Dining
The 6 Best Restaurants near Oxford Street
Oxford Street empties your wallet and your patience in equal measure, so eat somewhere that gives some of it back.
In short: our top picks are Chishuru, Berners Tavern and Circolo Popolare. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
By hour two of Oxford Street, the crowds and the escalators start to blur into one long queue, and the only fix is sitting down somewhere that is not a food court. The street itself offers plenty of grab-and-go chains, but the good stuff is one or two turns off it, tucked into Fitzrovia or Soho’s side streets. Book ahead for anything with a name attached to it, Chishuru and Circolo Popolare both fill up fast on a Saturday. If you just need to refuel between Selfridges and John Lewis without losing your place in the day, Din Tai Fung inside Selfridges or Flat Iron ten minutes south will get you back on your feet quickest.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Chishuru | Fitzrovia | £££ |
| Berners Tavern | Fitzrovia | £££ |
| Circolo Popolare | Fitzrovia | £££ |
| Aqua Kyoto | Soho | £££ |
| Flat Iron Soho | Beak Street | ££ |
| Din Tai Fung Selfridges | Selfridges, Oxford Street | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
Chishuru
Why we pick itA seven-minute cut through side streets from Oxford Circus lands you at Joke Bakare's one-Michelin-starred dining room, worth booking weeks ahead.
Worth knowingSkip it if you want something familiar
Michelin-starred West African
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Berners Tavern
Why we pick itJason Atherton's soaring, art-hung room sits six minutes north of Oxford Circus, a proper sit-down escape from the shopping crowds.
Worth knowingThe room promises more than the plate delivers: steaks and heavier mains in particular fall a notch below the standard the setting suggests.
modern British, grand room
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Circolo Popolare
Why we pick itRoughly eight minutes from Oxford Circus, the plant-covered ceiling and 4kg cheese-wheel carbonara pull queues most evenings.
Worth knowingDishes arrive lukewarm or oversalted on the busiest nights, and with no bookings for most tables the wait can run past an hour.
Big Mamma Italian trattoria
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Aqua Kyoto
Why we pick itTwo minutes from Oxford Circus station, the fifth-floor terrace clears your head after hours under Selfridges' lighting rigs.
Worth knowingThe terrace is the draw and it is weather dependent; a reservation does not secure the best spots, so a wet evening means paying for the view you lost.
Japanese rooftop terrace
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Flat Iron Soho
Why we pick itAn eight-minute walk south from Oxford Circus, no bookings taken, and the flat iron steak still comes in under a tenner.
quick no-frills steak
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Din Tai Fung Selfridges
Why we pick itSits inside Selfridges itself, so shoppers can queue for soup dumplings without ever stepping back outside onto Oxford Street.
Taiwanese dumplings
Before you book
Oxford Circus station (Central, Bakerloo, Victoria lines) sits at the dead centre of this stretch; use exit 3 or 4 for Argyll Street and Regent Street venues, or walk from Bond Street station if you are closer to Selfridges. Walk-in only really works for Flat Iron and Din Tai Fung outside peak lunch (1-2pm) and dinner (7-8.30pm); everywhere else, book at least a few days out, and weeks out for Chishuru. Cutting through Market Place or Newman Street is usually faster than following the postcode blindly.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Chishuru is our editor's choice: A seven-minute cut through side streets from Oxford Circus lands you at Joke Bakare's one-Michelin-starred dining room, worth booking weeks ahead. Chishuru, Berners Tavern and Circolo Popolare lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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