18 London Restaurants For When You Can't Decide What To Eat
No menus that double as epic novels allowed.
1. The Cheese Bar, Camden
What's the deal? Originally The Cheese Truck, a truck filled with cheese, The Cheese Bar is the owner's new restaurant – similarly filled with cheese. Don't be distracted by the new cheesy menu items, it's the next level grilled cheese sandwiches that made these guys famous. So that's what you need to order.
Why you should go: Erm, THE CHEESE. Yes, you will have to choose between goats cheese, blue cheese, cheddar and the seasonal special, but I firmly believe we all fall into one of the four camps.
2. Hunan, Belgravia
What's the deal? Hunan, an unprepossessing restaurant near Sloane Square, is an indecisive diner's dream. There's no menu here. Instead, you'll be asked about your likes and dislikes, then control is gently but firmly taken out of your white-knuckled hands.
Why you should go: The kitchen serves a feast of max 18 plates ranging from nibbles to mains – and everything from the xiao long bao to the hand pulled noodles is eye-rollingly good.
3. Padella, London Bridge
What's the deal? Being chronically terrified of making the wrong choice at a restaurant is my number one first world problem, and my answer to it is Padella, the pasta promised land of Borough Market.
Why you should go: Because whether it's creamy cacio e pepe or gnocci slathered in nutmeg butter you're ordering, it's all pasta and it's all good. Pro tip: if you're wondering about whether to have the burrata as well as your plate of pasta, the answer is yes. It is a fat creamy ball of joy and you must have it.
4. Sichuan Folk, Spitalfields
What's the deal? There's a lot of good hotpot to be had in London, but Sichuan Folk in Spitalfields holds a special place in my heart. Ignore the cave of wonders menu, touch nothing but the £22.80 all-you-can-eat hotpot deal.
Why you should go: All-you-can-eat hotpot, need I say more?
5. Pidgin, Hackney
What's the deal? It's impossible to overthink at Pidgin. Rock up to be served four weekly-changing courses – no choices allowed – of quietly sensational modern British cuisine.
Why you should go: Essentially this an extremely excellent permanent supper club (the owners ran one previously). Like a big dinner party, minus the stressed-out host and panic-buying the second cheapest bottle of wine at an off-license round the corner.
6. Adulis, Oval and Brixton
What's the deal? Instead of agonising over which type of perfectly spiced main to order at this brilliant Eritrean restaurant, just order a platter. Choose between veggie or mixed and be presented with a selection of the house's best dishes on injera (a type of flatbread).
Why you should go: Pair the platter with a bottle of the house spiced honey wine, and you've got yourself a perfect dinner.
7. Lurra, Marylebone
What's the deal? There are two solutions to being an indecisive person in a restaurant: a get-what-you're-given set menu or drowning your indecisiveness in small plates. I choose death by small plate at Lurra, a Basque grill where everything is shareable and tastes deliciously charred.
Why you should go: Because you can pretend you're in San Sebastian and scarf down as many tiny morsels as you can manage (the San Sebastian way of eating). Just be sure one of them includes the Rubia Gallega steak.
8. Burger and Lobster, Mayfair and other locations
What's the deal? I will be forever grateful to Burger and Lobster for bringing me delicious £20 lobster dinners – the meal of choice for the champagne-taste-beer-budget girl about town.
Why you should go: It's a ridiculously easy, always delicious meal decision. Lobster trumps burger every day of the week. If you disagree meet me behind the bins at 5pm, I just want to talk.
9. Brasserie Zedel, Picadilly
What's the deal? Alongside Zedel's basement bar and cabaret rooms, there's a huge marble-dipped restaurant that serves my favourite set menu in London: a £13.50 prix fixe of carottes râpées, steak haché and délice au chocolat noir. No need to order anything else.
Why you should go: I am regularly amazed by how few people know about Zedel, aka, the Edith Piaf of Piccadilly. This might be because it's a bit like an iceberg, if icebergs were made of jazz and Dubonnet – typical cafe up top, hidden depths down below. Plumb those depths, mes amis.
10. Le Relais de Venise, Marylebone and other locations
What's the deal? This glorious French affair serves on thing only: steak frites.
Why you should go: This is steak frites raised to an art form. The fries are always crisp, the steak always just this side of rare and dripping in sauce. And when you're done they come round and fill your plate up, because the best way to have steak and chips is always all you can eat.
11. Monohon, Old Street
What's the deal? Dedicated to all things ramen, Monohan's tiny five-item menu means there's more time to spend on the important stuff, like freshly made noodles and chashu pork slow-cooked in sake and soy. And if you're still um-ing and ah-ing, just order the Shouyu Tonkotsu – the house speciality.
Why you should go: At Monohan, it's all about quality over quantity. And believe me, these noodles are quality.
12. Dotori, Finsbury Park
What's the deal? If the idea of having to choose between Japanese and Korean food fills you with horror, I have the place for you. Dotori has two menus – one Japanese, one Korean. Yes, the thought of two menus instead of one is overwhelming, but don't panic. Just order the Korean and Japanese Set A and all will be fine.
Why you should go: This is the restaurant for anyone who's ever gone "wow, this bulgogi is delicious, but you know what would make it better? Some salmon skin rolls". We've all been there.
13. Bubbledogs, Fitzrovia
What's the deal? Champagne and hotdogs. Name me a more iconic duo, I'll wait. Bubbledogs serves both these things in abundance, which is really the way champagne and hotdogs should aways be served.
Why you should go: They're reopening this month (May) following renovations with an 'increased focus' on champagne, which can only be a good thing.
14. Bao, Soho and Fitzrovia
What's the deal? There are many bao options at this heavily queued-up Taiwanese favourite. But they are all so small and fluffy you can eat all of them.
Why you should go: There's a "one of everything" box on the ordering slip, which can only be interpreted as a direct challenge. I mean, maybe bring a friend or two to help you out, but if you want to attempt it solo who am I to stop you. Dream big, pals.
15. Arancini Brothers, Kentish Town and other locations
What's the deal? Arancini Brothers and their tiny (100% vegan!) balls of Italian fried rice are here to save your indecisiveness – their balls are so moreish, you can easily work your way through every flavour.
Why you should go: These guys started out as Brixton street food, but now have loads of locations, so you're never too far from your arancini fix. You're probably standing by one right now.
16. Olle, Soho
What's the deal? Sizzle and sear your own dinner at this hidden gem of a Korean BBQ joint. You can order cuts individually, but the easiest option is a platter, which will give you a little bit of everything (rice, salad and the all-important bulgogi) so there's no need for food envy.
Why you should go: The staff look after you really well here, so this is the place to go if you're a nervous grill-er. Plus, you know, delicious meaty- Korean BBQ.
17. Clarke's, Notting Hill
What's the deal? The grande dame of London's set menus, Sally Clarke has been doing no-choice dinners since the eighties. There's now a full a la carte offering, but you can still get the original 'Sally's Dinner Menu' for £39.
Why you should go: The food is simple but blindingly good. This is a woman who knows her stuff.
18. Where The Pancakes Are, Southwark
What's the deal? A modern pancake house, here the 'cakes are always fluffy, and every day is Shrove Tuesday. Tart with buttermilk and perfectly moist, you can drizzle them in syrup, top them with cinnamon-poached pineapple or put a full English on top, but you'll have pancakes or you'll go home.
Why you should go: Everyone wants to be where the pancakes are, surely?