Restaurants in the UK

Finding a good restaurant in the UK

Nobody searches for a restaurant in the abstract. They search for a curry house that delivers, an Italian for a birthday, somewhere with a garden on a sunny Saturday, a Thai place that does a proper som tam, or simply anywhere decent that is open at ten on a Tuesday night. The British high street has an extraordinary range, from the family-run Indian and Chinese restaurants that have anchored towns for forty years to Turkish grills, Japanese counters, gastropubs and small independents cooking whatever the chef is excited about this month. Sometimes it is simpler than any of that: just a nice meal out, nothing booked, nowhere special required.

The useful information is practical. What kind of food, and is it any good; when are they open, and do they take bookings; can they seat eight, is there parking, do they cater for a coeliac or a vegan; and what do the people who eat there regularly say. A restaurant's own website tells you the menu; its reviews tell you the rest. Every food business in the UK is also inspected by its local council and given a food hygiene rating from 0 to 5, which is published online and, in Wales and Northern Ireland, must be displayed on the door.

For restaurant owners, being findable is the whole game, and it is not only about the big platforms. Diners search by cuisine and town, and a listing that says clearly what you cook, when you are open and how to book puts you in front of people at the moment they are deciding where to eat. The listings here show each restaurant's reviews, opening hours, contact details and who is open now, so you can compare what is nearby and where local people actually go.

Finding the right restaurant

By cuisine: Indian and Bangladeshi, Chinese, Italian, Thai, Turkish and Middle Eastern, Japanese and sushi, Mexican, Greek, Caribbean, Spanish tapas, British and gastropubs, steakhouses, seafood, vegan and vegetarian, and fine dining.

By occasion: family meals with children's menus, romantic dinners, birthday and group bookings, business lunches, Sunday roasts, pre-theatre menus and late-night dining.

By practicalities: open now, bookings or walk-ins, outdoor seating, dog-friendly, wheelchair access, parking, delivery and collection, and licensed or bring-your-own.

Before you book a table

• Check the opening hours and whether the kitchen closes earlier than the restaurant; the listing shows who is open now.
• Look up the food hygiene rating on the Food Standards Agency website; a 5 is common and a 3 or below is worth a second thought.
• For a group, ring rather than book online: larger tables, set menus and deposits are usually handled by phone.
• Say when you book if anyone has an allergy or dietary need; restaurants are legally required to give allergen information and most are glad of the warning.
• Read recent reviews rather than the overall score; a change of chef or owner shows up in the last three months, not the last three years.
• Ask about parking, step-free access and whether children and dogs are welcome if any of those matter to you.

What eating out costs in the UK

As a rough guide, a main course in a neighbourhood Indian, Chinese, Turkish or Italian restaurant costs somewhere between £10 and £18, a two-course meal with a drink £20 to £35 a head, and a gastropub or mid-range independent £35 to £60 a head with wine. Fine dining starts around £70 a head and rises steeply. Lunch and early-evening set menus are the reliable way to eat somewhere good for less.

Service charges of 10 to 12.5 per cent are increasingly added to the bill, particularly in cities; they are optional in law, and since 2024 tips and service charges must be passed to staff. Prices vary by region, so the menu online is the guide, and most restaurants publish one.