Best restaurants in St Paul's

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week, Bread Street Kitchen is a safe bet for mixed groups. The globally-inspired menu covers all bases meaning even the fussiest of guests are sure to find something they like the look of, while the setting is buzzy and cool. Another bonus is that kids eat for free.

Dotted around the city, these Italian restaurants make for excellent stop-off points for seriously tempting platters of antipasti and cheese, as well as beautifully prepared tapas-sized sharing plates. Prices are on the high side, but dishes such as Angus fillet beef carpaccio with black truffle, and octopus stew with Taggiasche olives, potatoes and chilli are delicious enough to warrant them.

Top-grade meat sourced from Argentina is a given at this sleek, family-run steakhouse in St Paul’s. Classic cuts take centre stage, but Omnino Steakhouse also serves up prime US beef and Wagyu too, alongside Latin favourites including empanadas and swordfish ceviche. World beers, cocktails and red wines are the drinks of choice and stylish décor make it ideal for business lunches and entertaining VIPs.

Dishes at this Pan-Asian chain are designed to share, making it a great place to dine in a group. From dim sum to har gau, bao buns and spring rolls, the menu is full of classic favourites that won’t break the bank. Great value set menus can be ordered per person and cater to veggies, vegans and those after a healthier option. Plus there’s a comprehensive selection of custom teas, infusions, juices and non-alcoholic cocktails running alongside a mix of wines, beers and cocktails.

There are two great things about Gordon Ramsay’s Street Pizza restaurant in St Paul’s: one is that you can get pizza by the slice, US-style, which is super handy for lunch on the go; and the second is the exact opposite: that you can enjoy bottomless pizza when eating in! The charred aubergine pizza is a great shout for vegans, while the breakfast pizza (served from 8am) is probably the best idea anyone’s ever had.

Established in the sixties, Taberna Etrusca is a classic trattoria-style Italian restaurant complete with textured white walls, a tiled floor, an open-beamed ceiling and pictures of racing cars lining the walls. The pretty courtyard catches the sun during the summer months and allows for extra space for large parties in winter. Fresh homemade pasta is a speciality here, though you’ll find plenty of internationally-inspired dishes too, alongside mostly Italian wines.

Outstanding views of St Paul’s and the chance to drink and dine alfresco high above the City make Madison one of the best restaurants in St Paul's. Sip wine or fizz by the glass and tuck into small bites and charcuterie boards featuring the likes of salt-marsh lamb with roasted tomato and salsa verde as you take in the sights from this prime spot.

Another excellent chain restaurant, Byron all about honest, juicy burgers served in proper buns, fries and decadent milkshakes. US and British craft beers, soft drinks and decent coffee allow for both straight-laced and boozy lunches and dinners, while the ambience ranges from pleasant hubbub to manic, depending on what time of day you visit. The staff here are consistently lovely too.

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The menus for the soon-to-open St Paul's branch of The Ivy Asia have yet to be revealed, but we imagine they will be similar to the current Ivy Asia in Manchester, which serves Asian-inspired dishes such as miso black cod, avocado and crispy tofu with lime and ginger dressing, and salmon fillet teriyaki. The restaurant also serves up a wide range of cocktails inspired by the continent.

Situated in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, this family-run Italian joint has been delivering good, honest trattoria food for more than 30 years and still manages to satisfy. The modern dining room is basic but pleasant, the service is charming and the excellent homemade pasta is worth visiting for alone. Mains include the likes of lamb shank with raisins, crispy leeks and Marsala sauce, and cod on pesto mash with cherry-tomato salsa, and traditional desserts such as tiramisu are a great end to a filling meal.

Imagine the simplicity, convenience and presentation of a sushi bar and replace sushi with mozzarella. Obica’s mozzarella is hand-made using premium buffalo milk and comes in a variety of different ways – in paninis, ciabattas, focaccia and salads – though there are seasonal soups (perhaps pumpkin with amaretti cookies), plates of bresaola with fennel, and a host of pastries available too. A great pick for cheese lovers.

Pho might be a chain, but it’s a chain that can be depended upon to deliver decent-quality Vietnamese fare at good prices. Unlike many Vietnamese restaurants that squeeze the entire national repertoire onto one menu, this outfit has edited its selection to variations on soup, bun (vermicelli with stir-fried toppings), goi (salads) & the ever-popular spring & summer rolls. This branch is far less busy than its Soho sibling too, so there’s less chance you’ll have to wait for a table.

Dependably delicious and refreshingly limited, the menu at Burger & Lobster’s City location is short but sweet. Take your pick from meaty burgers, juicy steamed or chargrilled lobster, and buttery lobster rolls in toasted brioche, washed down with a beer, glass of wine or soft drink, and settle in for a thoroughly unproductive (but relaxed) afternoon/evening.

Various nibbles and charcuterie, sliders and cheeses set the scene for meatballs (beef and pork, or beef) or potato gnocchi that are the mainstay of the Italian kitchen here. There are also classic Italian-leaning cocktails and vermouths are available for those who aren’t in the mood for Searcys’ Brut by-the-glass or pension-obliterating 1996 Krug, making it a solid pit-stop spot for shoppers and ladies who lunch.

If this smart British chop house looks familiar, it’s because it’s now more commonly known as ‘the First Dates restaurant’. But there’s more to Paternoster Chop House than the Channel 4 television programme, namely robust yet refined plates fresh from the Josper grill. Meat and fish feature heavily, but there are a couple of veggie options. The heated covered terrace is a lovely spot of an evening.