Bib Gourmand Restaurants in London 2024 | Top-Tier, Wallet-Friendly Dining
When the Michelin Guide debuted, only a three Star restaurant was worth a special trip. A two Star spot was only worth a small detour, and a one Star eatery was only worth stopping at if it happened to be on the way to your ultimate destination.
Things have changed a little since then.
Standard have been raised. Like, a lot. And now, there’s an award for restaurants that don’t quite make the cut for a Star, but which nevertheless deliver an exceptional meal. It’s called a Bib Gourmand – and here’s a list of all the London restaurants that have them, organised by area. More relaxed, frequently more experimental, and almost always more affordable than London’s restaurants with Michelin Stars, they basically make up a bucket list of exciting, top-quality dining destinations.
And yes… they’re all worth a special trip.
We’ve updated the list with the new Bibs for 2024: Empire Empire and Les 2 Garcons
CENTRAL LONDON
Bancone
Fresh, surprisingly affordable pasta in a cool, industrial Covent Garden space. The signature here is the handkerchief pasta – silky swatches of fresh pasta bathed in parmesan, beurre blanc and confit egg yolk, dusted with chopped walnuts.
Bao Soho
If you like Taiwanese bao buns so good they generate perpetual queues, then this is your spot. Tastefully minimalist interiors nod to mid-century style, while the deep-fried Horlicks ice cream bao is a dessert revelation.
The Barbary
From the people behind The Palomar, this is a North African counter-dining spot tucked away in the colourful nook that is Neal’s Yard. Amidst a chorus of flame-kissed dishes, dessert takes top billing here too: the famous honey & pistachio hashcake.
Berenjak
Soho’s own hole-in-the-wall-style Iranian kebab joint, run by former Gymkhana chef Kian Samyani who here takes us on a tour of the cooking he grew up on.
Brasserie Zédel
One of the best value meals you’ll find in London, served in a cavernous, gilded art deco space that looks a million bucks. Come early for a drink at Bar Américain; stay late for a cabaret show at The Crazy Coqs.
Hoppers Soho
Highly authentic Sri Lankan food served in a cosy wood-panelled space in Soho. Obviously you have to try the hopper itself (a concave egg pancake), and there’s a formidable selection of arrack-based cocktails to wash it all down.
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen
Delicious, nourishing Syrian food in Kingly Court from big-hearted refugee chef Imad. Come here for hearty Syrian breakfasts, for banquet-style dinners, or the supperclubs which Imad still runs personally.
Kiln
Kiln serves regional Thai food inspired by roadside eateries, that is anything but middle of the road. Upstairs is walk-in only, so arrive early and pray for a coveted seat at the zinc-topped counter overlooking leaping flames in the kitchen.
Kricket Soho
Highly inventive small plates that mingle Indian recipes and techniques with fresh British produce, resulting in combinations like samphire pakoras and ‘Coronation’ smoked mackerel. Head downstairs to their subterranean bar SOMA for a nightcap.
The Palomar
One of our favourite restaurants in London, hands down. Israeli food, perfectly executed by a fleet of chefs working in synchrony behind a marble-topped bar (which, coincidentally, is where the best seats are).
Pahli Hill
Fragrant Indian food in Fitzrovia, that comes with an eccentric cocktail bar below. Pick from their menu of regional specialities, or allow head chef Avi to serve you a seven-course tasting menu directly over the counter.
Paradise
A smash as soon as it opened in 2019, Paradise can be found in Soho serving exceptional Sri Lankan fare in industrial surrounds. A reboot in Spring 2024 has spawned Paradise 2.0; a tasting-menu only incarnation with dishes based around land, sea or soil.
Plaza Khao Gaeng
A Thai canteen that could have been plucked straight from Bangkok, with ingredients sourced either from Thailand or grown personally by chef Luke Farrell in his own bespoke greenhouses.
EAST LONDON
Brutto
The late Russell Norman’s “ugly but good” Clerkenwell trattoria, which has turned out to be “Michelin Bib Gourmand” level good. Come for old-school Tuscan classics like pappardelle with rabbit ragù, and negronis for a fiver.
Gunpowder Spitalfields
Punchy, modern Indian food in a stylish space, that’s since led to not one but two offshoots. Definitely order the vermicelli donut, stuffed with venison and mango chutney.
Manteca
What started as a pop-up has become one of the most lauded restaurants in Shoreditch. Manteca specialises in fresh pasta and aged charcuterie, and does them both extremely well.
Popolo
A small and buzzy Italian restaurant with a distinct Middle Eastern & Moorish influence. The first floor has a handful of tables, but sit up at the bar downstairs for the theatre of it all.
Smokestak
Quite possibly the best BBQ place in London. Nothing escapes the charcoal grill at the centre of the room, from the brisket and beef dripping toast to the toasted oak ice cream.
St John Bread and Wine
The pioneers of nose-to-tail dining, who are widely credited with – no exaggeration – changing the London dining scene forever when they first opened 20 years ago. They also happen to make the best doughnuts in the city.
WEST LONDON
Empire Empire | New for 2024
Disco-fuelled Indian food in Notting Hill from the crew behind Gunpowder, complete with jukebox and retro photobooth, and a pie erupting with a whole lobster.
Hereford Road | CLOSED August 2024
This former Victorian butcher’s shop still brings the meat, with nose-to-tail style dishes and an incredibly good-value set lunch menu that defies modern economics, let alone its Holland Park setting.
Kateh
An understated space on a pretty street round the corner from Little Venice, Kateh serves some gorgeous Persian food alongside a well-picked list of low-intervention wines (and has been doing so since before it was cool).
The Pelican W11
A strikingly cosy and beautiful gastropub off Portobello Market, serving elegant Modern European small plates and dishes to share.
NORTH LONDON
Les 2 Garcons | New for 2024
A classic & comforting little French bistro in Crouch End, from two chefs who became friends while working for Marco Pierre White… and then actually followed through on the dream of running a restaurant together.
Farang
Some of the best, fieriest, Thai food in the city, served in a repurposed Italian trattoria. Seb Holmes opened the place at just 25, and it’s all been on an upward trajectory ever since.
Plaquemine Lock
Strangely, one of the only New Orleans-style restaurants in the city. And it’s excellent. Come for Louisiana classics like gumbo, po’boys and oysters Rockafella with a soundtrack of live blues.
Primeur
From the Westerns Laundry team, this stylish space is actually a former garage. Park yourself there for some of the best European small plates in the city.
Provender
A comfortable, self-described “bourgeois” brasserie, you’ll find classic French fare, and excellent wines. It’s another of the best-value Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in London, with three courses for just over £20.
Trullo
Some of the best Italian food in North London, from the team also behind Padella. The menu changes twice a day, giving the place a strong return visit factor.
Westerns Laundry
Superb seafood in a modern industrial space, from the Primeur team. Everything here feels like they’ve hit the nail right on the head.
SOUTH LONDON
Evernight
A sleek, modern izakaya where Japanese culinary techniques are applied to seasonal British ingredients, creating dishes like seabass sashimi with rhubarb ponzu. The kombu martinis are good too.
José
From celebrity chef José Pizarro, this is his tapas-heavy flagship. A list of over 50 sherries and Spanish wines accompanies classics like jamón Ibérico and pan con tomate, consumed while huddled around old wine barrels.
Kudu
South African food is a rarity in the capital, but Kudu makes you wish it wasn’t.
Legare
A modern, Southern Italian outfit with fresh pasta dishes hand-made daily by a former Trullo chef. Bonus points if you can grab a table outside, under the criss-crossing bridges of Shad Thames.
Padella
Hands down the best pound-for-pound meal in the city. Fresh pasta, hand-rolled each day, for extremely low prices.
Upstairs (at Trinity)
If you don’t fancy the formality of Michelin Starred Trinity, you can always head upstairs for a more casual (but also delicious) experience.
Like Bib Gourmands? You’ll love our equally prestigious pick of the best restaurants in every London neighbourhood