There’s a never-ending list of amazing restaurants and even bars to eat in in London, but if you’re in the big smoke and struggling for some inspiration, maybe you can find something below to help you out.

Flat Iron – WWW.FLATIRONSTEAK.CO.UK
17 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9RW

Fancy a steak in London? That only costs £10? Check out Flat Iron on Beak Street. Being a stones-throw from Oxford Street means it’s easy to find, and ideal if you’re going to be doing some shopping in Central. The down side of this is it’s usually very busy and they don’t take any reservations, so you might be waiting a while. Luckily they have a bar downstairs with a small selection of tasty cocktails that you can sample while you wait.  SPOILER ALERT – there’s only one thing on their menu and that is a Flat Iron steak, cooked to your preference.  You can have chips/veg on the side, and a sauce of your choice, and that’s it. And it’s amazing.  I can vouch for the steak by saying I had no time to take a photograph before consumption.

UPDATE: I believe they’ve recently opened a new restaurant over on Denmark Street in Soho!

Bone Daddies – WWW.BONEDADDIES.COM
31 Peter Street, W1F 0AR

Bone Daddies is a ramen restaurant that you’ll find in the heart of SoHo. There’s no reservations so you have to show up and hope for the best, but the wait is totally worth it. The menu is simple and I like that they’ve focused almost completely on their speciality – ramen. I went for the T22 chicken ramen and a side of edamame. The flavour was incredible and warmed my heart in the December weather! Service is pleasant and very quick, and the seating arrangement is “cosy” (if you like having a lot of personal space while eating this may not be the place for you). Bone Daddies is also really affordable so if you’re in the area and you love your noodle soup – check it out.

Bone Daddies S

Whyte & Brown – WWW.WHYTEANDBROWN.COM
Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, W1B 5PW

We headed here for a hearty breakfast when we arrived in London early one morning. Whyte & Brown is located in the adorable little Kingly Court on Carnaby Street (where you should go check out purely for the shopping). I think the restaurant opened late 2013 so it hasn’t been round an incredibly long time; I discovered it through a review on a blog I follow and fancied checking it out. I went for “The Works” which cost £9.50, with a latte and some fresh orange juice thrown in. Prices are mid-range – not cheap but won’t break the bank, and I feel like we received a great meal for the money. Both the food and the service were great and we got a little bonus bag of chocolate coins with our bill. Score!

Side note: I really liked the beautiful decór inside – especially the bathrooms.

Whyte and Brown Check_S

Duck and Waffle – WWW.DUCKANDWAFFLE.COM
110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

I feel like Duck and Waffle used to be a bit more of a hidden gem but I see and hear a lot more about it now. In my opinion, before The Shard came along, Duck and Waffle was thee place to go for a meal with a view. Duck and Waffle sits on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, and I made my first visit there in 2013 for breakfast. We didn’t make a reservation but headed there fairly early and managed to get seated by the window without any wait. The view is incredible, but it obviously comes with a price. The food isn’t extortionate but you definitely pay a premium for average portions, compared to other restaurants in the city. I see it more as a worthwhile experience though, and if you want to eat high in the sky overlooking Tower Bridge, give it a visit.

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The Riding House Café – www.ridinghousecafe.co.uk
43-51 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PQ

We headed to The Riding House Café one Sunday morning for brunch. It’s tucked just behind Oxford Street, and because we literally NEVER make reservations anywhere, we ended up sitting at the Sharing Table in the centre of the restaurant. We really didn’t find this a problem privacy-wise what so ever, and it was pretty nice warming up in the middle of the restaurant on a freezing cold December morning.  I went for a pot of tea which was lovely, along with the Chorizo Hash Brown which is buried under the bed of spinach you can see below. Delicious!  We can also vouch for the “Full and Proper Breakfast”, so go give either a try.

Riding Rooms Rosti_S

Some honourable mentions go to Monmouth Coffee, The Breakfast Club and Bill’s (Angel branch!). Let me know if you check any of the above places out and what you thought.