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Food + Drink

The Best Design-Led Restaurants In London

If the interiors are as important as the food itself, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best design-led restaurants in London.

Boasting impressive art collections, sculptural staircases, and elaborate onyx bars, these restaurants are a feast for the eyes.


1. Sketch

 

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The sugary pink decor of The Parlour is almost as delectable as the delicate cakes served at afternoon tea. The walls are lined with tongue-in-cheek David Shrigley prints too.


2. HIDE

 

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The three floors of Ollie Dabbous’ HIDE are designed around the theme of ‘dwelling’. Each carries a different narrative, but the impressive swirling wooden staircase connects them all and is the focal point of the space.


3. Ave Mario

 

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If you can avert your gaze from the Aperol Spritz the size of your head or the giant stracciatella gelato which is ceremoniously cut at your table, you will notice the interiors at Ave Mario are rather spectacular also. Think decadent red banquettes, neon-lit ceilings, and the famous liquor bottle-lined walls (a consistence theme throughout the Big Mamma Group trattorias).


4. Brasserie Of Light

 

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It’s hard to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room at Brasserie Of Light, in this instance, a gigantic 24-foot high crystal encrusted horse by Damien Hirst. The rest of the brasserie is ultra chic, lots of deep blue velvet and Art-Deco mirrors to create space and light, and a rather glossy bar we would happily perch at all afternoon.


5. The MAINE, Mayfair

 

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Bringing a taste of New England to a quintessential Grade-II listed townhouse, The Maine’s giant capiz shell chandelier is as Instagrammable as its lobster rolls.


6. Berners Tavern

 

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Berners Tavern is quite gasp-inducing, comprising of huge chandeliers and high ceilings, and boasting a curated series of portraits, landscapes, and still life works along its walls. There’s so much to take in, you may not be the most loquacious of dinner guest.


7. Sexy Fish

 

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Sexy Fish has been a hot ticket in London since launching in 2016 and its interiors continue to beguile. Note the raspberry leather banquette seating, onyx flooring, and suitably impressive aquatic-themed artworks by Damien Hirst and Frank Gehry.


8. Isabel Mayfair

 

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Ideated by Juan Santa Cruz, Isabel, tucked away on Albemarle Street draws a well-heeled crowd, not only for its expertly mixed margaritas and South-American small plates, but also for its rather glitzy interiors. Expect a generous lacing of gold, dark wood, and hand-woven silks.


9. Annabel’s

 

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Maximalists will feel right at home in Annabel’s what with its blooming florals, hand-painted gold and silver leaf trompe l’oeil, bespoke tulip and iris chandeliers, and pink onyx, back-lit bar of The Rose Room – and lest we forget those iconic swan taps in the ladies bathrooms.


10. Booking Office 1869

 

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The former ticket office in St Pancras Station has had the ultimate glow up, transformed into an elegant restaurant fusing old and new influences. The high ceilings are accentuated by eight-metre tall palm trees, whilst a sprawling 22-metre bar topped with Turkish marble serves to emphasise the palatial space.

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