As one of the oldest parts of London, the City is full of old-fashioned British restaurants, including the oldest chophouse in town, but over the years kitchens offering a more modern take on our native cuisine have joined the ranks. These are our favourites.
Meat dominates at this gastropub, especially during game season when daily specials like partridge, teal and grouse appear on the menu, as does their namesake jugged hare dish. The rest of the time you can find chicken and suckling pig cooked on a rotisserie and Cumbrian Shorthorn steaks on the grill, though they do have a handful of fish dishes too for the non-carnivores out there.
Part of Jason Atherton’s Social family of restaurants, City Social is unapologetically swanky with art deco interiors and amazing views of the city’s skyscrapers. The food is a mix of British and Asian influences, so dishes like pig trotter & ham hock with crispy Lancashire black pudding and Newlyn cod with spicy ponzu, bok choi and miso aioli sit alongside each other on the menu. The extensive drinks list means it’s worth sticking around for a cocktail, especially when you’ve got those views to look at.
Along with their restaurant in Fitzrovia, Mac & Wild also showcase their Scottish produce at their site in the City. The award-winning Veni-Moo burger is present and correct as are their venison and beef steaks, grouse and haggis, and a fantastic selection of whisky. You can even get in on the hunting action yourself in their Gun Room, which boasts a state-of-the-art virtual shooting system, pine trees and plenty of tweed.
Michelin-starred Angler is the place to go for seafood in the City. Executive Chef Gary Foulkes showcases the best that British waters have to offer with produce from Orkney, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset all well represented. The five and eight course tasting menus are great for a celebratory occasion, though the restaurant’s location at the top of the South Place Hotel already makes it feel special.
The South Place Chop House is another of the South Place Hotel’s in-house restaurants and naturally for a chop house, the focus is on hearty British fare with craft beer and punchy wines complementing the food. Meat is the focus with steaks, lamb, pork and chicken all getting the josper grill treatment and they do a cracking Sunday roast too where you can also build your own bespoke Bloody Mary or opt for unlimited wine.
Housed in an old bank, itself a stone’s throw away from the Bank of England, The Mercer has a sense of elegance that befits its grand surroundings. The menu is resolutely classic too, featuring pies, grills and daily specials including corned beef hash, Barnsley chop and fish of the day, and there’s also a savouries and cheeses (British, of course) section should you not want to end on something sweet. The 400-strong wine list means you’re well covered in terms of drinks too.
Established in 1757, Simpson’s Tavern can lay claim to being the oldest chophouse in London with Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys amongst the clientele. That history is immediately apparent thanks to its stalls seating and old-fashioned menu. Grills are a big feature, as you’d expect from a chop house, with pies, Lancashire hotpot and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding amongst the daily specials.