16 essential London restaurants for out-of-towners (that are actually worth it)
A fact, as irrefutable as the sun rising: no Londoner deliberately ever goes to Leicester Square, the London Eye or Madame Tussauds. And if one does, either that Londoner is an intern charged with organising the company social, or they are someone going at the insistence of a “friend” visiting from out of town. Or they’ve lost a bet.
And while there’s much in London that appeals to newcomers and old-hands alike — the theatres, the galleries — when that friend or unfortunate relative arrives armed with TripAdvisor’s list of “top 10 unmissable sites” and the will to queue in the rain for hours on end just to tick them all off, it’s one of those soul-dampening feelings. All the host can do is organise drinks and dinner worth suffering for.
Happily, such a meal is never far away, even in the most touristy of areas. One may have to work a little — particularly in Waterloo, where every tired chain and caramelised nut stand goes to make a killing (“And so to Waterloo, London’s grey-walled nadir, where the culinary highlights include an All Bar One beside a Slug and Lettuce,” as one Standard writer put it) — but those making the effort will be richly rewarded for that three-minute extra stroll. With half-term and Easter quickly approaching, here are the places that showcase the best of London for those at home as well as away.
Officina 00
Authentic handmade Italian pasta might not sound like the most London of culinary experiences, but the proof’s attractions, the British Museum, Officina 00 combines the laidback cool of a London restaurant with serious Neapolitan cuisine. There are creative twists, too, like the crispy, viscerally comforting panko lasagne snack and the caserecce with pistachio pesto, yuzukoshu and mint. Even Italian visitors will find some novelty within its low lit, industrial walls. And for anyone still questioning if Officina is really “London”: the daily handmade pasta trend is one of the most enduring and beloved food trends the city has seen in the last ten years.
