The best cookbooks to buy in 2025 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 2025, 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. Roti King founder Sugen Gopal has finally released a cookbook with all the recipes from his beloved London restaurant, for example, and elsewhere, you’ll find debut cookbooks by the likes of Ixta Belfrage, Ferhat Dirik and Sertac Dirik of Mangal II, and world-famous Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, who's new cookbook Sunny Days Taco Nights explores classic and more modern taco recipes. 

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 2025’s best cookbooks so far. Happy reading!

Smoke and Seasoned Bread, Hasan Semay

What: Following his bestselling debut book Big Has HOME, Hasan ‘Big Has’ Semay is back with a second - Smoke and Seasoned Bread. Hasan’s inimitable, passionate videos built him a cult YouTube following, and thankfully, his down-to-earth style has translated to his books too. Not only is this packed full of Has’ wonderful, accessible cooking, it’s also a disarmingly frank introspective on his life, upbringing, and his relationship with Turkey as a half-English, half Turkish-Cypriot man. One of our favourite books of the year.
Buy now: Smoke and Seasoned Bread

Lugma, Noor Murad

What: Raised in Bahrain and based in London, Noor Murad has been a central cog of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team, co-authoring the last two books alongside Yotam Ottolenghi. With Lugma, she strikes out on her own, with recipes that celebrate the intersection of her own unique upbringing. Her recipes take inspiration from the Persian Gulf and the Levant, re-imagining classic dishes from the Middle East, through the lens of modern day London. If you’re looking for the evolution of Ottolenghi, this is it.
Buy now: Lugma

Umai: Recipes From a Japanese Home Kitchen, Millie Tsukagoshi Lagares 

What: Simple and comforting - that’s the essence of Millie Tsukagoshi-Lagares’ debut cookbook, Umai. Everything about this book is aesthetic and approachable, from the sort, natural lighting in the dish photography, to the recipes themselves, which focus on quick, easy, and delicious Japanese dishes for everyday life. Umai is the ideal guide for anyone who finds Japanese cooking intimidating or overly complex, and Millie’s voice as a food writer feels effortless, making this a book you’ll return to again and again - and hopefully the first of many excellent titles from her.
Buy now: Umai

The Spanish Pantry, Jose Pizarro

What: Award-winning chef and food writer Jose Pizarro (of restaurants Jose, Pizarro and Lolo) is the man when it comes to Spanish cookery, and his latest book boils things down to an incredibly simple premise. If you’re someone that hates having to devise long shopping lists, this book is for you - every single one of the 100 recipes inside uses a combination of the same 12 ingredients, ranging from rice to chickpeas, beans, saffron and lemons. Stylish, beautifully shot and immensely accessible, this is Pizarro at his best.
Buy now: The Spanish Pantry

Sama Sama, Julie Lin

What: One of the UK’s foremost authorities on modern Malaysian cooking, Julie Lin’s (chef patron of GaGa Glasgow) latest book is the most exciting and unusual yet, delivering fascinating fusion dishes that blend her Scottish and Malaysian heritage. Lin’s Chinese sausage bucatini carbonara and chilli crisp puttanesca are set to become a family-favourite, as is her mac and cheese, which uses Korean gochujang paste in the sauce.
Buy now: Sama Sama

Ottolenghi Comfort, Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

What: It’s always a good day when Yotam Ottolenghi releases a cookbook, and new for 2025 is this soul-warming addition filled with comforting favourites. The book is the ‘work of four hungries’, it explains, including Yotam and team mates Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley, who each explore their memories, childhood and travels to ascertain exactly what comfort food means to them. That might look like Yotam's cauliflower and butternut pakoras on page 72, Helen’s matza ball soup on page 58, or Verena’s back-to-child marble cake on page 294. Comfort is littered with stories, anecdotes and beautiful imagery, but most importantly, it’s filled with delicious food you really want to eat.
Buy now: Ottolenghi Comfort

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 

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 

Simply Jamie: Fast & Simple Food, Jamie Oliver

What: Jamie Oliver is back with another cookbook (does that man not sleep?!), and this time he's taking things back to basics. Simply Jamie is all about easy wins, arming at-home chefs with a ton of simple recipes that can easily be slotted into everyday life. The book is split into five chapters - Midweek Meals, Weekend Wins, Trusty Traybakes, Cupboard Love and Perfect Puds - and all are designed around speed, convenience, health and cost. Look out for Tin Raid Fishcakes, Roasted Veg with Camembert Fondue, and a Decadent Chocolate Cake five ways. 
Buy now: Simply Jamie: Fast & Simple Food

Mob One, Mob

What: Mob Kitchen's success is hard to go unnoticed. The social-first recipe platform has made a name for itself on Instagram, with its eye-catching videos earning a place in the 'saved' folders of most foodies. The brand has launched myriad cookbooks over the years, and the latest to join the line-up is Mob One, an ode to the humble one-pot. Every recipe within its pages can be made in one pot, pan or tray, keeping the washing-up to a minimum and offering an easy, affordable approach to midweek meals. You'll find over 100 recipes across chapters such as Easy Ones, Speedy Ones, Fancy Ones and Slow Ones, while images are close-up, vibrant and bright - just like their social videos. True to the brand's digital roots, you'll find QR codes on every recipe linking to more related recipes online, as well as key skills and techniques. Our favourites include a spinach and paneer filo pie, a full English tart, French onion orzo and gochujang chilli con carne. 
Buy now: Mob One

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

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

OPSO: A Modern Greek Cookbook, Nikos Roussos and Andreas Labridis 

What: Modern Greek restaurant OPSO has become a fixture of Marylebone dining, thanks largely to the balance of authentic flavours with modern twists. Well, now you can make over 80 of the team's fine dishes with their new cookbook of the same name. On a mission to elevate modern Greek cooking, this book very helpfully includes seasonal specialties that celebrate Greece's sharing food culture. With chapters dedicated to salads, vegetable dishes, meat fests, seafood, barbecues, brunches, breads, desserts, and more, this cookbook is unlikely to leave you hungry or disappointed. 
Buy now: OPSO

Sunny Days, Taco Nights, Enrique Olvera and Alonso Ruvalcaba 

What: When Enrique Olvera releases a cookbook, we buy it immediately; the chef patron of legendary Mexican restaurant Pujol, among many others, has also become one of the foremost authorities on Mexican food culture. Given the precise, fine dining nature of Pujol, he's also a wonderfully accessible recipe writer, and Sunny Days Taco Nights is a collection of hugely cookable receipes, as well as a historical account of the culinary origins and evolution of the taco. Olvera's love of tacos shines through in this colourful book, which has a hundred recipes of simple, authentic cooking, as well as some of his more interesting taco twists from over the years. 
Buy now: Sunny Days, Taco Nights

Roti King: Classic and Modern Malaysian Street Food, Sugen Gopal 

What: From the man who first started the iconic Roti King in London, chef Sugen Gopal finally shares his long-awaited cookbook that breaks down the recipes of the most popular dishes at his restaurant. A love letter to Malaysian street food, Gopal provides home cooks with the tools to make his famous Dal, Nasi Lemak with fried chicken, the legendary Roti Canai, and many more. With photography that showcases the country's night markets, this cookbook is perfect for anyone wanting to experience the classic and modern culinary scene of Malaysia. 
Buy now: Roti King

Boustany: A celebration of vegetables from my Palestine 

What: Sami Tamimi has fast become one of our go-to cookbook authors, and Boustany follows on directly from his brilliant books Falastin and Jerusalem. Boustany represents a fresh new take on Palestinian food, celebrating the vibrant agriculture of Palestine in particular by delving into vegetarian recipes. Covering everything from breakfast, bread, sharing, sweets, dinner, special occasion recipes, and more, this cookbook touches upon every aspect of Palestinian food culture, from the preservation of seasonal vegetables, to the building of one's mooneh. Truly a celebration of Palestinian gastronomy. 
Buy now: Boustany

Fusao: Untraditional recipes inspired by Brasil 

What: Ixta Belfrage continues to shake up the culinary world with her latest book, Fusao. A natural successor to the award-winning Mezcla, Belfrage's fluid way with interesting flavours has instantly made her a huge hit in the culinary world, and she manages to make interesting, distinct dishes hugely accessible, even for fairly beginner cooks. Belfrage provides a new perspective of Brasilian food, bringing in her own unique flair to invent playful new twists on classic flavours, with recipes like a papaya and chocolate cake with a citrus honey glaze, and a duck in golden tomato broth. Gorgeous, colourful imagery makes this a great present for any keen, adventurous cooks.
Buy now: Fusao

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