London’s restaurant scene was a gastronomic laughing stock not that long ago, the city’s reputation reduced to fish and chips, pie and mash, and Sunday roasts. All of those things are better than the reputation which precedes them — and there are plenty of places to enjoy excellent versions of them in the capital — but they tell only part of this city’s story. London is now one of the most exciting and diverse restaurant capitals in the world.

This guide aims to highlight London’s best restaurants, its most cutting edge wine bars, coffee shops, iconic dishes, illustrate the myriad cuisines so well represented by London’s many diaspora communities, and present handy pointers to its best neighbourhoods for eating.

It is our hope that this guide is as useful to a first-time visitor as it is to someone who visits once a week or once a year, and as helpful for a curious, hungry local or willing host as a tourist just off the plane. To visitors and Londoners: we hope this serves you well, and send this guide to your far-flung friends and colleagues — eating well in London has never been easier, and this is the ultimate guide to navigating a truly great food city.