I’m not going to beat around the bush, guys; this month’s ‘where to eat and drink’ guide is full of solid gold recommendations. And that’s not just the absurd amount of sunshine London’s been getting over the last few weeks talking (though, obviously, that’s also a factor).
By sticking to the suggestions below, you will not only be one of the first to visit one of London’s most clandestine new bars, but take yourself on a culinary tour of truly exceptional international flavors.
Whether you’re in the mood for Michelin-starred creativity, exquisite Japanese cuisine, or a nostalgic house party, here are the best restaurants and bars to visit in London this July.
1. Archive & Myth
A secret cocktail bar nestled underneath London’s iconic Leicester Square, Archive & Myth offers something distinctly different to its West End night-time neighbors. The brand-new drinking den, led by award-winning mixologist and entrepreneur Jack Sotti, is the kind of place you want to end your night in, rather than somewhere you have to end your night in (see: the few local bars that share its 2am license). Cocktails are served little or large, marked as ‘minors’ and ‘majors’, at £11 and £22, and come in some of the most exciting concoctions I’ve sampled this year (see: the Martini Mineraux, with Renais, limestone, Chablis, and lemon oils, and the Mizuwari, with a young fir tip, Japanese whisky, Yuzushu, magnesium, and cold bubbles). A joint venture between The Hippodrome Casino and the design team behind Channing Tatum’s MAGIC MIKE LIVE, it’s the obvious place to end a night of watching London’s Mike’s, well, do their Magic thing, but its password-protected doors and intimate floorplan make pre-booking fairly essential. We’d recommend starting at the casino’s Heliot Steak House (the surf and turf, in my personal opinion, is still the best value meal in London), letting loose during the show, and booking yourself a table for a few final tipples. Instructions for access are revealed upon booking confirmations, but passersby may find their way inside with a keen eye and helping hand…
The Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
2. Cycene
Blue Mountain School, an art collective developed by James and Christie Brown, may not seem like the most obvious home for a fine dining restaurant, but it is one of many things that makes Cycene one of the best restaurants I’ve visited in 2024. Under the brilliant guidance of executive chef Theo Clench (formerly of Michelin-starred Akoko and Portland), Cycene’s experimental and sustainably-sourced dishes earned the restaurant a Michelin star within six months of opening, and we don’t expect a second would be too far off. Put simply, the menu is art in its own right. The experience begins humbly in BMS’ ground-floor bar, where aperitifs can be enjoyed alongside seasonal broth (served in Steve Harrison’s artisanal clay beakers, natch), before guests are invited up to the kitchen itself, then on to the intimate, 16-cover dining room. You quite literally move with the menu, anticipating what might possibly be presented next. All dishes are codified (see: snacks of ‘Eel | Laver’, ‘Hamachi | Cucumber’, and ‘Duck Liver | Red Pepper’), yet none disappoint, with years of effort and experimentation clear in every bite. Run, don’t walk.
Blue Mountain School, 9 Chance Street, London E2 7JB
3. Little Violet Door
Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, The Little Door & Co has opened yet another house party-themed bar in the heart of Carnaby – and it might be our favorite yet. Little Violet Door takes the concept seriously, offering kitchen discos every Wednesday and Saturday night, lots of curated rooms to explore (and poke around, as you would in any normal house party), and an atmosphere that will have you mingling with strangers in no time. The food and drink is as fun as the decor, too, with teacupped cocktails inspired by the flat’s expansive DVD collection, and finger-friendly party food running the gamut from crisps, dips and crudites through to champagne buckets filled with fried chicken, tacos, and more. Long story short, the good times await.
9 Kingly Street, Carnaby, W1B 5PH
4. NIJŪ
Specializing ‘Katei Ryori’ cooking, which loosely translates to ‘home cooked food’, NIJŪ is a restaurant that will defy expectation. With Chris Golding as executive chef and Michelin-starred sushi master Endo Kazutoshi as culinary director, you’ll be able to enjoy superior examples of everything you know and love from Japan (sashimi, nigiri, Wagyu, et al), as well as a selection of succulent dishes prepared on traditional Konro Grills. Using a special charcoal mix of binchotan, briquette and cherry wood, the grill’s heat traps tonnes of moisture and flavor within the meat, making the Kobe sirloin – in particular – one of the best cuts in the city. Pair it with the half Cobb Farm chicken ‘katsu’ (served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu), chef’s selection nigiri, and spicy sobacha spinach for a real flavor explosion.
20 Berkeley Street, London, W1J 8EE
5. German Gymnasium
Those looking to refuel before or after a trip to Paris for the Olympics should look no further than King’s Cross’ historic indoor gym-turned-restaurant, German Gymnasium. While exec chef Alexander Thiel’s menu is a draw on its own (the Schinkenknacker – two smoked and grilled pork sausages served with Sauerkraut, mash potato, and crispy onions – is comfort food at its finest), its new cocktail menu, ‘The Spirit of the Games’, offers a new incentive to stop in. Crafted by the site’s new bar manager, Anna Gaglione, the athletics-themed menu is packed with delicious new tipples. The Pioneer, a mix of mezcal, Aperol, marmalade and grapefruit bitters, and The Acrobat, blending Sauvelle vodka with lemon bam wine, suze and vetiver) are personal favorites, but there’s plenty to enjoy for sweet and dry palates alike.
1 King’s Blvd, London N1C 4BU
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