The best places to eat and drink in London's West End

London's West End district covers a broad sweep of the city center from Oxford St, Soho and Covent Garden to Fitzrovia, Mayfair and Theatreland – home to more than 40 prestigious theaters showcasing everything from big-name musicals to classic dramas and the Stranger Things stage show. But what about dining and drinking?

Well, while the area is better known for grabbing an unfussy bite on the run than destination dining, the best places to eat and drink in London's West End are worth seeking out. Whether you are here for a show – one of the top things to do in London – or just hitting Covent Garden and Oxford St for the shopping, you can find great food from around the globe if you know where to look.

There are some 9 million Londoners, one-third of whom were born outside the UK; thousands of them travel into the West End daily to work and play and they’ve all got to eat somewhere. My immigrant parents recognized this simple fact, and in the 1980s, they opened a Chinese takeaway in Covent Garden. At weekends, we would exchange meals with neighboring Indian and Caribbean restaurants, and we routinely held all our big family gatherings in Chinatown.

Home to some of the city's poshest neighborhoods and most iconic attractions, nightspots and shops, the West End is not the most budget-friendly part of London. But I’ve fine-dined and partied across the district for decades, and all this personal experience has given me a shortlist of tried-and-tested spots.

I always try to make sure visiting friends never find themselves eating at chain restaurants in Leicester Square or tourist traps by Buckingham Palace, and I'm glad to share some of my top recommendations. Here are my favorite places to eat in the West End right now.

1. Relax with a peaceful full English or eggs and oats at Rondo

If I’m alone and catching up on work, then I’ll often go to The Hoxton, Holborn to visit Rondo, their lobby restaurant, for breakfast. It’s an excellent spot to remain undisturbed, so bring a book and enjoy the morning at leisure. Their full English breakfast is so filling, I’ll usually skip lunch. If you'd rather have something lighter, go for their organic porridge with banana and agave or their farm-fresh eggs with sourdough toast.

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: Just a block from Holborn Tube near the start of New Oxford St, Rondo opens at 7am daily and walk-ins are welcome.

2. Enjoy breakfast with extras at The Riding House Café

My favorite place for breakfast if I have company is The Riding House Café; they have a broad breakfast menu and three casual-chic outposts in the center, including in Fitzrovia, north of Oxford St near Oxford Circus Tube. If I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll do the malted deep-dish pancakes; otherwise, it’s always the large eggs Benedict with Kassler ham.

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: Reach The Riding House Cafe by walking north from Oxford St along Great Titchfield St; breakfast is served from 7:30am on weekdays (from 9am at weekends); if you have no pressing engagements, Bloody Marys are served from 10am.

3. Make a sweet pit stop at Walkmisù

Russell Square is a gorgeous place to stroll, but before you enter, stop at the red phone box at its eastern entrance. Inside, there’s a cafe called Walkmisù specializing in coffee and sweet treats. The best thing about it is the homemade tiramisu; they have flavors beyond the classic coffee, such as strawberry and pistachio. Give it a try every day except Monday between 10am and 5pm; Russell Square Tube is moments away.

Budget: Inexpensive
Detour: If you prefer to avoid the chain coffee shops, many museum cafés in Central London are worth visiting for coffee. Try Espresso Bar by Muriel's in the National Gallery (near Trafalgar Square Tube), Café Bar in The Photographer’s Gallery (near Oxford Circus Tube), or the Courtyard Café in The Wallace Collection, north of Bond Street Tube.

4. Sample classic Hong Kong fast food at Wong Kei

Tucked between Soho and Leicester Square, London's Chinatown has been the go-to spot for quality Chinese food since the 1950s, and I’ve been going to Wong Kei since the 1990s. This Chinatown fixture is notorious for "rude" service, but that’s what I love about it. This is quality Hong Kong-style fast food, with absolutely no frills and no small talk.

From Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus, stroll over to Wardour St to get here, then sit down (you might have to share a table) and enjoy a meal served with green tea in a metal teapot on the side. Start the journey with a bowl of their classic pork-and-prawn wonton soup.

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: Wong Kei is cash-only, and no reservations are accepted; it's open daily from 11:30am to 11:30pm (till 10:30pm on Sunday). Afterward, stroll along Gerrard St and browse the Chinese supermarkets to expand your home-cooking repertoire.

5. Grab a coffee in quirky-but-fun Attendant

For something quirky, visit Fitzrovia's Attendant, a tiny coffee bar located in a former Victorian men’s public toilet (yes, really). It's a short walk from Goodge Street Tube, close to the BT Tower. Built in 1890, this vintage loo still has all the original porcelain urinals and floor tiles.

Don’t worry, it’s all squeaky clean – there’s been no peeing here for over half a century. The team uses seasonal espresso blends from their own roastery and the house brews are rich and aromatic.

Budget: Inexpensive
Planning tip: The lavatory coffee bar is open to customers from 8am to 4pm (from 9am on weekends). Reservations aren't accepted; it's first-come, first-served.

6. Take tea at Mariage Frères

As this is London, you can't visit without taking time for afternoon tea. I like the Mariage Frères tearoom near St Paul's Church in Covent Garden, around the corner from Covent Garden Tube. Their 1st-floor salon de thé is wonderfully ornate and the view over King St is great for people-watching.

It's part of a respected tea shop, so the list of brews on offer is massive, akin to a wine list. Try the signature Marco Polo black if it’s your first time; it pairs perfectly with the house scones.

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: Mariage Frères is open daily from midday to 7pm. If you'd like to purchase some tea to enjoy at home, the sales counter is open from 10:30am to 7:30pm.

7. Get the best roast duck in London at Chop Chop

Craving Peking duck? Mom and I go to Chop Chop, in the basement of Hippodrome Casino, seconds from Leicester Square Tube. Some newspapers say it’s the best roast duck in the world, and while we disagree (we’ve been to Beijing), it's the best we’ve eaten in Central London.

Chop Chop is part of the Four Seasons restaurant group, and the duck is crispy yet still moist, just like it should be. As the restaurant is open till 4am, it's a good option after a show.

Budget: High-end
Planning tip: This is a dinner-only option, open from 6pm to 4am every day. As Chop Chop is within a casino, it's only for over-18s.

8. Relax with a pint in Audley Public House

My most beloved pub in the West End for a pre- or post-theater drink is Audley Public House, close to Bond St Tube. Built in 1888, this beautiful listed building has a colorful ceiling of abstract patterns designed by London artist Phyllida Barlow.

The antique wooden bar serves beer from an independent supplier called Sambrook’s Brewery in Battersea, but you’ll find all your favorite liquor brands here, too. Do as the locals do, and accompany your pint with a scotch egg – invented not too far away at the Fortnum & Mason department store by Piccadilly.

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: You can rock up anytime between 11am and 11:30pm, Monday to Saturday; the bar closes at 10:30pm on Sundays. The menu expands to include a roast dinner on Sunday, served from midday.

9. Enjoy Japanese food to remember at Roketsu

The West End has the best Japanese food in the capital. For an upmarket version, try Roketsu, not far from Marble Arch Tube, which only has space for a dozen or so diners. It offers a traditional, nine-course Kaiseki dining experience every evening, centered on dishes prepared with dashi (a traditional Japanese stock made from seaweed and bonito flakes).

Reservations are essential at Roketsu; it's open from noon to 2pm Thursday to Monday, and from 6pm daily for dinner. The dishes on offer change monthly, encouraging repeat visits. Allow 2.5 hours to settle in for dinner.

Budget: High-end
Detour: For casual Japanese eating, try the hearty bento boxes from Tokyo Diner, just yards from Leicester Square Tube. No reservations are required; it's open between noon and 11pm, but closed on Mondays.

10. Step up the glamor at 45 Park Lane

West End dining is synonymous with glamor and the sleek 5-star 45 Park Lane hotel near Green Park Tube hosts some legendary dinner parties. My friends and I once had chef Wolfgang Puck join us for dinner at the hotel's prestigious American steak restaurant, CUT.

I recommend the lamb chops and snagging a table next to Damien Hirst’s Diamond Dust Psalms screenprints. Dinner is served between 6pm and 10pm, lunch is from noon to 3pm, and booking ahead is strongly advised. There isn't a strict dress code, but it's wise to leave the shorts and sportswear at home.

Budget: High-end
Detour: To dine fancy in Mayfair on a budget, look out for Sunday specials; more recommendations for meat lovers in the area include The Connaught Grill at The Connaught, and Amazonico, serving asado barbecues with live music at weekends.

11. Go underground for a cocktail at Cahoots

Every visitor I take to Cahoots, south of Oxford Circus in Soho, has a brilliant time, but then who doesn't love a 1940s-themed cocktail bar in an abandoned train station? There are three rooms comprising a ticket hall, a signal station and – my personal favorite – a tube carriage.

The cocktails are incredibly creative and come in funky mugs – like the "Winston Churchill," made from Bombay Sapphire gin, cherry liqueur, guava, citrus essence and tropical fassionola cocktail syrup, topped up with pink grapefruit soda.

Budget: High-end
Planning tip: Always book ahead – it's open from 5pm to late Monday to Wednesday, from 4pm Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and fron noon on Saturday. Come on Friday and Saturday nights for live music and themed events.

12. Enjoy a royal high tea at The Grill Room

This is the kind of high tea you keep for special occasions! The Grill Room at Café Royal near Piccadilly Circus was frequented by Oscar Wilde and Princess Diana. It's housed within a majestic Grade-II-listed golden boudoir, and the traditional afternoon tea features sandwiches, scones, cakes, plus accompanying tea. It’s not too much more expensive to add champagne.

Budget: High-end
Planning tip: Café Royal is open for afternoon tea daily between noon and 5:30pm. Reservations are advised as it gets very busy, especially during the festive season.

13. Catch an LGBTIQ+ party at the Friendly Society

Friendly Society in Soho is a classic LGBTIQ+ hangout, in the heart of the district's gay quarter close to Piccadilly Circus Tube. The scene is gregarious – as its name suggests, I’ve stepped outside with armies of new pals over the years. The crowd is diverse and DJs play music that makes people smile. The more you drink from the fun cocktail menu, the trippier the kitsch decor of disco balls and Barbie heads seems to feel!

Budget: Moderate
Planning tip: The entrance to this basement bar is in Tisbury Court, just off Wardour St. Doors open at 4pm daily.