Where To Eat & Drink This London Fashion Week

Annabel’s

Nightclub and members’ club Annabel’s has a global reputation that dates all the way back to 1963. Last year, the acclaimed spot opened the doors to its much-anticipated new home, a Grade I-listed Georgian mansion house at 46 Berkeley Square. For the first time, Annabel’s offers an all-day and all-night experience, all in one intensely Instagrammable location (check out the toilets). A place loved by the likes of Kate Moss, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones and Elizabeth Taylor over the years, when it comes to dinner, guests can choose between The Mexican, Asian small plates in The Elephant or modern European fare in the Rose Room & Garden.

46 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, W1J 5AT

Visit Annabels.co.uk

Berners Tavern

Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton is the man behind Berners Tavern, one of London’s most sought-after restaurant reservations. Located in Fitzrovia’s London EDITION hotel, the restaurants blending a romantic, historical look with an all-day dining menu of seasonal, contemporary British cuisine. We recommend tucking into one of head chef Phil Carmichael’s main courses – we like the roasted lemon sole with brown shrimp, parsley and lemon and crushed potato; or the classic Berners Tavern mac and cheese with red wine braised beef blade. The epitome of understated opulence, down the hall The Punch Room is intimate and cosy. Be sure to make a pitstop before or after your meal.

10 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3NP

Visit BernersTavern.co.uk

Brasserie of Light

Brasserie of Light is the newest destination restaurant and bar from Caprice Holdings, the group behind The Ivy, 34 Mayfair and Sexy Fish. Located in Selfridges Oxford Street department store, the brasserie features the capital's largest-scale artwork by Damien Hirst – a 24ft crystal encrusted statue of Pegasus with a 30ft wingspan – alongside all-day dining in a chic, art deco setting. When it comes to the menu, expect an eclectic mix of classic British and internationally-inspired dishes: think scallops with red peppers, roasted fennel and capers; followed by lobster spaghetti. Weekend brunch and champagne afternoon teas are also a yummy option.

Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB

Visit Brasserie-Of-Light.co.uk

Cora Pearl

The team behind celebrated restaurant Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair launched a second site last year. Following the narrative of its sister restaurant, Cora Pearl is named after a celebrated British born courtesan who went on to become the party queen of Paris. The kitchen, led by Kitty Fisher’s head chef George Barson, continues the tale by merging British and Gallic ingredients: think Bloody Mary mackerel; cow’s curd agnolotti with peas and summer truffle; and ham and cheese toasties with pickle. Located inside a Georgian townhouse, the restaurant’s décor reflects the vintage era with parquet flooring, dark textiles, ferns, upholstered wall panels and tarnished mirrors. On the lower-ground floor, there’s a cocktail basement that serves inventive sips, such as ‘Four Fathom Five’, a rum-based tipple infused with seaweed botanicals.

30 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8NA

Visit CoraPearl.co.uk

Farmacy

Farmacy was launched by Camilla Fayed in early 2016. Farmacy’s mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle through plant-based, organic eating, and as such their food is entirely vegan. Offering a vast menu spanning breakfast, brunch, dinner and high tea (not to mention a drinks menu where you’re spoilt for choice on health juices), there’s something there for everyone, from syringe shot starters (very Insta-friendly), creamy mac ‘n’ ‘cheese’ and oh-so-filling ‘earth bowls’. Sweet treats include chocolate chip waffles, made with oats, sunwarrior protein & chia seeds served with banana, homemade Nutella & coconut ‘yoghurt’. Cheating on the diet with none of the guilt? Yes please.

74 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W2 5SH

Visit FarmacyLondon.com

Isabel

The newest site to Caza Cruz restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz’s empire, Isabel opened in Mayfair in 2017. A bar-cum-restaurant-cum-club, the Albemarle Street hotspot has played host to the likes of Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller and Stella McCartney. With a Mediterranean menu that nods to Argentina (think pappardelle with bonito, parsley, capers and almond, and blackened chicken with sweet potato, carrot and cashew), this is the spot to head for if you fancy heading down to the dancefloor to mingle with celebrities at a late-night lock-in.

26 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, W1S 4HY

Visit IsabelW1.London

J Sheekey

Sienna Miller, Suki Waterhouse, Poppy Delevigne and Kiera Knightley have all shown their faces at this Covent Garden institution. Launched in the 1800s, this seafood-focused hotspot is now owned by the group behind Le Caprice and The Ivy, bringing with it a clutch of famous regulars. The J Sheekey Atlantic Bar is the most informal proposition, serving food around the horseshoe-shaped bar or on tables that oversee the open kitchen. We recommend ordering one of the towering seafood platters to share – plus a bottle of champagne. Get there late, and you might just spot a couple of famous thesps, fresh from treading the boards. We love the look of its current winter terrace – the perfect spot to see and be seen.

28-32 St Martin's Court, Covent Garden, WC2N 4AL

Visit J-Sheekey.co.uk

Spring

Former Petersham Nurseries head chef Skye Gyngell opened this striking restaurant in Somerset House in 2014. Famed for her elegant, simple cooking, the menus at Spring focus on classic and seasonal cuisine. It’s a looker, too – expect to be seated among foliage walls, potted trees and walls imprinted with leaf veins. Expect to tuck into the likes of warm crab with prawn butter and wholegrain polenta; monkfish with clams, saffron, fennel and garlic aioli; and guinea fowl with charred collard greens, steamed kohlrabi and béarnaise.

Somerset House, Lancaster Place, Strand, WC2R 1LA

Visit SpringRestaurant.co.uk

Thomas’s Café

Did you know that the flagship Burberry store in Mayfair has its own stylish restaurant? The pretty Thomas’s Café is one of our favourite spots for breakfast – its homemade crumpets with rosebud jam are incredible – but it also has a slick restaurant upstairs, complete with a private room for 18. The Snug is just that – dark and moody, it makes a great spot for late-night parties and candlelit dinners. When it comes to lunch and dinner, we’d head to the main space and order the grilled Atlantic brill with salsify, brown shrimp and gremolata. Just the place to hit after a spot of shopping.

5 Vigo Street, Mayfair, W1S 3HA

Visit UK.Burberry.com

Pollen Street Social

Opening in 2011, Pollen Street Social was awarded a coveted Michelin star just six months after opening, and the accolades and awards have continued ever since. Another cool eatery from Jason Atherton, whose philosophy is ‘deformalised fine dining’, the décor here is smart and simple – think white walls, linen draped tables and bold wood panels – while the menu is grounded in traditional French and English cuisine. We like the sound of roasted Orkney scallop with Jerusalem artichoke soup, preserved lemon and black olive; roasted Cornish cod with red wine risotto, garlic and salsify; followed by Sauternes crème caramel with Pedro Ximenez and blood orange granita.

8-10 Pollen Street, Mayfair, W1S 1NQ

Visit PollenStreetSocial.co.uk

Neptune

Neptune is a modern seafood joint housed in Bloomsbury’s opulent Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel. Run by the duo behind former fashion crowd favourite, The Richmond, it comes kitted out with a centrepiece oyster bar, dreamy peach walls and art deco banquettes. Look forward to seafood platters topped with Scottish langoustine, wild mussels, soused mackerel and hardshell crab aguachile, larger sharing dishes (whole Cornish crab with house spaghetti in a smoked tomato, Vietnamese basil and long pepper sauce), and an all-natural wine list complemented by modern-style caviar service. Its new 33-seater wine bar offers a relaxed space for a pre-dinner cocktail or a quick snack in the evening.
 
Russell Square, Bloomsbury, WC1B 5BE
 
Visit Neptune.London
 

Rochelle Canteen

Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson’s Rochelle Canteen sits in the converted bike shed of the old Rochelle School, looking out to the trees of Arnold Circus beyond. The team’s mission statement? ‘We like parties. Maybe that’s what we bring. No rules, everything will be great. We’re nice people and we have fun.’ Perhaps that’s why the duo – and their external catering company – are such a hit with A-list parties. On the menu, expect roast brill, calcot onions and romesco; followed by gingerloaf, butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream. On lovely days, guests can take advantage of the outdoor tables.
 
16 Playground Gardens, Shoreditch, E2 7FA
 
Visit ArnoldAndHenderson.com
 

The Wolseley

The late AA Gill’s favourite restaurant, this Piccadilly institution is a hit with media types and the fashion set when it comes to securing a table reservation. Set in an ornate art deco room, in the style of European grand cafes, breakfast here includes freshly baked items from its Viennoiserie (think butter or almond croissants), plus classic dishes such as caramelised pink grapefruit; creamed porridge oats with apricot compote; and eggs benedict. If you’re here for dinner, the menus offer an eclectic variety of dishes from soups, sandwiches, seafood platters and salads, to classics such as steak tartare, The Wolseley hamburger, veal, grilled fish and the changing plats du jour. To follow, there’s a wide selection of desserts, pastries and ice-cream coupes.
 
160 Piccadilly, St James's, W1J 9EB
 
Visit TheWolseley.com
 

The Clove Club

The Clove Club opened in March 2013 in Shoreditch Town Hall and is still a favourite for well-heeled locals and food fans across the capital. Named after the original supper club that brought the trio of founders together in 2010, the Michelin-starred kitchen serves modern British cooking – thoughtful, precise and elegant food in a relaxed and informal setting. A tasting menu highlights produce from across the British Isles, with ideas and inspirations from around the world. In addition, the team also offer pairings for classic and prestige, soft drinks and ambient teas.
 
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9LT
 
Visit TheCloveClub.com