London eats well. Very well, actually. And contrary to what you sometimes hear, British food has nothing to do with its reputation, well, it depends where, I'll give you that. If you're looking for where to start the day before lunch, I've also written about breakfast in Shoreditch.

What struck me on every trip is the diversity, not just world cuisines, but the way each address has its own personality, its own angle.

Three restaurants sum up what I love about the London food scene. Three completely different atmospheres, three different cuisines, one thing in common: the food is really good.

If you want a full overview of all my London addresses, I talk about it in my London article.

Kricket — Indian food like you've never had it

Kricket is the address that surprised me the most. I went thinking I'd order my usual classics — cheese naan, coconut chicken curry, and neither was on the menu. I'll be honest, I was a little thrown. When you have your habits, you're always a bit scared of being disappointed.

It's almost a gastro Indian. Unexpected combinations, carefully worked produce, a short menu that changes. Crispy fried chicken with turmeric sauce, curries in bowls, burnt naans everything is precise, calibrated, not trying to be like anyone else. There are two addresses, one in Soho, one in Shoreditch. The menus are different at both. I recommend both.

📍 Kricket Soho — 12 Denman Street, W1D 7HJ → Bakerloo or Piccadilly line: Piccadilly Circus

📍 Kricket Shoreditch — 35-42 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PB → Central line: Old Street

Polpo — simple, honest Italian

Polpo is the address you want when you just want to eat well without overthinking it. An Italian restaurant in Soho, wooden tables, candles, carafe of red wine. The kind of warm place where you sit down for two hours and don't notice the time passing.

The menu is simple, spaghetti meatballs, beef shin rigatoni, cicchetti to share. No revolution, just classics done well. Generous portions, reasonable prices for Soho, and friendly service.

The perfect address for a relaxed dinner after a morning in Shoreditch or an afternoon exploring Soho.

📍 41 Beak Street, W1F 9SB → Central or Bakerloo line: Oxford Circus → Open every day

The Dover — Mayfair, a night apart

The Dover is a different category. Not in terms of pretension, in terms of experience. It's a New York Italian restaurant in Mayfair, behind heavy velvet curtains, low lighting, walnut panelling, vinyl on turntables.

You could be in a private members' club in 1970s New York.

The lasagne was very good. Italian and French classics on the plates, dishes you know, very well executed.

What makes the charm of the place, and it's already Mayfair, which is a beautiful neighbourhood, is as much the atmosphere as the food. The vibe is chic, the crowd is beautiful, and you have a genuinely good evening.

Worth noting: evenings only, booking recommended, closed on Sundays.

📍 33 Dover Street, W1S 4NF → Jubilee or Victoria line: Green Park → Closed on Sundays

And Rudy's for pizza

A word too for Rudy's Pizza Napoletana in Soho — because a well-made Neapolitan pizza always deserves a mention.

Thin base, puffy edges, not expensive, always packed, fast service. The margherita, a classic, a safe bet, and exactly what you want when you want a real pizza.

📍 80 Wardour Street, W1F 0TF → Central or Bakerloo line: Oxford Circus → Open every day from 11:45am

Shoreditch, Soho, Mayfair, three neighbourhoods, three atmospheres, three ways of eating in London. If you want to know how I organise my days there, it's all in my London article.

London is also a city with an incredible tattoo scene, I talk about it in my article on tattooing in London.