23 of the best comfort food restaurants in London

There are moments in life when only fare of the cosy kind will do, and London’s best comfort food restaurants are ready to welcome you with open arms for when the craving strikes. Whether you’re in need of cheering up after a particularly challenging day, or are looking to combat the chill of winter with food that warms you from the inside out, we’ve rounded up the best restaurants in the capital that deliver soul-warming dishes.

Comfort food is a deeply personal thing. For some, it's the joy of heading to a pub at the weekend to indulge in one of London’s best Sunday roasts, preferably followed by sticky toffee pudding and a snooze – in that order. Others find intense comfort in the gooeyness of a cheese toastie, or a hot, butter-rich pie served with creamy mash and gravy.

There are, of course, many things that comfort food is not. In our minds, it is neither a tasting menu or a fancy-dan dinner – small portions and needless precision should not come into the picture. Rather, comfort food should warm you from the inside out, offering solace by way of glossy sauces or buttery pastry. It should be associated with the following words - rich, hot, filling – and bring a smile to your face with every mouthwatering bite.

Naturally, many of London's best comfort food restaurants fall into a few select categories: French restaurants and British pubs are a reliable choice if you need an instantly comforting meal. In this list, you'll find plenty of places serving beer-battered fish and chips and oozy chocolate fondants, but we also share where to head for the perfect cheese toastie, one of London's best pies, and a Sri Lankan restaurant that serves some of the best parathas and curries in town. 

If our guide to the best comfort food in London makes you grin from ear to ear, then we've done our job. Keep on scrolling to find London’s cosiest dishes, from proper British fare to soul-soothing Sri Lankan food.

BÔNE, Shoreditch

What: BÔNE’S concept is unique and simple. It’s only open on weekends, is reservations only (no walk ins), boasts just 20 seats, and serves a limited menu featuring one starter, two mains, and a selection of indulgent desserts. It’s a set deal (for about £40 a head), kicking off with bread and parmesan butter, followed by your choice of eight-hour beef short ribs or pan-fried salmon, both served with unlimited French fries and your choice of Parmesan cream sauce or Entrecote sauce. Yum. To finish, a rotating list of desserts includes things like brown butter French toast and pistachio chocolate cake.
What to order: Eight-hour beef short ribs
Where: 8 Orsman Road, Waterhouse, N1 5QJ
Book now: BÔNE

The Hound, Chiswick

What: Ardent Pubs boasts a top-tier line-up of smart pubs across West London (including The George and The Cadogan), all of which offer some of the best comfort food in the capital. We love The Hound for a few reasons, its beautiful glass-roofted courtyard being one of them, as well as a menu of, quite frankly, brilliant twists on British classics. Highlights include a black pudding Scotch egg with a tangy Oxford sauce, ‘The Hound Dog’ draped in a layer of Ogleshield cheese sauce, and a toffee apple trifle. Now that’s a meal we can get on board with.
What to order: The Hound Dog with Ogleshield cheese, mustard, sauerkraut and charcuterie sauce
Where: 210 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PD
Book now: The Hound

Dishoom, Various locations

What: Of course Dishoom had to make it on this list. The ever-popular, Bombay-inspired eatery is a mecca for food that feeds the mind, body and soul, from its long-cooked rich black daal and warming Murgh Malai, to hot buttered buns made for dipping in mugs of hot chai. Stop by early doors for a just-as-comforting breakfast - think sweet date porridge, and bacon naan rolls. 
What to order: House black daal
Where: Various locations
Book now: Dishoom King's Cross; Dishoom Shoreditch; Dishoom Battersea; Dishoom Covent Garden; Dishoom Canary Wharf; Dishoom Carnaby; Dishoom Kensington; Dishoom Borough

Hawksmoor, Various locations

What: Steak may be the headline, but Hawksmoor’s starters and sides are where the real comfort lies. Pile bone marrow and onions onto charred sourdough, then work through macaroni cheese and mash with gravy alongside your steak. Every site shares the same dark wood, leather seating and low lighting, which makes a long Sunday roast - beef-dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, bone marrow gravy - very easy to settle into. Save room for the iconic sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream.
What to order: Sunday roast with bone marrow gravy
Where: Various locations
Book now: Hawksmoor Borough; Hawksmoor Spitalfields; Hawksmoor Guildhall; Hawksmoor Knightsbridge; Hawksmoor Air Street; Hawksmoor St Pancras; Hawksmoor Seven Dials; Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

The Porter’s Table, Covent Garden

What: The Porter’s Table takes its cue from the market porters who once hauled goods through Covent Garden, and the menu is built for appetites to match. The Guinness braised beef pie for two arrives with mash, seasonal greens and Guinness gravy, while pork and fennel sausages get the same mash-and-gravy treatment. Pints are poured metres from the brewery tanks downstairs, and a Guinness affogato - Guinness ice cream drowned in espresso - is the obvious way to finish.
What to order: Guinness braised beef pie for two
Where: Guinness Open Gate Brewery, 28 Shelton Street, WC2H 9JE
Book now: The Porter’s Table

Quo Vadis, Soho

What: Quo Vadis has been feeding Soho since 1926, and Jeremy Lee’s cooking suits its wood-panelled rooms, ruby-red banquettes and stained-glass windows down to the ground. His smoked eel sandwich, served with fresh horseradish and pickled red onion, never leaves the menu, and nor does the pie of the day - the dish to order on a cold evening. Everything else follows the seasons with gentle, rustic British plates, and the bar’s Negroni is a fine way to start.
What to order: Pie of the day
Where: 26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL
Book now: Quo Vadis

Masala Zone, Various locations

What: Indian home cooking rather than curry house standards is the draw at Masala Zone, and nothing captures that better than the thali. Your choice of curry arrives on a steel platter with dal, two vegetable dishes, rice or chapattis, papad and chutney, with the supporting dishes changing weekly. Add a biryani if you’re sharing and finish with gajjar halwa. At the Covent Garden branch, hundreds of Rajasthani puppets dangle above the dining room - a cheerful, noisy backdrop for dinner.
What to order: Thali
Where: Various locations
Book now: Masala Zone Covent Garden; Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus; Masala Zone Soho

Shoryu Ramen, Various locations

What: When the weather turns, few things beat a steaming bowl of tonkotsu, and Shoryu was one of the early ramen bars to get London hooked on it. The house ganso tonkotsu sets the standard: a creamy pork broth cooked for 12 hours, noodles made in-house, char siu pork belly and a soft-boiled egg. Garlic lovers should order the black garlic-laced Dracula version instead. Staff shout a welcome as you come through the curtains, and service is quick enough for a solo lunch.
What to order: Ganso tonkotsu
Where: Various locations
Book now: Shoryu Ramen Soho; Shoryu Ramen Shoreditch; Shoryu Ramen Covent Garden; Shoryu Ramen Regent Street; Shoryu Ramen Carnaby

El Camion, Soho

What: Open until 3am six nights a week, El Camion has been soaking up Soho’s late nights for years. Quesadillas come thick with melted cheese and fillings such as beef brisket, burritos run from carne asada to jackfruit and guacamole, and tacos arrive in pairs. Start with tortilla chips and a bowl of queso, order a frozen Margarita and settle in - the quirky bar keeps the mood loud and loose long after most of the neighbourhood has called it a night.
What to order: Beef brisket quesadilla
Where: 25-27 Brewer Street, W1F 0RR
Book now: El Camion

Dirty Bones, Soho

What: Dirty Bones channels a Brooklyn loft, with exposed brick, bare hanging bulbs and booths made for sinking into, and the menu is American comfort food without apology. The Mac Daddy stacks a dry-aged steak burger with pulled beef chuck and mac and cheese, while chicken and waffles come with shots of hot maple and ranch. Share the cheeseburger gyozas to start, or go all in on the 12-hour braised beef short rib with espresso-spiked barbecue sauce.
What to order: The Mac Daddy
Where: 14 Denman Street, W1D 7HJ
Book now: Dirty Bones Soho

Big Easy, Various locations

What: Big Easy has been serving barbecue and seafood on the King’s Road since 1991, and its other London branches follow the same playbook. Meat eaters should head for the 18-hour Texas smoked brisket, glazed pork ribs or Carolina pulled pork, while the lobster bake piles lobster, mussels, clams and new potatoes into one generous spread. The Covent Garden site, in a former Victorian power station, hangs lobster traps and nets from the ceiling, and live music plays every night.
What to order: 18-hour Texas smoked brisket
Where: Various locations
Book now: Big Easy Covent Garden; Big Easy Canary Wharf; Big Easy Westfield Stratford; Big Easy Chelsea

Mele e Pere, Soho

What: Rich red walls, low ceilings and vintage Italian touches give Mele e Pere the feel of a northern Italian trattoria in the thick of Soho. Pasta, focaccia and gelato are made in-house daily, and the pappardelle verdi with duck ragu and black truffle is the bowl to beat. For something slower, the brasato di manzo - braised beef with soft polenta and salsa verde - is the one for a cold night. Finish with Nonna Mantovani’s tiramisu and a house vermouth.
What to order: Pappardelle verdi with duck ragu and black truffle
Where: 46 Brewer Street, W1F 9TF
Book now: Mele e Pere

The George, Fitzrovia

What: We've already mentioned The Hound in this list, but The George is another excellent Ardent Pubs boozer serving retro pub classics, slap-up Sunday roasts and a pudding menu that’s sure to pull on your heartstrings. We suggest you start with a plate of fried chicken with blue cheese sauce while you decide what to order. Mains span beer-battered fish and chips to an American cheeseburger with remoulade sauce, all rounded off with sticky toffee pud and Cornish clotted cream. YUM.
What to order: Fried chicken with blue cheese sauce
Where: 55 Great Portland Street, W1W 7LQ
Book now: The George

Julie’s, Holland Park

What: Julie’s is a glamorous West London haunt nestled in deep residential Holland Park. Here, chef patron Owen Kenworthy heads up a menu of indulgent old-school French fare, from raclette croquettes with truffle mayo, to his signature beef tartare served with egg yolk, beer relish and crispy shallots (it’s very good). Mains continue the theme with the likes of a cheesy lobster souffle and pork cassoulet, while desserts span butter-like chocolate mousse and a boozy rum baba.
What to order: Beef fillet tartare, fermented beer relish, yolk and crispy shallots
Where: 135 Portland Road, W11 4LW
Book now: Julie’s

Lore of the Land, Fitzrovia

What: Guy Ritchie’s pub is one celebrity-owned gaff that lives up to the hype, not least because of its legendary Sunday roasts which revolve around succulent roast meats sourced from exceptional suppliers (Phillip Warren, Somerset Saxon). All are served with beef fat roast potatoes, glazed carrots, minted peas, Yorkshire pudding and roasting juices, then for dessert you've got to order the Lore doughnut with salted caramel, cream and caramelised white chocolate. Need further proof that their Sunday roasts are legendary? The pub is fully booked on Sundays for the rest of the year, and now taking bookings for 2026!
What to order: Family-style Sunday roast (minimum four people)
Where: 4 Conway Street, W1T 6BB
Book now: Lore of the Land

Roti King, Euston, Waterloo, Spitalfields, Battersea

What: Roti King's comforting karis and flaky rotis are stuff of legends, and now they're not just a London fixture, with restaurants in Brighton and Edinburgh. Lucky them! The menu is geared around its signature roti canai - you get two along with your choice of kari, from chicken to beef rendang, mutton or dhal. All for little more than a tenner. Unbeatable!
What to order: Chicken kari with roti
Where: Various locations
Book now: Roti King Euston; Roti King Battersea; Roti King Waterloo; Roti King Spitalfields

The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell

What: Mike Davies’ Camberwell Arms has become one of London’s most-loved gastropubs for its commitment to generous, high-quality cooking and genuine hospitality. You can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside when eating here! The menu changes often with the seasons, but Davies’ ethos centres around enjoying food with loved ones, so you’ll always find a few sharing dishes on the menu that are designed to be eaten with a group. Expect bold, unfussy British cooking that’s totally delicious, from Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast to grilled lamb (for two) with allotment squash and mint and pine nut sauce.
What to order: Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast
Where: 65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR
Book now: The Camberwell Arms

Gina, Chingford

What: Ravneet Gill and her husband Mattie Taiano have opened this no-fuss neighbourhood spot way out in Chingford (bear with us, for it is worth the trek). The menu is laden with delicious things, from starters like salmon roe and cream cheese crepes, to rib-sticking mains, such as ox cheeks with suet dumplings, pickled walnuts and horseradish. It also pays homage to the great British chophouse via a selection of daily cuts, all served alongside the likes of triple cooked chips and buttered greens. It’s already causing a stir with its desserts list too (Ravneet is known for her indulgent sweet bakes on Instagram), so do stick around for a slice of Ravi’s chocolate cake – you won’t regret it.
What to order: Ravi’s chocolate cake
Where: 92 Station Road, E4 7BA
Book now: Gina

Bistro Freddie, Shoreditch

What: French food is synonymous with comfort, and Bistro Freddie is one of our favourite spots when we fancy a menu where pastry, butter and mayo are core ingredients. The menu changes often, but Bistro Freddie always serves a killer pie to share, with a creamy filling and a buttery pastry lid. Other highlights include comte gougeres, cod schnitzel with beurre blanc tartare, and confit duck leg with smoked sausage. Order alongside a plate of chips and homemade mayonnaise. For pudding, it’s got to be the sticky toffee pudding.
What to order: The seasonal pie for two
Where: 74 Luke Street, EC2A 4PY
Book now: Bistro Freddie

FOWL by Fallow, St James’s

What: The team behind the extraordinary Fallow brought this beak-to-feet concept to life, originally starting out as a pop-up and graduating to a permanent site due to popular demand. Chicken is the order of the day here, in every format. Think wings coated in a black garlic buffalo sauce, katsu chicken with crab curry, green mango, peanuts and chilli oil, and chicken salt fries. We’re big proponents of keeping it simple though, and ordering the FOWL burger, a deep-fried buttermilk number dressed in black pepper ranch, with cheese and pickles.
What to order: FOWL Burger with black pepper ranch, cheese, lettuce and pickles
Where: 3 Norris Street, SW1Y 4RJ
Book now: FOWL by Fallow

St John Bread & Wine, Spitalfields

What: St John has been open for 30 years and well and truly cemented itself as a core part of London’s dining scene. One of the original pioneers to bring ‘nose to tail’ cooking to the fore, this lauded institution still serves a menu that heroes traditional British recipes. Think mince on dripping toast, ox tongue hash with a fried egg and brown sauce, and a guinea fowl, trotter and prune pie. You’ll also find things like pig’s skin and devilled kidneys on the menu in various guises. This food isn't for the faint-hearted, but it's bound to warm your cockles!
What to order: Hereford mince on dripping toast
Where: 94-96 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ
Book now: St John Bread & Wine

The Quality Chop House, Clerkenwell

What: Originally opened in 1869, The Quality Chop House pays homage to its meaty history with a menu that champions steaks, chops and other meat-focused favourites. Plus, with its wooden booths, black-and-white tiled floors and vintage lighting, QCH boasts a setting that’s as old-school as the food. Think chicken liver and foie gras parfait with Wiltshire black truffle and a Parkerhouse roll, Yorkshire game with trimmings, and a black forest trifle to finish.
What to order: One of its chops!
Where: 88-94 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3EA
Book now: The Quality Chop House

Rambutan, Borough

What: This Sri Lankan restaurant is British-Sri Lankan cook Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s debut venture and boy is it a brilliant first attempt. Deftly spiced curries and buttery, flaky rotis are part of Rambutan’s DNA, although every dish here is cooked with attention and love. Hot butter squid buns come with punchy katta mayo, dry curries like black pork belly are gnarly and rich, and those rotis are like eating an all-butter croissant – divine.
What to order: Butter rotis with any of its curries
Where: 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD
Book now: Rambutan

If you can't think of anything more comforting than the doughy deliciousness of a pizza, then be sure to check out our guide to the best pizza in London for all our top slices.