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Best restaurants in the City of London

Looking for somewhere decent to eat in an EC postcode? We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to and compiled a list of the best restaurants in The City of London, in and around the Square Mile. Whether you’re looking to entertain clients, celebrate a milestone or impress an upcoming date, this pocket of London has it all – from French bistros through to lively bars.

Updated on 05 August 2024

Until the late 1990s, the City of London was pretty much a no-go area for serious foodies. Sure, there were wine bars aplenty and a handful of high-end lunch venues for client entertaining. But for anything in the slightest bit contemporary, fashionable or fun, Square Mile diners had to take their expense accounts to the West End.

The Square Mile diners, in fact, was how SquareMeal started. Keen to provide a guide on where to grab a decent bite to eat after work should your office be found around St Paul’s, the team here got to work creating a failsafe list of recommendations for locals to rely on. Thirty years on and we might have expanded out of The City of London, but we’ve maintained our soft spot for this little corner of the capital.

And how things have changed in those thirty years since we got to work uncovering the first hidden culinary gems of EC. Now, there are over 1000 restaurants in City of London, many of which are not just cutting edge in the culinary department, but also located in some of the most dramatic settings. We’d go as far as to say it’s a dining destination in its own rights these days. From the high-end thrills of skyscraper dining and haute-cuisine sophistication to more affordable sharing plates of tapas and dim-sum, here is our handpicked selection of the best restaurants in the City of London.

From the high-end thrills of skyscraper dining and haute-cuisine sophistication to more affordable sharing plates of tapas and dim-sum, here is our handpicked selection of the best restaurants in the City of London.

Angler

Angler

South Place Hotel, Moorgate, London, EC2M 2AF

Over £80
Fish
One Michelin star
SquareMeal London Top 100
Book now
Coq d

Coq d'Argent

1 Poultry, City of London, London, EC2R 8EJ

£50 - £79
French
Book now
14 Hills

14 Hills

120 Fenchurch Street, City of London, London, EC3M 5BA

£50 - £79
British
Book now
Eastway Brasserie at Andaz

Eastway Brasserie at Andaz

Andaz London Liverpool Street Hotel, Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QN

£30 - £49
Brasserie
International
Book now
Caravaggio

Caravaggio

107-112 Leadenhall Street, London, London, EC3A 4DP

£30 - £49
Italian
Book now
Bravas Tapas

Bravas Tapas

St Katharine Docks, London, E1W 1AT

£30 - £49
Tapas
Spanish
Book now
The Melusine

The Melusine

Unit K, Ivory House , Tower Hill, London, E1W 1AT

£30 - £49
Fish
Book now
Jang

Jang

Royal Exchange, City of London, London, EC3V 3LL

£50 - £79
Korean
Japanese
Book now
Galvin La Chapelle

Galvin La Chapelle

35 Spital Square, Spitalfields, London, E1 6DY

Over £80
French
One Michelin star
Book now
Goodman City

Goodman City

11 Old Jewry, City of London, London, EC2R 8DU

£50 - £79
North American
Steak
Book now
La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square

La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square

Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AJ

Over £80
French
Two Michelin stars
Book now
SUSHISAMBA Heron Tower

SUSHISAMBA Heron Tower

Heron Tower, City of London, London, EC2N 4AY

£50 - £79
Peruvian
Sushi
South American
Japanese
Brazilian
Book now
Brigadiers

Brigadiers

1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, City of London, London, EC4N 8AR

£50 - £79
Indian
Book now
Sweetings

Sweetings

39 Queen Victoria Street, City of London, London, EC4N 4SA

£50 - £79
Fish
Book now
M Threadneedle Street

M Threadneedle Street

2-3 Threadneedle Walk, 60 Threadneedle Street, City of London, London, EC2R 8HP

£50 - £79
Steak
Book now
Yauatcha City

Yauatcha City

Broadgate Circle, Spitalfields, London, EC2M 2QS

£50 - £79
Chinese
Dim Sum
Book now
The Anthologist

The Anthologist

58 Gresham Street, City of London, London, EC2V 7BB

£30 - £49
Bars
Book now
Blacklock City

Blacklock City

13 Philpot Lane, City of London, London, EC3M 8AA

£30 - £49
Steak
British
Book now
Cinnamon Kitchen City

Cinnamon Kitchen City

9 Devonshire Square, Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 4YL

£30 - £49
Vegan
Afternoon tea
Indian
Halal
Book now
Restaurant St Barts

Restaurant St Barts

63 Bartholomew Close, Barbican, London, EC1A 7BF

Over £80
British
One Michelin star
SquareMeal London Top 100
Book now
Luc

Luc's Brasserie

17-22 Leadenhall Market, London, EC3V 1LR

£50 - £79
French
Book now
The Mercer

The Mercer

34 Threadneedle Street, Liverpool Street, London, EC2R 8AY

£50 - £79
British
Book now
City Social

City Social

24th Floor, Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, Liverpool Street, London, EC2N 1HQ

£50 - £79
Modern European
British
One Michelin star
Book now
Origin City

Origin City

12 West Smithfield, Farringdon, London, EC1A 9JR

£30 - £49
Modern European
Scottish
Vegetarian
British
Fish
Book now
Lina Stores Bloomberg Arcade

Lina Stores Bloomberg Arcade

19 Bloomberg Arcade, City of London, London, EC4N 8AR

£30 - £49
Italian
Book now
Helix at The Gherkin

Helix at The Gherkin

30 St Mary Axe, City of London, London, EC3A 8EP

£30 - £49
British
International
Book now
Duck & Waffle

Duck & Waffle

110 Bishopsgate, City of London, London, EC2N 4AY

£50 - £79
International
Book now
Los Mochis London City

Los Mochis London City

9th Floor, City of London, London, EC2M 2AT

£50 - £79
Peruvian
Pan Asian
Noodles
Modern European
Mexican
Tapas
Sushi
Dim Sum
International
Fusion
Fish
Book now
Bolton

Bolton's

Bolton House, 13 Cullum Street, Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 7JJ

£50 - £79
Italian
Book now
Straits Kitchen at Pan Pacific London

Straits Kitchen at Pan Pacific London

Pan Pacific Hotel, Liverpool Street, London, EC3A 7AB

£50 - £79
South East Asian
British
Fusion
Book now
The Wolseley City

The Wolseley City

King William Street, City of London, London, EC4N 7HR

£50 - £79
Modern European
Central European
Afternoon tea
Book now
Nobu London Shoreditch

Nobu London Shoreditch

10-50 Willow Street, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 4BH

Over £80
Peruvian
Pan Asian
Japanese
Fusion
Fish
Book now
Coya City

Coya City

31-33 Throgmorton Street, City of London, London, EC2N 2AT

Over £80
Peruvian
South American
Book now
José Pizarro Broadgate

José Pizarro Broadgate

36 Broadgate Circle, Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 1QS

£30 - £49
Tapas
Spanish
Book now
Koya City

Koya City

10-12 Bloomberg Arcade, London, EC4N 8AR

Under £30
Japanese
Book now
Hawksmoor Guildhall

Hawksmoor Guildhall

10 Basinghall Street, City of London, London, EC2V 5BQ

£50 - £79
Steak
British
Book now
Ibai

Ibai

90 Bartholomew Close, Farringdon, London, EC1 7BN

Over £80
Steak
Spanish
French
Book now
LEYDI

LEYDI

15 Old Bailey, City of London, London, EC4M 7EF

£50 - £79
Turkish
Book now
Bleeding Heart Bistro

Bleeding Heart Bistro

Bleeding Heart Yard, Farringdon, London, EC1N 8SJ

£50 - £79
Vegetarian
Steak
French
Fish
Wine Bars
Bistro
Book now

As it turns out, finding a decent bite to eat in The City isn’t tricky at all, with quite literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from within its postcode. Once you’ve tried each of the top picks in the area, why not spread your wings just that little bit further? These are, in our humble opinion, the best restaurants in Shoreditch - The City’s trendy next-door neighbour. There you'll find some slightly more hipster options, as well as plenty of refined eateries that are sure to impress your friends and colleagues alike. 

Alternatively, you can head into the centre, where we can guide you to the best restaurants in Covent Garden - another of London's food capitals. Consistently buzzy, this area is always changing, especially when it comes to restaurants. In our experience, there's practically a new opening as much as twice a week here. Check out our list so you can keep up!

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