FOOD & DRINK - TIME WELL SPENT AWARD WINNERS
- AG
- Aug 26
- 11 min read
Announcing London's WINNING Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Pubs and Hospitality Hero in the Time Well Spent Awards 2025

YOU have spoken, via tens of thousands of votes over the past six months, to crown London's BEST restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs for the Time Well Spent Awards 2025.
We can also announce the winner of our special Hospitality Hero award, recognising outstanding achievements from the capital’s most inspiring chefs and restaurateurs, who keep our city at the centre of the culinary map.
And the winners are...
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LONDON'S HOSPITALITY HERO

WINNER: David Moore
Restaurateur, entrepreneur and TV personality, David Moore is the founder of London’s longest standing Michelin star restaurant, Pied à Terre.
He opened the legendary, French fine dining institution on Charlotte Street in 1991, bagging its first Michelin just 13 months after opening, and following it up with a second, five years later.
The restaurant rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, after a fire forced it to close for a year in 2005. In a now legendary hospitality story, Moore kept the entire team on, sending them to gain experience elsewhere, while he had it rebuilt, redecorated and resurrected.
It went on to be voted Restaurant Magazine's Best Restaurant in the World in 2007, and continues to hoover up accolades, from four AA Rosettes to the UK's No1 Vegan Tasting Experience.
When he’s not working front of house at the restaurant in his trademark, jazzy shirts, David can be found on telly boxes in shows like BBC MasterChef: The Professionals, or The Restaurant, where he appeared alongside his former mentor, Raymond Blanc.
Pied-à-Terre, 34 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NH
2025 Nominees. David Carter, Adejoké Bakare, Chantelle Nicholson, Scott Collins, Clare Smyth MBE, Douglas McMaster, Luke Ahearne, Henry Harris, Matt Harris, Roop Partap Choudhary
LONDON'S BEST NEW OPENING

WINNER: Don't Tell Dad
This elegant, neighbourhood destination in Queen's Park is a bakery by day and a romantic, candlelit restaurant by night.
The bakery serves up exquisite pastries with a twist, from Billat Savarin Cheesecake and Peach Danish, and Brown Butter Hazelnut Croissant, to Caramelised Onion, Pine Nuts and Coolea Swirl.
Meanwhile, the buzzy and sexy restaurant has been wowing critics and diners alike, with dishes like their sticky crack-snack, Oxtail Crumpets, small plates like the Grilled Squid, Chorizo Ragu and Coco Beans and mains including Duck, Duck Fat Fondant, Baby Gem, Peas, Onion, Bacon.
You can watch the action in the open kitchen from the comfort of the banquettes, which have felt the weight of many, many bums since opening this year.
Don't Tell Dad, 10-14 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD
2025 Nominees: Lucky Cat, The Room Where it Happens, The Knox, Dove, Parasol, The Prince Arthur, Calong, Blood Sports Bar, The Knave of Clubs, The 1 Bar, Bar Valette, Krokodilos, Oma, Hera, Dram
LONDON'S BEST STEAK RESTAURANT

WINNER: The Coal Shed
As the name suggests, this meaty gem sizzles steak over charcoal at its cosy, 120 seat restaurant in the shadow of Tower Bridge.
It won our readers' hearts with its excellent value menu of beautifully cooked steaks, with impossibly generous portions rarely seen on a London plate, and high quality ingredients.
Diners can share Porterhouse, Chateaubriand, Prime Rib or Westholme Wagyu or choose between Rib Eye, Sirloin, Fillet, or Rump Cap among a smorgasbord of well-aged cuts and breeds.
They are also celebrated for their seafood cooked over fire, and banging sides - order the Mac 'n' Cheese with bacon crumbs and chives, and the glorious, coal-roasted greens with garlic butter.
If you're looking for something extra special, order cuts from the restaurant's own Himalayan Salt Chamber.
Coal Shed One Tower Bridge, 4 Crown Square, SE1 2SE
2025 Nominees: Meet Bros, Hawksmoor Wood Wharf, Temper, Sophie's, ZOILO, Blacklock, Flat Iron, Manteca. Read more
LONDON'S BEST BURGER
Sponsored by Bar-Be-Quick

WINNER: Black Bear Burger
Black Bear Burger has an Ace card up its sleeve: Owner, Stew's family run a beef farm in Devon. Not only does that mean he knows his meat, but he's also an advocate for ethical meat-sourcing, and recognises the huge difference that makes to the taste of your patty. It's that taste which has seen them crowned the Kings of London's burgers, with this award.
Black Bear started out as a Broadway Market stall with beef straight from the local butcher, and grew into residencies, street food festivals and eventually, bricks and mortar. So, you know they've done the hard graft. But what of the burgers? Well, we're talking dry aged meat, beer braised brisket, garlic mayo, smoked bacon, onion jam, Habanero honey mayo. Ding and very much, dong.
Black Bear Burger Our favourite location: 11-13a Market Row, Brixton, London SW9 8LB
2025 Nominees: Smash and Grab at Sam’s Kitchen, Bleecker, Burger & Beyond, Bun & Sum, Four Legs at The Plimsoll, Mother Flipper, MEATliquor, Lucky Chip, Patty & Bun. Read more
With thanks to our amazing sponsor, Bar-Be-Quick
LONDON'S BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: Colonel Saab
Created by Roop Partap Choudhary as a "love letter" to his father (the original Colonel Saab), the Holborn branch of this restaurant burst onto the scene in an explosion of family artefacts, priceless antiques and a lot of chandeliers.
The menu closely follows the restaurant's theme, exploring the many different postings Colonel Saab and his family enjoyed during his illustrious career, cherry-picking the flavours, recipes and techniques from each region of India as a result.
It's a wonderfully well thought-out restaurant offering beautiful looking and tasting dishes, in a palatial yet inviting setting, brimming with history and buzzing with diners - definitely book ahead.
The newer, Trafalgar Square location builds on the success of Holborn with a larger and more ambitious venue, brimming with art and artefacts (staff will happily give you fascinating tours, explaining the culture and history behind them) which has become a beacon for A-listers and foodies alike.
Colonel Saab. 193-197 High Holborn / 40, 42 William IV St
2025 Nominees: Veeraswamy, Darjeeling Express, Chourangi, Bibi, Pahli Hill, Kricket, Gymkhana, Tamarind, Dishoom. Read more
LONDON'S BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

WINNER: Xi Home Dumplings Bay
Wenjun Xiang Xi was one of the first to bring authentic Northern Chinese dumplings to the UK, and opened her first dumpling store at just 17.
Now aged 27 - cries in unfulfilled potential - she runs three Xi Home Dumplings restaurants in Shoreditch, Liverpool Street and Covent Garden, inspired by her hometown - the bustling port of Dalian in Northern China.
It serves more than 20 authentic, handmade dumplings, alongside tea pairings, cocktails and detox juices. All dishes are freshly prepared by Dalian chefs chosen by Wenjun, and guests can watch all the dumpling action from the glass panelled open plan kitchen.
Alongside the dumpling menu, sits an array of buns, rolls, pancakes and rich soups including, the Pork Soup Bun - an Instagrammable dish where pork broth is sipped from a straw inside the bun.
Other must-try dishes include Sliced Beef & Ox Organs in Chilli Sauce, Stir Fried Liver with Chives & Bean Sprouts, and the Dalian street food snack Starch Potato Cubes with Mixed Seafood.
Xi Home Dumplings. Shoreditch, Liverpool Street and Covent Garden
2025 Nominees: Hunan, MiMi Mei Fair, Bun House, Dim Sum Duck, Tattu, Hutong, Master Wei, Yi-Ban, New Loon Fung
LONDON'S BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

WINNER: Eat Vietnam
This vibrant and welcoming neighbourhood Deptford restaurant has become a hub for the Vietnamese community, since launching eight years ago.
The family-run business serves delicious and authentic fare from the Vietnamese Midlands and South with recipes sourced from co-owner Shelly’s mother and mother-in-law.
Stand-out starters include their juicy quails marinated in lemon grass, their mini coconut pancakes with prawns (“bánh khọt”)
and their mains rice dish of shredded pork, grilled pork chops, meatloaf and pickles (“cơm sườn bì chả”).
Desserts here are also sensational, like the creamy sago tapioca dish with taro, mango and crushed ice.
Eat Vietnam, 234 Evelyn Street, Deptford, London SE8 5BZ
2025 Nominees: Pho Duc Biet, Hoa Sen, Phở Thúy Tây, Sông Quê Café, Eat Vietnam, Viet Grill, BúnBúnBún, Cây Tre, Mad Salleh Viet
LONDON'S BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: Mildred's
London’s plant-based pioneers have been serving exceptional, seasonal vegan dishes since 1988 at their London restaurants, winning the hearts of our readers, who voted for it in their droves.
Covering Soho, Covent Garden, King’s Cross, Victoria and Camden, Mildreds is quirky, stylish and delicious.
Their inventive menu includes pan-fried Kimchi Gyoza with a sweet and spicy sesame sauce, and a dreamy coconut curry with sweet potato pilau, cashew sev and pineapple sambol.
Mildreds, Multiple Locations across London
2025 Nominees: Holy Carrot, Ottolenghi, Mallow, Facing Heaven, Tendril, Buhler & Co, En Root, Black Cat Cafe. Read more
LONDON'S BEST LGBTQIA+ VENUE

WINNER: The Crown (home of OSCAR at the Crown)
London’s newest LGBTQ+ hotspot is the brilliantly extra lovechild of a nightclub and futuristic pop musical, and has made quite the mark since opening earlier this year.
It was custom-built on Tottenham Court Road to bring hit musical OSCAR at the Crown to life, following sold-out runs in New York and Edinburgh, which has now been extended with RuPaul's Drag Race royalty Jan Sport taking the titular role..
The block9-esque secret bunker reimagines the Orwellian future the musical is set in, with burnt-out tube carriages, walls of interactive TV screens, CCTV cameras, an Insta-worthy Oscar Wilde staircase, and homages to queer martyrs - the disco toilets are worth the trip, alone.
You can drink and party before, during and after the endorphin-pumping show.
It is also home to a gaggle of queer club nights which have been making glittery waves, from Glee parties to Cheryl Hole's hit drag night, Glitter Pit.
The Crown, 213-215 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7PS
2025 Nominees: The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Dalston Superstore, The Divine, She Soho, The Yard, Kings Arms Soho, Freedom Bar, Comptons of Soho, Village Soho. Read more
LONDON'S BEST ROOFTOP BAR

WINNER: Roof East
Stratford’s Roof East is the capital's most fun spot to touch the clouds, with everything from baseball batting cages, carpark karaoke, archery, crazy golf, lawn bowls, Jenga, cornhole, beat the bar and ping pong, so you’ll never get bored waiting for your mate to return from the bar.
It also hosts its legendary rooftop cinema, to watch cult classics beneath the stars. Food comes from a variety of street food trucks and the bar will keep you lubed up with a long list of cocktails, wines, craft beers and spirits.
Roof East.7 & 8 Stratford Multi Storey Car Park, Great Eastern Rd, E15 1XE
2025 Nominees: Radio Rooftop, Jin Bo Law Skybar, Sabine, Coq d’Argent, Madison, Frank’s Cafe, Seabird, No 32 The Old Town, Netil 360, Queen of Hoxton, art'otel. Read more
LONDON'S BEST SUNDAY ROAST

WINNER: Blacklock
Blacklock's roasts are the stuff of legend, booked months in advance to ensure a seat before the teetering tower of lamb, beef and pork that is the "All In."
The whole joints are roasted over coals and Englisg oak, the crackling is perfectly crispy and gooey, the Yorkshiire puds melt like butter, and the duck fat roast potatoes are some of the best spuds you'll find in the capital.
Gravy-lovers rejoice, keen-eyed staff prowl the restaurant with flasks to stealthily top up gravy jugs at tables - and this is the sort of sauce you'll want to swim in. They are served all day until 8pm, every Sunday. Ding and very much, dong.
Blacklock. Multiple locations across Soho, City, Shoreditch, Covent Garden and Canary Wharf
2025 Nominees: Smiths Bar & Grill, Old Nun's Head, William IV, Dove, The Stag, Quality Chop House, Jones & Sons, Fox & Pheasant, The Harwood Arms
LONDON'S BEST BRUNCH

WINNER: Duck & Waffle
With killer views from the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate from sunrise to sunset, guests can enjoy an array of wonderfully inventive waffles and dishes.
These include the eponymous Duck & Waffle - Gressingham duck crispy leg confit, fried duck egg, and mustard maple syrup.
Even the snacks are a gift from the Brunch Gods - order the bacon wrapped dates with English mustard, and thank us later.
There are also famously indulgent dishes like their Foie Gras Creme Brulee with pork crackling, as well as some banging cocktails like the Breakfast Fizz, which they accurately describe as "like marmalade on toast with a side of vodka."
Duck & Waffle, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
2025 Nominees: Brother Marcus, Sunday in Brooklyn, Sune, Milk, Balthazar's, Scarlett Green, Fallow, Khao Bird
LONDON'S BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT

WINNER: Roka
These world-renowned restaurants serve inventive Japanese robatayaki and extraordinary sushi and sashimi dishes.
Although the restaurant's robata grill is at its heart, its the sushi offerings which have earned it the title of best sushi restaurant in this year's awards, with readers noting the high quality ingredients, amazing value, gorgeous plating and beautiful ambience.
These include their dreamy signature Tokusen sushi, like wagyu sushi, oscietra caviar and fresh ginger or yellowtail sashimi, yuzu-truffle dressing or the soft shell crab, cucumber and kimchi and chilli mayonnaise Maki.
Roka, Multiple London locations across Charlotte Street, Canary Wharf, Mayfair and Aldwych
2025 Nominees: Sushi Atelier, Juno, Umu, Sushi Kyu, Sushisamba, Sushi Tetsu, Sticks & Sushi, Nobu, Sushi Show Shoreditch, Sushi Kanesaka
LONDON'S BEST PUB

WINNER: The Prospect of Whitby
Perched over the Thames in Wapping, this gloriously cosy destination has been serving Londoners since 1520, making it the capital's oldest riverside pub. It even has its own beach.
Its riverside terrace is one of the capital's premiere drinking spots in the summer - featuring amazing views and its famous, dangling noose, a nod to the famous Execution Dock, which was once around the corner. Inside, it's a warren of creaky wooden floorboards once trodden by everybody from Charles Dickens to Turner, Whistler - who sketched the views - and Princess Margaret.
It serves traditional pub grub, like its hearty Steak and Ale pie and is definitelt haunted - and who can blame any ghost for wanting to spendf eternity haunting this beautiful old pub.
The Prospect of Whitby, 57 Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SH
2025 Nominees: The Grenadier, The Cadogan Arms, The Churchill Arms, Pembury Tavern, The People's Park Tavern, The Albion, The Holly Bush, The Hawley Arms, Dublin Castle, The Flask
LONDON'S BEST COCKTAIL BAR

WINNER: Satan's Whiskers
Bethnal Green's legendary neighbourhood bar serves up devilishly good cocktails, in a dark and moody oasis, surrounded by taxidermy and a backdrop of hip-hop tracks.
They are renowned for the extraordinary craftsmanship of their drinks, which are served quickly, using the very best ingredients. This is where to go for exceptional mixology of the classics.
Their specials change daily, so there will always be a new imbibement to wet your whistle. These have included the multicoloured, peach Key West Cooler and the Shark Attack - sour mix, vodka, soda and grenadine - garnished with a shark and crocodile, naturally.
Satan's Whiskers, 343 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9RA
2025 Nominees: Nightjar, Tayer + Elementary, Cahoots, Three Sheets, The Bloomsbury Club Bar, Callooh Callay, Sketch, Smokey Kudu, Lyaness, Disrepute
LONDON'S BEST BEER GARDEN

WINNER: People's Park Tavern
A proper Hackney pub, nestled in the heart of Victoria Park and boasting one of London's biggest, and most buzzy beer gardens.
There are few places better to enjoy an icy cider or Aperol - when the sun makes a rare cameo - than their secret garden.
It has resident DJs and live music, a barbecue kitchen - serving banging food - pop-up cocktail bar, tap wall and even a gorgeous, indoor/outdoor Greenhaus, festooned with clouds and greenery, which is the perfect spot to cosy up in the winter.
People's Park Tavern, 360 Victoria Park Rd, London E9 7BT
2025 Nominees: Pub on the Park, The Magic Garden, The Garden Gate, King's Arms, The Stag, The Crabtree, The Mayflower, The George Inn, Freemason Arms, The Ship, Hope & Anchor
LONDON'S MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE RESTAURANT

WINNER: Bacchanalia Mayfair
Richard Caring's Greco-Roman feasting destination needs no introduction, because it has been plastered all over your Insta feeds since opening in 2022.
Damien Hirst's winged lion,, Medusa, Bacchus, and unicorn statues explode dramatically from grand pillars over diners, to set the tone of the Bacchanalian celebration of food and wine promised to diners.
It is.a feast for the eyes as well as the belly - the sculptures perched at the bar are more than 2,000 years old. They are exhibited alongside dazzling, hand-painted ceiling murals, and Gary Myatt’s floor to ceiling interpretation of ‘Romans In Their Decadence’.
The former Porsche showroom had a reported £75 million refurb to create this TikToker and foodie heaven, which has maintained its throne as the culinary God of Insta.
Bacchanalia Mayfair, 1-3 Mount St, London W1K 3NB
2025 Nominees: Clos Maggiore, Bob Bob Ricard, Restaurant Ours, Sketch Gallery, The NoMad Restaurant, Colonel Saab, JOIA, Sexy Fish, Gloria
Thanks to all of you for nominating and voting over the past six months and huge congratulations to this year's extraordinary winners.
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