The Royal Family’s favourite London hotspots revealed

(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Future)

published 22 January 2023

The Royal Family may be lucky enough to be served by an army of private chefs and butlers, but the vast array of award-winning restaurants lining the London streets still call out to them.

The Royal Family's favourite London hotspots have been revealed using their own words and the testimony of eagle-eyed Londoners who have spotted them out and about.
From Princess Diana's favourite Soho dining joint, to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's old date haunt, here are 5 of the Royal Family's favourite London dining spots.
In other royal news, Prince William reveals who does the cooking in the Wales' household.

London is a dream for foodies and party-goers alike, being home to hundreds if not thousands of restaurants, cafes, and clubs that all draw a crowd. Even the royal family, who are looked after by a huge staff of chefs and butlers, hit the capital for a good night out. Using their own words, and those of eagle-eyed Londoners who have spotted them out and about, here we round up five restaurants and bars where the royals have wined and dined.

Princess Diana was just one of many well-known figures who frequented L’Escargot in Soho. The fine dining joint is one of London’s oldest French restaurants, according to Country & Town House.

Housed in a historic Georgian town house built in the 1700s, L’Escargot sits on Greek Street, just a short walk from many of London's iconic theatres. Since it opened its doors in 1927, the restaurant has welcomed everyone from Coco Chanel to Judi Dench, so it's no surprise that Diana was drawn to the establishment.

While it may be hard to picture now, Kate Middleton and Prince William used to frequently party into the early hours at The Cuckoo Club. Known as a playground for the rich and famous, the royals, who were then attending university, were often spotted on the dance floor alongside Harry, as reported by Evening Standard.

The start of something both beautiful and challenging, Harry and Meghan met and had their first date at the members-only club, Dean Street Townhouse, aka 76 Dean Street.

The grade II listed building boasts gorgeous interiors, with a selection of comfy lounge rooms for its exclusively selected members. In their Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, Meghan recalled their first meeting there, ""We met at 76 Dean Street. You were late!"

Kate Middleton has often been seen having lunch at Bluebird Chelsea with her younger sister Pippa. The alfresco café in Chelsea is said to be Kate's favourite place to eat in London, serving everything from Sunday roasts to afternoon tea and cocktails.

Due to issues with security, the late Queen rarely got the chance to dine out in London during her lifetime, but when she did, it was a big deal for her. As reported by The Telegraph, Bellamy’s, a lowkey Parisian brasserie in Mayfair was the late monarch’s most-visited restaurant.

It is even believed that she celebrated her 80th birthday at Bellamy’s, and went back again 10 years later with Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra. According to reports at the time, she would order and enjoy the restaurant's caviar, eel mousse and roast quail.

Related articles:

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.