28 Romantic Restaurants In London To Book To Turn Up The Heat

Drawing back Cupid’s bow to romance a loved one has never been easier.

For some, a date night might consist of pinging out a few messages on a dating app in a bid for a last-minute drink and a smooch. For others, it’ll be sharing a bottle of wine and a Marks & Spencer's ‘Dine In For Two’ deal, with a romantic film. Others will spend the night with their best friends getting in a few cocktails before hitting the cinema.

However, given that the ultimate way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, we can’t help but love the idea of dining in one of London’s most romantic restaurants with a partner.

Whether it’s lobster linguine or coq au vin, a hearty meal across the table from your significant other is one of the best ways to celebrate love and enjoy the capital’s finest culinary offerings.

Here are the most romantic restaurants in London for 2022:

You’d be forgiven for walking straight past the door of Aqua Kyoto, situated in the heart of Soho, opposite the busting entrance of the London Palladium theatre. Such is the restaurant’s ability to fly under the radar as one of London’s top Japanese eateries, boasting impeccable dining, service and décor. If the mood lighting and futuristic interiors aren’t enough to turn up the heat on your date, then the food most certainly will.

We suggest tucking into the experience menu (£90pp, £130 pp including sake and wine). Begin your evening with the crispy Rock shrimp tempura, which comes with a tantalising chilli and garlic mayonnaise, before fighting over who gets the biggest slice of wagyu sirloin beef, black garlic teriyaki and foie gras su miso, and the lip-smacking Forest Floor desert.

Those who like to pick and choose from the menu will be best ordering the black cod gyoza, aubergine with green chilli miso, and some of the best hand-dive scallop sashimi we’ve had the fortune of tasting. Sushi lovers will love the extensive range of sashimi and maki options on offer, as well as the robata and wagyu. Our favourite? The braised beef short rib, nashi pear su miso and picking shimeji. Alongside your meal, we suggest opting for a bottle of Chilean Hacienda Araucano and a fruity Yuzu Sake.

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Location: 5th Floor, 240 Regent Street (Entrance 30 Argyll Street), London, UK W1B 3BR

A restaurant from the Ferragamo family is bound to be super slick and impossibly stylish – but even with such high expectations, Il Borro is immediately impressive. Located slap-bang in the middle of Mayfair, inside it’s all smooth jazz, soft lighting, classical art and cream furnishings – perfect for a laid-back date night, any day of the week.

The cuisine showcases the finest farm-to-table produce from Ferragamo’s country-chic estate in Tuscany, with exquisite ingredients and organic wines taking centre stage. Think traditional, rustic dishes including pappa al pomodoro (a fresh, Tuscan take on bruschetta), lentil salad, roasted baby chicken and the most epic, garlicky tomato pasta you’ll ever try (Pici all’aglione) – all elegantly elevated to match the surroundings.

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Location: 15 Berkeley St, London W1J 8DY

Dining at Jeru is truly like eating in a Middle Eastern home and is certainly not one to be missed. The restaurant takes it's inspiration from the Byzantine times and means ‘old city’, meaning it's a true melting pot of culture, cuisine and character. The kitchen is run by Chef Roy, a Cordon Bleu trained and award-winning chef with North African and Israeli heritage, and it's here where the culinary magic comes alive.

If you're going to 'do' Jeru properly, then you're going to want to order the Chef's Selection. Here, you'll be able to tuck into pillow-y soft sourdough bread with a delicious culture butter than melts in the mouth, Ocean trout 'samke harra' with a sharp-tasting roasted fennel tahini, and charcoal roasted aubergine.

Meat eaters can tuck into roast monkfish, charcoal corn ed chicken, while vegetarians have the option of the aforementioned aubergine and confit sugarloaf cabbage (have you ever heard of anything more drool-inducing?)

Finish off the night with a sweet cocktail, such as the Layla Club (think gin and pomegranate) or a Za'Faran (Aperol lovers, assemble), and you're sure to have a romantic date like no other.

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Location: 11 Berkeley St, London W1J 8DS

Renowned restaurateur Riccardo Giraudi’s glitzy Beefbar restaurants have slowly but surely been popping up in all the world’s most elegant addresses, from Monaco and Mykonos to Hong Kong – and now, naturally, in the heart of Chelsea. Since opening late last year, Le Petit Beefbar has already become one of the hottest date night spots in town, with its moody lighting, chic interiors and killer cocktails which set a romantic tone from the get-go.

It’s all flickering candles and intimate moments over red wine, sharing plates and exquisite cuts of beef during the week, while Thursday nights onward are perfect for super-sociable couples who enjoy a buzzy atmosphere. The menu is filled with failsafe crowd-pleasers from Beefbar locations across the globe – think New York strip steak, Japanese Kobe and a Tonkatsu take on veal Milanese. The signature mash is an absolute must, while starters of Wagyu brisket-filled Bao Buns and Croque Sando make for particularly tasty ice-breakers. Just be sure to check your date isn’t a vegetarian first…

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Location: 27 Cale St, London SW3 3QP

Head to Covent Garden this year and visit Petersham Nurseries' latest opening, La Goccia Bar. Not only will you want to redecorate your flat immediately after seeing its floral-inspired interiors, but it's cocktail list will tantalise the tastebuds, thanks to its inclusion of seasonal fruits and edible flowers.

As for menu, expect to dine on aperitivos and 'cicchetti', including prosciutto crocchette with fonduta di parmigiano, wild mushroom risotto, beef sirloin tagliata with salsa verde and potato al forno with garlic and rosemary.

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Location: 1 Floral St, London WC2E 9FB

Located in the heart of Mayfair, 34 Mayfair is getting a makeover this Valentine's Day (from February 7 - March 13) and offering diners a love-inspired limited edition cocktail menu, food menu, and live music.

Outside will sit a big gigantic red heart installation, which the terrace will be covered in pink and red flowers. Inside you'll be invited to sip on everything from 'Something Fresh with Vodka' (think mango infused vodka) to 'Something Spicy with Tequila (tequila infused with smoked ancho pepper). You'll also be able to enjoy a chocolate mousse with a raspberry centre, as well as instrumental jazz music.

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Location: 34 Grosvenor Square, S Audley St, London W1K 2HD

Hidden away in a 25-cover converted mews house in Belgravia lies one of the best restaurants in the UK. There, we’ve said it. Opened by the youngest British chef ever to be awarded two Michelin stars, Tom Aikens and his team of expert chefs use seasonal and fresh ingredients to create dishes inspired by the founder’s Norfolk roots.

Our tip is to book a table at the counter where you’ll oversee Aikens and his small group of experts dance around each other in a serene, balletic fashion, creating everything from Dazzling New Heights (scallop, cucumber and almonds), Conquering the ‘Beech Tree’(langoustine, pork fat and burnt apple) and Smokey Summers (sea bass, aubergine and tomato) to sweet treats like the Muse Mess (strawberry, sheep’s yoghurt and pink peppercorn. Oh, and let’s not forget the delicious chicken butter and 'Solero-inspired' kaffir lime ice creams.

Whether it’s a bottle of French dry white wine and English sparkling from Langham Wine Estate and Vineyard Café or a sweet dessert tipple, this 10-course meal – which costs £130 or £225 including the wine pairing) is by far one of the best culinary experiences you can have in London.

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Location: 38 Groom Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7BA

Opened in October 2021, this is quickly becoming one of west London's favourite restaurants for food and romance.

We adore the open, light space here, which feels like a home away from home thanks to its large flowers, plush cushions and warm green and caramel-hued walls. The restaurant itself is separated across two spaces and decorated with marble tables and window seats that look into the bustling dining area.

As for the front of house and food, they're truly second to none, and make 1771 the perfect spot for a meal for two. We suggest opting for head chef Mark Jarvis' (ex Le Manoir) tasting menu (with the wine pairing) which includes the 1771 focaccia (with a deliciously creamy cultured butter), venison tartare, fried poussin, Ikejime seabass, a lip-smacking caramel tart and more. Start the evening off with a glass of bubbly and see where the night takes you.

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Location: 18-22 Holbein Pl, London SW1W 8NL

Not many restaurants and hotels boast sites across five continents, but when your weekly diners include the Jenners, Kardashians, Biebers and Taylor Swift, it’s not hard to see why Nobu has become one of the most famous eateries in the world for A-list couples and friends.

Nobu has become a firm favourite in London – come rain or shine - thanks to its exquisite interpretations of Japanese cuisine including dishes like miso black cod, yellowtail sashimi, grilled asparagus dry miso, umami Chilean sea bass and shiitake mushroom salad. If that wasn’t enough there’s an incredible sake and wine list and a cocktail menu that features tipples that pack a punch like Mexican Standoff (Maestro Dobel tequila with a smoky touch of mezcal) and the super bitter citrusy Yamato Champagne Cocktail (think Suntory Haku Vodka and Veuve Cliquot champagne). End the night with a green tea tiramisu or Upper Berkeley Street Cheesecake.

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Location: 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG

Tucked away in the heart of Fitzrovia lies a cave of exemplary, Michelin-starred restaurant delivery modern Chinese cuisine, cocktails and a romantic ambiance that’s almost unparallel.

There are five signature menus to choose from, but we suggest opting for Shou – costing £98 per person) – which is one of Five Blessings and signifies long life, happiness and harmony. Can you get any more romantic than that? To start, you’ll tuck into classic steamed dim sum and a delectable crispy duck salad before moving on to crispy fresh water prawn, grilled Chilean seabass in honey, stir-fry black pepper rib eye beef with Merlot and an oozing black truffle roasted duck, accompanied by seasonal vegetables and a small pot of steamed jasmine rice. A signature dessert tops off the meal perfectly, as you sit in a dimly-lit, nearly pitch black restaurant with but the glow of overhead lights illuminating your fellow diners.

We couldn’t think of a more perfect place to celebrate a big moment or anniversary.

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Location: 8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD

If you love your flora and fauna, get yourself down to London’s new city restaurant 14 Hills which is decorated with more than 1,000 different trees and plants. With dim, soft lighting, plus 1970s-inspired interiors, and wooden furnishings, this is pretty much our dream romantic location to spend the night over a bottle of wine with a partner.

Fortunately, the menu is just as impressive as its interiors, with starters including kind scallops, duck liver and celeriac, mains featuring salmon, Rossini and turbot and desserts like roasted pear, chocolate tarts and chilled rice vanilla puddings.

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant turns into a late-night hub of activity with drinks and music from its resident DJ.

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Locations: 120 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 5BA

Let your culinary tastes experience the delicacies of Peru, Brazil and Japan with a visit to world-renowned restaurant Sushisamba. Located in Covent Garden and Heron Tower, the restaurant celebrates experimentation and the blending of cuisines and cultures, offering wagyu gyoza, mae terra, anitchuchos, sea bass tempura and sambra rolls (think tuna, salmon, Hamachi, avocado and hishiho miso).

For a real treat, head to the Heron Tower branch which is located on the building’s 38th and 39th floor and has 360 dgeree views of the City. In the summer at sunset, you can’t beat a location in the city for cocktails.

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Locations: Covent Garden (35 The Market Building, London WC2R 8RF) and London Heron Tower (110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY).

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Deep in the heart of Mayfair is this superb restaurant, tucked away at the back of The Biltmore hotel, that's the perfect spot for a delicious meal and a nightcap.

Overseen by renowned British chef Jason Atherton, the a la carte menu features a variety of scrumptious dishes including Dorset crab on toast and cured chalk stream trout for starters, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and a creamy sweetcorn and saffron risotto for the main course. We suggest finishing the night off with a caramelised pear and almond tart, topped with burnt honey ice cream for two, before a cocktail in the bar.

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Location: 44 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 2HP

Serving all day from breakfast to dinner, Balthazar is the perfect date location whether you’re craving hangover eggs royale or sharing a Valentine’s Day rhubarb soufflé.

Inspired by the original restaurant in downtown New York, this Covent Garden-based hub is housed in the old Theatre Museum and is an eatery of opulent decoration.

Our favourite menu options? The lobster and pommes frites, rack of lamb backed aubergine, the stone bass and a duck pie on Tuesdays. However, if you only have an hour to spare, we suggest visiting the crustacea bar for some Jersey Pearl oysters and enjoy the aphrodisiac effects.

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Location: 4-6 Russell Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5HZ

Go on a sensory journey along the Amazon River with Mayfair’s Amazónico. Opened in 2019, this is a hub of rainforest-inspired activity with nightly jazz music and ‘electro-pical’ sounds in the bar and lounge, fauna-covered ceilings and fresh dishes including poke loco, lime an yuzu marinated Carabinero prawns, clay over chicken rolls and Chilean Wagyu fillet. There’s even a sushi counter dishing up the likes of sashimi, nigiri and unagi.

Desserts range from coconut flan and tonka bean caramel and caramelised passion fruit soup to an acai and blueberry compote and roasted caramel glazed pineapple.

Think of eating at Amazónico as a visit to South America without the pricey flights.

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Location: 10 Berkeley Square, W1J 6BR

Following a day out at Portobello Market, we suggest extending your date into the evening with a visit to this neighbourhood restaurant and late night bar in the heart of Notting Hill. Laid-back yet chic in both décor and service, Gold offers a tranquil escape from the hectic capital with a garden room covered in luscious green foliage where you can tuck into sharing plates with your SO with food that’s been cooked in wood ovens or open an open flame. Romantic, much?

With raw, charcuterie and cheese, salads, vegetables and main plates to choose from, you’ll find it hard not to want to order everything on the menu. Especially when dishes include roasted delica squash, braised pork meatballs, chargrilled sprouting broccoli, braised chicory and wood roasted whole sea bream.

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Location: 95-97 Portobello Road, Notting Hill

Sip on ice-cold limoncellos with your date before digging into Chef Michael Brown’s seasonal menu of hearty Italian dishes like spaghetti alle vongole and risotto with black truffle.

Chelsea-based Daphne's was founded more than half a century ago by theatre agent Daphne Rye and has become a London favourite thanks to its informal attitude, sophisticated menu and pink marble-topped bar.

With modern art from Europe along the walls and vintage Italian Murano glass chandeliers above, you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a Venetian bar when actually, you’re minutes away from the London Underground.

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Location: 112 Draycott Avenue, London, SW3 3AE

You’d be forgiven for thinking La Bodega Negra was a Soho sex shop given its bright neon signage promising a ‘peep show’ and ‘girls, girls girls’ from the outside. But, as they say, it’s dangerous to judge a book by its cover because past the pink neon arrows (which look as if they’re directing you into a sex party) is a basement Mexican restaurant and bar like no other.

With low lights and leather seats, La Bodega Negra is a celebration of all things Hispanic serving tacos, tostadas, steak, crispy pork belly and ceviche which you can wash down with margaritas and tequila.

Where better place to get the juices flowing with your date?

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Location: 9 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 5JF

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Known as the original BAO destination in the capital, the BAO chain is famous for its offering of steamed buns to hungry diners. With three restaurants, a bar and a teahouse and restaurant (XU), the eatery has evolved from a market stall in east London to a staple food spot.

With a bustling atmosphere, BAO offers small plates that are the perfect size for those with big stomachs but prefer to share food with their other halves, whether it’s the chilli Cornish mussels or glazed tofu and Taiwanese pickle.

Prepare for a long waiting time to nab a table, however, as BAO is a seriously popular restaurant for couples (and friends) wanting a delicious bite to eat and starting the night off on a high note.

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Locations: Fitzrovia, Borough Market, Soho, King’s Cross and Shoreditch

Overlooking the Thames, we can’t quite think of a better way to celebrate the capital (and romance). For those with a large appetite, you’ll be happy to know that the restaurant’s menu is designed to be shared, giving you ample opportunity to try multiple dishes from the menu. The roast beets, crab on sourdough, spicy chorizo flatbread, charred hispi cabbage and lamb chops are just a few of our favourites.

Followed by black forest log cake, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate brownies and you’ll be full to the brim when the bill comes.

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Location: Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PD

Wine Bar. Bakery. Restaurant. Has there ever been a more delightful foursome of words to describe an eatery? Self-proclaimed to be inspired by the buvettes of Paris and the pintxos bars of San Sebastián, Flor is a celebration of some of Europe’s best cuisines.

The restaurant is the second from the team behind the much-adored Lyle’s and has a very homely feel with a small space furnished with small tables and banquettes – perfect for those who don’t mind rubbing shoulders with their fellow diners.

The menu includes everything from purple sprouting broccoli and burrata to cod brandade, mussel flatbread and Tahitian vanilla crème brûlé.

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Address: 1 Bedale St, SE1 9AL

The fact that you can press a button to have a glass of champagne delivered straight to your table is reason enough to take a loved one here. Famous for pouring more bubbly that any other restaurant in the UK, this Soho spot celebrates English and Russian cuisine giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘from Russia with love’.

Start with a vodka shot and Jersey Rock Oysters before tucking into dishes like salmon tartare, lobster, crab and shrimp pelmeni and truffled potato and mushroom vareniki before eating slow roasted pork belly, beef wellington and dover sole meunière. With flaming crème brûlée and strawberries and cream soufflé to end the meal, you might need to wear your ‘big pants’.

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Location: 1 Upper James St, Soho, London, W1F 9DF

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If you don’t know about Gloria already, then prepare to have your mind blown. This east London haven is an Italian Trattoria that looks like the Garden of Eden from the outside and a chic Positano villa inside. With sister restaurants in Paris, this ivy-covered, terracotta pot overflowing eatery cooks up everything from fluffy focaccia with wild Sicillian fennel to ten-layer lasagne and ribbons of mafalda pasta.

While the limoncello flows, we suggest ordering you and your other half a big bowl of Gloria’s classic tiramisu, puff pastry napoletanas and apple crumble with raisins, coconut, chestnuts and home-made peanut butter cream.

If you struggle to nab a table at Gloria - believe us, it's tough given its popularity - then try its other London sites: Ave Mario and Circolo Popolare.

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Locations: 54-56 Great Eastern St, Hackney, London EC2A 3QR

If you’re a big Padella fan, then you’ll love Bancone. The restaurant takes its name from the Italian word for ‘bar’ or ‘counter’ and delivers a relaxed form of dining for those with a love of pasta, wine and buttery everything.

Based near Covent Garden and now with a second site in Soho, we suggest ordering around five dishes to share with your date which can range from anything from its signature fazzoletti (otherwise known as silk handkerchiefs) bathing in a walnut butter based for just £8 and bucatini with Cornish mussels and seaweed butter to ox cheek ‘mezzaluna’ ravioli with port butter and chives, hazelnut chocolate brûlées and pumpkin and saffron pannacotta.

Affordable, delicious and oh so addictive.

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Location: Covent Garden (39 William IV Street London, WC2N 4DD) and Soho (8-10 Lower James Street, London, W1F 9EL).

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If hoppers, dosas and kothu inspired by Sri Lankan and south Indian dining tickles your taste buds, then a night a hoppers in a must to romance your SO.

If you’re on a budget, we suggest tucking into several plates like devilled squid, prawn vadai, hot butter chilli paneer, Jaffna beef rib fry and duck roti. For those with a bit more cash to spare, you must try the crab kari, egg hopper, coconut chutney, lamb shank buriani and goat kothu roti.

The décor at Hoppers is simple yet sophisticated, furnished with yellow walls covered in vintage photos in its Soho branch and white walls, spherical lamps and trees in its St Christopher’s base.

It’s so popular with Londeners that it has just opened its third branch in King's Cross.

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Locations: Soho, St Christopher’s and King’s Cross.

If you love flowers, then a trip to Clos Maggiore is an essential. Located in Covent Garden, this restaurant marries the best of Provence and Tuscany with cherry blossom covering the ceiling and beams of the conservatory and a glass roof that opens in the summer month to let the fresh air in and closes in the winter to cocoon you inside a candle and fire-lit haven.

Oh, and with over 2,500 wines to choose from, let’s just say you won’t struggle when it comes to finding a tipple to tantalise. The À La Carte menu has everything from burrata from Puglia and slow-cooked cheek of Spanish black pig to roasted black Iberian pork loin and hand rolled fresh pappardelle.

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Location: 33 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JD

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Can’t afford a trip to Venice with your loved one? Instead, take a trip to L’Oscar Restaurant which is inspired by the world’s oldest café in the famous Italian city.

Decorated with mirrors and gilded panels with a purple, yellow and black interior colour scheme, the restaurant is one of the most romantic spots in the capital and a go-to eatery for early morning breakfasts, lunches and late-night desserts.

On Valentine’s Day, diners are in for a treat with canapes, oysters, salmon blinis, cote du boeuf, dark chocolate mousse and petit fours on offer.

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Location: 2-6 Southampton Row, Holborn, London WC1B 4AA

Whether it’s a 5am post night out breakfast or a late-night bite to eat, Duck & Waffle’s 24-hour dining service is here for all types of dates.

Sweet and savoury waffles (caramelised banana and smoked salmon royale), protein bowls and a full English breakfast can be paired with bloody marys for early risers, while duck kebabs and spicy ox cheek doughnuts await partygoers in need of sustenance.

Located on the 40th floor of one of the City’s most famous buildings, 110 Bishopsgate, the restaurant delivers a British and European blended menu with cocktails and superb views across the city, as well as an open kitchen in the heart of the restaurant.

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Location: 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

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