18 sustainable restaurants in London that are making a real difference

Food waste is one of the biggest issues facing the restaurant industry and recent years have seen a growing number of restaurants and chefs starting to tackle the issue. Ex-Tredwells founder Chantelle Nicholson, and Skye Gyngell of Spring, are just a couple of examples of pioneering chefs who have totally transformed their own restaurants to be kinder to the planet. But more on that later. 

In fact, it’s not just chefs and restaurants who are paving the way for doing things more sustainably. Customers want – nay, expect – more from businesses these days, and actively seek out places that give back to the planet and the community. No longer is it enough to simply serve great-tasting food and drink. Customers care now more than ever about what goes on behind the scenes, from sourcing high welfare meat and supporting local producers to thinking about the way the ingredients are cooked to ensure nothing is wasted. It’s the reason that restaurants such as Silo and Spring exist today, all of which were born out of a desire to change the way restaurants operate by offering a low-waste, ethical and sustainable way of doing business.  

Once upon a time, it was only vegan restaurants in London who cared about any of the above, but now it’s a prerequisite to any new and aspiring venture. Many places go beyond what’s on the menu, crafting interiors that are just as rigorously sourced as the food. Furniture that’s been upcycled or made using recycled materials, for example, or decorative details sourced from artisan producers. To clarify, it’s these sorts of places that we’ve included in this round-up: the ones that go a little bit beyond serving seasonal menus (trust us, there are plenty of those already in London) to those that use sustainable energy or have cut their use of plastic entirely.  

Douglas McMaster, the founder of zero-waste restaurant Silo explains that 'a different future is possible', but it requires restaurants and chefs to adopt a new way of thinking. In his eyes, that starts with where we source our food. 'The most important thing we can all do – at home, chefs, everyone - is appreciate that industrial agriculture is killing the planet', he explains. You can read more about his thoughts on planet-conscious dining in our interview with Douglas McMaster, where he shares the sustainable initiatives he's adopted at his restaurant over the years. 

The appetite for sustainable restaurants is a trend we’re very much on board with, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. So, if you’re looking to green up your dining act, take some inspiration from London's best sustainable restaurants that are all doing truly great things for the city’s dining scene.

Silo, Hackney Wick 

What: Silo was one of the first sustainable restaurants to appear on the map, initially opening in 2014 by Douglas McMaster in Brighton before ethical restaurants were really a thing. It’s since moved to London's Hackney Wick and is paving the way for sustainable restaurants everywhere with its zero-waste approach to cooking. The original concept for Silo was born from the idea of a restaurant without a bin, and it still lives up to that brief. There's a huge focus on fermenting to ensure the food systems it follows are as circular as possible, which means you'll often find awesome, umami-rich creations on the menu. It's eradicated the use of single use plastic in its supply chain, works with local and regenerative farmers only, and the restaurant itself is made with upcycled materials - like a counter top made with recycled glass bottles.
Where: Unit 7, Queens Yard, E9 5EN 
Book now: Silo

Rucola at The Conduit, Covent Garden

What: The Conduit is one of London’s most sustainable events venues, so it makes sense that its rooftop restaurant – Rucola - follows the same ethical principles. Sustainable cookery plays a huge role in its mission to be planet-friendly, serving a plant-forward menu that uses every part of the ingredient to minimise waste. It also recycles as much as it possibly can and has banned single use plastics from its supply chain. Rucola’s aim is to offer guests luxury in a more sustainable way. It sources its veg from Angry Monk, who aim to redistribute imperfect produce to consumers, the tiles you see in the restaurant are sourced from female artisans in South Africa, and plants come from a social enterprise called Glass House which provides horticultural training to women in prison. There are so many sustainable stories to be told behind every element of Rucola!
Where: 6 Langley Street, WC2H 9JA
Book now: Rucola at The Conduit

Acme Fire Cult, Dalston

What: Acme Fire Cult is one of those weird and wonderful restaurants that thinks a little bit differently to everyone else. For one, it’s a barbecue restaurant that focuses mostly on plants (50% of the menu is plant-based), the kitchen sits outdoors on a covered terrace, and it boasts its very own ferment lab where it makes its own hot sauce, misos, kimchis and ferments using surplus food products. It’s pretty cool stuff. When it comes to ingredients, organic and heirloom varieties are prioritised where possible, meat comes from regenerative farms in the UK, and fish is caught from small day boats on the south coast.
Where: The Bootyard, Abbot Street, E8 3DP
Book now: Acme Fire Cult

Barge East, Hackney Wick

What: Not only has this floating restaurant in Hackney Wick been artfully restored using upcycled materials, but the land adjacent has been transformed into sprawling sustainable gardens where it grows heaps of its own produce. Plus, diners can sit there with a drink in the sun! Barge East takes great care to source all its ingredients from British suppliers, or locally if possible, to create its seasonal, globally-inspired menus. It also offers a weekly ‘Sustainable Specials’ board, so do keep an eye out for those. 
Where: White Post Lane, E9 5EN
Book now: Barge East

FIELD by Fortnum’s, Mayfair

What: FIELD by Fortnum’s takes a closer look at how food is grown, sourced and used within restaurants with the aim of improving the process to be more sustainable and far less wasteful. In practice, that involves working with regenerative farmers and producers who implement their own planet-conscious systems, championing seasonal ingredients and small-scale fishing, and practicing ways of cooking that minimise waste. What can you expect to see on the menu? Dishes change seasonally, but examples might include fish of the day with new potatoes and hollandaise, scallops with peas and nduja butter, and strawberry shortbread with lemon verbena cream.
Where: 181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER
Book now: FIELD by Fortnum’s

EDIT, Hackney

What: Architect-turned-restaurateur Elly Ward spearheads this low-waste, hyper-seasonal, plant-based restaurant in Hackney. Everything from the food to the interiors follows a low-waste philosophy, from reclaimed furniture and tables made from recycled wood, to a menu based around vegetables and a root-to-fruit cooking ethos. The sharing plates menu features dishes such as wild mushroom fricassée with creamed barley and wilted chard, fermented cabbage with lentil haggis and potato puree, and a heavenly chocolate mousse topped with toasted puffed quinoa. All its low-intervention wines are sourced from small scale producers, along with a few affordable options on tap. 
Where: 217 Mare Street, E8 3QE
Book now: EDIT

Apricity, Mayfair 

What: Chantelle Nicholson’s latest venture, Apricity, is built on the ethos of her previously acclaimed restaurant Tredwells. It offers a vegetable-focused, zero-waste approach to cooking and a menu that highlights seasonal British produce, alongside low intervention wines that champion English vineyards and wineries. It's also a social conscious endeavour with the team behind the restaurant all sharing the same sustainable values as Nicholson. 
Where: 68 Duke Street, W1K 6JU 
Book now: Apricity  

Spring, Somerset House 

What: Spring is the brainchild of Skye Gyngell, whose previous experience includes The French House and Petersham Nurseries. Its first sustainable order of business was launching its Scratch menu back in 2016, an entirely separate menu made from ingredients that would otherwise go to waste so as to raise awareness about food waste in the UK. The menu is constantly changing depending on what ingredients the kitchen has in that day and is less expensive than its regular offering – just £30 for three courses.
Where: Somerset House, Lancaster Place, WC2R 1LA 
Book now: Spring

Dinings SW3, Chelsea

What: We've included Japanese restaurant Dinings SW3 in this guide for its commitment to responsible sourcing. It's a subject that matters a lot to executive chef Masaki Sugisaki, with all its fish sourced from Cornish dayboats, plus a handful of ethical producers across Europe and Japan. Recently, the restaurant established its ‘Sustainability Series’ which takes a deep dive into some of Dinings' most sustainable suppliers. Its scallops, for example, are hand-dived by a local diver in Devon to ensure minimal environmental damage, and arrive at Dinings SW3 within eight hours of being caught. Now that's what we call fresh! Finally, details about the provenance of its producers are indicated on the restaurant's menus where possible.
Where: Walton House, SW3 2JH
Book now: Dinings SW3

Jikoni, Marylebone 

What: Ravinder Bhogal’s Jikoni in London was the first independent restaurant to become carbon neutral in 2021. Awesome. Not only that, it’s looking to overhaul its supplier roster to only include ones that are exclusively more sustainable, is working with Climate Neutral to help it decrease its carbon emissions and has been generating green energy by utilising solar and wind power since 2019.
Where: 19-21 Blandford Street, W1D 3DH 
Book now: Jikoni

Hawksmoor, Various locations

What: Famously lauded for its epic steaks, Hawksmoor's meaty offering isn't one you'd necessarily associate with being planet-friendly. But the steakhouse has worked hard to ensure all its meat is sourced ethically and supports the earth's food system, and is now the world’s first carbon neutral steak restaurant group. It set itself the goal of becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2022, and managed to reach that target a year ahead of schedule. It's also implementing practices to reduce its overal greenhouse gas emissions and become a Net Zero company by 2030, has made the move to renewable electricity in the UK and ensures all food waste is converted into biogas. The company is also educating staff in the basics of carbon and climate change. We love to see it. 
Where: Various locations
Book now: Borough, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Guildhall and more

Frog, Covent Garden

What: Frog is Adam Handling’s flagship restaurant, and like all of his restaurants, is built on a fundamental commitment to minimising waste in the food industry. Handling promotes educating people on how to eat and cook more sustainably without ever compromising on flavour, and that really shows in his menus with dishes like bread with chicken butter, and ox cheek with English truffle. Frog also creates its cocktails using by-products from the restaurant menu so even less food is wasted. 
Where: 34-38 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HF 
Book now: Frog 

The Duke of Cambridge, Islington 

What: Part of The Culpeper Family Hospitality Group, The Duke of Cambridge is one of its four London pubs on a mission to positively impact the planet through the way it operates. In fact, it’s the UK’s first 100% certified organic pub and lead by Riverford Farm’s Guy Watson and Geetie Singh, who have curated an organic seasonal menu alongside plenty of biodynamic wines and carbon negative beers.  
Where: 30 St Peters Street, N1 8JT 
Book now: The Duke of Cambridge

The Buxton, Brick Lane 

What: Another one from The Culpeper Family, The Buxton in East London is a bistro and hotel with 15 rooms. It grows herbs on its rooftop to be used in the kitchen and bar, sources its ingredients from responsible suppliers, changes its menu depending on what’s in stock and offers plenty of low intervention wines and local beers. Sustainable practices are built into the way The Buxton operates, and that extends to the hotel too which features original handwoven artworks, rugs and blankets made by local weavers.  
Where: 42 Oxborne Street, E1 6TD
Book now: The Buxton 

The Spread Eagle, Homerton 

What: The world’s first 100% vegan pub (there are a lot of firsts in this list), The Spread Eagle puts an emphasis on sustainable, minimal waste and plant-based drinking and dining. Signature dishes include pie, mash ‘n’ liquor, the ploughman’s board, its ‘TSE’ burger and sticky toffee pudding.  
Where: 224 Homerton High Street, E9 6AS 
Book now: The Spread Eagle

Black Cat Café, Hackney 

What: This is one of those places where if you know, you know. Independent vegan café Black Cat in Hackney serves a cosmopolitan menu with a rustic, home-cooked spin: think generous portions and comforting flavours. All its cleaning products and materials are plant-based too and it hosts events for causes who campaign for animal rights. It’s a goodie. 
Where: 76A Clarence Road, E5 8HB 

Petersham Nurseries Café, Richmond 

What: Petersham Nurseries really is a special corner of the city. Fittingly located on the outskirts of leafy Richmond, this pretty garden-inspired restaurant grows much of its produce on its family farm in Devon, which is totally organic, chemical-free and soil association assured. It also offers a minimal waste approach to cooking in its kitchens and uses an aerobic food digester to turn food waste into water, reducing its carbon footprint. It also sends its coffee waste to Bio-Bean, who turn it into biofuels. All this means that Petersham Nurseries received a Green Michelin Star in 2021 – and well-deserved, too – a new award from the guide which recognises restaurants that are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices. 
Where: Church Lane, TW10 7AB 
Book now: Petersham Nurseries Café 

Rabbit, Chelsea

What: Rabbit is a farm-to-fork restaurant brought to Chelsea by the Gladwin brothers (also The Shed) which holds sustainability at the forefront. Born out of a love for wild and foraged produce, something clearly expressed through its Local & Wild menu, Rabbit pays close attention to its ingredients, with a lot of them sourced from the brother's own family farm and Nutbourne vineyard in West Sussex.  
Where: 172 Kings Road, SW3 4UP 
Book now: Rabbit 

In more good food news, here are the charitable restaurants in the UK that are giving back to their communities.