Food and drink
Cosy restaurants in London: candlelight, open fires and long dinners
It is a cold evening in Covent Garden, and you want to step inside somewhere you can linger. These are eight London restaurants with candlelight, open fires and rooms worth staying in.
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Cosy means different things to different people. For some it is candlelight and a table for two. For others it is a pub with an open fire and a long Sunday lunch.
We have split the list into four: tables for two, pubs with fires, big rooms and a trip out of the centre.
In short: cosy restaurants in London
The most romantic restaurant in London is Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden, with a fire and flowers in the conservatory. Andrew Edmunds in Soho has candlelight in an old townhouse. For a pub with a fire, head to The Holly Bush in Hampstead or Harwood Arms in Fulham. Last checked: October 2026.
Our first choice of hotel: The Savoy on the Strand, a five-minute walk from Clos Maggiore.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Savoy
Tables for two: candlelight and long dinners
Clos Maggiore
Where: 33 King Street, Covent Garden
Clos Maggiore calls itself the most romantic restaurant in the world. The conservatory at the back makes the claim easy to understand, with a fire and flowers under the glass roof.
The interior is inspired by country inns in Provence and Tuscany. If you want to sit in the conservatory, ask when you book.
Andrew Edmunds
Where: 46 Lexington Street, Soho
Andrew Edmunds is in an old Soho townhouse, with narrow rooms over two floors and candles on the tables. The menu is rewritten every day, and the wine list is long.
The tables are close together, so you will hear the conversation next to you. That is part of it.
Where to stay: The Savoy on the Strand is five minutes from Clos Maggiore. Andrew Edmunds is about 20 minutes away on foot.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Savoy
Evening in London
When it gets dark early, Londoners head into pubs and restaurants.
Pubs with fires: winter evenings in the neighbourhood
The Holly Bush
Where: 22 Holly Mount, Hampstead
The Holly Bush was built as a stable in the 1790s and sits on a steep back lane in Hampstead. In winter the fire is lit, and the small rooms have low ceilings.
Take the Tube to Hampstead and walk on Hampstead Heath before dinner.
Harwood Arms
Where: 27 Walham Grove, Fulham
Harwood Arms is the only pub in London with a Michelin star, according to the pub itself. The kitchen cooks British food with game at its heart, and the venison Scotch egg is the house classic.
The room is an ordinary local pub on the back streets of Fulham, and Sunday lunch is popular.
Big rooms: champagne, art and art deco
Bob Bob Ricard
Where: 1 Upper James Street, Soho
You sit in blue booths, and every table has a button marked ‘Press for Champagne’. The interior is inspired by the Orient Express.
The menu runs from caviar to beef Wellington. The room is popular on Instagram, so it is rarely quiet.
Sketch
Where: 9 Conduit Street, Mayfair
Sketch is several restaurants and bars in one Mayfair building. Come for afternoon tea in The Gallery, and look in on the egg-shaped toilets that many come to see.
This is Mayfair, and the prices reflect it.
Bluebird
Where: 350 King's Road, Chelsea
Bluebird is in an art deco garage from the 1920s on the King's Road. Inside there is a large dining room and bar, and there is a courtyard at the front.
It suits a long Saturday in Chelsea, with the shops on the King's Road right outside.
Where to stay: DUKES London is on a quiet street in St James's, fifteen minutes on foot from Sketch.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at DUKES London
A cocktail in Chelsea
The bar at Bluebird on the King's Road.
Out of the centre: dinner by the Thames
Scott's Richmond
Where: 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond
Scott's opened its Richmond restaurant in autumn 2022, right by the Thames. On the ground floor there is a bar with oysters and champagne, and the terrace looks out over the river.
Richmond is outside the centre, so combine dinner with a day in Richmond Park.
Which restaurant suits you?
Romantic dinner: Clos Maggiore or Andrew Edmunds.
Out with friends: Bob Bob Ricard.
Winter evening by the fire: The Holly Bush.
Pub food at its best: Harwood Arms.
Big occasion: Sketch or Bluebird.
A day out of town: Scott's Richmond.
Going as a big group? See our office Christmas party trip to London. For a romantic weekend, see romantic hotels in London.
Where to stay
The Savoy
The Savoy is the hotel for a long dinner in Covent Garden and a short walk home. It stands on the Strand, a five-minute walk from Clos Maggiore and the theatres of Covent Garden. The hotel has its own restaurants, among them the Savoy Grill, and afternoon tea is served under the glass dome in the Thames Foyer. The river-facing rooms look out over the Thames in the morning.
Frequently asked questions about cosy restaurants in London
What is the most romantic restaurant in London?
Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden calls itself the most romantic restaurant in the world. The conservatory under its glass roof is the reason. Ask for a conservatory table when you book. For something quieter, Andrew Edmunds has candles and narrow rooms in Soho.
Where can you find pubs with open fires in London?
Many old London pubs light their fires in winter. The Holly Bush in Hampstead is one of the best known, in a building from the 1790s. Harwood Arms in Fulham combines a local pub with Michelin-starred food. Arrive early on cold weekends, as the seats by the fire go first.
Do you need to book cosy restaurants in London?
Yes, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Clos Maggiore, Bob Bob Ricard and Harwood Arms fill up quickly, and the conservatory at Clos Maggiore is often booked well ahead. Book a couple of weeks in advance for a special evening. Pubs will often take walk-ins at the bar.
What should you wear to a restaurant in London?
Most restaurants on this list have no strict dress code. At Sketch and Bob Bob Ricard many people dress up a little, while jeans are fine at pubs such as The Holly Bush. Check the restaurant's own website if you are unsure, especially for a big occasion.
Where should you stay for a romantic weekend in London?
Stay in Covent Garden or on the Strand, with the theatres and restaurants within walking distance. The Savoy is five minutes from Clos Maggiore, and DUKES London is a quiet alternative in St James's. You will find more ideas among the romantic hotels in London.