Hakkasan Hanway Place
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About
The original Hakkasan is a sultry, dark-lit basement in Fitzrovia that redefined Chinese dining in London. The interior features intricate wooden screens and a long, glowing blue bar, creating a high-end club-like sensory atmosphere. It has held a Michelin star for nearly two decades. Expert recommendations: The 'Dim Sum Platter' and the 'Roasted Silver Cod with Champagne and Honey' are the restaurant’s most famous dishes. Pro tip: The Hanway Place location is more atmospheric and intimate than the Mayfair branch. It is a 'see-and-be-seen' venue, so the dress code is very glamorous. Booking is essential for dinner, but you can sometimes find space at the bar for a few dim sum plates and world-class cocktails if you arrive early.
Highlights
- Modern Cantonese cuisine
- Moody dark wood interiors
- Signature Dim Sum platter
- Chic subterranean bar
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
The Breakfast Club (Soho)
The original location of this now-famous chain, The Breakfast Club in Soho is a quirky, yellow-fronted cafe that feels like a 1980s kitchen. The interior is packed with retro memorabilia and kitsch decor, providing a high-energy and nostalgic sensory experience. Expert recommendations: 'The Full Monty' is a classic English breakfast, but the 'Pancakes with Berries and Cream' are the most photographed. Pro tip: The queue at this Soho branch is notorious, especially on weekend mornings. To avoid a long wait, visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or try their other locations (like Spitalfields) which are larger. Don't forget to ask the staff if there's a 'secret door'—many of their locations have hidden speakeasy bars behind fridge doors, though the Soho one is more straightforward.
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British Museum
Founded in 1753 as the world's first public national museum, the British Museum's collection of eight million objects representing human history across every continent and civilization since prehistoric times is displayed in a vast Bloomsbury campus anchored by the Great Court's magnificent glass-and-steel roof designed by Norman Foster—the largest covered public square in Europe. The Rosetta Stone that unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, Lewis Chess pieces of medieval Norse craftsmanship, and Sutton Hoo's Anglo-Saxon treasure are among the objects whose stories span thousands of years and dozens of civilizations, all available to view for free. The Reading Room where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital and where researchers from around the world continue to pursue scholarly inquiry in the museum's library has a sacred atmosphere of intellectual endeavor.
Seven Dials Market
Located in a former banana warehouse in Covent Garden, Seven Dials Market is a vibrant indoor food hall curated by KERB. The space is split into the 'Cucumber Alley' for snacks and the 'Banana Warehouse' for larger communal dining. The sensory experience is loud, colorful, and social, filled with the clinking of glasses and a variety of international aromas. Expert recommendations: 'Pick & Cheese' features a 25-meter conveyor belt of British cheeses, while 'Nanban' offers incredible fusion ramen. Pro tip: Finding a seat during the lunch rush or Saturday afternoon can be a challenge; try visiting for an early dinner around 5:00 PM. It’s a great spot for groups with differing tastes, as everyone can grab what they like and meet in the central seating area.
Dishoom
The much-loved homage to Bombay's Irani cafés that once defined the social life of India's most cosmopolitan city brings the black-and-white tiled floors, ceiling fans, enamel-painted walls, and the atmosphere of those elegant democratic gathering places to London with remarkable authenticity, serving dishes like the legendary black dal slow-cooked for 24 hours, the keema per eedu egg dish, and the house-cured bacon naan roll that has people queuing before the doors open every morning. The Covent Garden branch's beautifully dressed interior and the King's Cross location with its outdoor terrace represent the best settings, though all branches maintain the same quality of food and the same warming sense of hospitality that has made Dishoom the most consistently popular restaurant group in London. The breakfast service featuring chai tea and bacon naan is a particularly beloved London ritual.
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