London’s best restaurants and bars to head to first this month

By Chloe Grayson

Lockdown has seen us spending our Saturday nights joining weekly virtual quizzes, whilst eating our favourite local takeaway and sipping on wine. As much as we’ve enjoyed the quiz nights, it’s just not been the same as meeting friends and loved ones in real life for dinner and drinks at some of our favourite city hotspots.

But now the wait is officially over as many London restaurants and bars are beginning to reopen this month. We know that deciding where to go can be tricky so we’ve put together a list of top places to head to first.

OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie

Image Credit: @oxo_tower

Our first spot is located on the eighth floor of the OXO tower, an iconic landmark on London’s Southbank. The restaurant, bar and brasserie features an expandable garden terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows. With incredible views of St Paul’s and the city’s skyline, this stunning setting will make the perfect background for any Instagram photo. Enjoy seasonal British food, afternoon tea and cocktails at OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie from 15th July. All bookings must be made in advance.

Kitchen at Holmes

Image Credit: @kitchenatholmes

Located on Baker Street in the heart of Marylebone, Kitchen at Holmes have opened up their doors for the bar and outdoor terrace only. This spot is the destination for amazing signature cocktails including the Sherlock’s Pipe, made with Applewood scented smoke, whisky and Negroni and served in a glass pipe. A selection of summer dishes will also be available to order including Burrata with heritage tomatoes and a cured meat and cheese board. All bookings must be made in advance. Operating two metre distance where possible.

Pergola, Paddington

Image Credit: @pergolalondon

With hidden gardens, twinkling fairly lights and a mix of perspex roof covered areas and open-air spots, Pergola, Paddington is the perfect location to catch up with friends in the heart of London. The spacious bar serves a wide selection of drinks and features four rotating restaurants serving tempting snacks with massive flavour. Pergola, Paddington is now open for bookings and is the perfect place to heard to for a laid-back vibe.

Homeslice

Image Credit: @homesliceldn

If lockdown ended up falling on a special day for you this year, Homeslice is the perfect place to host a post celebration meal with your friends or family. Their 20” pizzas are enough to feed 2-3 people and flavours can be split 50/50 meaning no one misses out on their favourite toppings. With the Shoreditch, Marylebone, City & White City locations now open for bookings, this delicious pizza spot is definitely not one to be missed off our list.