This century-old Marylebone deli will do anything you like when it comes to sliced and quartered sandwiches. Egg mayo with glistening anchovies, luminous coronation chicken, sizzling bacon with a squirt of ketchup—you name it, Paul Rothe will do it. Inside it’s somewhere between a caff, a deli, and a Ye Olde Chutney Emporium. Jars of jams, pickles, and condiments line the wall and there are half a dozen or so formica tables plus a little counter to call dibs on.

Daquise has the air of a dining room that hasn’t changed for half a century or so. Chandeliers hang and borscht is ladled into your bowl tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue. Yes, the goulash is overcooked, so have the moreish hunter’s stew or a fail-safe schnitzel instead.

Of London’s many classic eating and drinking institutions, The French House is perhaps the most famous. Fondly referred to as ‘The French’ by its regular patrons and those who’ve watched one too many Guy Ritchie films, the Soho boozer-cum-devious upstairs dining room isn’t just a historical inclusion. Whether you’re sinking cidres downstairs or settling in upstairs on a Thursday—their imperious steak et frites day, FYI—you always feel a part of something a little secret and potentially sordid.

Few restaurants maintain the gold stamped guarantee of a good time quite like Quo Vadis. The Soho restaurant and members club is a homely institution that’s also home to two classics. One comes in the shape of Jeremy Lee, QV’s amiable head chef. The second is in the delicately poised shape of his famous smoked eel sandwich. It’s as good as everyone says, as is their bar, perfect for propping up with a martini, alongside the superlative chips, paté, pies, and ‘QV profiteroles au chocolat’.

Walk into St. John’s white-walled bar area, eyes closed and, when you open them, you’d be easily forgiven for thinking you’d walked into some kind of restaurant heaven. The Clerkenwell institution is London’s most famous British restaurant. Its ‘nose-to-tail’ cooking approach first defined by head chef and workwear icon Fergus Henderson is known the world over. Its pies are, quite simply, an experience that every person should have at least once in their life. In fact, the whole restaurant is.

When you’re at this Pakistani spot in Whitechapel, whether you’re seated at one of the big family tables or stood outside, you’ll feel like you’re here. Like you’re actually in London. It’s loud, it’s full of families, couples, friends who are making the most of the no corkage fee, and it’s been serving some excellent Punjabi food since 1972. There’s a lot to appreciate at this east end institution, not least the decently priced curries, grilled lamb chops, and sensational keema naan.

Look up, high above Wong Kei’s sign, and you’ll learn that before it was the Cantonese canteen and Chinatown institution it is today, it was home to a renowned Victorian wigmaker. What’s clear is that this was a noteworthy building then, and it continues to be a noteworthy building now. Without Wong Kei and its slapped-on-your-table wonton noodle soups and roasted meats bathing in sweet shining umami gravy, London would be a much poorer place.

Koya’s English breakfast udon bowl—that mixes the pig fat of a fry-up with a gooey tamago egg and shiitake mushrooms—is one of the great modern London dishes. The little udon bar first opened on Frith Street in 2010 and the standards of this Japanese spot remain very high indeed. Queues snake outside from lunchtime onwards and, come nighttime, the dimly lit counter is a corridor of hunched shoulders and constantly moving chefs.

Roll up to Sông Quê in a group on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or, sod it, most nights, and you’ll find that approximately 90% of east London appears to have had the same idea. The reason being is that this now institutional Vietnamese spot on Kingsland Road is one of the best around. The cavernous pastel green room is full of noodles being slurped and bottles of Oyster Bay being cracked every night, but come by in the day and you’ll find a soothing space for one person lunches.

There are family-fun restaurants and then there’s witnessing E. Pellicci’s manager Nevio Jnr. hollering to his mum Maria in the kitchen that the man at table six is from Scotland and also, they’d like the full English with extra black pudding. A daytime Italian café in Bethnal Green that’s been open since 1900, this place runs on strong cuppas, fried bread, and banter. It’s high-energy hilarity where you can indulge in The Best Fry Up Of Your Life circa 8AM or a truly epic portion of lasagne.

To be honest, if you leave Ciao Bella analysing your spaghetti con polpette, then something has gone very wrong. There’s no doubt that this old school Italian restaurant in Bloomsbury is so much more valuable than a bowl of perfect handmade pasta. It will feed you well and make you happy. So much so that when we eventually keel over, this is where we want our wake. Ciao Bella is one of the most perfect celebrations of eating out in London.

Nine years before Gökyüzü opened on Green Lanes, Mangal 1 became the first Turkish ocakbasi restaurant in Dalston. Known for its legendary grilled meats, and in particular its tender sweetbreads, the BYOB spot has reigned supreme in a city that has numerous classic Turkish restaurants. It’s a classic for its cooking, its longevity and also its story: one of the co-owners expanded down the road and opened a place, now run by his sons. It’s called Mangal II.

The River Cafe is a restaurant that is so beloved and famous that it even has its own designer merch. This is an Italian institution that has been serving everything from rosemary pizzettas to whole pancetta-covered pigeons since a time when London thought antipasti was a movement against pastries. Yes, you should be impressed. It has earned its reputation through the glorious medium of exquisite food that goes far beyond spaghetti and their signature chocolate nemesis tart that is oh so rich.

Ochi is a familiar constant for the people of Shepherd’s Bush in search of great goat curry. Regulars order without a single glance at the menu and leave the Caribbean takeaway gripping bags in both hands. Not much has changed in the past decade. The white tiles are plastered with signed posters of artists as big as Busta Rhymes and Ian Brown, who have all popped in for a patty. But you should always get the goat curry.

There are few combinations better than nostalgia and a prawn cocktail. This is a fact of life that is never more apparent than at Sweetings, a classic City seafood spot that’s been serving oysters and sticky toffee puddings for over an oh-so casual 130 years. You definitely want the mighty fine fish pie on your table but just be warned that Sweetings is only open Monday to Friday and exclusively open for lunch service.

Not only is this Brick Lane bakery a classic Shoreditch hotspot for anyone looking for a late night bagel (it’s open 24 hours), Beigel Bake is a place that’s been around since the ‘70s and likely isn’t budging anytime soon. It’s become an east London landmark, you’ll almost always find a queue for their smoked salmon bagel and legendary salt beef sandwich, and while they’re not necessarily the best bagels you’ll ever eat, we think this should be on your London bucket list.

The Manze name is to pie and mash what the Murdochs are to positions of power, though we’d wager that Rupert could never make a liquor sauce like this dynasty. The original M.Manze on Tower Bridge Road is a beautiful art deco space serving one of London’s most famous forms of slop. Still, there is a method to this beigeness. Flip a meat pie, douse it in chilli vinegar, and form a spoonful with mash and liquor for a taste of London history.

Anyone who’s ever heard of a lahmacun knows Gökyüzü. It’s a Harringay staple whose reach extends miles beyond Green Lanes since it first opened in 1999, and the Turkish food scene in London wouldn’t be the same without it. Where else can you fit five prams, three loud families of seven, and a rowdy birthday meal that ends in full bellies all round? Not many places cater to anyone and everyone quite like Gökyüzü. This sprawling, pleather-tastic restaurant is a certified spot.

We love a specialty. And the specialty at Roti King is soft, flaky roti canai. The Malaysian spot in Euston’s menu has grown over the years, as have their locations, but you’ll still find their signature roti served with a bowl of excellent curry, with your choice of dhal, chicken, mutton, or fish. And while the rest of their menu, which includes things like nasi lemak and beef rendang, is all pretty great, if you only get one thing here, make it the roti canai.

If someone were to invite you to lunch at Andrew Edmunds and tell you that it’s in an 18th century townhouse and that the menu is scrawled by hand, you might imagine a snoozefest. But a meal here is anything but. This restaurant is the epitome of an old school British establishment. Bring a date, bring a friend, or just bring yourself. Andrew Edmunds is charming enough that, even though the food is excellent, you could come here for the hazy atmosphere alone and leave completely content.

A great caff does not come without great characters. That is simply how they’re made. These days, the Regency has a mixed bunch. Thanks to its long established fame in both its home city and through Hollywood features, the legendary Westminster cafe is just as popular with tourists as it is with blokes named Terry. One thing that never changes inside its beautiful black tiled exterior are the bloodcurdling cries that match the colour of the floor. A fried breakfast here is never not an event.

Across London there’s Mowley’s, Morly’s, and Marley’s, but only one Morley’s. Although the legendary chicken shop chain has inspired many copycats since opening in 1985, there’s a soft spot in everyone’s hearts for the OG. The Sydenham location, which retains some of the original frontage, has the typical chicken shop ebb and flow of solo drifters, schoolkids, and late-nighters. Skip the chicken burger, get the four spicy wings combo meal, and say thanks to bossman.

From 7am until roughly 3am, Bar Italia caters to Soho’s every need. Regulars at the Italian cafe—who arrive separately but are united in their desire to stare down passers-by—sit on stools outside, smoking from 8am. The work crowd drifts in later, for hot, strong coffees. And if the football’s on, expect a throng in the evening, passionately waving cannoli at the screen towards the back of the narrow, memorabilia-covered room.

Whether you’ve lived in London your whole life or you’re only familiar with the big Primark on Oxford Street, you’ve probably heard of Maroush. This Lebanese restaurant has been around since 1981, proudly taking a prime spot on Edgware Road and known for dripping, meaty shawarmas, kind-of-rubbish interiors, and mismatched clientele that are all part of the charm. It’s not a hot dinner destination, but post-9pm on a weekend, Maroush Express can be a scene.

J Sheekey is the place to go when you want to show them that you know a thing or two about the finer things in life. The finer things being grilled lobster, seared scallops, and you attempting to throw back a Jersey oyster in a sexy manner. The point is, this is an old school restaurant that you can somehow still bring anyone to and eat some really good seafood. The menu has a bunch of things mostly revolving around seafood although there is a vegetarian and vegan menu you can request.