Solo dining in London: 16 of the best restaurants for when you’re on your tod

When we think of heading out to a restaurant, we think of long dinners, elbow to elbow with friends and family, tucking into large sharing plates and working our way through copious amounts of wine. But the question is, why must these special moments of indulging be reserved for groups, or couples? Eating good food is one of the most important acts of self-care in our books, and gives us a chance to truly enjoy every bite. Long gone are the distractions of conversation - or worse, awkward silences. It's just you, yourself, and the most important thing in the world - food. 

Some restaurants are better suited to solo diners than others. London's counter dining restaurants obviously cater themselves a little better to solo diners, as you can grab a single seat up on the counter and chat away to staff as you eat. Or it could simply be down to the menu; sharing plates have become massively popular in recent years, and whilst there’s certainly a time and a place, it doesn’t quite cut the mustard when you’ve got no one to share it with. We've gone for a mixture of restaurants where you can pick at a few smaller bits, or those that serve something big and satisfying for one; there's a great global tradition of solo dining when it comes to noodles, for example, so we've put a few of our favourite ramen and noodle spots below. 

Don't be afraid to venture into some of the capital's top fine dining spots either - most of these are used to seating solo diners who travel from far and wide to try the food, and teams will always make you feel right at home, whether you want to chat or you just want to eat and read a book. Nothing is off limits when it comes to solo dining! 

Whether you need somewhere to stop and kill time between meetings, or you’re looking for a place to treat yourself, have a scroll through our pick of the best solo dining restaurants in London - we're sure you'll find something that fits the bill. 

Koya, Soho

What: Koya has long been regarded as a go-to for solo dining, with ample bar seating and speedy service of Japanese dishes. Perfect for stopping by for a quick lunch of curry soup noodles, or settling in for a selection of small plates like marinated mushrooms and grilled fish; whatever reason you’re heading out alone, Koya is well worth a visit. Koya is another no-bookings restaurant, so solo diners can usually get in and out fairly quickly as well. 
Where: 50 Frith Street, W1D 4SQ
Book now: Koya Soho

Pizarro, Bermondsey

What: Does it still count as dining alone if you bring the pooch along too? We think so, and we also think Pizarro is the perfect place for the occasion. Offering window counter seating where you can watch the buzz of Bermondsey Street, there’s also a snug spot below for dogs to watch the world go by. Of course, the food here is top quality too - think pan con tomat, croquettes and Iberico pork shoulder.
Where: 194 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ
Book now: Pizarro

Barrafina, Various locations

What: The original counter dining experience, Barrafina is still excellent after all these years. We really appreciate how great staff are at making solo diners feel at home, and chefs here have always been true entertainers, somehow managing to hold a conversation whilst they flip neat little tortillas. The classic tortilla is still a must order, but there are often great specials on too.
Where: 26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL; Stable Street, N1C 4AB; 2 Dirty Lane, SE1 9DG; 10 Adelaide Street, WC2N 4HZ; 43 Drury Lane, WC2B 5AJ
Book now: Barrafina Dean Street; Barrafina Coal Drops Yard; Barrafina Borough Yards; Barrafina Adelaide Street; Barrafina Drury Lane

St John, Farringdon

What: There’s nothing stopping you from nabbing a table for one in the main restaurant and stuffing yourself on bone marrow and offal in one of London’s most iconic dining rooms. That said, we’d opt for a seat at the counter in the more casual bar area, which is mostly walk-ins and serves a more compact blackboard menu of smaller plates. Grab a bite of something, followed by an eccles cake and a glass of Madeira for the ultimate St John experience.
Where: 26 St John Street, EC1M 4AY
Book now: St John

Kiln, Soho

What: Kiln’s big, bustling counter is always packed, but you stand a pretty good chance of squeezing in as a solo. Not only is the food extraordinary, but a counter seat is one of the most entertaining in the city, as you get to watch Kiln’s chefs skilfully managing a million clay pots over intense burners. They won’t be the only ones sweating when you crack into authentically spicy northern Thai dishes.
Where: 58 Brewer Street, W1F 9TL
Book now: Kiln

Noodle & Beer, Spitalfields

What: Does what it says on the tin - a reference that goes out to 90s babies everywhere. The service is rapid and unfussy, and the food is exactly what you want - brothy noodles with serious flavour, and cold beers to calm the stinging heat. You can get in and out of Noodle & Beer for a good £20, and this is good for self-conscious solo eaters too as you’ll be surrounded by lone diners and students grabbing something quick to eat.
Where: 31 Bell Lane, E1 7LA
Book now: Noodle & Beer

AGORA, London Bridge

What: Our London Restaurant of the Year in 2025, AGORA stole our hearts with buzzy atmosphere and absolutely killer Greek food. You get loads of solo diners here and you get a choice between a seat at the big communal table, or at the chef’s counter where you’re sat just a couple of metres from the hypnotic glow of the bread oven. If you’re solo dining around Borough Market, this is the one.
Where: 3 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL
Book now: AGORA

Rogues, Bethnal Green

What: We have a real soft spot for Rogues - a Bethnal Green spot that doesn’t get nearly enough love. Part of that is down to the top class cooking, which is surprisingly good value and covers all sorts of influences. 10% is thanks to the madly delicious bread course - a potato and thyme sourdough with Bovril butter. And the rest is the wildly entertaining staff, who fly about the room with the perfect mix of friendliness and professionalism, occasionally taking a short break to play a few tunes on the piano. Just a wonderful place.
Where: 460 Hackney Road, E2 9EG
Book now: Rogues

Humble Chicken, Soho

What: Perhaps the most delicious and interesting counter dining experience in London, Angelo Sato’s cooking sees classic Japanese dishes and ideas dragged into the present. There’s a precision and clarity to the dishes and ideas at Humble Chicken that is staggering, and the whole thing is utterly delicious from front-to-back. If we were in town as a solo diner for one evening, this is where we’d go.
Where: 54 Frith Street, W1D 4SJ
Book now: Humble Chicken

Sambal Shiok, Holloway

What: If you’re after somewhere super relaxed but still packing big flavours, then Sambal Shiok is the place for you. Mandy Yin's fiercely authentic Malaysian diner on Holloway Road is always crammed with people shovelling noodles into their mouths and slurping on bowls of laka. The fried chicken is also top tier. For anyone spice averse, beware - even the mild version of Mandy's laksa is searingly hot.
Where: 171 Holloway Road, N7 8LX
Book now: Sambal Shiok

Master Wei, Bloomsbury

What: You certainly won't feel alone eating solo at Master Wei - it's always packed with solo diners grabbing a quick bowl of noodles. The service is quick, and makes for the perfect place to stop by for a solo lunch. The cold liangpi noodles are outrageously good, as are the bouncy hand pulled biang biang noodles, and the cold boneless chicken in ginger sauce (trust us, it's way better than it sounds). 
Where: 13 Cosmo Place, WC1N 3AP
Book now: Master Wei

Garden Museum Cafe, Lambeth

What: Solo dining has many perks, but our favourite part is that it gives us time to truly be in the moment, and sit alone with our thoughts - much like heading out in to nature. So why not head to Garden Museum Cafe where you can combine the two? The name is a little deceptive, this is as much a restaurant as a cafe and the seasonal British cooking is top class. It's especially worth a visit in the summer when the garden terrace is open. 
Where: 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
Book now: Garden Museum Cafe

Brutto, Clerkenwell

What: Brutto quickly made its mark as one of London’s best Italian restaurants, which is quite the feat in a city that seems to have a relentless appetite for them. Choose between counter seating, a table for one, or dining al fresco, and snack your way through delicious, rustic, affordable Florentine classics, with a lovely cannoli to finish. Even better, Brutto offers a free spritz for anyone dining alone!
Where: 35-37 Greenhill Rents, EC1M 6BN
Book now: Brutto

Roti King, Euston

What: Roti King is a slice of cheap eats heaven, serving up Malaysian dishes like curries, laksa and roti with a seriously modest price tag. You can easily dine here for under a tenner, but even if you’re particularly peckish, you’d be hard pushed to reach the £20 mark. As if that’s not good enough, it’s also BYOB - but be warned it’s walk-ins only so you may have to queue at peak times.
Where: Euston House, 40 Doric Way, NW1 1LH
Book now: Roti King

Normah’s, Bayswater

What: Normah’s was founded by Normah Abd Hamid, who can often be found working away in the kitchen, perfecting her family recipes for service. This is certainly more rustic than a lot of other spots on our list, but that’s largely why we love it. No fussy presentation, just unbelievable flavour and a whole lot of love.
Where: 23, 25 Queensway, W2 4QJ
Book now: Normah’s

BAO, Various locations

What: BAO has multiple sites across the capital, and quite frankly we’d eat at any of them by ourselves, though we will admit that we especially love BAO Soho for it’s great choice of counter seating. If you love trying lots of things at once, BAO is perfect - most of the menu is small enough that you can get yourself a whole solo feast without feeling too overwhelmed. This is also home to arguably London's best set menu deal, the BAO 15, where you can nab yourself a BAO, some fried chicken and a rice dish for just £15. 
Where: 53 Lexington Street, Carnaby, W1F 9AS
Book now: BAO Soho

Solo dining not your thing? We understand it’s not for everyone, and we’re the first to admit that we love a laissez-faire lunch with friends as much as the next person. So we’ve also scouted our favourite spots for when you want to head out with the entire gang, be it for a casual cheap eats, fine dining blow out, or somewhere mid-range.

In a city that is spoiled for choice, it can be hard to know where to go, but taking a look at our list of best restaurants for groups in London is a pretty good start…