These romantic London restaurants all offer an intimate ambiance, delectable cuisine and unrivaled service.
From first dates to marriage proposals, anniversaries to date nights, these London restaurants are perfect for some quality time with that special someone.
Park Chinois in Mayfair is a lavish, intimate affair with dim lighting and plush decor based on 1930s Shanghai jazz clubs. Rather than being the prelude to a theater date, it provides its own dinner and show, with regular live music in the Club Chinois downstairs. You can choose to dine either in the Salon de Chinois, Club Chinois or splurge for a private dining area. Intricately crafted dim sum created by chef Kim Min How is their specialty, including black truffle dumplings and wagyu beef gyozas. To really go all out, order the Duck de Chine – some planning is required though, as it takes 72 hours to prepare.
Italian is an excellent choice for a romantic meal, and Brutto in Farringdon makes you feel like you’re in a traditional, cozy trattoria. Founded by Russel Norman, who also founded the popular chain Polpo, the food is filling and delicious. After starting the night with one of their famous £5 n´Negronis, choose from classics such as penne alla vodka and Tuscan red wine beef stew. They also do excellent tiramisu and gelato, so make sure to save room for dessert – with two spoons.
Everyone loves Gloria, part of the Big Mamma Group which also owns the lively restaurants Circolo Populare, Ave Mario and Jacuzzi. Gloria has two romantic options: the casual, Instagrammable upstairs area or the sumptuous downstairs section, which features velvet curtains and dark corners for privacy. Their most popular dish, the Gran Carbonara is brought to your table and mixed in a ginormous wheel of cheese, plus they serve a variety of tasty cocktails and a Valentine’s dessert bomb made with vanilla cheesecake, passionfruit and hibiscus.
Best known for its unique ‘Press for Champagne’ buttons at each table, Bob Bob Ricard's also offers incredible food. Located in Soho, the interiors are straight out of the Great Gatsby – with generous golden accents, Art Deco designs and soft velvet seating. Rooted in Russian culture, the restaurant serves ice-cold vodka shots, caviar, escargot and oysters, perfect for a decadent date. The champagne isn’t just on the menu either, but is also liberally used in dishes like truffle and Champagne pie and salmon en croûte with Champagne sauce.
Voted London’s most romantic restaurant year after year, Clos Maggiore’s most romantic area is spacious courtyard with a canopy of white cherry blossoms and a huge roaring fireplace. A favorite for proposals, that section is usually booked up months in advance, but tables are normally free in the main restaurant area. French flavors dominate the menu, which offers ironbark pumpkin risotto and hand-picked crab with radish, or in February, a six-course Valentine’s tasting menu including fried oysters, venison tartare and lobster with caviar.
For a weekend brunch or casual dinner, the Ivy Brasserie has branches across the UK. However, for a truly special date night, the original restaurant in Covent Garden remains one of the most classic choices, complete with a doorman and personal waiters. Still frequented by many celebrities, it has five-star service and food to match. The most famous dish is the melts-in-your-mouth Shepherd’s Pie, but an even better choice is the slow-cooked rabbit’s leg in red wine sauce.
Sketch is an eclectic mix of dining rooms decorated in various over-the-top luxury styles. Choose from The Gallery, The Lecture Room, The Parlour or The Glade, depending on how romantic you’re feeling. Their afternoon tea is particularly delicious, but the three Michelin-starred Lecture Room, which only serves tasting menus, is the spot for a big occasion. Langoustine tail with liquorice butter, sea urchin bisque, and white asparagus fresh from the Loire Valley are just a few of the unique dishes on the menu.
Sushisamba has restaurants across the globe, but its London venue on the 39th floor of Heron Tower combines their signature fusion of Japanese andSouth American cuisine with amazing views of the capital. Sushisamba is ideal if you’re trying to impress a date, with impressive decor like a glass elevator and jaw-dropping interiors. The all-day menu has small plates and sushi, including shrimp tempura, raw tuna sashimi and Chilean sea bass, alongside large plates like Robata black cod and the impossibly tender kobe ribeye. Your date is still not impressed? Order one of their mind-bending zen garden desserts, made of bergamot biscuits and chocolate lychee peach stones – it resembles a traditional Japanese rock garden.
