Restaurants

Authentic Bavarian cooking in a casual, homely environment - the neighbourhood Wirtshaus done right.

Grand nineteenth-century coffee house energy: chandeliers, cakes, waiters in waistcoats. Touristy, yes, but it earns it.

Street-food yard next door to Szimpla - nicely lit up at night and properly lively. Graze your way through it before or after the ruin bars.

Big, buzzy, and reliable - a good first-night call when you just want somewhere that works.

Proper Hungarian comfort food in the old Jewish quarter. Order more than you think you need - the portions will humble you anyway.

Had lunch here at the countertop - unfussy, generous, fairly priced, and eating at the counter is the way to do it. Would go back without thinking about it.

Sat outside and solo dined in Brera. The food was good, if a little touristy - a pleasant way to spend an evening on your own.

Flawless. The kind of neighbourhood Italian that quietly ruins other restaurants for you.

Exactly what you want from an old Milanese trattoria - classic dishes, waiters who have clearly been there for decades, zero interest in trends. Perfect.

A proper locals' eatery up in Vomero with fantastic pizza - the kind of place the city keeps for itself.

A nice date-night spot - there are a couple of them dotted around the city, and the Chiaia one is the pick.

Right in the thick of it. Locals eat here, and you may well find yourself singing and clapping along with them before the night is out.

Raw-interior brasserie doing serious grilled meat. Been to both the Lange Niezel and Handboogstraat branches and would happily walk into either again.

Delicious - but sometimes slammed, with an impossibly long queue. If the line looks reasonable, take your chance.

Does what the name promises - meat, done properly. Come hungry.

Lunch, borrel and dinner in the old canal-side buildings of Kanaleneiland, with a conservatory looking right over the water. Had dinner inside with a large group - relaxed and casual, and it handled the table size without breaking a sweat.

A tiny Greek spot - maybe a dozen tables - where the owner-chef cooks a set menu and explains each course as it lands. Cosy, personal, brilliant.

Took a little boat out to the island for this - the southernmost restaurant in Portugal, right where the Ria Formosa meets the Atlantic. Fresh fish and cataplanas, and the trip out is half the fun.

Grilled sardines done exactly the way the name promises - simple, local, great.

Two-star Michelin dining perched above Galé beach. A proper occasion meal - settle in and let the courses come.

Brought a big crowd and did a multi-course tapas-style run through the menu - incredible. Out on the L'Hospitalet edge of the city and worth the trip.

A strongly themed Mexican bar and restaurant. Had a selection of food here with a big group - the home-made avo included. Embrace the bar's theme and grab a Mexmule, or some mezcal if you're up for it.

A lovely view of the marina and some exquisite seafood to go with it. Get a table outside and take your time.

Had the steak paella here with friends and it was extraordinary - the kind of meal you keep bringing up afterwards. Order it.

Ricard Camarena's casual counter inside the Mercat Central - a good spot for an easy lunch. Grab a stool at the bar and eat surrounded by the market that supplied it.

Valencian tapas with an organic bent - much of the produce comes from their own farm. Relaxed, generous, very Ruzafa.

Outdoor gastro market by the sea in Cabanyal - stalls covering everything from Valencian classics to Thai. Tried a bit of everything; the croquettes were the standout.

Filipino fusion with Spanish influences in Ruzafa. Order the humba and let the staff steer the rest.

A finance-bro favourite, and for good reason - a nice pub feel with hearty Indian food. Less curry, more lamb chops and bread baskets.

A great lunch spot I regularly come back to - just make sure you order more buns than you think you'll want, because you'll want them.

Great steak right on the water at Canary Wharf, with outdoor seating for when the weather plays along.

Over-the-top room, over-the-top portions, big Italian energy. Book ahead and bring people who like sharing.

The rare healthy lunch you actually crave. The burrito is insane, the staff are genuinely lovely, and I have never once regretted going.

Udon done properly. Sit at the bar, keep the order simple, leave happy.

Street-food hall in the tunnels under Vauxhall station - a great after-work spot with plenty of traders to graze across.

Non-fussy Australian restaurant - diverse flavours in a casual, bright setting. A great spot for lunch or dinner, with some outdoor seating.

Classic Soho dining - a nice, classy environment with something for everyone. The Asian-style oysters were the standout.

New York-style walk-in pizzeria doing enormous 18-inch pies. No reservations, no fuss - grab a slice at the counter or commit to a whole one with friends.

Pretty authentic Napoli-style pizza. Sat in and had a whole one - no regrets.

Thai barbecue - loud, smoky, and better for it. Order more food than seems reasonable.

Jerusalem-inflected cooking with real theatre if you sit at the kitchen bar. Worth the squeeze.

Spanish-Moroccan tapas in an immersive North African-style room - lanterns, low light, the works. Pedro Ximénez, pata negra, and a run of great Moroccan tapas-style dishes. Order broadly and share everything.

On the rooftop of the Westgate shopping centre, which undersells it - had a selection platter and everything on it was sharp. A shopping-centre address hiding genuinely good sushi.

Stunning Spanish restaurant. Get the outdoor seating and settle in.

Lovely for breakfast or lunch with gentle live music - ate in the courtyard on Easter Sunday and had eggs royale that were hard to beat. The lounge was co-founded by Doris Day.

It's a big franchise and I don't care - great burgers, colder beer, zero pretension.

A Paradise Valley institution sitting under Camelback Mountain. Go at sundown and don't skip the famous sticky buns.

Cowboy steakhouse up on the hill by the Arizona Grand - valley views, live country music, and a slide down into the dining room. Leans all the way into it and is better for it.

Hearty Italian in Little Italy. The bone marrow was great and the gnocchi even better - come hungry and share widely.

Nice lunch spot with a great view and homely food. The staff were absolutely wonderful and friendly - nice and casual after walking around La Jolla.

Busy enough that we had to wait, but we sat outside and it was well worth it. Very pasta-focused Italian, all made in house, in a relaxed setting - the bolognese and the arrabbiatissima were the orders.

No-nonsense taco shop with a huge selection of fish, staffed by fishmongers who know their stuff. Lovely to sit in or take away.

Also an excellent frutti di mare, and the more authentically Italian room of the two - proper Tuscan trattoria energy across from Washington Square.

Drinks and food right on the Sausalito waterfront - a well-earned landing after the ride over the bridge.

The oldest dim sum tea room in America, tucked down a Chinatown alley. Come hungry and order too much.

Went during peak lunch hours and it was slammed with locals, in a good way. Great if you can come with a group, though you'll need some patience to get in despite the capacity. Great dim sum.

Often busy, and for good reason - very authentic, hearty Japanese food. Worth queueing for a bowl.

Exactly what it says on the tin. If you're looking for the stereotypical American diner - booths, milkshakes, the lot - it's here on Mission Street.

Israeli comfort food a block from Yerba Buena - proper hummus, fresh pita, no fuss.

Had private dining in the Barolo room - excellent food and attentive staff throughout.

The classic Wharf seafood house, out on its own pier. Touristy by location, proper by execution.

Had an unreal frutti di mare here (of course) and a beautiful salmon linguine. The more casual of North Beach's seafood Italians - counter seats, old photos, zero pretension.

Had an unreal fried chicken sandwich here. Beer hall by the water - the reward at the end of the ride.