Turning tips into memories

Get started Login
  • Home
  • Going Out
    • Things to do
    • Food & Drink
    • Theatre
    • Visual Arts
    • Cinema
    • Kids
    • Festival
    • Gigs
    • Dance
    • Classical Music
    • Opera
    • Immersive
    • Talks
  • Staying In
    • TV
    • Books
    • Cook
    • Podcast
    • Design
    • Netflix
  • Life & Style
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Gifting
    • Wellbeing
    • Lifestyle
    • Shopping
    • Jewellery
  • Explore
  • Kids
  • Benefits
  • Membership
  • Get Started
  • Membership
  • Benefits
Get the Best of London Life, Culture and Style
By entering my email I agree to the CultureWhisper Privacy Policy (we won`t share data & you can unsubscribe anytime).
Food & Drink

The best late night dining London has to offer

By Holly O'Mahony on 9/12/2019

We’ve all been there: peckish late at night in central London, frantically Googling which restaurants are still serving while peering in at windows only to see tables being wiped and door signs being switched from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. Whether your late night food cravings came on following a night of dancing in Soho or watching a lengthy West End show, you probably ended up in a McDonald's-esque institution, joining a queue of rowdy revellers only to order a limp burger and viciously salty fries you didn’t even want. But that’s because you didn’t know about London’s hidden gems for late night feasting...

From the restaurant serving Italian small plates in the dead of night to the den serving dim sum at 2am, these destination restaurants have your back when it comes to late night dining in London.

The Lobby at the Standard hotel, King’s Cross

The Lobby Lounge at the Standard hotel, King’s Cross

Yes, the Standard in King’s Cross is among the chicest, trendiest places to head for a night’s sleep in 2019, but the bedrooms are only half of the appeal at this London offshoot of the notorious New York hotel. The restaurants and bars housed inside its brutalist walls are each a destination in their own right: from all-day-dining restaurant Isla with its colourful, fresh-from-the-garden menu to the Double Standard bar, where show-stopping burgers from award-winning executive chef Adam Rawson are served up.


Best of all, thanks to the fact the Standard is a hotel, the gastronomic delights can be enjoyed outside conventional restaurant opening hours. Head to the Lobby Lounge after 11pm to tuck into a bespoke menu also designed by Rawson, featuring everything from superfood salad to truffle-laced takes on fries and mac ‘n’ cheese, sharing boards and puddings. If you’re still in party mode, wash these down with a whisky or a classic cocktail and, if you visit from autumn onwards, head on up to the 10th floor for a boogie in the cocktail bar.

Read more ...
WHEN
11pm - late
WHERE
10 Argyle Street, King’s Cross, London WC1H 8EG
Duck and Waffle, The City

Duck and Waffle, The City

Perched on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, Duck and Waffle is one of London’s few 24-hour restaurants. Despite often catering for gaggles of sloshed City workers pouring in after one-too-many drinks on the company credit card, the quality of food here is not diminished at the expense of the generous hours. Seriously, the signature dish of duck and waffle (confit duck leg, fried duck egg, mustard maple syrup) is delicious after zero gin and tonics or six, and somehow works for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late night snack.


Take a seat in the buzzy, intimate dining room designed by architects CetraRuddy and enjoy watching the London skyline be transformed by the changing light. Check the restaurant’s website to find out when sunrise is – and make it your mission to stay out until then. Order a portion of thedissolve-in-the-mouth barbecued pig’s ears to snack on while you wait, you won’t regret it.

Read more ...
WHEN
Seven days a week, 24 hours a day
WHERE
40th floor of the Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
JinJuu, Soho

JinJuu, Soho

If you stumble into JinJuu after a night out in Soho you can relax, because you’re about to eat some of the best Korean food in London. The Kingly Street restaurant is not just a late night dining spot but a destination in its own right, thanks to the fact Korean-American chef and TV personality Judy Joo is in the driving seat.


Tuck into modern takes on Korean cuisine and cocktails, while surrounded by the work of Korean street artist Victoriano Magdaleno. Hoping to continue the party? Here you can, because the restaurant also hosts DJ sets on Friday and Saturday evenings, which you can enjoy while tucking into Bibimbap, dumplings, and Korean twists on fried chicken, sliders and tacos until 1:30am.

Read more ...
WHEN
Monday - Wednesday 11:30AM- 12AM; Thursday - Saturday 11:30AM - 1:30AM; Sunday 11:30AM - 11PM
WHERE
15 Kingly Street, Soho, London W1B 5PS
Bob Bob Ricard, Soho (and Bob Bob Cité, the City)

Bob Bob Ricard, Soho (and Bob Bob Cité, the City)

It’s impossible to set foot in either dining room at Bob Bob Ricard and not feel like you’re entering into an act of sordid decadence. Whether you opt for the red room with its Moulin Rouge-esque interiors, or the blue room with its plush, midnight-coloured furnishings, both feature booths inspired by the Orient Express along with statement gold awnings and geometric paneling. The menu is the same, too; Russian dishes with British and French inflections (think chicken kievs, lobster mac and cheese, and beef wellington). You’ll also find similar scenes of smartly dressed, expertly-friendly waiters moving between the tables.


Let’s face it, whatever time of night you arrive, the real pull with Bob Bob Ricard is being able to ‘press for champagne’ from a button in your booth. Now let us tell you what your late-night mind is likely to forget: each press of that button will cost you anywhere between £14 – £20, depending on which champagne you choose. Press wisely.

Read more ...
WHEN
Sunday - Thursday until 12AM; Friday & Saturday until 1AM
WHERE
1 Upper James Street, Soho, London W1F 9DF / Level 3, 122 Leadenhall St, London EC3V 4AB
Beigel Bake, Brick Lane

Beigel Bake, Brick Lane

Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake is the oldest (and arguably greatest) bagel shop in London, having been serving its homemade doughy balls since 1974. Business is showing no sign of slowing down, either; the shop stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving roughly 7,000 bagels a night. It’s a Shoreditch institution and something of a mecca for foodies, who come from far and wide to join the queue – which, late at night, sees a uniquely diverse flock of post-party revellers, taxi drivers and builders looking for sustenance at the crack of dawn.


Beigel Bake’s specialities include the hot salt beef bagel (thick slabs of beef smothered in mustard and encased in soft, fresh dough), and salmon and cream cheese bagel. You can also buy unfilled breads of all sorts and pastries to take home. A bakery rather than a restaurant, this is takeaway dining – but at its finest.

Read more ...
WHEN
Seven days a week, 24 hours a day
WHERE
159 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London E1 6SB
Spuntino’s, Soho

Spuntino’s, Soho

Described on its website as ‘a scruffy small-plate joint serving strong cocktails and Italian/American comfort food’ Spuntino’s in Soho is, in reality, a little bit more chic than that. Whatever events your night held will soon fade away once you step inside the dining room – a trendy scene of distressed tiles and exposed brickwork – and pull up a bar stool for a late night session of counter dining.


The order of the day, every day, here, is sophisticated takes on burger-joint-meets-trattoria favourites: such as lobster mac and cheese, and truffled egg toast. Oh, and did we mention Spuntino’s is owned by the people behind popular Italian mini-chain Polpo? Think of it as their younger sibling who’s going places but still has a rave in them yet.

Read more ...
WHEN
Monday - Wednesday 11:30am - 12AM; Thursday - Saturday 11:30AM - 1AM; Sunday 11:30AM - 11PM
WHERE
61 Rupert Street, Soho, London W1D 7PW
Opium, Chinatown

Opium, Chinatown

If you have a penchant for London’s more elegant institutions – and your taste never wavers, even when it’s late – let us point you in the direction of Cinatown’s Opium. The cocktail bar and dim sum parlour takes its interiors inspiration from 1920s Shanghai, and is split across two floors and three bars: each an intricately-decorated space serving sophisticated food and drink.


Our favourite is the Apothecary bar, with its array of medicinal bottles and lengthy Tonic & Remedy menu. Meanwhile, the dumplings served across the site are the fancy kind, with fillings including crab and samphire, lobster, and seabass and fennel. What’s more, you can tuck into these and other decadent treats until 2:30am on weekends.

Read more ...
WHEN
Monday & Tuesday 5PM - 1AM; Wednesday 5PM - 2AM; Thursday - Saturday 5PM - 3AM; Sunday 5PM - 12AM
WHERE
15-16 Gerrard Street, London W1D 6JE
The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion, Soho

The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion, Soho

Punk-meets-Mexican at the Pink Chihuahua, a basement bar beneath El Camion restaurant in Soho. With its graffitied walls, pumping beats and serious party vibes, this cocktail den is ideal for those who don’t want the night to end, but need a little sustenance to see them into the early hours.


In addition to the tequila-heavy cocktail list (don’t be fooled with the section names like ‘fun with dick’ and ‘wanky bartender tricks’, the drinks here are genuinely good), the menu features Mexican street food classics – tacos, burritos and nachos among them – all of which is available until 2:30am.

Read more ...
WHEN
12pm - 3am, Monday - Saturday
WHERE
25-27 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 0RR
Balans Soho Society, various locations

Balans Soho Society, various locations

Balans Soho Society is perhaps the original late night feasting joint in London, having been open for more than 30 years. It began life as a sandwich bar on Old Compton Street, opened in 1987 by then business partners Prady Balan and David Taylor, and has since grown into a mini-chain with eight outlets across London.


‘All hail the rogue, the rascal and the reprobate’ says the Balans’ website of its desired clientele. ‘Let us banish the jobsworth, the wet blanket, the killjoy.’ This is a restaurant that certainly loves a party: diners can order full meals here until 5am or 6am, six days a week (sorry Sunday).


The menu is also a far cry from your average late night burger and chips affair. Dishes include the playfully-named Eggs in Hell (eggs poached in a tomato chilli sauce, Balans potatoes and parmesan); Monkfish Scampi and High Society Lobster Benedict.

Read more ...
WHEN
Monday - Thursday 7:30AM - 5AM; Friday & Saturday 7:30AM - 6AM; Sunday 7:30AM - 2AM
WHERE
60 - 62 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4UG (and other London locations including Victoria, Kensington and Clapham)
Share:

restaurants

food

You may also like:


  • The best activity brunches London has to offer

    The best activity brunches London has to offer

  • The best new bars in London, 2019

    The best new bars in London: 2019

  • Where to go for pre-work breakfast in London

    Where to go for pre-work breakfast in London

  • Pickled oysters with horseradish at Cornerstone

    Where to eat the best seafood in London

  • Your guide to the best coffee shops across London

    Your guide to the best coffee shops in London: 2020 edition

  • Where to find the best caviar in London

    Where to eat caviar in London

Your update on what’s on in London from theatre to visual arts, from fashion to pop-ups and more…
minimum six characters
 
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Your update on what’s on in London from theatre to visual arts, from fashion to pop-ups and more…
You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Stay tuned! (And check your email).


  • The Culture Whisper team
  • What is Culture Whisper membership
  • Corporate membership
  • Give a gift membership
  • Retrieve a gift membership
  • Contact us
  • Press
  • FAQ
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cookies
  • Discover
  • Venues
  • Restaurants
  • Stations
  • Boroughs
✕ ✕
Turning tips into memories
Login
Signup

You have reached the limit of free articles.


To enjoy unlimited access to Culture Whisper sign up for FREE.
Find out more about Culture Whisper


Sign up by Email or Facebook.

Please fix the following input errors:

  • dummy

Each week, we sent newsletters and communication featuring articles, our latest tickets invitations, and exclusive offers.

Occasional information about discounts, special offers and promotions.


OR
LOG IN

OR
  • LOG IN WITH FACEBOOK

Thanks for signing up to Culture Whisper.
Please check your inbox for a confirmation email and click the link to verify your account.



EXPLORE CULTURE WHISPER
✕ ✕
Turning tips into memories
Login
Signup

Please fix the following input errors:

  • dummy
Forgot your username or password?
Don't have an account? Sign Up

OR
  • LOG IN WITH FACEBOOK

If you click «Log in with Facebook» and are not a Culture Whisper user, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and to our Privacy Policy, which includes our Cookie Use

Sign up to CW’s newsletter
By entering my email I agree to the CultureWhisper Privacy Policy (we won`t share data & you can unsubscribe anytime).
×