The best cookbooks to buy in 2024 for every kind of food lover

A good cookbook is a beautiful thing. Within its pages lie tales of history and nostalgia, while rich descriptions and gorgeous imagery have the power to transport you across cultures and cuisines. So much more than just the recipes themselves, cookbooks weave a tapestry of stories from the chef or author’s life, and you’ll often find them filled with helpful tips and endearing anecdotes that really do bring the food on the page to life.

The good news is that new cookbooks are being released all the time, which means that there’s always plenty of choice if you’re in the mood to be inspired. But how to know which one to buy? That’s where we come in. We’ve scoured the shelves for the best cookbooks to buy in 2024, from works by our favourite restaurants and chefs to books by brilliant food writers and cooks.

To ensure you find the perfect cookbook for you, we’ve included a spectrum to suit every occasion, style and genre. Chef-owner of The Camberwell Arms Mike Davies, for example, has released a cookbook based around dinner party booking, with specially curated menus and handy shopping lists that make it easy to cook for a group of people. Elsewhere, you’ll find debut cookbooks by the likes of Paul Ainsworth, Ferhat Dirik and Sertac Dirik of Mangal II, and Max Rocha who heads up Cafe Cecilia in Hackney, if you’re keen to recreate some of the dishes from your favourite restaurants at home.

If you’re not a keen cook yourself, then perhaps you’re perusing on behalf of someone else? The below books all make fantastic presents for the foodie in your life and are even better when handed over with a restaurant gift voucher. That way the lucky recipient can taste some of the dishes at the restaurant before learning how to whip them up at home.

Keep on scrolling to discover 2024’s best cookbooks so far. Happy reading!

Mangal II: Stories and Recipes, Ferhat Dirik and Sertac Dirik

What: Mangal II: Stories and Recipes is the debut cookbook from the owners behind Dalston restaurant Mangal II, a beloved spot where Turkish cuisine is reimagined through a modern lens. The Dirik brothers have spent most of their lives working at their father's restaurant - Ferhat since he was 11 and Sertac as a teenager – and this book pays tribute to its creativity and legacy over the years (it originally opened in 1994!). You can read about each of the brother’s stories in the opening pages of the book, as well as their own personal ‘Ode to Dalston’ which makes for rather heartwarming reading. What of the recipes? Expect grills, dips, ferments and breads, such a leek, tulum and cararway borek; grilled octopus with butter beans; and cold aubergine ezme.
Buy now: Mangal II: Stories and Recipes (Pre-order only)

For The Love of Food: Recipes for Life’s Delicious Moments, Paul Ainsworth

What: Michelin chef Paul Ainsworth (The Mariners and Paul Ainsworth at No.6) has released his first ever cookbook, and it’s a good’un. This richly illustrated book tracks Ainsworth's career in food, from family favourites to career-defining dishes, and is separated into different chapters of the chef’s life. Discover sections entitled ‘For the love of sandwiches’, ‘Pasta favourites’ and ‘Veg heroes’ to name a few, with recipes designed to cater for both seasoned pros and at-home cooks. Highlights include The Mariners' Scotch Egg; mackerel bruschetta with pesto mayonnaise; and piri piri chicken schnitzel.
Buy now: For the Love of Food

Cooking For People, Mike Davies

What: The chef and owner of The Camberwell Arms and Frank’s Cafe, Mike Davies, has released a cookbook that reflects his love for good hospitality. It’s separated into seasonal chapters that celebrate the best produce throughout the year, and each recipe forms part of a three-course menu - this is a cookbook for those who enjoy cooking for people, after all. You’ll find shopping lists and prep-ahead instructions before every chapter to help you structure the cooking process, but you of course don’t have to use this if you’re just picking and choosing the odd recipe. For a flavour of one of its menus, there's a seasonal summer line-up that features brown shrimp and crab cocktail with soda bread, followed by cod acqua pazza, holiday potatoes and basil mayonnaise, and finishing with strawberries and nectarined with clotted cream and amarteti biscuits.
Buy now: Cooking For People

Cafe Cecilia Cookbook, Max Rocha

What: Max Rocha’s debut cookbook is a celebration of his East London restaurant of the same name – Cafe Cecilia. We like that the cover reflects the ethos behind the recipes inside, which are based around simple, seasonal cooking, with its minimal block text and calm sage green front. Expect to find many of Cafe Cecilia’s signature dishes including the deep-fried bread-and-butter pudding; sage and anchovy fitti; and Onglet with peppercorn sauce. You’ll also find more seasonal gems like globe artichoke with sesame seed tahini, and Rocha’s mum’s raspberry and almond tart. The book contains a foreword from Diana Henry, while imagery is shot by two fashion and documentary photographers who’ve captured the cool and pared-back aesthetic of the restaurant within its pages. 
Buy now: Cafe Cecilia Cookbook (Pre-order only)

The Happy Endings Cookbook, Terri Mercieca

What: Happy Endings was founded in 2014 by pastry chef Terri Mercieca who wanted to build a brand that reflected her nostalgic love for ice cream as a child. You can buy her immense ice cream sandwiches and desserts at a huge range of stockists and restaurants across London, or learn to make them yourself with the help of this stunning retro-look cookbook. It’s filled with sweet delights, from signature ice cream sandwiches to classic puddings, sundaes and tarts, while beautiful imagery will have you drooling over every page. Favourites include a butter popcorn custard tart; peanut butter and jelly ice cream sandwiches; and a hot chocolate fudge pudding.
Buy now: The Happy Endings Cookbook

Greekish, Georgina Hayden

What: Inspired by Georgina Hayden's Greek-Cypriot roots, Greekish contains recipes that are easy, full of flavour and don’t require a long list of ingredients. For that reason, they aren’t strictly authentic per se, but take inspiration from Greek dishes and flavours. They’re recipes you’ll want to create again and again. On that note, look out for fried sesame cheese bites, spanakopita jacket potatoes, and a baklava cheesecake, alongside more easy breakfasts, small plates, salads, snacks and desserts.
Buy now: Greekish

Dinner, Meera Sodha

What: Guardian columnist and recipe writer Meera Sodha is one of our favourites for low-fuss, high-flavour recipes, and her new book Dinner hits that brief to a tee. Filled with 120 vibrant recipes designed to provide a simple answer to the question, ‘what’s for dinner?’, this book is your best friend when it comes to mid-week meals or those looking to level up their everyday cooking. All recipes are vegetarian or vegan, and include baked butter paneer, aubergines in satay sauce, and bubble tea ice cream.
Buy now: Dinner

Easy Wins, Anna Jones

What: Anna Jones is known for producing cookbooks that put the health of you and the planet first, and the same goes for her latest entry Easy Wins. This book takes 12 popular ingredients and reimagines them in 125 new and exciting dishes, with chapters on lemons, onions, peanuts and spices. It’s crammed with tips and information on how to adapt each recipe to suit you, from clever swaps to how to season appropriately, plus advice on how to cook more sustainably via simple, positive changes. Look out for one pot pasta al limone; miso rarebit; and a cherry, chocolate and peanut butter sundae.
Buy now: Easy Wins

Small Batch Cookies, Edd Kimber

What: Nothing has the power to lift your spirits like a warm cookie fresh from the oven does. Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber understands that point to a tee, which is why he's written a cookbook crammed with easy-to-make cookie recipes that allow you to bake a batch up at a moment's notice. These are straight-forward, low-effort recipes that don't require lots of expensive ingredients, and only yield a maximum of six cookies. Think cocoa and vanilla sandwich cookies, double brown butter white chocolate and macadamia cookies, and chewy chocolate flourless creations. 
Buy now: Small Batch Cookies

Verdura: 10 Vegetables, 100 Italian recipes, Theo Randall

What: Theo Randall was the head chef at The River Cafe for 15 years, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about Italian cooking. Here he applies his knowledge to 100 recipes centred around 10 core vegetables with chapters covering aubergines, courgettes, artichokes, mushrooms and squash. Recipes are pitched towards at-home cooks and don’t require a ton of ingredients, allowing the vegetables themselves to shine. Highlights include potato and onion fritters with salsa verde; risotto stuffed zucchini; and butternut squash and whisky ice cream.
Buy now: Verdura: 10 Vegetables, 100 Italian Recipes

Tucking In: A Very Comforting Cookbook, Sophie Wyburd

What: Sophie Wyburd has launched a successful solo career since her Mob Kitchen days, and this debut cookbook marks a very happy milestone for the chef. As the title suggests, these recipes are designed to be comforting and cosy, that take the stress out of cooking while still providing filling, flavour-packed food. Imagery has a retro feel, and recipes balance easy one-pots with more adventurous feasts with friends. Think harissa braised cod with giant cous cous; sticky tamarind carrots with green chilli yoghurt; and a chocolate and cherry meringue tower.
Buy now: Tucking In: A Very Comforting Cookbook

Big Mamma: Italian Recipes in 30 Minutes

What: We’re sure you’re already familiar with the Big Mamma restaurant group, who are responsible for loud and Instagrammable Italian restaurants across the capital including Gloria, Circolo Popolare and Ave Mario. Well, they’ve only gone and created a cookbook! The theme here is 30 minutes, with all 100 recipes designed to be on the table in half an hour. Of course, you can expect a touch of the group’s signature OTT flair, with recipes spanning breaded ‘Burratina Turner’ burrata to tiramisu al pistachio.
Buy now: Big Mamma: Italian Recipes in 30 Minutes

Max's World of Sandwiches, Max Hailey and Ben Benton

What: You might not think you need a recipe book to tell you how to make a sandwich, but Max Halley is here to prove you wrong. The sandwich connoisseur (Max’s Sandwich Shop) has released the ultimate guide to sandwiches with rules and recipes for buns, wraps, kebabs, burgers and more. Max shares everything he knows about sandwich-making from years of experience, with tips on how to build one to notes on the components themselves. There’s a prawn cocktail sandwich; a hot cross bun sandwich; and a tuna katsu sando to dig your teeth into.
Buy now: Max's World of Sandwiches

Like the finer things in life? You might enjoy our round-up of the best tasting menus in London. Or if you love a bargain, head to the other end of the scale and check out London's best cheap eats, as chosen by us.