire, Soho

What: This Soho gastropub has captured the hearts and stomachs of Londoners in less than a year, opening to such great fanfare that you’ll be hard-pressed to get a booking less than a few weeks in advance. Its upstairs Grill Room is where the magic happens; handwritten menus display gusty British favourites in a slanted scrawl, like its gravy-soaked beef cheek and Guinness suet pudding, alongside a curated list of grills and sauces. The ‘puddings’ menu doesn’t mess around either, from sticky toffee pudding to chocolate mousse with cream. The bottom line? You don’t go to the Devonshire without an appetite.
What to order: Beef cheek and Guinness suet pudding
Where: 17 Denman Street, W1D 7HW
Book now: The Devonshire

The George, Fitzrovia

What: The George is an 18th-century, grade II-listed pub on Great Portland Street serving retro pub classics, slap-up Sunday roasts and a pudding menu that’s sure to pull on your heartstrings. We suggest you start with its black pudding Scotch egg served with a sweet and vinegary Oxford sauce, although cottage pie croquettes with homemade brown sauce, and red curry pork scratchings with sriracha are also worthy choices. Mains span beer-battered fish and chips to venison pie with mash, buttered greens, bacon and onions, all rounded off with sticky toffee pud and Cornish clotted cream, or a hot chocolate fudge sundae banana split. YUM.
What to order: Black pudding Scotch egg with Oxford sauce
Where: 55 Great Portland Street, W1W 7LQ
Book now: The George

Lore of the Land, Fitzrovia

What: Guy Ritchie’s pub is one celebrity-owned gaff that lives up to the hype, not least because of its legendary Sunday roasts which revolve around succulent roast meats sourced from exceptional suppliers (Phillip Warren, Somerset Saxon). All are served with beef fat roast potatoes, glazed carrots, minted peas, Yorkshire pudding and roasting juices, then for dessert you've got to order the Lore doughnut with salted caramel, cream and caramelised white chocolate. 
What to order: Family-style Sunday roast (minimum four people)
Where: 4 Conway Street, W1T 6BB
Book now: Lore of the Land

Holborn Dining Room, Holborn

What: This old-school brasserie serves a fine menu of classic British cooking, but the real reason people visit Holborn Dining Room is for its pies. Attached to the restaurant is a dedicated Pie Room where head pie maker Nokx Majozi cooks up some of the finest pastry-wrapped creations in the capital. You can take them away from a hatch in the window, or enjoy one in the main restaurant with a selection of sides. You’ll always find a choice of classics and seasonal specials, from braised beef steak with blue cheese and peppercorn, to potato and truffle puree with comte and caramelised onion.
What to order: Any of its pies (the chicken, mushroom and leek fondue is a belter!)
Where: 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN
Book now: Holborn Dining Room

The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell

What: Mike Davies’ Camberwell Arms has become one of London’s most-loved gastropubs for its commitment to generous, high-quality cooking and genuine hospitality. You can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside when eating here! The menu changes often with the seasons, but Davies’ ethos centres around enjoying food with loved ones, so you’ll always find a few sharing dishes on the menu that are designed to be eaten with a group. Expect bold, unfussy British cooking that’s totally delicious, from Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast to grilled lamb (for two) with allotment squash and mint and pine nut sauce.
What to order: Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast
Where: 65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR
Book now: The Camberwell Arms

Italian Bear Chocolate, Soho

What: There are two reasons why you might visit Italian Bear Chocolate in Soho. The first is for its velvety smooth hot chocolate, which is indulgently thick and topped with three types of chocolate sauce, and the second is for a slice of its dense double layer chocolate cake, which is also drizzled in dark, milk and white chocolate sauce. If chocolate isn't your thing, you can skip to the next entry. 
What to order: Double layer chocolate cake with triple chocolate sauce
Where: 41 Broadwick Street, W1F 9QL
Book now: Italian Bear Chocolate

Morty & Bob’s, King’s Cross, Shepherd’s Bush, Kensal Rise

What: Morty & Bob’s is one of those places that does a little bit of everything, from coffee and pastries to brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails - but that wasn’t always the case. It actually started out selling grilled cheeses from a food stall in East London’s Netil Market, eventually becoming famous for its over-filled toasties. These guys now boast three bricks-and-mortar sites across London, but you can still pop into any of its restaurants to get your mitts on one of its signature toasties, which are identifiable by the sheer amount of gooey cheese that spills out the sides. Its signature ‘straight up’ toastie is filled with cheese and onion, while jazzier flavours include mushroom and truffle, or nduja.
What to order: M&B’S 'Straight Up' grilled cheese
Where: 49 Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4DQ; 118 College Road, NW10 5HD
Book now: Morty & Bobs King’s Cross, Morty & Bob’s Kensal Rise

St John Bread & Wine, Spitalfields

What: St John has been open for 30 years and well and truly cemented itself as a core part of London’s dining scene. One of the original pioneers to bring ‘nose to tail’ cooking to the fore, this lauded institution still serves a menu that heroes traditional British recipes. Think mince on dripping toast, ox tongue hash with a fried egg and brown sauce, and a guinea fowl, trotter and prune pie. You’ll also find things like pig’s skin and devilled kidneys on the menu in various guises. This food isn't for the faint-hearted, but it's bound to warm your cockles!
What to order: Hereford mince on dripping toast
Where: 94-96 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ
Book now: St John Bread & Wine

The Quality Chop House, Clerkenwell

What: Originally opened in 1869, The Quality Chop House pays homage to its meaty history with a menu that champions steaks, chops and other meat-focused favourites. Plus, with its wooden booths, black-and-white tiled floors and vintage lighting, QCH boasts a setting that’s as old-school as the food. Think chicken liver and foie gras parfait with Wiltshire black truffle and a Parkerhouse roll, Yorkshire game with trimmings, and a black forest trifle to finish.
What to order: One of its chops!
Where: 88-94 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3EA
Book now: The Quality Chop House

J. Sheekey, Covent Garden

What: Famed fish restaurant J. Sheekey has been around for over a century serving luxurious dishes centred around the fruits of the sea. Oysters, caviar and shellfish platters are all present, but if it’s cosy food you’re craving, we advise you to skip all that raw stuff for J. Sheekey’s fish pie instead. It combines a creamy salmon and cod-loaded sauce with buttery mash and a gnarly cheesy breadcrumb topping. You can't go wrong.
What to order: J. Sheekey’s fish pie
Where: 28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2N 4AL
Book now: J. Sheekey

Rambutan, Borough

What: This Sri Lankan restaurant is British-Sri Lankan cook Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s debut venture and boy is it a brilliant first attempt. Deftly spiced curries and buttery, flaky rotis are part of Rambutan’s DNA, although every dish here is cooked with attention and love. Hot butter squid buns come with punchy katta mayo, dry curries like black pork belly are gnarly and rich, and those rotis are like eating an all-butter croissant – divine.
What to order: Butter rotis with any of its curries
Where: 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD
Book now: Rambutan

Willy’s Pies, London Fields

What: Willy’s Pies started life in lockdown when founder Will Lewis set up a pie delivery service to keep himself busy. His high-quality, filling-rich pies were a smash hit, and the brand has since grown into a nationwide operation with a stall in Netil Market and a commercial kitchen that supplies stockists across London. You can order them online, or pop to London Fields and grab a pie to go. Each pocket of golden pastry is stuffed with rich, glossy fillings like beef mince and Westcombe cheddar, roast chicken, rosemary and leeks, and beef shin, smoked bacon and ale.
What to order: Beef shin, smoked bacon and ale
Where: 352 Westgate Street, E8 3RL

La Maritxu, Marylebone

What: La Maritzu’s showstopping burnt Basque cheesecake has become famous on Instagram over the last year, although they're far more than just another dessert gone viral in London. With a creamy, just-cooked centre and caramel-coloured top, La Maritzu has done a fine job at putting this crustless cheesecake back on the map. They're available by the slice, or to takeaway whole if you're celebrating a special occasion.
What to order: Basque burnt cheesecake
Where: 12 Connaught Street, W2 2AF
Book now: La Maritxu

If you can't think of anything more comforting than the doughy deliciousness of a pizza, then be sure to check out our guide to the best pizza in London for all our top slices.