Experiences
The Perfect Weekend in London
A grown-up London weekend, plotted from Friday dinner to Sunday's long lunch: where to eat, where to drink, and what to do in between, with no wasted hours.
In short: our top picks are Brat, The Connaught Bar and The Courtauld Gallery. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
The perfect London weekend is not about cramming everything in. It is about getting the shape right. Friday is for shrugging off the week over fire-cooked food and a properly made drink. Saturday earns its keep with something to look at and a meal worth dressing for. Sunday slows right down: a long lunch, a glass or two, nowhere to be. Get that rhythm and the city does the rest. What follows is a run we would happily do ourselves, all of it bookable, none of it a stretch to reach by cab or on foot. Book the dinners now and let the gaps fill themselves. The best weekends here have a little air in them.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Brat | Shoreditch | £££ |
| The Connaught Bar | Mayfair | ££££ |
| The Courtauld Gallery | Strand | ££ |
| Trivet | Bermondsey | ££££ |
| St. John | Smithfield | £££ |
| The River Cafe | Hammersmith | ££££ |
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Editor’s choice
Brat
Why we pick itTomos Parry cooks everything over charcoal on the first floor of an old pub, and the whole grilled turbot in its handmade basket is the reason to come. Ask for a table facing the open kitchen and start the weekend watching the flames. Book online; there is no phone line, and a few bar seats are kept back for walk-ins.
Worth knowingSkip it if you want a quiet room or a quick dinner
Friday dinner: Basque-inflected wood fire
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The Connaught Bar
Why we pick itThe silver-leaf room and the martini trolley have been a London ritual for years, and the bar still sits near the top of the world's best lists. They wheel it to your table and build the drink in front of you, choosing from house bitters. No bookings, so come early on a Friday or wait it out with a glass of something cold.
Worth knowingSkip it if you want a quiet local, or you are not in the mood to dress for a room
Friday nightcap: the martini trolley
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The Courtauld Gallery
Why we pick itSmall enough to do properly in a morning, rich enough to stay with you. The great room holds Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and the best group of Cezannes in the country. Open daily 10am to 6pm, timed entry online, and a ten-minute walk from Covent Garden when you fancy lunch.
Saturday culture: Impressionists in one room
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Trivet
Why we pick itJonny Lake and master sommelier Isa Bal, both ex-Fat Duck, run the rare two-star room where you can still order a la carte rather than a marathon tasting menu. The wine list reads chronologically and runs to Georgia and Armenia. It is the right kind of grown-up dinner for a Saturday: serious cooking, no stuffiness. Book ahead.
Worth knowingThe à la carte freedom makes the bill less predictable than a fixed menu, mains start above £30, and the unmarked door takes some finding.
Saturday dinner: two stars, wine led
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St. John
Why we pick itFergus Henderson's whitewashed former smokehouse is where Sunday lunch in London grew up. Order the roast bone marrow and parsley salad, then a roast to share, and finish with the madeleines baked to order. Lunch runs noon to 4pm on Sundays and fills fast, so book well ahead. A short walk from Clerkenwell and Smithfield.
Worth knowingSkip it if offal is genuinely not for you, though the menu is broader than its reputation
Sunday lunch: nose-to-tail roast
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The River Cafe
Why we pick itIf you would rather end the weekend by the water, this is the one. Ruth Rogers' Hammersmith institution has been doing precise seasonal Italian since 1987, with a riverside terrace for the warm months. Sunday lunch runs noon to 3pm. Book a long way out; the terrace is walk-in only, so come early for a table outside.
Worth knowingQuality is uneven between dishes and between visits, prices are high for deliberately rustic food, and a table needs weeks of notice.
Sunday alternative: riverside Italian
Before you book
Book the two big dinners (Friday and Saturday) two to three weeks out, and Sunday lunch as far ahead as you can manage; St John and the River Cafe both go quickly. The Connaught Bar takes no reservations, so arrive before 7pm on a Friday or settle in for a short wait with a glass of champagne. The Courtauld is a ten-minute stroll from Covent Garden and books timed entry online, worth doing for a Saturday. Keep Saturday afternoon loose: the whole point is to wander between the gallery and dinner without a fixed plan. Most of these sit in the centre or east, so a single weekend base around Clerkenwell, Shoreditch or Covent Garden keeps everything in easy reach.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Brat is our editor's choice: Tomos Parry cooks everything over charcoal on the first floor of an old pub, and the whole grilled turbot in its handmade basket is the reason to come. Ask for a table facing the open kitchen and start the weekend watching the flames. Book online; there is no phone line, and a few bar seats are kept back for walk-ins. Brat, The Connaught Bar and The Courtauld Gallery 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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