If you’ve ever wondered where the royals eat, we’ve got the answer. While they might live in palaces with fleets of private chefs, the Royal Family still likes to eat out from time to time, generally choosing to visit discrete spots where they’re more likely to fly under the radar. From reassuringly traditional restaurants in Mayfair to Notting Hill hot spots and cool members’ clubs in Soho, these are the Royal Family’s favourite London restaurants.
Where The Royal’s Eat
Mount St. Restaurant
If you’re trying to track down where the royals eat, Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair is a good place to start. Created by Artfarm, the hospitality company founded by gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth (who also count the Fife Arms and Roth Bar & Grill among their stable), it was given the royal seal of approval within mere weeks of opening at the end of 2022, after King Charles and Queen Camilla were spotted dining there.Â
Known for being one of the most beautiful restaurants in London, the walls are lined with artworks by Lucian Freud and Andy Warhol, while the floor is a palladiana mosaic by Rashid Johnson. While we can’t confirm what the King and Queen ordered, our money is on the decadent lobster pie for two.Â
41-43 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 2RX
mountstrestaurant.com
Bellamy’s
Tucked away in a discrete mews behind Bond Street, Bellamy’s has long been hailed as one of the favourite restaurants of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with her choosing to celebrate her 80th birthday there and then returning a decade later for a private dinner with her daughter, Princess Anne, and her cousin, Princess Alexandra.Â
The elegant French brasserie first opened its doors in 2004 and was founded by the restaurant’s long-standing proprietor Gavin Rankin, who named it after the gentlemen’s club in Evelyn Waugh’s Sword of Honour trilogy. While dining there, it’s said the Queen ordered the smoked eel mousse, caviar and roast quail, while elsewhere the menu includes Dover sole, said to be another firm favourite of the late monarch.Â
18 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London W1J 6LY
bellamysrestaurant.co.uk
Chiltern Firehouse
André Balazs’ Chiltern Firehouse was the coolest place in London when it first opened its doors in 2014, so it’s hardly surprising that it’s played host to several members of the Royal Family over the years. It was here that Princess Eugenie chose to party after her engagement to Jack Brooksbank in 2018. A year later, her sister Princess Beatrice followed suit by hosting her engagement party there, along with her now-husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The restaurant – originally made famous by chef Nuno Mendes – remains hugely popular, and it’s said that Meghan Markle was once spotted sipping on Negronis here with friends. But anyone who’s anyone knows the exclusive Ladder Shed Club is where you really want to be – notoriously difficult to get into, you could find yourself standing at the bar next to Kate Moss or Poppy Delevingne.Â
1 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London W1U 7PA
chilternfirehouse.com
Quaglino’sÂ
This St James’ institution has long been one of the Royal Family’s favourite London restaurants. In fact, it was the first in the capital to host the Queen following her coronation, with her visit marking the first time a British monarch had ever eaten in a public restaurant. The black and white photos of her emerging from the doorway in a full-length gown evoke the heady glamour that Quaglino’s is still synonymous with today.Â
As well as the late Queen it’s also played host to several other members of the Royal Family, including her sister Princess Margaret and the Duke of Sussex – Harry was one of the first to visit after the restaurant’s glitzy refurb in 2014, when he was spotted tucking into a plate of oysters. It’s also said to be where Grace Kelly met her husband, leading her to become Princess Grace of Monaco.Â
16 Bury Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6AJ
quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk
L’Escargot
Known for being the oldest French restaurant in London, L’Escargot has existed in its current location since 1927 (though it actually dates back to 1896). It’s housed in a majestic Georgian townhouse that was once the private residence of the Duke of Portland, making it perfectly suited for royalty, with both Princess Diana and Princess Margaret known for being regulars here.Â
As you might expect, snails are a staple of the menu, along with French asparagus, confit of duck and côte de veau. With its gloriously opulent interiors – think twinkling chandeliers, gilded cornicing and plush velvet upholstery – it remains a legendary Soho spot to this day.Â
48 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4EF
lescargot.co.uk
The Bluebird
While it may be better known for hosting Made in Chelsea cast members over recent years, The Bluebird was once rumoured to be the Princess of Wales’s favourite restaurant in London. Kate was often papped having lunch on the al fresco terrace at the buzzy King’s Road hangout with her sister Pippa before she married William, and it’s just a short walk from her favourite department store, Peter Jones.
The upstairs restaurant is a high-end affair, where you can order oysters, Oscietra caviar and whole wood roasted lobster, while the downstairs café is the place to come for a laidback brunch on the weekend. There are few spots lovelier than the outdoor terrace on a hot, sunny day, and during Wimbledon big screens are erected so you can watch the tennis – no doubt this was another major draw for tennis-loving Kate.Â
350 King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW3 5UU
bluebird-restaurant.co.uk
Soho House 76 Dean StreetÂ
In their tell-all documentary that aired on Netflix at the end of 2022, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially confirmed that Soho House 76 Dean Street was the location for their first ever date. The pair loved it so much that Meghan actually called Harry up straight after their first rendez-vous to ask him out to dinner at the same place the following night.
The famously discreet, photo-free members’ club is an ideal spot for royals and famous faces to fly under the radar, which is why Soho House has become so popular among A-listers. The club’s main restaurant is located on the first floor and looks like an upscale diner, with red leather booths and counter dining. But it’s more likely that Harry and Meghan cosied up in the Library Bar on the top floor, which is much more private and intimate.
76 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3SQ
sohohouse.com
The Goring
While recent royal fans may be more familiar with the hotel’s connection to Kate Middleton (this is, after all, where the future Duchess of Cambridge and now Princess of Wales spent the night before her wedding), it was a long-time favourite of the late Queen and the Queen Mother before her, whose favourite dish, Eggs Drumkilbo, is still on the menu at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Dining Room.
It was also the hotel of choice during the Queen’s coronation in 1953, when the rooms were filled with visiting royalty from all over the world. The Goring also happens to be the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant for hospitality services, showing just how close it is to the royals’ hearts. Little wonder, then, that rumours have long swirled about a secret underground passage that connects The Goring and Buckingham Palace.Â
15 Beeston Place, Westminster, London SW1W 0JW
thegoring.com
Julie’s
This fashionable Notting Hill restaurant was once the hottest spot in London, playing host to royalty and celebrities alike. It was at Julie’s that Kate Moss celebrated her 17th birthday, while Naomi Campbell, Annie Lennox and Tom Cruise were all regulars. Meanwhile, it was a favourite haunt of Princess Diana and Princess Margaret, as well as being the place where Captain Mark Phillips had his stag night ahead of his marriage to Princess Anne in 1973.
Founded by the acclaimed interior designer Julie Hodges in 1969, the restaurant closed at the start of 2023 but is set to reopen on 8 May 2024, now under the direction of new owner Tara MacBain and The Pelican and Brawn alumni Owen Kenworthy as Chef Patron. Relaunching as a modern French brasserie, there’ll be an al fresco terrace where you can feast on seafood towers, as well as a theatrical tableside martini trolley.Â
135 Portland Road, Notting Hill, London W11 4LW
juliesrestaurant.com
