London Takeaways

5 Henrietta Street Covent Garden, London, West London, WC2E 8PT

Din Tai Fung at 5 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden WC2 is the London outpost of the world-famous Taiwanese soup dumpling restaurant, which started in Taipei in 1958 and now has branches across Asia, Australia and the United States. The xiao long bao — delicate soup dumplings made to an exacting 18-fold standard with a precisely 5g wrapper and 16g filling — are among the most precisely engineered dishes in the world. All Around London recommends it for "delicate xiao long bao served piping hot from bamboo steamers." Hardens notes the "clever, good-quality Japanese food and busy, competent service." The London branch opened in 2019. Din Tai Fung has been named one of the best restaurants in the world by numerous publications and holds Michelin stars in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Available for dine-in at 5 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden WC2E. Walk-in and reservations. Own website: dintaifung.co.uk.

16 Henrietta Street Covent Garden, London, West London, WC2E 8QH

Frenchie at 16 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden WC2 is the London outpost of Parisian chef Greg Marchand's celebrated bistro, originally opened in the Rue du Nil in Paris. Hardens praises it as "very impressive, with beautifully executed French-influenced cooking using the finest seasonal British produce." The concept reflects Marchand's career: trained at The Fat Duck and Fifteen before opening in Paris to immediate acclaim. The cooking is Franco-British: aged beef tartare, cured salmon with yuzu and fennel, duck foie gras, Cornish fish with beurre blanc, sticky toffee pudding. The wine list covers France, England and beyond with intelligence. The Henrietta Street location in Covent Garden puts it among London's most pleasant restaurant streets. A wine bar across the road (Frenchie Bar à Vins) serves snacks and natural wines.

Available for dine-in at 16 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden WC2E. Phone 020 7836 4422. Own website: frenchiecoventgarden.com. Book ahead.

34-35 Southampton Street Covent Garden, London, West London, WC2E 7HG

Frog by Adam Handling at 34-35 Southampton Street in Covent Garden WC2 is a one Michelin star restaurant from chef Adam Handling. Handling came to national attention on MasterChef: The Professionals before building a restaurant group including Ugly Butterfly and Handling the Fat. Frog is his flagship: a modern British tasting menu restaurant with playful presentation and an obsessive approach to zero-waste cooking. All of Handling's restaurants are certified carbon-neutral. The tasting menu showcases creative use of the whole animal — chicken butter is a legendary signature, made by fermenting and clarifying the fat from chicken carcasses. The cheese course features British farmhouse cheeses. Hot Dinners and Hardens both list Frog as one of the best restaurants in Covent Garden. Opened 2016 on the edge of Covent Garden piazza.

Available for tasting menu dine-in at 34-35 Southampton Street, Covent Garden WC2E. Phone 020 7199 8370. Own website: frogbyadamhandling.com. Book ahead.

35 Maiden Lane Covent Garden, London, West London, WC2E 7LB

Rules at 35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden WC2 is London's oldest restaurant, trading continuously since 1798. Founded by Thomas Rule, it has outlasted every political upheaval, war and food revolution London has experienced over 226 years. Hardens confirms it in the 2025 guide. The menu is an archive of British cooking at its most traditional: game from the restaurant's own Lartington Estate in the High Pennines — roast grouse, venison pie, partridge with all the trimmings — alongside potted shrimps, oysters, steak and kidney pudding and treacle sponge. The dining rooms are hung with caricatures, drawings and memorabilia accumulated over two centuries. Charles Dickens, H G Wells, John Betjeman and Graham Greene were regulars. The upstairs cocktail bar is celebrated. Rules is the last great survivors of Victorian London dining.

Available for dine-in at 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden WC2E. Phone 020 7836 5314. Own website: rules.co.uk. Book ahead.

32 Henrietta Street Covent Garden, London, West London, WC2E 8NA

The Oystermen at 32 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden WC2 is a seafood restaurant focused on oysters and British day-boat fish, started as an oyster-shucking pop-up before finding its permanent home in Covent Garden. All Around London praises it for "fresh and unfussy" seafood: daily oyster specials, hand-cut chips, grilled Cornish mackerel, crab on toast. DesignMyNight features it as one of the best Covent Garden restaurants. The wine list pairs thoughtfully with the seafood. The intimate setting and neighbourhood feel set it apart from the many tourist-facing restaurants nearby. Henrietta Street — a quiet pedestrian street between the Piazza and the Strand — has developed into one of Covent Garden's best restaurant corridors, home also to Dishoom Covent Garden a few doors down.

Available for dine-in at 32 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden WC2E. Phone 020 7240 4417. Own website: theoystermen.co.uk. Walk-in and reservations.