I’m a food writer and these 10 London restaurants are must-visits in 2025

We’re still slogging our way through January 2025, but the upside of this long first month is you’ve got an entire year ahead of you to eat and drink your way around London.

And if your New Year’s resolution was to discover more of the city’s best restaurants, cafes and bars, then I’m here to help you achieve your goals.

As Metro’s specialist food writer, I’ve visited some of London’s most spectacular eateries – from brand new spots to little-known gems – and I’ve got some cracking recommendations for what to eat in 2025 as a result.

So here’s a look at some of the tastiest things I’ve eaten over the last year, from the best pizza in the world, to exquisite breakfast pastries, and the most unforgettable cocktails, and the places that created them…

Best pasta 

If, like me, your Instagram feed mostly features food, it’s likely Bancone has made an appearance once or twice. The Bib Gourmand restaurant, which now has three locations in London (Covent Garden, Golden Square and Borough Yards), went viral in 2024 for its delicious pasta, with prices starting at just £9.50. 

While I’m not always one to fall for social media frenzy, I have to admit this is one spot that’s worth all the hype. I visited with friends in September and we split three different dishes; the famous silk handkerchiefs, cacio e pepe, and the roasted tomato and smoked stracciatella gnocchi.

The handkerchiefs, served with walnut butter, confit egg yolk and plenty of Parmesan, was the standout, with a perfect runny yolk and silky, buttery pasta. It was a 10/10 dish that I could easily eat every single day, and for £11 it’s a bargain.

The only real downside to Bancone is its popularity, which makes getting a table pretty tricky. If you want to beat the queues, hop on the Northern Line and head to Kennington. In the heart of the area you’ll find The Triangle which is home to Didi & Franc, a small cheese and wine shop that transforms into a restaurant in the evening. The pasta menu is small, and changes seasonally, so you never quite know what you’ll be getting but I can promise you that you’ll never be disappointed.

If the cacio e pepe is on the menu, ORDER IT, trust me. And the basque cheesecake is also a must. Wash the whole thing down with a glass of wine – the selection here is truly special.

Website: www.bancone.co.uk/

Best burger 

As someone who spends a lot of time trying the latest fast food launches, you’d think I’d be sick of burgers, but it seems I just can’t help myself. While I’m a major fan of Popeyes’ famous chicken sandwich, when it comes to beef burgers this year I became a sucker for Supernova in Soho, which is serving up LA-style smash burgers. 

They might be a bit of a fad, but I’m fully on board with the smash burger concept and honestly prefer them to a standard one. 

Personally, I think Supernova’s house cheeseburger is excellent, especially when paired with the half and half (a drink that’s half iced tea, half lemonade). It’s under a tenner, combines a number of textures in an interesting way, and is everything you’d want from fast food, but elevated to the max – what’s not to love? 

Website: www.supernovaburger.com/

Best hidden gem 

Stoke Newington is a trek for those south of the river, but trust me, TA-KO is worth the journey. Dinner at this Asian-inspired taco joint must be started with a cocktail – I recommend the Jalapeno Spicy Marg, which is the spicy marg to end all spicy margs. 

Next order the veggie tacos – sublime char siu jackfruit is just like eating pulled pork, but my favourite had crispy cauliflower with black bean and tamarind ragu, avocado and pepper mayo, it has such a good crunch. 

An order of tortilla chips with white bean, miso and sesame dip is a must, along with the ‘MSG’ Fries. (Spoiler: They’re not actually made with MSG, but through some culinary wizardry, TA-KO has recreated the addictive taste down to a T. And don’t even get me started on the team’s blackberry sriracha, it’s divine. If they bottled that stuff and sold it, they’d make a killing.)

Delicious drinks, game-changing food, and everything is gluten-free. 

Website: www.ta-ko.uk/ 

Best pizza 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Europe’s best pizza would be found in Italy, somewhere like Rome or Naples. Luckily for us, it happens to be right here in London. Napoli on the Road, which has restaurants in Chiswick and Richmond, was recently crowned the best pizzeria in Europe in the 50 Top Pizza Awards 2024. If that wasn’t enough, owner Michele Pascarella, a chef from Naples who has been making pizza since he was 11 years old, was crowned the best pizza chef in the world at the most recent World 50 Top Pizza Awards.

So is Michele’s pizza really the crème de la crème? Simply put, yes.

Alongside classics and an ever-changing specials menu, the star of the show is The Cheesewick (a play on Chiswick), which is topped with Buffalo ricotta, fior di latte, buffalo stracciatella, crisp Parmesan chips, dry blue Stilton, and tangy piennolo cherry tomato jam. It’s essentially a very fancy five cheese pizza (don’t expect to find any cheddar here). No wonder Michele has been winning such prestigious titles left, right, and centre. It really is that good. 

Website: www.napoliontheroad.co.uk/

Best pastries

In the summer I was lucky enough to go behind the scenes at Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley to find out how the ‘god of pastry’ makes his marvellous creations, and it was easy to see where the nickname came from.

While the £8 croissant was dreamy, with perfectly defined, flaky layers on the outside giving way to a rich, buttery inside, it was the £23 peach Trompe L’Oeil that really blew me away.

I too initially balked at the price tag — it’s more than I’d usually pay for a high end lipstick, let alone a cake — but after discovering the sheer volume of work that goes into making just one of them, it’s much easier to swallow the cost. The delightful taste helps as well. It’s delicious.

Despite being crammed full of filling, the Peach is incredibly light, with a swift tartness from the citrus to balance out the sweetness of the rest of it.

There’s nothing ‘naughty’ about this dessert, no gooey caramel or heavy cream, it’s a different kind of indulgence altogether from what I’m used to. It’s luxurious and so pretty to look at — this is without a doubt the pastry equivalent of a Michelin star meal.

The experience overall is a little bewildering — logically I knew I was consuming some kind of pudding, but it had such a fresh and fruity taste that it almost felt healthy.

It’s not something I’d crave as a pick me up for a sugar rush, or a sweet I’d opt for as a midnight snack, but for a special occasion, this is exactly the sort of thing I’d want to treat myself to.

Essentially, if you’re a bit of a basic b*tch like me, eat one of these and you’ll instantly feel fancy AF. 

Website: www.the-berkeley.co.uk/restaurants-bars/cedric-grolet-at-the-berkeley/

Best drinks

If you’re going for drinks and want to really wow someone by taking them to a cool spot with cocktails unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before, go to Bar Kinky at 43 Charlotte Street. 

The bar, which is downstairs from Georgian restaurant, Kinkally, looks a bit like the inside of a spaceship, with sleek stainless steel wrapped all the way around it and sultry mood lighting.

The best seat in the house is at the giant marble bar, so you can watch up close as staff prepare the creative drinks – some of which were brewed for 10 hours. It’s a bit like a chef’s table experience, but for booze. 

The menu changes every few weeks, so it’s a great place to go back to again and again as you’ll always be able to try something new and exciting. Current highlights on the menu include Light which is a twist on a spicy marg and features coconut tequila, jalapeno Padron, tarragon and Irish Cream. There’s also the Diva made with East London Vodka, beetroot, walnut and blue cheese, and Bestie which combines gin, mango, curry, vermouth and brine.

And the best part is, the prices are pretty reasonable for a London cocktail bar, so you can enjoy a couple of unique drinks without breaking the bank.

Website: www.kinkally.co.uk/

Best buns

Shoreditch is often touted as one of the coolest parts of London, so it doesn’t surprise me that Bun House has chosen the area for its latest foodie venture. The iconic restaurant in Chinatown has launched a new spot called Bun House Disco, which serves up all the famous fluffy bao buns (with a new signature black sesame flavour), as well as creative small plates and tasty cocktails with a twist – the Rose & Jasmine Spritz is like turkish delight in liquid form. There are neon lights, lots of deep cherry red hues, colourful Chinese lanterns, and one large disco ball that sparkles in the corner – it’s a real vibe.

For food, the Aubergine with Gwaiwei sauce is hands down the tastiest thing on the menu, aside from the buns, which I maintain are the best you can get in London. The Sichaun Pepper Cabbagge is a great option, but skip the Mala Tater Tots – they don’t really add anything special to the meal.

If you visit over the festive period, be sure to finish off with the Sticky Toffee Snowman Bun. It’s so cute that it almost feels wrong to decapitate it to tuck in, but it’s definitely an instance where it’s so wrong, it’s right. The gooey stick toffee filling makes just as much mess as the popular custard buns (maybe more) and it’s oh so indulgent.

Website: www.bun.house/

What was your favourite dish of 2024? Share your tastiest memories in the comments belowComment Now

Best dessert 

Anyone who knows me will know that I have a major sweet tooth, and can’t resist cake, cookies, or chocolate, but I’ve added a brand new C-word to the line-up this year: Crullers. 

I stumbled across Cardabelle at the Duck Pond market in Richmond and haven’t been able to stop thinking about them ever since. 

For those who haven’t had the joy of trying one, a French cruller is a bit like a ring doughnut, only it’s made with choux pastry, meaning it’s a lot lighter. Cardabelle then takes the pastry and elevates it with various glazes, toppings and fillings – everything from chocolate to crème brûlée and pistachio. 

The honey and brown butter (£4.20) is a classic and the absolutely perfect choice to start off with if you’re getting one for the first time, but my all-time favourite has to be the twice baked almond cruller, which is a lot like an almond croissant. So so so good.

And if you happen to be in Richmond, it’s also worth paying a visit to Gelateria Danieli’s on Brewers Lane, where you’ll find the most unreal hot chocolate (£4).

It’s so rich and thick enough you can eat it with a spoon. Remember the chocolate pudding with chocolate custard we used to be served in school – it tastes like that custard, only 10000% better.

You can add toppings like cinnamon if you want, but it honestly doesn’t need anything else. 

Website: www.cardabelle-cruller-london.com/

This article was first published January 1, 2025.

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