An ordinary life with a dusting of luxury.
Oscar Wilde said:
The man who can dominate a London dinner table can dominate the world.
In my ten years of living in London, I’ve definitely done my fair share of sitting around dinner tables in London.
Here are my favourites so far (in no particular order):
Wow! All I could say about this evening was that the service was faultless. If you have a special anniversary then I can highly recommend the Oxo Tower Restaurant. From champagne upon arrival to a very special anniversary cake baked especially for us. It was truly an experience to remember.
Website: Oxo Tower Restaurant
Also read: Wow! A Year Already?!
What a view! This dining experience was fantastic! The food was really fresh and so well-prepared and presented. Every little element of the dish was added to the plate with utmost care and attention.
We celebrated our eighth dating anniversary here and the staff really made us feel extra special. We ordered the cheeseboard for dessert before we decided to go to the balcony to take in the views over the city. The staff brought us our coats from the cloak room so that we won’t freeze to death whilst breathing in the chilly London night air. Once we decided that we were cold enough, we returned to our seats, our coats taken back to the cloak room and dessert was served.
It truly was an unforgettable experience!
Website: Smiths of Smithfield
We were quite a big group that went to see Planet Earth 2 – Live in Concert. We really wanted to make a day of it so one of our friends booked the Rivea for a lunch sitting.
Initially, when we saw the A la Carte menu, we thought it was very expensive for what it is. Fortunately the restaurant also offers a 2-course set menu at a more affordable and reasonable £26 per person.
The portions were tiny as gourmet fine dining goes, but I must say that it was truly flavourful! It was a real shame that due to time constraints we could only do 2 courses as I would’ve loved to have tried one of their desserts.
Website: Rivea London
We stumbled across this restaurant purely by accident as we wandered the streets of London. The first thing we noticed was the openness of the restaurant: it had huge glass windows and the decor was stylish. Based on that fact we immediately invited ourselves in.
Once inside we realised that each table comes with its own barbecue! We were immediately on board and ordered a selection of meat and veggies to cook and enjoy. The staff were friendly and helpful. This was truly an unforgettable experience!
Website: Super Star BBQ
Also read: An amazing upside-down day in London
This was truly one of the most unique dining experiences I’ve ever had! As we walked in we were mesmerised by the stunning decor. The fun started when we got to the table as the ordering process was so unique.
The table was one giant interactive screen! As you swiped through the dishes, each dish is projected onto your plate to show you what it would look like. Not only was it so much fun, is was super tasty too! I can definitely recommend the Lychee Martini.
Website: Inamo
As a South African, I thoroughly enjoyed Shaka Zulu’s eclectic restaurant. Everything was enormous and very elaborate. I loved the giant Zulu statues in the middle of the restaurant and believe it or not, but the back of my chair was in the shape of a tribal Zulu woman.
The food was very traditional and equally as delicious as what I would have at home. The only downside for us was that we wanted to spend more time there, however, the restaurant turns into a nightclub around 9pm. This meant that they cranked up the music so loud that we could barely hear each other. We left straight after dessert and didn’t bother with another drink as it was simply too loud to be enjoyable.
I can recommend the lamb samosas – they were out of this world!
Website: Shaka Zulu
Also read: Bunny Chow and Buffalo
Wow what amazing places you’ve eaten at! That interactive table at Inamo sounds really cool!! The food all looks lovely too 😍
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They all have truly delicious food, and you’re right, Inamo’s interactive table was awesome! 😊 xx
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I haven’t been to London before but these restaurants look amazing! Oooh, I am a total fan of the cocktails. Smiths of Smithsfield looks like a gorgeous place! I am a total SUCKER for Korean BBQ. Glad you got to taste some of that!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
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If ever you do go to London you should totally visit some of these restaurants – both the bbq and Smiths were awesome in their own way 😊 xx
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Love this post! Will definitely be looking at trying some of these out next time we go as we can never decide where to eat out. Also super jealous that you saw planet earth 2 – live, I bet that was fab!
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Thank you 😊
London has so many wonderful little gems – I don’t particularly like eating at massive chain restaurants so finding these independent restaurants are always great.
Planet Earth was truly awesome – especially since Hans Zimmer introduced his own composition. Magical! Blue Planet is showing in March at the O2 – perhaps there’s some tickets left?
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Yes I definitely agree, independent restaurants are always much more enjoyable I find also. That sounds brilliant! I’ll definitely have to have a look.
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Oh wow, the Inamo one sounds amazing , I’ve never heard of food projection, haha. Although they all sound delicious, I’ll have to try one if I’m ever in London again! X
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
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I must say Inamo is still one of the best foodie experiences I’ve had so far – it was so unique!
Let me know when you’re in London next and I’ll show you some great little gems ☺️ xx
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I’m so hungry at the moment and this post definitely hasn’t helped with that! I haven’t been to any of these places but I’d certainly give them all a good go! xxx
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Haha! I’m starving too! All of these are fantastic – you won’t regret it 😊 xxx
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