Unlike in Spain or Italy, where eating at 9pm or 10pm is common practice, Britain has never been a late-dining nation. Our habits have become further entrenched since the pandemic: a 9pm booking at a restaurant was once normal, but restaurateurs now fret that late-night dining might become extinct.
According to reservations platform OpenTable, “early-bird dining” has increased by 5 per cent this year. Its research suggests that almost half of us plan to book earlier dinners in 2025, with many pointing the finger at social changes such as healthier lifestyles and the rise of streaming services. We’d much prefer a light supper and an evening on the sofa, it seems.
Tom Rogers, who works in restaurant public relations, says some restaurants are focusing all their efforts on their early-evening customers. At Bubala, which has three branches in London, 5.30pm is now the prime-time slot, while The River Cafe Cafe, which opened last year, quickly ditched dinners on Monday to Wednesday, opening at breakfast instead.
Now, chefs and restaurateurs are fighting back, hoping to encourage diners to “reacquaint themselves” with later dining. Leading the charge is Jeremy King, who has announced a 25 per cent discount for post-9.15pm dining at his London restaurants Arlington and The Park.
Londoners are “becoming strangers to the joy and fun of late-night dining”, King told Restaurant Online. He isn’t the only one on a mission to lure them back. Kitty Fisher’s Group, which runs Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair and Cora Pearl in Covent Garden, has launched a “Champagne on Us” offer, promising a free bottle for late diners. Vivek Singh of the Cinnamon Collection, a six-strong restaurant group he founded more than 20 years ago, recently told The Telegraph that 10pm bookings were once common; now, there are barely any past 9.30pm. Singh advocates dynamic pricing, offering cheaper meals after 9pm as a way to entice customers.
While it’s a myth that there are no late-night spots at all in London – or elsewhere in the UK – they are certainly less common than in many major cities abroad. The Government is exploring new licensing laws to help pubs and restaurants open later, but, for now, many operators are doing all they can to bring back the night owls.
London
The Park
Location: 2 Queensway, London W2 3RX
Open until: 11pm (10pm Sundays)
Arlington
Location: 20 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RJ
Open until: 11pm (10pm Sundays)
Serial restaurateur Jeremy King has introduced incentives at both his spots in the capital, which are inspired by grand European brasseries. At The Park and Arlington, guests can now get 25 per cent off their bill when booking after 9.15pm (or 9pm on Sundays).
What to order: a succulent veal chop at The Park, or chopped steak au poivre at Arlington.
Bentley’s
Location: 11-15 Swallow Street, Piccadilly, London W1B 4DG
Open until: 10.30pm Thursday to Saturday, 10pm every other day
This opulent temple of seafood in Mayfair, famous for its oyster bar and grill, may not be pushing the boat out with its closing time, but it’s encouraging diners to arrive later, with a special offer of three oysters and a glass of bubbles for £15 from 9.30pm, or a seafood platter with two glasses for £65.
What to order: the stellar seafood platter, naturally.
Ranoush Juice
Location: 43 Edgware Road, London W2 2JE
Open until: 3am every night
In certain areas of London it can be dispiritingly tricky to find a pint and a plate of food post-10pm. That’s not the case on the Edgware Road, which heads north from Marble Arch and is home to a large number of Lebanese restaurants. Ranoush Juice is a casual joint serving some of the best shawarma in the city.
What to order: if you’re ravenous, the Special Ranoush – a combo of shawarma chicken and lamb with salad, rice, hummus and falafel.
Speedboat Bar
Location: 30 Rupert Street, London W1D 6DL
Open until: 1am on Fridays and Saturday, 11pm the rest of the week
Since it opened in 2022, Speedboat Bar on the edge of Chinatown has become one of London’s best-loved Thai restaurants. While its fiery curries are always a hit, a special late-night menu draws in crowds for crispy pork with prik nam som, minced beef with holy basil and a fried pineapple pie with taro ice cream.
What to order: moreish deep-fried chicken skins before digging into the pork.
Noodle and Beer
Location: 27 Wardour Street, London W1D 6PR
Open until: 4am Thursday to Saturday, 11pm the rest of the week
Chinatown is replete with late-night spots and this new addition is no outlier. Specialising in Sichuan cooking – think fiery bowls of chewy wheat noodles – Noodle and Beer is betting on enticing night owls with a “reverse happy hour”, offering two-for-one cocktails from 10pm until midnight and serving dishes until four in the morning.
What to order: super king braised beef ribs with blanket noodles, to wash down with a pint of Kirin Ichiban.
Polo Bar
Location: 176 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4NQ
Open: 24 hours
At this always-open British café (great if you want a fry-up at 4am) owner Philip Inzani has noticed a decline in late-night footfall, with people going out less and spending more cautiously. His new incentives include 24-hour bottomless brunch and a 20 per cent student discount after 9pm.
What to order: the signature traditional English breakfast, complete with black pudding and a Cumberland sausage. Who says it has to be for mornings only?
Archive & Myth
Location: Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn Street, London WC2H 7JH
Open until: 2am Thursday to Saturday, 12am Tuesday and Wednesday
Complement innovative late-night cocktails with Cantonese bites at this new speakeasy-style bar. Hidden away in London’s Hippodrome, the food is inspired by Hong Kong and perfectly tailored for drinking: think salt and pepper prawns, spring rolls and char siu pork buns.
What to order: a trio of buns and some veggie dumplings, with a whisky sour.
BLOODsports
Location: 27-29 Endell Street, London WC2H 9BA
Open until: 2am every night
From the team that got London hooked on burgers at MEATliquor comes a new sports bar aiming to provide a quality late-night option both for drinking and eating. The food is pure Americana: burgers, including its famous Dead Hippie, buffalo chicken and hot dogs.
What to order: the Chicago hot dog, a beef or plant-based hot dog loaded with mustard, sweet pickle relish, diced white onion, tomato, pickled peppers, dill pickle, celery salt and poppy seeds.
The Aubrey
Location: 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Open until: 2am Friday to Saturday, 1am every other day
Set within the grand Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The Aubrey is a Japanese izakaya-style restaurant with an emphasis on inventive cocktails and top Japanese fare. Its special sando menu runs between 11pm and 12.30am, offering the chance for a late snacking in Knightsbridge.
What to order: chicken katsu sando.
Outside London
Uisce, Cardiff
Location: 4 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9NR
Open until: 12am Friday to Saturday (closes 11pm Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday)
In a city where quality dining past 11pm can be tricky, at Uisce, an oyster and wine bar in Pontcanna, the food flies out of the kitchen until midnight. Geared towards drinking, there are ham and cheese platters, but also an extensive list of small plates, featuring the likes of truffled fried chicken, Comté and onion tarts, beef tartare and squid braised in cider.
What to order: a couple of pickled oysters and that truffled fried chicken.
Downstairs at The Grand, Birmingham
Location: 1 Church Street, Birmingham B3 2FE
Open: 10pm-2am Thursday to Saturday
In The Grand Hotel in Birmingham, this new late-night jazz bar opens until two in the morning from Thursdays to Saturdays, and combines music and drinks with a late-night menu featuring cheese and charcuterie boards, sourdough pizza, small plates and hot dogs.
What to order: ham and cheese croquettes served with caponata.
Al-Madina, Manchester
Location: 76 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 5AL
Open until: 1am every night
This Curry Mile favourite has a simple, café atmosphere but churns out some of the best-loved Pakistani food in Manchester. Something of an institution, among the favourite dishes are chicken biryani, lamb kebabs and lamb karahi.
What to order: the lamb karahi, a slow-cooked, richly spiced stew.