The Resy Guide to London Restaurants Open on Monday

The Pelican off Portobello Road is of the new breed of gastropub, offering pared back British cooking in a tastefully refurbished Victorian boozer in Notting Hill. Scrawled on the mirror are such specials as mince on toast and lobster and monkfish pie.

Shoreditch wine bar Leroy is open for dinner-only on a Monday. Start the week well with a smoked eel Caesar, wild mussels and toast, and a treaty bottle of cult wine from the impressive list. Good music too, so it’s never not a vibe.

NoMad London’s three-storey atrium in Covent Garden is a glamorous destination worth getting dressed up for, even on a Monday. Eat caviar with griddled potato bread, oysters on the half shell, and roast chicken stuffed with foie gras, brioche, and truffle, because you can.

David Carter’s raw-edged barbecue joint celebrated ten years this year. The reasons for its longevity include, but are not limited to, the brisket bun with pickled red chillies and the tender thick slices of pastrami, as well as outstanding desserts and cocktails.

Soho never sleeps. Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce’s open-hearted American restaurant offers unfettered fun in the form of mini Martinis, jalapeño popper gildas, and crispy chicken a la diabla.

This white-clothed Soho institution is now bigger and more beautiful, with shiny new red upholstery to complement the iconic stained-glass windows and John Broadley prints. Scottish chef Jeremy Lee proffers smoked eel sandwiches, magnificent pies, and tumbles of meringues.

Natural wine and live fire cooking are the twin focuses of this Soho newcomer, founded by Saint Petersburg restaurateurs Madina Kazhimova and Anna Dolgushina. Cosy, casual, chic.

Chef Mark Kempson’s Kitchen W8 is a smart neighbourhood restaurant that just happens to have a Michelin star. Treat yourself to hand-rolled linguine with Périgord truffle, or Cornish sea bass with chicken butter sauce. Weekly lunch menu, £44.50.

The Garden Café at the Garden Museum in Lambeth keeps the same hours as the museum. Chef Myles Donaldson (ex-Noble Rot) cooks European classics according to the calendar. In autumn, there’s grouse, and baked custard with plums; summer, whole globe artichokes, and salade Niçoise.

Around the counter at Barrafina is where it’s at in King’s Cross on a Monday. You have a full Spanish menu to explore, starting with sherries and olives, moving onto seafood, daily specials and perfect, runny tortillas.

The rooftop restaurant at the Hoxton, Southwark is a contender for London’s most spectacular. The menu’s seafood-flavoured with emphatically Spanish and Portuguese touches. Don’t miss oyster happy hour (3pm-6pm weekdays).

Newcomer Maene with its open kitchen and mega terrace has quickly established itself in Spitalfields. Young chef Amber Francis cooks modern British food of a seasonal and sustainable persuasion. It’s evenings only on Mondays.

Guaranteed to be buzzing even on quieter days of the week, Russell Norman’s homage to Florence’s old school ristoranti will feed you giant steaks, silky pasta, and £5 Negronis.

Chris Leach and David Carter’s contemporary Italian canteen is a new Shoreditch classic. Order as much as you can cram in, from impeccable fresh pasta to housemade charcuterie, and a whole fish or big cut of beef to share. A more than dependable spot for business or pleasure, friends or family.

Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale’s two Michelin star restaurant upgraded to a stunning new space within 180 the Strand this year. Yes, it’s always fully booked, but you can always hit ‘Notify’ and pray.

Cora Pearl in Theatreland is every bit as quaint and charming as her big sister Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair (also open on Mondays). ‘Elevated comfort food’ is the apposite descriptor for a menu that encompasses dainty toasties, devilled whitebait, beef tartare and salt-aged sirloin with chips, salad and truffle butter.

Jack Croft and Will Murray at Fallow serve their distinctive brand of ‘conscious gastronomy’ at breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Recent hits include malted waffle with Baron Bigod, London honey and truffle; and rare breed pork loin with glazed ‘nduja cabbage.

Borough Market cranks up towards the end of the week when the market’s on but Elliot’s buzzes seven days a week. Soak up the exceptional natural wines with sexy sourdough pizzas, snacks, grills and small plates.

All clean lines and cool concrete, Paradise Soho on Rupert Street takes its cues from the hip eateries of Colombo and Galle. The menu’s Sri Lankan, the ingredients seasonal and British.