London’s Bankside has always been known for its eclectic businesses, exciting restaurants, and energetic markets. This little stretch is surrounded by some of the most iconic London sites from the Golden Hinde, London Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern and, of course, the Shard.
London Bankside is also home to the Borough Market and a host of vibrant restaurants and cafes — from the established to the experimental. So, if you’re working in London’s Bankside, and you’re looking for a spot of lunch (or brunch if you’re so inclined) then have a look at this list of the best places, in our opinion, near Bankside to get food … and maybe a little drink too.
Gourmet Bar and Restaurant
53-61 Southwark Bridge Rd, London SE1 9HH
Stylish, open, and sophisticated, although a little on the nose as far as names go. Part of the Novotel London hotel, Gourmet Bar and Restaurant can seat 100 guests and can be booked through The Fork website.
Reviews for the restaurant suggest that it is surprisingly good, perhaps overlooked because of its size and location, yet the food dazzles customers even more than the grand and expansive interior design.
Gourmet Bar and Restaurant is only a three-minute walk from our Myo Bankside offices, making it a great place for lunch with a group of colleagues or even client meetings.
Caravan London Bridge
30 Great Guildford St, London SE1 0HS
About six minutes away from Myo’s Bankside offices, and not far from Flat Iron Square is the spacious, modern and upbeat Caravan London Bridge. It’s not hard to find as this large factory building just off the main railway bridge is a relic in its own right. When you go inside, you can see straight away what they’re going for — industrial, ex-factory aesthetic meets modern, rustic furniture.
Just like the fusion of somewhat-Scandi wood and British steel, the food itself is an intriguing exploration of mixed cuisines and flavours. Pork schnitzel, red curry, sourdough pizza, hummus – where else do you get such an eclectic menu?
Elliot’s
12 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD
When you walk into Elliot’s in Borough Market, you’ll feel a weight suddenly lift from your shoulders. The honey-brick walls, modern furniture, and natural lighting come together in a perfectly spaced, gentle environment where it would be easy to turn an hour lunch break into two hours or three, or four.
Well known for its woodfired sourdough pizza, it is a popular lunch destination for tourists and business people alike, and for this reason, you’d have to book in advance or get lucky. It is a great place to rub shoulders with people from all over the world, who are drawn to this restaurant for its often changing, but always flavour-packed menu.
It’s a six-minute walk to Borough Market, so Elliot’s is very accessible from Myo bankside offices; ideal for a more leisurely lunch.
Lupins
66 Union St, London SE1 1TD
Lupins is a modern, cosy British restaurant which serves classic British dishes and good wine. Based just near Flat Iron Square, nestled under a large iron train bridge, Devonshire House peaks its white brick and blue wood face out across a bustling cobbled triangle. Step inside and you’re welcomed by a delicate arrangement of colour and texture – dark brick, light wood, cushioned benches, and oak flooring. It’s quintessentially British, both in style and in its menu.
Lupins was given 4 out of 5 stars by Time Out Magazine and has a collection of lovely dishes including hake, grilled trout, pork cheek, and blood orange cake, although their food is seasonal and the menu changes weekly.
Lupins is a seven-minute walk from our Myo Bankside offices, so it is the perfect place for a spot of lunch.
More from Borough Market
Whilst we’re talking about Borough Market, let’s explore the other restaurants which hide themselves away there. As stated above, Borough Market is only six minutes away from Myo’s Bankside offices. So, the whole market can be explored fairly easily during a lunch break or after work. Of course, you won’t see all of it in an hour, so perhaps a few lunches might be needed to really experience every nook and cranny of this historic market. The perfect excuse, really.
Let’s have a look at some of our favourite Borough Market restaurants.
Padella
6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ
Stylish, affordable, and with exceptional pasta. Padella is down to earth, with strong flavours in simple meals that people queue outside the door for. There is no booking here, so you will have to get there early but that makes it oddly exclusive – an experience which you must earn – it is, after all, on the Michelin guides.
El Pastor
7A Stoney St, London SE1 9AA
Authentic, cheery, busy – the music is loud, the food is packed with flavours from South America and the atmosphere is vibrant. There is no booking, but the good news is that you can give them a number and they will let you know when a table is available. Another one which can be hard to get but worth it for their Mexico City inspired cuisine.
El Pastor has places dotted all over London, and as of the 26th of April, it has opened up another restaurant in Battersea.
Rambutan
10 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD
Another Michelin Guide recommendation, this restaurant offers authentic dishes from the Tamil region of Northern Sri Lanka. Tell them your tastes and what you want to try and they will know how to cater to you, suggesting menu items which will blow you away without blowing your head off (If you’re not as accustomed to spice, that is.).
Rambutan is a busy place where a throng of people fill the air with chatter and laughter. Time Out, who gave the restaurant 4/5 stars, described their sticky chicken pongal rice as, “majestically creamy, humming with a decadent blend of saffron, coconut milk, poppy seeds and cinnamon.” If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.
Camille
8 Southwark St, London, SE1 1TL
Despite existing in the very London Borough Market, Camille’s rustic and cosy interior is markedly French, specifically a de-cluttered, Lyonesse bouchon. It is therefore a place where one swims in atmosphere, or wine, or sauce, or all of the aforementioned.
Their menu is surprisingly simple, often changing but always consisting of locally sourced ingredients. The flavours are rich, and it is that richness of both palette and place which makes this an unmissable experience.
Kolae
6 Park St, London SE1 9AB
Meat from Yorkshire, fish from the South Coast, veg from Thailand – Kolae picks the best ingredients for its Thai menu. As they say themselves: “We serve the food of Thailand’s Southern Provinces, especially kolae – a cooking style where ingredients are coated in a curry-like coconut marinade and grilled over open flames”. They make this coconut marinade in-house every morning, and yes, it is delicious.
Like most places in Borough Market, the menu changes regularly, but the food remains a textual and flavoursome delight. They also utilise some of these unique flavours into cocktails, although we wouldn’t recommend having one of those during lunchtime, although that’s your business.
Go to lunch here at your own peril, because you won’t want to leave. We would recommend booking in advance because it can get very busy.
Crosby & Hope
1-2 Bear Gdns, London SE1 9ED
Whilst we may be moving briefly on from Borough Market, we can’t quite get away from its influence, for Crosby & Hope are supplied by it.
We’ve talked a lot about wholesome, hearty meals and fragrant restaurants but sometimes lunch needs to be a little more basic, a little more light. Perhaps light, and airy, like a crumbly, flaky croissant or a sticky pastry. This is because Crosby & Hope is a delightful delicatessen with all the hallmarks of a down-to-earth eatery.
Bagels, sandwiches, and soup are the core givings on their menu, simple but delicious and what’s better is that they’re right outside of Myo Bankside offices, less than a minute across the street.
Tate Modern
Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
One of the best things about Tate Modern is that it’s free to visit, and you get to experience plenty of mind-bending, thought-provoking, and sometimes odd pieces of art without spending a penny.
Yet, the Tate Modern boasts quite the exceptional restaurant with stunning views of the London skyline. The food is, expectedly experimental but not so much that it’s off-putting or a risky endeavour to eat there, it doesn’t miss – flavour, texture and design are all balanced perfectly as you would expect at an artistic institution as revered and famous as the Tate Modern.
The menu is seasonal, so therefore will potentially be different by the time of this article’s publication but, when we last looked, they were celebrating Expressionism and so had a delightful German theme in their food. This included two mains of lightly smoked trout, white asparagus, spinach and dill mustard, and Bavarian white sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, and sweet mustard. Delicious.
Explore Bankside from our offices
If any of these restaurants have made you as hungry as they have us when writing this article, then you’ll be pleased to know that they’re all highly accessible from our offices in Bankside. One of the things we can’t help but notice when we go to these places is how beautifully they are designed and furnished, much like our own beautifully designed and furnished offices.
If you’re interested in seeing our offices then take a look at our brochure for Bankside, or you can look at our blog for more information about places to eat around London, office tips and tricks, and explorations of our office locations.
You could perhaps take your laptop to one of the locations above, peruse our office brochures, and enjoy a delicious meal in the meantime — just a thought.
Bon Appétit!
