Many people cite the expansive choice of restaurants as being one of the best things about living in London, a hub of social and cultural activities. Indeed, there is almost every kind of cuisine you could imagine – spanning the entire globe. But what if you wanted to find some food from London’s westerly neighbour somewhere in the Big Smoke? Here’s how to find the best Irish restaurants in London.

Check User Reviews

TripAdvisor is useful for discovering restaurants that others have enjoyed. The aggregate review site allows real people to voice their opinions and to give qualitative answers as to what they liked (or disliked) about an eatery. People tend to trust the word of mouth recommendations of others, so this could be a helpful way of finding the best Irish restaurants in London.

However, reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt as those who felt strongly enough about a meal to leave feedback usually either really enjoyed it or really didn’t. So, they are more likely to be either very complimentary or overly critical. Which means that some reviews may not be that representative and may be subjective. The list of top-rated places is usually from a broad enough group to be trustworthy so could be handy in selecting the best Irish restaurant in London.

Check Michelin Stars

One factor that many use to decide whether a restaurant is good is the Michelin star rating, a universal ranking that tells restaurant-goers whether the eatery is ‘worth a special trip’, worth a detour, or just a good restaurant to go to. The very addition of one of the stars can see profits to a restaurant increase and bookings be harder to come by.

London ranks in the 6th spot globally for cities with the highest number of Michelin star restaurants. Irish celebrity chef Richard Corrigan can claim one of the restaurants on the list, with his restaurant Corrigan’s being one of the Michelin star Irish restaurants in the city of London.

Top Irish Restaurants in London

Some of the best Irish restaurants also come as part of the Irish pub experience, such as The Tipperary, while others are patronised by those who enjoy the ambience, such as the live sports at Philomena’s Bar & Café. Sir Colin Campbell is praised for its music – authentic Irish tunes – while Waxy O’Connor’s is lauded for its atmosphere and live music.

Some are celebrated for their daytime meals, such as an Irish breakfast, and others for the bar they become in the evening once the dinner plates are cleared away. The perfect Irish restaurant will be dependent on what else you plan on doing there. You can even just opt for well-known chain pub O’Neill’s, a stone’s throw away from King’s Cross, greeting you as soon as you hop off the train.

To find the best Irish restaurants in London takes trial and error. The best thing about eating in London is that the choice caters for everyone. While some may want a Michelin star meal, others will be happy with an authentic Irish experience. Using the resources at your disposal to find the best Irish restaurants and then making your own mind up based on your first-hand experience of being there is the best strategy to use to find a new favourite nestled within the sprawling mass of the city.