The Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in London Owned by Celebrity Chefs
Looking for a delicious and romantic restaurant in the city? Take your date to one of these restaurants, perfectly suited for a romantic outing and serving outstanding food. Neither of you will leave disappointed – we promise. And you will recognise most of the chef owners, from their appearances on television or the front cover of their books!
From intimate French bistros to swanky Michelin-starred fine dining, these star-studded establishments are owned by some of the finest names in the culinary world.
Read on to find out more!
Hide
Hide in Mayfair, with gorgeous decor and a selection of uniquely decorated private dining rooms, is the ideal glamorous setting. The sweeping staircase takes its visitors through three floors from an intimate bar downstairs to two floors of dining to choose from, and the top floor has incredible views of Green Park.
Acclaimed chef Ollie Dabbous takes the lead at Hide, showcasing the very best of seasonal ingredients with his product-forward approach. You can catch Ollie in action on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. They serve breakfast with pastries from their own on-site bakery and all day dining with light bites and lunch to innovative tasting menus and clever culinary creations. Hide’s menu is simple yet sophisticated and they are partnered with the UK’s finest wine store. Pair your meal with a bottle of wine from Hedonism Wines, and every bite will be perfect.
Hotel Café Royal
Luxury fine dining at Alex Dilling’s namesake restaurant in Hotel Café Royal flips the switch on traditional French cuisine with a modern twist. Intimate to the extreme with just 34 seats, booking is essential! The decor is pure luxury and the windows overlook the bustling Regent Street, but inside this place you are cocooned and away from it all.
With the accolade of two Michelin stars and a wealth of fine dining experience behind him, Alex Dilling has an enviable culinary reputation that he brings (literally) to the table. Each dish is elegant, surprising, and unfalteringly accomplished, so don’t miss out on reserving your place. Alex has even designed his own gin (!) so be sure to have a drink at the bar before dining.
Bocca di Lupo
Since opening in Soho in 2008, Bocca di Lupo buzzes with charm and elegance. This is one of London’s most successful restaurants which can be attributed to their fanatical attention to detail on every aspect. At heart, a small and humble trattoria, the restaurant serves some of London’s most authentic Italian cuisine and wines from all twenty regions. It’s quite sexy to dine at the counter and watch the chefs in action or go for a more intimate table at the back of the restaurant.
Chef owner Jacob Kenedy is a highly acclaimed chef, and for good reason – his menu at Bocca di Lupo is award-winning and thoughtful, with a perfectly-chosen wine list alongside. Jacob is a best selling author too!
Mowgli
Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia has a great selection of restaurants and showcasing the best of Indian street food, Mowgli is a colourful celebration and lighter version of authentic Indian flavours. There’s something for everyone on a Mowgli menu, bursting with freshness and comfort. You might get a table where the chairs are actually swings! What could be more romantic than gently swinging, surrounded by all those twinkling fairy lights?
Founder Nisha Katona is recognisable from her years as one of the judges on BBC’s Great British Menu. She is also a legend in the UK’s restaurant scene. Twenty years as a barrister and now CEO of the Mowgli chain, she is also a prolific cookbook author, and resident chef on ITV’s This Morning – Nisha has many strings to her bow! Head to London’s Mowgli branch – or check out its other restaurants dotted around the UK – for a casual, healthy, comforting meal.
The Ninth
The Ninth, with one Michelin star, is also on Charlotte Street and is one of Fitzrovia’s most popular restaurants – and for good reason! The casual yet elegant atmosphere, with guests encouraged to share a selection of small plates, lends itself to a relaxing and romantic meal.
Jun Tanaka, who has made numerous TV appearances over the years, makes the most out of his rigorous classical training at The Ninth. The menu involves simple, elegant French and Mediterranean style cooking, with top-quality seasonal ingredients. The pain perdu is legendary – be sure to share it with your date.
Photo credit: Palida Boonyarungsrit
Story Cellar
You can’t get more romantic than this chic, Parisienne styled restaurant located in Covent Garden’s vibrant Neal’s Yard. Story Cellar reimagines classic French dishes with a creative flair and a focus on rotisserie chicken. You can find rare and exceptional wines by the glass, and ‘one of the best puddings in London’ – book a seat to get a taste! This is another restaurant where you can get romantic a deux, and eat at the counter, watching the chefs in full swing.
Tom Sellers is the name behind the great food here. He competed and won BBC’s Great British Menu a few years ago and has since become a very astute restaurateur. With two Michelin stars at his other restaurant Story, and a talent for breaking convention, Tom deftly merges fine dining with forward thinking, and Story Cellar is the best place to give it a try.
Elystan Street
Named as one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, Elystan Street is serving up classic cooking in Chelsea. The dishes are full of flavour and led by seasonal ingredients, and the restaurant has one rule – that the guests have a fantastic time.
Led by the highly acclaimed chef Philip Howard, who has held two Michelin stars during his career, Elystan Street received a Michelin star within its first year of opening. Here, he chooses to cook simpler food with a greater emphasis on pure, clean and lighter dishes, full of vitality and flavour. This is an upmarket, beautiful dining experience, where a romance could certainly blossom!
Josephine Bouchon
Set on a charming corner of Fulham Road, Josephine Bouchon is a simple neighbourhood French bistro that will win your hearts. Run by Claude and Lucy Bosi, the menu takes guests on a journey through France, lingering on Claude’s hometown, Lyon.
The atmosphere here is incredibly cosy, and Claude has wowed us with yet another winner restaurant. Elsewhere he holds two Michelin stars but here, in this space which is named after his mother, he pours love and care into every detail. Low lighting and immaculate service makes this a huge favourite with the well heeled Chelsea crowd.
BiBi
Chet Sharma runs BiBi, one of London’s most innovative Indian restaurants. Coming from a food-obsessed Punjabi culture, Chet serves up his own versions of contemporary Indian flavours. He finds inspiration in his ingredient sourcing and utilises his own memories of India to create surprising and award winning food. The restaurant has a well deserved Michelin Star and it is small, so all seats feel intimate and the service is outstanding.
Dishes combine the best produce from both the UK and India, and the menu is constantly evolving. Romance comes easily when you’re in elegant Mayfair and if you try Chet’s delicious Evening Chef’s Set Menu, be sure to pair it with some well-chosen wines!
Humble Chicken
Watch the dishes being masterfully created before your eyes at Humble Chicken. This modern, one Michelin-star izakaya takes a Japanese-inspired tasting menu and injects an array of exciting flavours with their signature theatricality. All seats here are counter dining so the whole restaurant feels intimate and like you are part of a special club.
The 16-course menu offers plenty of chicken, naturally, and uses fresh and powerful flavours to keep things interesting. Angelo Sato, having worked with leading chefs around the world, reinvents the dishes of his Japanese heritage ‘with a European accent’.
Head to one of these romantic London restaurants!
Plan your next date night and make it the most romantic yet. Let us know how you find it, and we know you will enjoy the food of all these talented celebrity chefs. Stay tuned for more recommendations!
Book a celebrity chef
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