200 "Casual Weeknight Dinner" restaurants in London.
A good casual weeknight dinner spot is hard to find. It’s a step above a make-your-own bowl place, but not somewhere you’ll need a reservation. It shouldn’t be too expensive, you should be able to talk instead of shout, and your dinner shouldn’t take more than an hour. These spots do it all.
Rochelle Bar and Canteen at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on The Mall does simple British cooking at the highest levels.
Dalston's Sông Quê makes some of the best Vietnamese food in London. Stop by for a casual group dinner or a quick bowl of pho.
Xi’an Impression is a small restaurant in Highbury serving some of the best Chinese food we’ve had. Prepare to dream about the hand-pulled noodles.
The baos are what makes this Taiwanese joint legendary, but the small platers are even better. The queues at Bao are an official Soho landmark.
The Eagle is a popular Clerkenwell gastropub with a famous steak sandwich, and generally excellent food across the board.
The Frog is a brilliant new restaurant, just off Brick Lane, and feels sort of like it belongs in a classic children’s novel.
Darjeeling Express in Soho is the best homestyle Indian cooking you can eat in central London. Hit it for lunch or with a few friends, and book ahead.
Brawn in Shoreditch might be one of the city’s best neighbourhood restaurants. One that might even make you want to change neighbourhoods.
St John Bread and Wine serves food from the legendary St. John in Farringdon, but in an informal canteen-style dining room near Spitalfields Market.
The restaurant group that bought London Roka, Coya, and Zuma (for better or worse) have opened a Greek restaurant in Fitzrovia. And it’s fantastic.
This second Hoppers location in Marylebone serves the same excellent Sri Lankan food as the Soho original, and actually takes reservations.
Ikoyi is a casual fine dining restaurant in St James Market serving a Modern European take on West African cuisine.
Leg’s is a restaurant in Hackney Central serving a small Mediterranean inspired menu of excellent seasonal small plates.
Quartieri is an excellent Naples-style pizza in Kilburn, with a spicy diavola pizza that you definitely need to try.
