The Best 24-Hour & Late Night Restaurants In London

Late Night Restaurants in London | From 24hr Establishments To Late-Night Eateries 

24 hours make your day.

At least where London restaurants are concerned.

See, whether you’re working through the night, stumbling home or just can’t sleep, if you’re hungry, you’re certainly not without options. Scattered across London are late-night restaurants – including some that even stay open the full 24 hours. Our pick of the best includes everything from sushi on the 39th floor and New York style pizza served by the slice, to a secret cocktail bar and dim sum lounge, all of which we’ve listed for you below…
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LONDON’S 24-HOUR RESTAURANTS

Polo Bar | Liverpool Street

If you’re out late and hungry, you’re probably looking for a hole in one…which is exactly what you’ll find at Polo, an ode to the traditional British caff, located moments away from Liverpool Street Station. Not only is it incredibly convenient, it’s also a laid-back, no-fuss kind of place, where the primary focus is serving freshly-made, delicious food to the folks of London. If you’re looking for fancy this isn’t it, and ‘cool’ might be pushing it (although it does offer up some classic East London exposed brick and Chesterfield-esque booths). But if you’re looking for generous portions of comfort food…well, then roll right in. We’re talking everything from all-day breakfast; fish and chips; sausage and mash; shepherds pie; and a whole load more. If you have a sweet tooth they’ve also got a generous deserts menu you can have at any time. Or, if you’re just after a last pint before a taxi home, there are plenty of beers, wine, and a few cocktails on offer for less than a mint.

Address: 176 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4NQ | Book here
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Duck And Waffle | Liverpool Street

Another quacking 24-hour restaurant is Duck And Waffle, the famed sky-high eatery on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of the city. As the name suggests, it serves up both duck and waffle in a variety of forms, as well as a number of other, more traditionally British dishes. While their late-night restaurant menu is shorter than usual, you can still score their signature dish – confit duck leg atop a Belgium waffle, topped again with a fried duck egg, and drizzled in mustard maple syrup. Of course you might prefer to visit early one morning instead of late at night, in which case ‘The Full Elvis’ (a peanut butter jelly sandwich with caramelised banana topped with chantilly cream) might be closer to what you’re after, washed down by one their Champagne cocktails, with a 360° view of London at sunrise on the side.

Address: Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY | Book here
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VQ | Chelsea, Aldgate & Bloomsbury

Image: VQ Chelsea

If you’re out and starting to doubt there’s anywhere still open serving food, you’re going to want to break…fast, namely at Vingt Quatre, where 24-hour breakfast is their speciality. Here you can end your night with a breakfast bap stuffed full of scrambled eggs, minute steak, hash brown, and roasted tomato, or steak and eggs…pancakes…or Belgium waffles. And really, breakfast’s just the start of it. They also offer pretty much all of the ‘day-time’ menu – burgers, sandwiches, teriyaki salmon, apple crumble, and sticky toffee pudding – at night too. All of which can be accompanied by freshly squeezed juice, smoothies, milkshakes, and/or booze.

Address: Chelsea: 325 Fulham Road, SW10 9QL; Bloomsbury: 11A Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NQ; Algate: 9-13 Aldgate High Street, EC3N 1AH | Book here
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Beigel Bake | Brick Lane

Admittedly Beigel Bake isn’t a restaurant, so really it depends whether you’re after sustenance or shelter (whilst your partner calms down and takes the chain off the door). If it’s the former however, you’re in luck, because what it lacks in tables it makes up for in experience. In fact this Brick Lane stalwart has been serving bagels stuffed full of cream cheese; or salt beef, mustard and pickles; 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for over 30 years.

Address: 159 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB | Opening times: Open 24 hours

LATE-NIGHT RESTAURANTS

Balans | Soho

Something of a Soho institution, this place is well-versed in the slurry, over gesticulated needs of Londoners at night. In fact, according to their self-written philosophy – ‘All hail the rogue, the rascal and the reprobate’ – the messier the better. Which means you can stumble in there post 3am, and order pancakes with bacon and warm maple butter without judgement. In fact, they have an entire 24-hour breakfast menu on offer, including a full English, eggs in many forms, and… house-baked granola. Alternatively, if you’re not in mood for breakfast, or want to fit in a quick second dinner beforehand, their late-night menu also includes a small selection of their ‘Quintessential Balans’, like their Infamous Balans Burger of Red Leicester, maple bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle and red onion (with fries); squid ink linguine; and a 10 oz Hereford Rib Eye Steak, because you might be drunk, but… protein.

Address: 60 – 62 Old Compton Street, W1D 4UG | Closing times: Sun-Tues 10am-11pm, Wed-Thurs 10am-5am, Fri-Sat 10am-6am | Book here
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Le Bab Old Street | Shoreditch

Possibly the fanciest 3am kebab you’ll ever have. Le Bab comes from three chefs who left a double Michelin star restaurant (Le Gavroche) to put some respect on the kebab name – an admirable move, and something they’ve definitely achieved; their Old Street late night restaurant serves up pepper pork shawarmas and barbecue chicken & charcoal-grilled lamb adana kebabs to an, admittedly, pretty drunk crowd. Drinks are lagers, IPAS, rum & cokes… does it matter? Water. And in terms of the classiest 3am kebab you’ll ever have, well, that’s on you really…

Details: 231 Old St, EC1V 9HE | Closing times: Thu-Sat 4am | Walk-ins only
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Opium | Soho

Part cocktail bar, part dim sum lounge, hidden amongst the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. You have to know about it to find it, behind a nondescript door on Gerrard Street, which will then lead you up some stairs and into part one of what will eventually transpire to be three rooms. This first room is The Apothecary where, propped up at a small 15-seater bar, you can drink from a menu of medicinally-inspired cocktails; as well as spirits, beer, and wine. They also do baskets of dim sum stuffed full of everything from king prawn to mushroom and truffle if you’re in the mood. Next is the more intimate Peony – tucked behind a red curtain it offers a number of private tables, as well as a whole new cocktail list, this time based on various regions around China. Finally is Academy, the attic bar boasting the Bartender’s Table, a small square table which you’re invited to sit around and both chat to, and order cocktails from the head bartender himself.

Address: 15-16 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JE | Kitchen closing times: Mon-Wed 10pm, Thurs 1am, Fri-Sat 2am, Sun 9pm | Book here
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Dean Street Townhouse | Soho

Image: © Soho House

If you really get into the spirit of old Soho, your night, starting with dinner at Dean Street Townhouse (that’s open for dinner until 1am on Friday and Saturday) could easily end with breakfast at Dean Street Townhouse. It’s an exciting prospect, involving fish and chips with mushy peas or steak at night – something, erm, in between – and then in the morning, a twice-smoked bacon sandwich with brown sauce or a full English, among other very appealing options. Of course, if you’re not pulling an all-nighter, then the food and drinks complemented by the velvety, armchair-heavy and private members club-esque surrounds, still make for an excellent dinner at a later hour…

Address: 69-71 Dean Street, W1D 4QJ | Opening hours: 7am-12am (Mon-Thurs), 7-1am (Fri), 8-1am (Sat), 8am-1pm (Sun)
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Cecconi’s Pizza Bar | Soho

Brought to you by the same folks behind world-famous Soho House, Cecconi’s is a Central London pizza bar serving delicious wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta, and a selection of cicchetti (Italian tapas) late into the night. For drinks they’ve got jugs of beer, as well as both Aperol Spritz and Negronis on tap. Which – along with live DJs until 3am on weekends – works out pretty great, whichever way you slice it.

Address: 19-21 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 5JJ | Closing times: Mon-Thurs 12am, Fri-Sat 3am, Sun 11pm | Book here
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Bob Bob Ricard | Soho, The City 

When you think about late-night restaurants, you probably imagine something a lot less…gold-plated than Bob Bob Ricard. However, somehow they manage to be one of London’s most beautiful restaurants and have a pretty decent late-night offering too. And by pretty decent we mean oysters, caviar, lobster macaroni & cheese, crab, scallop and shrimp Pelmeni and a whole load of other Russian-British inspired dishes, which, as you know, takes one press of a button to wash down with Champagne. 

Details: 1 Upper James Street, Soho, Central London, W1F 9DF | Closing times: Monday-Sunday 12am (City branch closed Mon & Sun) | Book here
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Sushisamba | The City

Here’s another place that doesn’t seem like your typical late-night restaurant, probably more so one that you’ve wanted to attend with your SO. But, Sushisamba is, in fact, open until the early hours of the morning so you can swap greasy burgers for charred lamb skewers, sashimi or little crispy lobster tacos. You’ll also be treated to one heck of a view across London….

Details: Heron Tower, Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY | Closing times: Sun-Weds 1:30am, Thurs-Sat 2:30am | Book here
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Bar Italia | Soho

Another late-night restaurant unlikely to give you the boot is Bar Italia. Well, at least not the kicking you out the door kind. Next to laser-lit, cheesy music, late-night dancing institution Little Italy, they’ll happily serve you Italian pizza and paninis late into the night.

Address: 22 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 4RF | Closing times: Mon-Sun 3am
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Voodoo Ray’s | Dalston

A glowing beacon of hope on the otherwise rather dark Kingsland Road at night. It’s a trendy, retro-styled pizza joint serving 22” New York-style pizzas by the slice. Topping-wise, there’s everything from your classic pepperoni to the Queen Vegan (artichoke hearts, green olives, red onion, sun-blush tomatoes, tomato sauce and green sauce), as well as mac & cheese and slaw for sides. Depending on where you are in your night, they also offer various spirits, beer, wine, and cocktails, including frozen margaritas and seasonal spiked slushies…

Address: 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB | Closing times: Sun-Weds 11pm, Thurs 12am, Fri-Sat 1am | Book here

Looking for somewhere to burn off some energy first? Take a look at our guide to the best clubs in London, or these other great things to do in London at night.