The Old Testament

The Old Testament | The Best Classic Restaurants in London

So, we wrote The London Restaurant Bible.

And just like the actual Bible, it comes in two parts: The New Testament (featuring the best NEW restaurants in London) and this, The Old Testament (featuring the best OLD, i.e. classic restaurants in London). To clarify, when we say “old” we mean “more than five years old… but less than two hundred and twenty-one years old”. There’s a lot of competition out there.

And lo, in no particular order, behold our Old Testament picks –

The Old Testament

J Sheekey An elegant, old-school seafood restaurant in the heart of Leicester Square, with romantic low lighting.

Quo Vadis The grande dame of Soho; a near-century old institution with a decidedly louche character.

La Bodega Negra A subterranean hacienda located underneath a charmingly nondescript soho sex shop.

Bocca Di Lupo This is probably the finest regional Italian restaurant in London. Or even Italy.

Gymkhana An unspeakably elegant, Michelin-starred Indian classic in Mayfair….

Randall & Aubin A Soho brasserie filled with 18th century French chandeliers, disco balls, a ton of seafood, and a cellar-full of Champagne.

Blacklock Soho What was once an underground lap dancing bar is now an entirely different kind of meat market….

The Palomar A modern London classic, serving Israeli small plates over a theatrical dining counter.

Bob Bob Ricard A gloriously glitzy Soho restaurant that looks like a stationary Orient Express….

Portland Laid-back fine dining in Fitzrovia, with a tasting menu that’s surprisingly affordable.

Hawksmoor | The Ultimate Guide The story behind London’s greatest steak spot, plus the low-down on each of its branches….

Moro British Iberian-with-a-North-African-twist Mediterranean restaurant. In short: it’s good.

Rochelle Canteen A subtly secret restaurant located inside a repurposed bike shed in an old Victorian schoolyard….

The River Cafe An iconic Italian restaurant that changed the London restaurant scene forever.

BAO Soho A small, slick Taiwanese street food-esque restaurant serving small plates, sides and steamed milk buns….

The Wolseley A glorious brasserie modelled after European Grand Cafés, located in the heart of Piccadilly.

Primeur One of London’s bucket list restaurants, offering seasonally focused sharing plates in an understated setting.

St. John Smithfield A London icon, pioneering nose-to-tail dining in a whitewashed former smokehouse for 25 years.

Bistrotheque Elegant bistro fare in an unmarked East End warehouse… with a pianist.

Lyle’s A white, minimalist dining room serving up some of the finest tasting menus you can find in London.

Dinner By Heston Take a Michelin-starred magical history tour through Britain’s cuisine over the past 1000 years….