Best restaurants in London Bridge

This contemporary restaurant from Jose Pizarro is decked out with modern wooden tables that are offset by Spanish-inspired tiled surrounding the open kitchen. Make the most of the ‘picky bits’ that feature on the Pica Pica section of the menu – house marinated Spanish olives, pan con tomate, spicy prawn fritters with lemon allioli, and padron peppers with flaky sea salt. Larger plates feature moreish Spanish dishes like Iberico Pork, or John dory a la plancha with vinegar sauce and a gem and radish salad.

Take in views of London Bridge from the 31st floor of The Shard at Aqua Shard. If you’re looking for drinks and snacks it’s a great way to see the city without having to spend the entry fee usually charged for the viewing platform (personally, we’d much rather spend that money on a drink). Meals here aren’t cheap, with some mains coming in at £40, but the cooking is good. We awarded the kitchen a silver award for their menu which features things like John Dory with mushrooms and pickled samphire; and crisp-skinned duck breast with beetroot.

After success with its Fitzrovia and Soho sites the infamous Bao restaurants have opened up a third spot in London Bridge. Decorated in its signature simple style, with an almost canteen-like feel, this Taiwanese eatery serves up the expected bao buns, as well as dishes from the grill and larger plates of noodles. Over the weekend there’s also a takeaway hatch, to allow for quick grab-and-go lunches. Our favourite has to be the chicken nugget bao that is like a grown up McDonald’s burger with added Instagram-appeal, and the spiced beef butter scallops are a must-try.

This picture-perfect restaurant is decked out in Portuguese blue and white tiles and celebrates both regional and national dishes on a small but perfectly formed menu. Favourites from our visit include beautifully cooked succulent pig and creamy croquettes that both had attention paid to their provenance. Finish things off right with a plate of cheese or a pastel de nata custard tart.

Set above Borough Market, Roast deals in proper British fare – with an emphasis on (as you might have guessed) roasts. Outside of Sunday dinners though the menu offers up other delicious dishes, like lambs liver with mash, onion gravy, and smoked bacon; and chimichurri flat iron steak with skinny fries. Despite Roast having a meat-heavy offering there are veggie options too, like a cauliflower and saffron crumble with butternut squash and coconut puree, baby onions, chilli almonds and cashew nuts.

Just a short walk from London Bridge is the One Tower Bridge development where the second Gunpowder restaurant resides. Here Modern Indian cooking is the order of the day, with amalgamations like a clasically British cheese toastie that has been given a good thwack of chutney and a healthy sprinkle of spice to take it to the next level. We love the Madras-flavoured chicken lollipops and the Kashmiri lamb chops too. 

Celebrity chef José Pizarro’s tapas bar in London Bridge dishes out small plates with big flavours. All the ingredients are expertly sourced, ensuring taste is at the forefront of everything the kitchen does. There are the classics, like patatas bravas and tortilla, and also some twists on traditional dishes like cured tuna with almonds or baby chicken with potatoes and romesco sauce.

This Mexican restaurant started out life in Shoreditch. When rent prices forced it to close its speedily-gathered fan base crowdfunded to get it back up and running in its current London Bridge site. If you’re looking for a casual bite to eat with friends, and maybe a few beers, this is the perfect spot. Pick from chicken, pork confit, or soft shell crab tacos and don’t forget to leave room for the churros that come with a generous helping of dulce de leche.

If you love piri piri chicken, but know you deserve something more than Nando’s can offer then we think you might just find heaven at Casa do Frango. Chicken is cooked over open flames for that delicious charred flavour, and you’re given the choice between homemade piri piri, oregano, or lemon and garlic sauces. Sides are given a good weighting with chips, rice and salads all on offer, and aside from poultry there are sharing dishes of things like garlic prawns and pork belly ribs.

This high-end grill restaurant began in Brighton, before opening a London Bridge out-post (if a restaurant in the capital can be called such a thing) in the new One Tower Bridge development. For starters expect well-cooked seafood like charred octopus or jerk salmon. When it comes to mains there’s an emphasis on the restaurant’s steak offering – with individual and sharing sizes both on offer. Sides are good here too, with fat chips cooked in beef dripping and hispi cabbage being given a good grilling for added flavour.

Welsh-born Tom Simmons serves up a delicious combination of French and British cooking with a strong Welsh accent in his self-titled London Bridge restaurant. Holding our SquareMeal silver award for standout cookery we love the bold flavours Tom goes for in dishes like a smoked eel tart with asparagus, Caerphilly cheese, and preserved lemon; and butter roasted monkfish with summer squash, grelot onions, gnocchi and chicken emulsion. There’s also a very reasonably priced set lunch/pre-theatre menu on offer each day.

Sitting pretty on the 33rd floor of The Shard, this London Bridge restaurant has a seriously impressive position. While the views are stand-out, so is the food. Holding our top rating of a gold award we love the Northern Chinese cooking available here. Pick from classics like spring rolls and Peking duck, or go for something a bit more unusual by trying dishes like fried prawns with salted egg yolk and sauce, or bean curd rolls stuffed with monkfish.

If you’re visiting from out of town or have friends coming to stay with you in London then you can’t get much more brilliantly British than a pub, beside the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, on the banks of The Thames. In addition to the cracking views the food here is a good iteration of gastro-pub grub, featuring dishes like their flavoursome rump of lamb with shoulder croquettes, smoked carrot salad, and lamb fat dressing gracing the menu. The puds and cheese section isn’t bad either – think a deliciously indulgent list of sweets featuring things like a rum and bergamot Baba and a chocolate sponge.

Started by an alumni of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, this humble pasta spot regularly sees people queue for hours to try the plates on offer, and having awarded it our gold rosette we’re inclined to think it may just be worth the wait. Small plates allow you to try a few different dishes between your table, but the ultimate crowd-pleaser ‘pici cacio et pepe’ is a lesson in the impact of sticking to simple flavours. Homemade pasta is tossed in butter, cheese and pepper for a moreish comfort food carb-fest that should delight just about any diner – big or small.

Set on the edge of a park this casual French bistro combines a cosy interior with a bright and breezy summer terrace, which makes it an ideal spot whatever the weather. If you’re after something quick you can pick up a takeaway rotisserie chicken that is rich and perfectly roasted, or if you have time there’s a short but sweet a la carte menu. Choose from dishes like sardines escabeche or John dory with artichoke and Romesco sauce.

This reasonably-priced restaurant has one of the best views in London, sitting down in the docks area of London Bridge and looking onto Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Starters are around £6-10 while mains sit somewhere around the £12-20 mark. Holding our bronze award for tasty tucker, we love the light and airy space with its menu of fresh, modern flavours. Start with asparagus, fried egg and Parmesan, fill up on pan fried sea trout with sautéed potatoes and crispy Parma ham for mains, and finish with a chocolate mousse accompanied by a sherbety raspberry sorbet.

At this charming French bistro you’ll be transported to the Paris of your imagination. There are checked tablecloths, bentwood chairs and the menu features just three choices, all written in French. On our visit we tried a solid selection of charcuterie, a light mackerel dish in white wine and a plum tart to die for. You never know what you’ll get, though, as the menu changes daily – but it’s always robustly flavoured French classical cookery.

If you can get a table at Restaurant Story you’ll be well-rewarded. This isn’t for the faint of heart, as the only option at dinner time is a ten course menu that features all sorts of unexpected and unusual dishes. You might well have heard of chef Tom Sellers' beef dripping candle that comes lit to the table, along with bread to dip in the melting liquid. And there are other such playful things on the menu too, like the Storeo which looks like an Oreo biscuit but is actually a savoury course filled with cheese.

Hawksmoor’s London Bridge branch serves up everything you’d expect from this British mini-chain. With their steak-focus you can expect top-quality cuts and carefully-sourced meat as well as indulgent extras such as half a native lobster, grilled bone marrow or thick cut bacon. What is a steak without fries, we hear you say. And we all know the answer is, nothing. So luckily Hawksmoor have done the right thing and offer two kinds – triple cooked and beef dripping – as well as mash with gravy, baked sweet potato and macaroni cheese to serve alongside your chosen main. 

If you want a view of London Bridge itself you might want to take yourself off up The Shard, to Oblix. Mains here are cooked on a Josper grill, on a rotisserie or in a wood-fire oven – so expect big, bold flavours. Choose between classics like steak or duck with sides of chunky chips or mac ‘n’ cheese. Brace yourself to pay for the view, as dishes do come with a hefty price tag, but with one of our gold awards you can also anticipate good, solid cooking from the kitchen.

Located in a former tea warehouse, this classic French restaurant has an unexpected but welcome industrial edge to it. This is another spot in London Bridge with a great view, thanks to its position down on the river, overlooking Tower Bridge. The main menu can lean towards the pricier end of things, while there’s usually a reasonable set menu to choose from. Holding our silver award for great cooking you can expect dishes like gazpacho, Cornish plaice with meuniere sauce, and crème brulee.