The most critically acclaimed restaurants in London
The Ledbury, St. John and Duck & Waffle are the most critically recognised restaurants in London, based on how often professional critics write about them. This ranking covers 100 restaurants carrying 164 critics between them. Crowd star-ratings play no part in the order.
Updated September 2026
Plan it: a food lover's 3 days in London →
Where do critics actually eat in London?
Ranked by how many independent critics, guides and shows recommend each restaurant.
What's the best affordable restaurant critics rate in London?
Dishoom is the most critically recognised restaurant in London at the lower end of the price range, with 5 critics.
Where do critics recommend for a special occasion in London?
The Ledbury is the highest-ranked fine-dining option, with 5 critics.
How this ranking works
Restaurants are ordered by how many professional critic publications have written about them — not by user reviews, star averages or popularity. This page is built from 164 critics across 100 restaurants in London.
A restaurant with no critic coverage does not appear here at all, and cities with fewer than 10 critically recognised restaurants get no page — a ranking built from a handful of entries would imply more authority than the data supports.