Eater Lists 38 Best London Restaurants in May 2026 Update

The Story

Eater’s local dining expert has released an updated guide to the 38 best restaurants in London, covering a range of cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points from Michelin fine dining to street food. The guide is compiled and iterated on over the better part of a decade by a longtime restaurant editor, with the aim of helping diners navigate the capital’s diverse food scene. The list is updated regularly to reflect changes in the London dining scene, and each entry includes insider tips and a rough price range from $ to $$$$. Three new additions for May 2026 are highlighted: Impala, a North African-inspired restaurant from the Super 8 group in Soho; Vincenzo’s Pizza, bringing New York-style slices to Bethnal Green from Watford; and Gymkhana, a two-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Mayfair. The article also provides detailed descriptions of several restaurants, including Durak Tantuni, Etles Uyghur Restaurant, Bake Street, Cadet, Bánh Mì Hội-An, Yuki Bar, Goodbye Horses, and Thattukada. The story of London’s food scene, according to the source, includes dishes such as dim sum, Sunday roasts, curries, pizza, sinasir, rarebits, and natural wine.

Key Facts

• The list includes 38 restaurants, compiled and updated by Eater’s local dining expert over about a decade.
• The guide covers cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points, with a range from $ (dishes under $10) to $$$$ (entrees over $30).
• New to the map in May 2026: Impala (North African-inspired, Soho), Vincenzo’s Pizza (New York-style, Bethnal Green), and Gymkhana (two-Michelin-starred Indian, Mayfair).
• Detailed write-ups are provided for Durak Tantuni, Etles Uyghur Restaurant, Bake Street, Cadet, Bánh Mì Hội-An, Yuki Bar, Goodbye Horses, and Thattukada.
• The article states that London’s food scene is diverse, mentioning dishes like dim sum, Sunday roasts, curries, pizza, sinasir, rarebits, and natural wine.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.

Key Figures

• Eater’s local dining expert (unnamed, described as longtime restaurant editor)
• Meedu Saad (grill at Impala)
• Dogan Yesil (runs Durak Tantuni)
• Mukaddes Yadikar (runs Etles Uyghur Restaurant)
• Chloe-Rose Crabtree (pastry chef at Bake Street)
• Feroz Gajia (co-founder at Bake Street)
• George Jephson (butcher at Cadet)
• Mike Murphy (chef at Cadet)
• Tom Beattie and Fran Roberts (sommeliers at Cadet)
• Biju and Preeti Gopinath (chef-owners of Thattukada)
• Yukiyasu Kaneko (sommelier at Yuki Bar)
• Nathalie Nelles (sommelier at Goodbye Horses)

Sources: eater.com