Best Takeout Food Restaurants in Temple Bar

"Branches of the growing chain of Sushisamba restaurants can be found in New York, Chicago, Miami and beyond. London’s outpost is found on the 38th and 39th floors of the City’s Heron Tower so it’s likely you’ll see deals being brokered at nearby tables, but the atmosphere is kept in check by personable staff and the spread of dating couples out to have a good time. The menu’s an eclectic mix, too, featuring a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, alongside one of the most comprehensive sake selections in the city."

"Situated in one of the city's tallest buildings you find this amazing London rooftop bar and restaurant. Magical views over virtually all of the city, delicious Asian / Peruvian / Brazilian food and a wide selection of creative cocktails and sake are some of the highlights at Sushisamba. Trendy venue where people are well-dressed and the prices quite high, but also offering an experience really out of the ordinary."

"Unashamedly fusion, this restaurant and bar at the top of the Heron Tower mixes Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences. One of the coolest things about the experience is being whisked up in panoramic glass elevators, Willy Wonka–style, to what are the highest dining terraces in Europe. There’s probably no better place in the city to drink in the sunset."

"This modern Chinese restaurant on Broadwick Street, slickly designed and eagerly staffed, is a great option for all-day dim sum year round, and their seven-dish Chinese New Year menu (on ’til March 4) is pretty special. The sesame balls filled with a salted egg-yolk custard are a real treat, the braised pork is ludicrously tender and melty, and the golden fortune prawns are mouthwatering too. The cocktails we tried were just the ticket to sharpen the senses (the Black River Martini is a punchy, purple Scotch + blackberry delight) and although I wasn’t wholly sold on the admittedly very pretty petit gateau that concluded the meal, my companion eagerly demolished both of ours, so what do I know?"

"Restaurants Chinese Soho. If romance is on your mind, you need to bypass Yauatcha’s frenetic ground-floor canteen and head down to the brick-lined basement with its illuminated fish tank, twinkling lights and nightclubby vibe (bass-heavy beats included). Luxe dim sum (and some dazzling larger plates) are offset by spectacular East-West desserts, while heady teas, exotic cocktails and jet-setting wines complete a sexy Michelin-starred package."

"If you're looking for a Michelin-star Chinese takeaway in London, then Yauatcha is a guaranteed winner. The Chinatown restaurant is known for serving up some of the finest dim sum in the biz, with a tempting cocktail list to match. Add a touch of luxe to your next night in by selecting one of their gourmet set menus, available to order online."

"You’ll probably smell David Carter’s barbecue joint well before you see it; while the signage is discreet, the tang of smoke meets you halfway up the street. Behind two heavy, metal-riveted doors, it’s a temple to certain ideas of masculinity and to meat—all concrete walls, steel paneling, and rough-planked tables and banquettes (subtext: real men don’t need cushions). The meat comes in many forms here: 15-hour smoked brisket, superb pastrami, and generous portions of ribs."

"When to go:When you and your mates have something to celebrate – even if that something is just a shared love of barbecued meat. What to have:Haven’t yet tried Smokestak’s signature beef brisket?. Prepare yourself for moist, smoky meat heaped into a bun and topped with barbecue sauce, bone-marrow butter and pickled chillies."

"Restaurants British Fitzrovia. Expect a banging all-day brunch menu at this attractive Fitzrovia brasserie when the weekend comes around. Buttermilk pancakes and various hollandaise riffs loom large (try the avocado and chard florentine), but also dive into classics such as shakshuka, kedgeree, smashed avo with dill salsa or chorizo hash with curly kale."

"Buttermilk pancakes, served with berries, vanilla clotted cream, and maple syrup are delicious here. If you are looking for more pancake for your buck, Riding House Café is your best bet. They serve three beautiful buttermilk pancakes, topped with the loveliest vanilla clotted cream and berries too."

"Located slightly further north, Riding House Café is the sister establishment of Rail House Café. It offers similarly delightful food and a covered terrace to eat it on."

"After Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver, a section of Britain was Ottolenghiised: The Israeli chef became the go-to chef for the de rigueur dinner party. Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer worked for Ottolenghi before opening Honey & Co, their warm, welcoming little cafe-dining room in Fitzrovia, serving smart dishes like slow-cooked lamb shoulder shawarma and prawns baked in a spiced tomato and pepper matbucha sauce with cracked wheat, as well as first-rate freshly baked pita and a spectacular range of cakes and sweet bakes. It is among London’s finest examples of Middle Eastern cuisine, which doesn’t just sate a populist craving for sumac and co., but continues to be one of the most charming and intimate restaurant spaces in the city."

"This tiny Middle Eastern café is hospitable and homespun, from the waiter’s cheery welcome to the simple counter, laden with cakes baked that morning. It’s owned by married Israeli chefs, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, and their take on Middle Eastern home-cooking is restorative and slyly inventive: poached quince and curd cheese, say, scattered with honeyed hazelnuts, or fragrant, flaky chicken pastilla with Medjool date and endive salad. Courtesy The River Café"

"It sounds a bit strange, but this gorgeously creamy cheesecake remains one of the best desserts in London. Don’t be put off by the savory taste of the feta – all the flavors join together beautifully for a next-level experience."

"Bringing the vibrance and colour of Argentina to the dreary streets of London, comes Gaucho. Their menu blends both the Mediterranean and the indigenous cooking as Argentine food derives from its European heritage. Whether you like your steak rare, medium or well done, in true Argentinean style it’ll be smokey from an open flame, and slathered in your choice of béarnaise or chimichurri sauce."

"Nestled between Tower Bridge and London Bride is Gaucho’s tranquil terrace. The Argentinian restaurant’s al-fresco dining area offers guests magnificent panoramic views across the River Thames in an exclusive setting. Drinks are served from a stylish cocktail bar whilst inside diners can tuck into with our menu showcasing impeccable Argentinian steaks and Latin American inspired food."

"Chandeliers, cowhide, black leather and moody lighting – welcome to Gaucho’s spin on an upmarket steakhouse with big-money aspirations. Myriad cuts of pampas-reared beef dominate the show, although the menu spans everything from ceviche to dulce de leche cheesecake. Serious Argentinian wines too."

"London’s preeminent suya specialist relocated to Greenwich during 2020, selling its tozo, meltingly tender beef, guinea fowl, chicken, and lamb from a truck out of the Angerstein Business Park after its original Peckham location burned down. Now, Abdullahi Mai Kano is back in his Peckham Park Road home — but still sending those complex and delicious goods to postcodes across the capital and via UPS nationwide."

"A short walk from Paddington tube station, Smith's Bar & Grill is one of the best outdoor restaurants in West London. Join them on the terrace for a slick Christmas offering, complete with roast turkey and pudding with brandy custard."

"Unless you've had your head buried in the sand for the last couple of years, you will have noticed Goose Island's takeover of the London craft beer scene. Head to their first UK bar in Shoreditch which delivers pints fresh from the brewing room and deep-pan Chicago-style pizza to soak it all up."

"If you are wondering where to shop in London, then Westfield Stratford City is the place to be!. This shopping centre opened its doors in September 2011, and it is considered to be one of the largest in Europe. The centre includes approximately 400 stores and 70 restaurants the most notable being Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and John Lewis."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Roel Hemkes used under CC BY 2.0. Another Westfield chain, Westfield Stratford City Shopping Center offers a wide variety of shops, as well as dining and entertainment. With 83 restaurants, including those serving halal and vegetarian dishes, everyone will find something on the menu."