London has just got its newest restaurant awards — and the full list of winners is a genuinely compelling guide to where the capital’s food scene stands in 2026.
The inaugural OpenTable Restaurant Awards were held on Monday 27 April at Landing Forty Two, the event and dining space on the 42nd floor of the Leadenhall Building in the City of London. Hosted by chef and food content creator Poppy O’Toole, the ceremony brought together chefs, restaurateurs, critics and hospitality professionals from across the capital to celebrate the restaurants and people shaping London’s dining culture right now.
At the centre of the awards is a brand-new designation: the OpenTable Icons — 26 restaurants selected by a panel of industry experts and critics as the venues that most define London dining in 2026.
What Are the OpenTable Icons and How Were They Chosen?
The Icons list is not a ranking and it is not a popularity contest. The designation is determined by an OpenTable-appointed industry panel via a qualitative assessment of a pre-determined shortlist, generated through a combination of data-informed insights — diner reviews, ratings and platform signals — and expert input from local specialists.
The judging panel included Adam Hyman, owner of Code Hospitality and The Good Food Guide; Ben Benton and Freddy Clode, hosts of The Go-To Food Podcast; Ben Lippett; Jenny Lau; Jimi Famurewa; Lorraine Copes; and Seema Pankhania. These are people who eat in London restaurants professionally and whose opinions carry genuine weight in the industry.
The result is a list that spans long-established institutions alongside newer arrivals — a deliberately broad snapshot of what makes London’s restaurant scene exceptional rather than a simple celebration of the most expensive or most famous names.
Going forward, the Icons list will be integrated into OpenTable’s platform to help diners discover and book featured restaurants — giving the designation a practical function beyond the awards ceremony itself.
The Full List of OpenTable London Icons 2026
All 26 restaurants named as OpenTable Icons for 2026:
| Restaurant | Known For |
|---|---|
| 64 Goodge Street | Intimate modern European tasting menu, Fitzrovia |
| Andrew Edmunds | Beloved candlelit Soho stalwart, over 40 years old |
| Blacklock Soho | Celebrated chophouse specialising in prime British chops |
| Bouchon Racine | French bistro revival; Henry Harris’s acclaimed return |
| Brawn | Natural wine and small plates in Bethnal Green |
| BRUTTO | Florentine-inspired trattoria, one of London’s most talked-about openings |
| Chez Bruce | Wandsworth neighbourhood restaurant with Michelin pedigree |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Three-Michelin-starred destination; Clare Smyth is the first British female chef to hold three stars |
| Da Terra | Two-Michelin-starred modern Brazilian-European cooking in Bethnal Green |
| Darjeeling Express | Asma Khan’s celebrated Indian restaurant; subject of Chef’s Table on Netflix |
| Donia | Rising star of London’s modern Middle Eastern cooking |
| Hawksmoor St Pancras | The King’s Cross outpost of London’s most respected steakhouse group |
| Humble Chicken | Inventive yakitori-inspired chicken-focused restaurant |
| JUNO Omakase | High-end Japanese omakase experience |
| MAMBOW | Malaysian-influenced cooking drawing significant critical attention |
| Moro | Exmouth Market institution; Spanish and North African cooking since 1997 |
| Portland | Modern British cooking in Fitzrovia; consistent critical favourite |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Chelsea flagship; three Michelin stars since 2001 |
| Rita’s | East London neighbourhood restaurant with a cult following |
| Scott’s Mayfair | Classic Mayfair seafood institution |
| St. JOHN Smithfield | Nose-to-tail cooking pioneer; opened 1994, still one of London’s most influential restaurants |
| The Clove Club | Shoreditch tasting menu restaurant; transformed east London fine dining |
| The Ledbury | Two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Notting Hill; Brett Graham’s acclaimed long-running kitchen |
| The Plimsoll | Highbury neighbourhood pub and kitchen |
| The Quality Chop House | Victorian working-class dining room reinvented as a modern favourite |
| Trinity | Adam Byatt’s Clapham restaurant; a benchmark of south London fine dining |
The Other Award Winners
Beyond the Icons list, the OpenTable Restaurant Awards covered two further categories voted on by diners and hospitality professionals.
People’s Choice winners:
- Bucket List: The Ledbury — the Notting Hill restaurant named the restaurant Londoners most want to visit
- Gastropub of the Year: The Plimsoll
- Opening of the Year: Singburi — the Thai restaurant that generated significant critical buzz on its arrival
- Neighbourhood Gem: St. JOHN Smithfield
- Standout Service: Rita’s
Restaurateurs’ Choice winners — voted by hospitality industry professionals:
- Everyday Hero: David Moore of Pied à Terre
- Up & Coming: Dara Klein of Tiella Trattoria & Bar
- Innovation Award: Three Sheets
- Impact Award: Bubala
- Restaurant Design: Berners Tavern
Why This Awards List Matters
Research conducted ahead of the awards found that 63% of UK diners are more likely to book a restaurant they haven’t previously visited if it has won an award — which gives the OpenTable Icons designation real commercial weight, not just a certificate on the wall.
Separately, 69% of UK diners agreed that London has some of the best restaurants in the world. The Icons list is an attempt to make that claim more navigable — giving visitors and Londoners alike a curated starting point for exploring a dining scene that can be genuinely difficult to navigate without guidance.
What makes this particular list interesting is its range. CORE by Clare Smyth and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay represent the very top of London’s Michelin-starred establishment. Darjeeling Express and MAMBOW reflect the city’s diverse culinary heritage. Andrew Edmunds and Moro are old-guard neighbourhood favourites with decades of loyal custom behind them. BRUTTO is a relative newcomer. Together they make a list that feels genuinely representative of what London’s restaurant scene actually is — rather than a list of the most famous or most expensive addresses.
For anyone planning where to eat in London this summer, this is a very good place to start.
Book any of the Icons directly at: opentable.co.uk/c/awards-london
