Best Restaurants London Bridge

Looking for somewhere amazing to eat around London Bridge? Honestly, this little pocket of London has turned into a real foodie heaven over the last few years. Here are what I consider to be the best restaurants around the London Bridge area – from easy pasta joints to high-class places for those special occasions.

What I love about eating out in London Bridge is how it gives you absolutely everything – those incredible Borough Market stalls on one end, Bermondsey Street’s independent gems on the other, and then all those twinkly Thames-side restaurants with knockout views.

London holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, and I’ve spent countless times at London Bridge – so I’ve had plenty of chances to eat my way through most of the restaurants around here. Some are perfect for date nights, others are brilliant for catching up with friends, and I’ve thrown in a couple of budget-friendly spots too.

Old and new; convenient to Michelin starred; and every cuisine you can think of.

And as a bonus, London Bridge is dead easy to get to – right next to London Bridge station. That’s partly why I end up meeting friends here so often – it’s just convenient for everyone.

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Restaurant Story

My good friend had her 30th birthday dinner here last month and it was just incredible. The whole experience is built around the idea of storytelling through food, and chef Tom Sellers really knows how to create a memorable meal.

The famous beef-dripping candle was hands down my favourite part – they bring it to your table looking like an actual candle, but it’s beef fat that melts into this gorgeous dipping sauce for fresh sourdough bread. So simple but absolute genius!

The staff were brilliant too – they explain every dish in a very friendly and knowledgable manner, and they made the birthday girl feel really special with some lovely extra touches.

Yes, it’s expensive (our bill came to about £350 for two with drinks), but it’s Michelin-starred and lives up to expectation. It’s exceptional for a really special celebration. Just make sure you book well in advance – I had to book nearly three months ahead for a Saturday night table!

Location: 199 Tooley Street, London SE1 2JX Contact: 020 7183 2117

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OMA / Agora

Popped into Amora for a quick lunch last week and ended up staying for nearly three hours! The food is basically Greek small plates designed for sharing, and everything we ordered was soo good.

The grilled octopus was perfectly tender (not that rubbery welly texture you sometimes get), and their taramasalata is unbelievably good – very silky and smoky rather than that bright pink stuff from supermarkets.

If you’re after something a bit more special, their sister restaurant OMA is well worth the splurge. I took my parents there when they visited and the blue lobster tail with lemon verbena was one of the best things I’d had in a long time.

Agora’s much more affordable (about £30-40 per person) while OMA is definitely special occasion territory (more like £80-100 per head). The nice thing is you can get a taste of the same incredible flavours at either place.

Location: Agora – 6 Stoney Street, Borough Market, SE1 9AA Contact: 020 7940 1833

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Padella

The queues at Padella have become almost as famous as their pasta, but trust me – their pici cacio e pepe is worth the wait! I’ve probably eaten here more than any other restaurant in London, and it never disappoints.

There’s something so satisfying about watching the chefs rolling out fresh pasta while you’re waiting for your food. Everything’s made fresh daily, and you can really taste the difference. The menu’s quite small but that’s because they focus on doing a few things really well.

My usual order is the pici cacio e pepe (thick hand-rolled spaghetti with cheese and black pepper – sounds simple but it’s incredible) followed by the tagliatelle with beef ragù. And always get the burrata to start if it’s on the menu.

Top tip: download the Dojo app before you go, as you can join a virtual queue rather than standing around. Or do what I do and go for a late lunch around 2:30pm when you can usually walk straight in!

Location: 6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ Contact: No phone – walk-ins only

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Flour and Grape

Went here last summer and it was perfect – busy enough to have atmosphere but quiet enough that me and my husband could actually hear each other talk! Flour and Grape is kind of like Padella’s more sophisticated older sister – still focused on amazing pasta but with a better wine list and slightly more polished vibe.

The conchiglie (shell pasta) with wild mushrooms, garlic and herb oil is my absolute go-to – deep, earthy flavours but still feels light somehow. Their homemade limoncello is dangerously good too, especially after a couple of glasses of wine!

It’s slightly pricier than Padella (around £30-40 per person with a glass of wine) but still amazing value for the quality. This place doesn’t take bookings, but the queue moves quickly and they’ll text you when your table’s ready so you can pop to a nearby pub while you wait.

Location: 214 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ Contact: 020 7407 4682

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Kolae

If you go here at the weekend your mouth will still tingling from the chillies a few days later! Kolae specialises in Southern Thai food, which is way spicier and more intense than the Thai food you might be used to.

The grilled pork skewers with this sweet-spicy dipping sauce were absolutely insane – we ended up ordering a second round because they were so good. And their green curry is so authentic – really aromatic with Thai aubergines and that perfect balance of spicy, sweet and salty.

Just a warning though – when they say something’s spicy, they really mean it! I consider myself pretty good with heat but their jungle curry had me reaching for water every few seconds.

It’s a nice mid-range option – we paid about £35 each including a couple of drinks. It can get busy though, so it’s worth booking ahead if you can especially for evenings and weekends.

Location: Cathedral Street, Borough Market, SE1 9DE Contact: 020 7407 1384

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Sentosa

This little place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it does some of the best Malaysian food I’ve had outside of Kuala Lumpur. Discovered it totally by accident one rainy evening, and it’s become a regular spot for me.

Their laksa is the real deal (as shown) – this massive bowl of spicy coconut broth with prawns, chicken, tofu and noodles. It’s so, so good. Perfect comfort food on a miserable London day! And don’t even get me started on their roti canai – so flaky and buttery with an amazing curry dipping sauce.

It’s family-run and you can really tell – the service is always so warm and they remember regulars’ orders. Really reasonable prices too – most mains are around £12-15.

Location: 39 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3JW Contact: 020 7357 0345

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Overview

For fancy places like Restaurant Story and Oma, definitely book well ahead – we’re talking weeks or even months for weekend slots. The casual spots like Padella and Flour and Grape don’t take bookings, but if you hit them at off-peak times (late afternoon or later in the evening) you’ll have a better chance of avoiding the queues.

Price-wise, you’ve got everything from budget-friendly (Padella and Sentosa will set you back about £20-30 per person) to proper splash-out territory (Restaurant Story is more like £150+ per head).

For more of a buzzy atmosphere, both Padella and Kolae have great energy, while Sentosa is perfect for a quieter, more intimate meal.

Most places are pretty good with dietary requirements these days, but Padella and Agora are particularly great for vegetarians, and Sentosa has lots of fish options if you don’t eat meat.

London is one the best cities – if not the best city – in the world. If you’re in London Bridge, any of the above will serve you (literally) very well indeed.