These are the venues where the beautiful people hang in London
Let us show you where the beautiful ones go... and work...
We say we go to bars and restaurants for the great food, the drink, the ambiance, the concept, the quality, the attention to detail... and while this is all partly true, it's mostly so that we can stare at the pretty people.
We've researched this one hard; we've frequented all the best joints across the capital to track-down the prettiest crowds - from the clientele to the staff - and have come up with, undoubtedly, London's best-looking bars and restaurants. So, if people-watching is your thing (and let's keep this as un-sinister as possible) then take a look at our list below.
Things are about to get... pretty.
The Blue Bar
Wilton Place SW1X 7RL
Bars
Opening Times
Photos
The Berkeley’s Blue Bar is beloved of the fashion crowd, so for the best chance to model-watch head here during LFW. Its swish David Collins design, smart cocktail list and attentive service make this one of London’s best bars.
The young, well-heeled people of Knightsbridge hang out at Buddha Bar, where chill-out music plays in the background and giant mesh buddhasserve as decoration. During the week smartly dressed couples and gaggles of friends come for the Pan-Asian food, but at weekends the place is truly buzzing.
Nobu
19 Old Park Lane W1K 1LB
Nobu is the celebrity restaurant par excellence, as you can tell by the eager paparazzo that usually gather outside. Now that far eastern food is huge in the capitalNobu’s offering isn’t as special as it once seemed, however it still remains the best place for finding out which Hollywood celebs are in town.
Zuma
5 Raphael Street SW7 1DL
At this restaurant both style and substance prevail, as quality food is prepared on the robata grill by skilled chefs, and the likes of Beyonce and Jay Z, Ellie Goulding and Kim Kardashian turn up for dinner alongside Knightsbridge regulars.
In a very short space of time Chiltern Firehouse has become the hangout for celebrities, their hangers-on and the paps who want to shoot them. They’ve got Nuno Mendes in charge of the kitchen but nobody is here for the food; go for the exclusive atmosphere and to ogle the supermodel-like staff.
Crazy Bear
26 Whitfield Street W1T 2RG
Restaurant & Bar
Opening Times
The Crazy Bear group operate a members’ club, hotels and restaurants in several UK locations; the London branch on Whitfield Street is a lavish restaurant and cocktail bar. There’s a glamorous sweeping staircase and plenty of glitz at this venue, which is patronised by the most affluent local media workers and TV stars.
Roka
37 Charlotte Street W1T 1RR
With good looking staff and celebrity customers like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Roka continues to cater to the moneyed and the aspirational. Portions are on the small side, as Roka’s diners don’t come here to gorge themselves on food, but to socialise.
If you like drinking in private members’ clubs but can’t afford their fees check out Milk & Honey, which is open to non-members before 11 pm with a reservation.Exceptionally talented mixologists prepare classic cocktails or drinks to order at this Soho establishment, plus one of the house rules states that men aren’t allowed to hit on women unless approached first.
Chic and serving exquisite modern Chinese cuisine, Hakkasan has been a hit with the A-list since it opened in 2001. Naturally they’ve cottoned on to how much of a “see-and-be-seen” sort of place it is, and in 2012 they launched late night lounge Ling Ling, open Thursday to Saturday till 2.30 am, so you dispense with eating altogether and get on with the people-watching.
