London Romantic Restaurants

London is a city of romance, bursting with after-dark activities, magical sights and fabulous eateries. LondonTown has chosen a selection of restaurants that are guaranteed to make your dinner date a night to remember. The service and food at each of these places are fit for royalty and will add the required romantic flavour to your evening. Paris may be known as the city of romance but London is the capital of love.

L'auberge

22 Richmond Road, London, SW15 2RX
Far away in the land of Putney there is a small French bistro run by husband and wife team the Ardillys. This charming little restaurant has been loved by locals for over ten years, outliving many of the other eateries that have come and gone in the area. Indoors you will find a cosy, homely scene which adds the necessary touch of French romance to your meal. You’ll find all the classic dishes on the menu at L'auberge, frogs legs, foie gras, d'escargot, veal and boeuf borguignon. All cooked in traditional French style and served with affection. Be sure to save room for desert, the chef originally trained as a patisserie so the puddings are truly not to be missed. The typical creme brulee is reinvented here with a divine honey and lavender twist. Spotting a gap in the market for people sick of bog-standard takeaway pizzas. They created the 'French bites at home' service which allows fans of French gastronomy to dine on L'auberge delights in their own home, at quite easy-to-swallow prices. They also put on lots of event evenings which offer great food and wonderful wine at really great value. Bon appetit!

More info: L'auberge Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Yauatcha

15 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DL
This tearoom and Dim Sum restaurant set up by Alan Yau is a triumph of design. The immaculately tasteful minmalism of the light and airy upstairs is matched by the perfect delicate Oriental pastries that accompany the excellent range of teas. Venture downstairs, and you'll be confromted with a sumptuously moody restaurant, all glass, neon, star-lights and tropical fish - it's like something from a William Gibson novel, or a particularly over-the-top Manga film. The Dim Sum is staggeringly original, mixing East and West in slick fusions that leave you wanting more even when you've clearly overeaten. Fortunately for your wallet, they only give you ninety minutes to eat and get out, which reduces the temptation to over-order. A masterpiece of restaurant chic, though not the most relaxing place to eat out in Soho, and certainly not the cheapest.

More info: Yauatcha Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Oxo Tower Restaurant

Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London, SE1 9PH
Up the Oxo Tower drinkers and diners are treated to some of the best views in London, a gourmet menu, classy cocktails and occasional live music. Oxo Tower Restaurant is the ultimate date restaurant and the solicitous but discreet staff are well accustomed to making couples feel special. The commanding panorama which takes in the whole of London rivals the views from the London Eye. A very expensive but utterly special treat. Many may prefer to stop for a cocktail (easier on the pocket) and the bar welcomes casual drinkers, and serves the best martinis we've had in London. Their team of sommeliers will be on hand to help you select a wine from the impressive 800 strong list. An iconic spot with tons of London charm that has been put to its best possible use, the Oxo Tower Restaurant is a cut above.Notes: Booking essentialTables on patioOccasional live entertainment

More info: Oxo Tower Restaurant Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Andrew Edmunds

46 Lexington Street, W1F 0LW
Widely regarded as "the most romantic restaurant in London", the rustic wooden furniture, cosy booths and dim lighting certainly make Andrew Edmunds a great place for a date. Pretty flowers and classic drippy candles decorate the intimate (also known as small) tables and the place buzzes with loved-up vibes. The menu is a very British take on modern European dining with lots of sticky sauces, roast meats and crackly fat, as well as simple and breathtakingly fresh fish and seafood. The menu is handwritten daily and sits alongside a very pleasing wine list. Nestled in the backstreets of Soho, this townhouse bistro may lack a little modern slickness. But the friendly, efficient service and an absolute lack of pretension keep the customers coming back to this old romantic.

More info: Andrew Edmunds Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Maggie Jones's

6 Old Court Place, Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4PL
A truly beautiful restaurant, this Kensington stalwart was doing traditional British fare long before the gastropub revolution, and will no doubt continue in the same vein when All Bar One have bought all the pubs back. A gloriously over-the-top rustic decor features cooking paraphernalia and dried food hanging from the ceiling, mismatched crockery and wobbly wooden furniture. It's particularly appropriate for cosy winter dining, and romantic meals for two. The menu is thoroughly Anglo-Saxon, with rough pates, terrines and chunky soups on the starters list, a fish-pie that more than deserves its near-legendary status in the area, and plenty of high-quality, well-sourced meat (the game of the day is usually delicious). They hardly ever make any changes to menu or dining room, which is just how the people of Kensington like it, returning week after week to eat the same rich, comforting dishes. You'll need to book early if you want to be sure of getting a table.

More info: Maggie Jones's Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Belvedere

Off Abbotsbury Road, Holland Park, London, W8 6LU
The Belvedere is the most sophisticated of West London's celebrity hangouts. Set inside a beautiful building in the heart of Holland Park, it is the perfect place for secluded summer dining. Regulars include Madonna and Michael Winner, while owner Marco Pierre White was famously married there. The menu is classically French with Modern European influences. House specials include Smoked Haddock Monte Carlo, risotto of caramelised calamari and Sea Bass with tomatoes and olives. On Sundays, sumptuous traditional roasts are served. Sit outside on the heated terrace and enjoy spectacular views over one of London's top beauty spots.

More info: Belvedere Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Rhodes 24

Tower 42, Old Broad Street, EC2N 1HT
Spiky-haired celebrity chef Gary Rhodes has proved he can cook at the very highest level - and here that means every sense of the term. He won a Michelin star for this restaurant on the twenty-fourth floor of the tallest building in the City. But the real draw of this lofty restaurant at Tower 42 is the view over the City, directly overlooking the towering 'Gherkin' with the Docklands beyond and miles and miles of Thames Basin. This is the perfect setting if you want to go all out for that special someone. The food is in signature Rhodes style: very British - think creamy mash and shallot gravy with your scallops to start - and very correct with rich flavours complementing the simplicity of the excellent ingredients. Here, even something as simple as the spinach on which the sea bream is served tastes succulent and full of flavour.

More info: Rhodes 24 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Galvin at Windows

22 Park Lane, W1K 1BE
There are two genuinely terrifying things about the Hilton's 28th-floor restaurant Galvin at Windows: the first is the sheer distance from the ground; the second is the scale of the bill. Chris Galvin is most famous for a wonderful bistro in Baker Street, where he serves a similar menu of traditional French cuisine (though with fewer gourmet flourishes) for around half the price. There is nothing wrong with the food at Windows, which offers a combination of simplicity and style that is rare in top-end restaurants. It is just a bit galling to think that you could be eating the same stuff for so much less money. But of course, this is not a restaurant where the bill simply reflects the food: the view is absolutely as spectacular as you would expect, making this a wonderful place to take a date, impress a client or simply check out the greatest city in the world. Just be careful about which table you are booking, because there are a couple in the middle where you can hardly see anything.

More info: Galvin at Windows Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Hakkasan

8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HF
Boasting the first Michelin Star ever awarded to a Chinese restaurant, Hakkasan can justly claim to be the best of its kind in London. The food here really is exceptional. Straying from the traditional route to provide Western variations on Chinese staples the cuisine is both modern and mouth-watering. Also described as the "sexiest" restaurant in London, Hakkasan's appeal doesn't just rest with its food. Lurking underground at the end of a fairly unappealing (bordering on dingy) side-street, initial impressions aren't great. However, as you walk step by step down the dimly lit staircase, surrounded by cooling slate walls embedded with tiny ruby red lights, a whole new world opens up before your eyes. Bathed in a mysterious, icy blue light, the dining room's discretely placed arrangement of tables appear to emerge gleaming under the moonlight of an exotic Oriental night. Carefully placed screens create an air of privacy and subterfuge, further enhanced by the shadows created by flickering candles and dramatic spots of light. The suavely dressed waiters who slip silently in between tables and behind screens provide an appropriately unassuming yet attentive service, which is key to this whole dining experience. Expensive this is - it doesn't deserve to be anything else - but it's worth every penny.

More info: Hakkasan Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Les Trois Garcons

1 Club Row, London, E1 6JX
Describing Les Trois Garcons without making reference to the interior is harder than it sounds... while you may think being surrounded by stuffed animals threatened with extinction would ruin the appetite you'd be wrong. The taxidermy and excessive trimmings - astutely described in the PR blurb as "Baroque courtesan's parlour meets Parisian antique market" - is more homely than horrendous. And the food is equally surprising. The kitchen-as-laboratory is a genre that has rapidly gained substance (largely thanks to Heston Blumenthal) and that's the secret of the success in the kitchen here. Typical dishes include seared Landes foie gras with plum compote and Granny Smith apple to start followed by Red Mullet with aubergine caviar, celery, chorizo and saffron sauce. You'll find this popular place is regularly packed so expect a busy, riot of a place and a memorable night out.

More info: Les Trois Garcons Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube