London’s most romantic restaurants

Noble Rot Soho
2 Greek St, London W1D 4NB

Find any romantic excuse to disappear into Noble Rot, the newer sister restaurant to Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit Street, with its beautiful period features and a decanter-decorated dining room. On the menu: the much-Instagrammed roast chicken, morels and vin jaune, perfect for two to share. Round off with a doorstep-sized dense chocolate mousse. The wine list is long and innovative, with staff on hand to advise. If you like, grab a cocktail first, through the bookcase at hidden speakeasy The Vault, which is right next door. We advise booking ahead for both.

Kudu Grill
57 Nunhead Ln, London SE15 3TR

If it’s a neighbourhood restaurant you’re after, there’s nowhere more romantic than Nunhead’s Kudu Grill, whose decor and menu will have you drooling before you’ve even taken your first sip of their Smokey Kudu cocktail. Starters of beef tartar, curried crab and grilled prawns are each so individually tasty that you’ll be thinking about them hours later. Mains are cooked over open fire here (hence the restaurant’s name) and South African Braai is the backbone of the menu: there’s dry aged T-bone, whole black bream, and braai cauliflower to enjoy alongside dangerously good sides of quality vegetables, cooked simply.

DORIAN
105, 107 Talbot Rd, Notting Hill W11 2AT

This new wine bar and restaurant is ideal for a first date or a date with someone you’ve recently met, as it’s not too intensely romantic as to make things awkward but ticks enough boxes to feel very special indeed. Drinks are divine – the peach and thyme French 75 is a must try – and the food is all from top quality suppliers. Highlights were a chicken liver pâté starter, lamb chop with spicy frigitelli peppers, and a pork chop of epic proportions. Service is casual and friendly and fittings are as sleek as you like.

J Sheekey
28-32 St Martin’s Court London, WC2N 4AL

An age-old favourite with London’s seafood-loving set, this famous fish restaurant is tucked away in Theatreland. Its long polished bar and wood-panelled rooms give it a stylish pre-war feel and the clientele provide a lively atmosphere. You can’t beat some oysters or plateau de fruits de mer for starters, followed by one of the excellent fish dishes, such as pan-fried slip sole with buttered shrimps.

Frenchie
16 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH

Frenchie is Gregory Marchand’s London location, and its magical combination of informal service, warm lighting and inventive menu screams romance to us. With its bare bricks, marble tables, and and downstairs open kitchen, the restaurant has old-school class, but with a menu full of ideas you won’t have seen before. Their most famous dish, the bacon and maple syrup scones served with clotted cream are a knock-out way to start your romantic feast, and you can then make your way through head chef Ivan’s menu of seasonal greatness, think Cornish monkfish with yuzu and saffron, or delica pumpkin gnocchi with chestnuts and wild mushrooms.

Connaught Grill
Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL

For particularly special romantic occasions, The Connaught Grill is as plush as restaurants come, set inside the grand 19th century establishment at the heart of Mayfair. The menu is overseen by executive chef Ramiro Lafuente Martinez, and makes protein the star of the show, with spit roast Norfolk chicken and Devon dover sole more than delivering on the flavour front. Vegetables are not to be missed, with standouts being a beetroot carpaccio starter (below) that comes with two types of beetroot cooked three ways. Save room for a showstopping romantic dessert, in the form of crêpes Suzette made tableside, or a strawberries and clotted cream concoction with frangipane and fennel and mint sorbet.

Launceston Place
1a Launceston Place, W8 5RL

Set in the smart cottage-like enclaves of Kensington, this cosy restaurant serves Modern British dishes with an extra special twist. The restaurant’s circular layout lends your table an intimate feel, as you aren’t surrounded by other diners, and the modern and simple interior and large windows gives a bright and fresh feel. Service is discrete, and the first-rate food by head chef Ben Murphy includes a three-course dinner menu of excellent value, though there is also an offering of a Valentine’s Day tasting menu. Dishes will include venison with BBQ aubergine, and miso and turbot with vin jaune; with a magnum dessert of blood orange, wild rice and bay leaf sure to hit all the right notes.

Jamavar
8 Mount St, London W1K 3NF

The number of fine-dining Indian restaurants in Mayfair has certainly increased over the last few years, and Jamavar is up there with the very best of them. The restaurant’s welcoming booths, relaxed lighting, and attentive yet unfussy service are truly special. And then there’s the food! World class tandoori prawns, lobster curry, or roe chops are just a few of the standout dishes. If your date is a fan of Indian food, we think you’ll be making Jamavar one of your romantic hot-spots for years to come.

Clos Maggiore
33 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JD

This restaurant is set in a sumptuous Georgian townhouse in the heart of Covent Garden. It’s strongly influenced by the stylish country inns of Provence and Tuscany, with dark panelled rooms, muted lighting and open fires. At night the stunning conservatory room is lit by candles, starlight and a crackling fire. Quality and simplicity is key to the cuisine and the menus are designed to tempt and excite. With the likes of Chargrilled wild scallpos, leek fondue and winter truffle on the menu, alongside Oven-roast Weymouth sea bass, cabbage, potato and chorizo, it won’t disappoint.

Hakkasan
8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD

Hakkasan in Fitzrovia is a Chinese restaurant with a difference. The dark and sultry surroundings create an ambience akin to 1930s Shanghai and there are lots of corners in which to hide, which may explain its popularity with celebrities. The food is based on modern authenticity, with dishes like jasmine tea smoked chicken sitting alongside spicy prawn with lily bulb and almond. The refined dim sum is also a firm favourite.

Bocca di Lupo
12 Archer St, W1D 7BB

This stylish, cosy restaurant serves up small and large sharing plates inspired by regional Italian flavours. The menu is short, but always good, and changes every day. You’ll find yourself in a buzzy atmosphere where the sound of good conversation can be heard over even better wine and the soft clinking of plates coming from the open kitchen and bar leaves you anticipating your next plate of food. Plus, if all goes well, pop over to Gelupo (their gelateria) just across the road for a superior scoop or two post-dinner.

Andrew Edmunds
46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP

Dating back to the 1980s, Andrew Edmunds on Lexington Street is a Soho stalwart, situated in an 18th century townhouse. The dining room hasn’t changed much since then, and is unfussily romantic: think candlelit tables, creaky wood, and white linen tablecloths. The kitchen serves simple food in the St John vein (Edmunds used to work there) – expect luxurious mains such as dover sole with Pernod sauce, or a rib of Galloway beef on Valentine’s Day. Blood orange semifreddo or Neal’s Yard cheese feature on the dessert menu, alongside chocolate cherry mousse cake. Book ahead!