Dining and Nightlife in London

By Richard Greenbury
19 Apr 2021

London is a charming city that has the best of everything you can look for. If you’re looking for a good restaurant or a bar after a long day or prefer to go to the best clubs in London to party, these are the best in town!

Restaurants

London is a foodie’s heaven and can boast some of the best international cuisines in the world. Indeed, in this cosmopolitan playground, you are certain to find something to satisfy all cravings and all appetites.

FINE DINING

You might want to go to more upscale areas in the city center such as Covent Garden and Mayfair. Here you can expect to spend a very pretty penny in some of the most exclusive restaurants in town. Here are some of the bests:

Try something different and naturally British at Fera at Claridge’s, where roots, flowers, and other wacky seasonal treats are on the menu.
You can also stick with an all-time classic and sample a beautiful steak dinner at Goodman in Mayfair.
J Sheekey in Covent Garden near the theatre district is one of the top seafood restaurants in London and is also a favorite with A-list celebrities. It provides a warm and comfortable atmosphere as well as a fresh and mouth-watering menu.

MORE AFFORDABLE

For more affordable dining you can try the less glamourous and more bohemian neighborhoods. Soho has one of the most eclectic ranges of eateries you will find anywhere in London, from Mediterranean and European cuisine to old-fashioned traditional cooking. Soho will leave you spoilt for choices:

Why not try some English favorites in the candlelit Dickensian Andrew Edmunds?
Spanish tapas in Barrafina?
Or enjoy a laidback meal at the charming 10 Greek Street?

There is definitely something for everyone!

TRADITIONAL

For a traditional British experience, you can try:

The authentic pub grub at the much-loved Simpsons Tavern, open since 1889.
The charming Sweetings for seafood, open since 1757.

Bars

TRADITIONAL

If you are looking for a nice English pint of lager, you can find some great traditional pubs all over London, and these will typically have very traditional sounding names.

The Dog and Duck in Soho offers a fantastic array of British ales as well as some quintessentially English grub.
The Lamb and Flag is perhaps one of the most charming of London’s traditional pubs. Located in Covent Garden for over 200 years it was a favorite of Charles Dickens and remains a favorite of tourists and locals today. Here you can find fresh ale and great British food.

You can find many traditional pubs throughout Covent Garden as well as other tourist areas like Piccadilly and Leicester Square.

MODERN

If you are after something more modern and youthful then the trendy bars of the East End are for you. Whitechapel’s Brick Lane is a long strip of quaint old buildings which have been transformed into very cool and quirky pubs – and with a large Asian population, it’s also a great place to get a curry.

At the end of Brick Lane is artsy Shoreditch and Hoxton where you will find plenty of fun and wonderfully off-beat pubs, such as:

You will also find cool music of all genres, and some of the best up-and-coming art and comedy in the city – and you can be sure to catch of glimpse of some bona fide London hipsters!

Other quirky London neighborhoods with a unique and buzzing nightlife include Soho and Camden. Bars usually stay open until 11:30 PM or midnight mid-week and until 2:30 or 3:00 AM on weekends.

Nightclubs

The London Nightclubs are some of the bests in Europe and have a worldwide reputation for after-dark fun.

UPSCALE NIGHTCLUBS

If you want to spend your night in the best of style and party with London’s glitterati, then the upscale nightclubs in the West End such as:

The Funky Buddha
Babylon at the Rooftop Gardens in Kensington
Long-standing 100 Club where you can see some of the biggest bands in the world.
If you are lucky you may glimpse a few famous faces during the night, as international celebrities, including the younger members of the British royal family, often enjoy hanging out at places like Mahiki; a Polynesian-themed nightclub in historic Mayfair. Be prepared to spend top-dollar though, as a table can cost you up to £1000, depending on the venue.

POPULAR CLUBS

If you are looking for a more down-to-earth atmosphere, then some of the most famous London hotspots include:

Ministry of Sound at Elephant and Castle, one of the biggest and most renowned clubs in town with a staggering lineup of well-known DJs and a booming sound system.
Heaven, London’s primo gay bar where all-comers can dance on the podiums throughout the labyrinthine club filled with dancefloors, cafés, and shops
Fabric, a retro-cool club built in an old Victorian meat cellar – this place provides top-quality London underground entertainment where party-goers can enjoy some of the best DJs in town from the comfort of their own bed – well a bed-seat – which adds a special character to this unique club.
Ginglik in Shephard’s Bush – this renovated public toilet with its hidden entrance hosts an array of talented DJs, musicians, and comedians, and is a lot more glamourous than it sounds!

Most nightclubs open after 10:00 or 11:00 PM from Friday to Sunday and stay open until 4:00 or sometimes even 6:00 AM in the morning.

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Richard

Richard is the founder of Cribmed. He was born and grew up in New Zealand. In his twenties, he traveled and backpacked extensively before finally settling down in Rome, Italy in 2011.