London’s dining scene is already something special, but some restaurants take it up a notch — doubling as galleries for local and contemporary artists. And honestly, I love it! I’ve wandered through the city, found the best of these art-filled spots, and crowned them with the Local Art award. So grab a table, enjoy the view (on your plate and the walls), and consider your museum visit sorted!
Langan’s Brasserie wears its history with effortless charm. Since the 1970s, this Mayfair institution has been a haven for London’s artists, writers, and cultural provocateurs, its walls lined with works by Lucian Freud, David Hockney, and Francis Bacon. The air still carries a trace of its bohemian past, but today, the polish is deliberate. The menu stays true to its roots: prawn cocktail is a textbook revival of retro glamour, shepherd’s pie delivers quiet, unshakable comfort, and soufflé arrives with all the drama of a stage entrance. Nostalgia lingers in every detail, but it’s never stagnant — this is history, still very much in motion.
Average bill: £80 per person
Sexy Fish is excess done right. Here, sushi shares the stage with Damien Hirst’s towering bronze crocodile, Frank Gehry’s shimmering fish lamps, and a sake collection that rivals the bar itself. It’s a spectacle, but the kitchen doesn’t let the décor steal the show. I kicked things off with yellowtail sashimi sliced with almost architectural precision, then tried miso-glazed black cod paired with crispy duck salad. If your idea of a perfect night includes dazzling seafood, high-octane cocktails, and the distinct possibility of running into someone famous (or infamous), then welcome to your new playground.
Average bill: £100 per person
There’s something about The Twenty Two that makes it impossible to forget. Maybe it’s the way the deep-blue walls glow under soft sconces, the scent of old books mingling with candle wax, or the presence of bold contemporary portraits watching from their gilded frames. The space feels like a private club from a dream — opulent but never intimidating. The menu is classic with a mischievous edge, offering beef carpaccio with truffle shavings that melt into the plate, or lobster linguine that sings with saffron and citrus. Every moment here lingers, like a brushstroke that refuses to dry.
Average bill: £95 per person
Mount St Restaurant is as much a gallery as it is a dining room, where Rashid Johnson’s intricate mosaics meet Anj Smith’s dreamlike ceiling fresco. Every surface is curated, and the same precision extends to the plate. Oysters arrive with the briny clarity of a sea breeze, veal pie is a flawless study in golden pastry and deep, savoury richness, and roast duck lands with crisp-skinned, lacquered perfection. Every detail hums with intention — this is a place where art doesn’t just hang on the walls; it arrives on the table, too.
Average bill: £110 per person
Ochre isn’t just adjacent to The National Gallery — it’s an extension of it. Designed by Gergei Erdei, the space bridges classic grandeur with contemporary elegance, mirroring the creative energy of its surroundings. The menu reads like a curated collection of modern European artistry: saffron fettuccine with Indian-spiced ricotta is a stroke of brilliance, while seafood dishes highlight pristine ingredients treated with reverence. Even the cocktails feel like compositions, each one a careful study in balance and technique.
Average bill: £70 per person
Chotto Matte is a riot of colour, contrast, and bold flavours. Vibrant murals set the scene for a menu that fuses Japanese and Peruvian traditions with unapologetic flair. The Nikkei flavours are layered and complex: charred octopus finds perfect harmony between smokiness and citrus, anticucho chicken brings deep umami, and black cod, enveloped in miso glaze, melts into buttery perfection. The energy is unfiltered, the flavours dialled up, and the interplay between food, colour, and sound creates a dining experience that’s as vibrant as the city outside.
Average bill: £90 per person
The Groucho Club has always been a magnet for artists, writers, and the brilliantly unruly. For decades, they’ve gathered here, their stories soaking into walls lined with works by Banksy, Tracey Emin, and Mat Collishaw. The kitchen keeps up: wild mushroom risotto that’s comfort with an edge, seabass so crisp I almost feel bad breaking it, and a wine list that encourages all my worst (read: best) decisions.
Average bill: £100 per person
Housed in a restored 18th-century courthouse, Sessions Arts Club still carries a sense of drama, with exposed brick, antique mirrors, and just the right amount of artistic chaos. The menu shifts with the seasons, but everything feels effortlessly right. One minute, I’m swooning over ricotta-stuffed courgette flowers, the next, slow-roasted lamb that practically melts at a glance. Even the ceramics and natural wines feel like they’ve been chosen by someone with impeccable taste (and probably great dinner party stories). It’s the kind of place I never want to rush.
Average bill: £75 per person
