If you’re not travelling across the Easter break, it can be easy to rush through the shorter working week, only to realise that you don’t have anything in the diary. Why not use it as an opportunity to check out a restaurant you’ve been meaning to visit? Or grab a takeaway pastry from a top-notch bakery and stroll through a new neighbourhood? Below, you’ll find a selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs we recommend – all of which are open across the entire Easter weekend (but it’s still best to check the venue’s websites as hours may slightly differ).
Central London
• Grab a pint or nab a walk-in table for dinner or Sunday lunch at the charming Shaston Arms in Soho.
• Soho’s new Osteria Vibrato is the kind of warm, candlelit Italian restaurant you could spend hours in – and walk-ins for drinks and snacks are available.
• Be one of the first to dine at Romano’s, the elegant upstairs brasserie at Simpson’s in the Strand. Reservations are available for dinner.
• Sip a £5 vermouth cocktail with “Italian-ish” small plates at the new Soho outpost of Forza Wine.
North London
• The Parakeet in Kentish Town is everything you want in a lively neighbourhood pub.
• Craving Italian? You can’t go wrong at Trullo, the always-buzzing neighbourhood restaurant famous for its fresh pasta. Walk-ins are available.
• If the weather’s playing ball, head to Fink's in Clissold Park, pick up a seasonal pastry and a coffee, then explore the expansive green space.
• It’s DJs every night of the Easter weekend at One Eighty One, Islington’s record shop and cafe by day and bar by night.
South London
• Turn up the heat at Rambutan, chef Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Sri Lankan restaurant in Borough Market.
• Raise a glass to the long weekend in style at Lyaness, the Thameside cocktail bar by mixology expert (and Broadsheet columnist)) Mr Lyan.
• Head to Nunhead for a pint of Guinness or some Thai dishes at Skehan's, the Irish pub with live music six days a week.
• Grab yourself a top-notch pastry to take away at August Bakery, conveniently located a stone’s throw from Clapham Common – perfect for a bank holiday stroll.
East London
• Even if you’ve been to one of the other three Hoppers restaurants, it’s well worth trying its newest Shoreditch spot, which celebrates regional cuisines of south Asia.
• Grab a slice of New York-style pizza at Vincenzo’s, an opt for the hot honey and fresh pesto on the side.
• It’s shaping up to be a big weekend at Mare Street Market, with DJs every day of the Easter break and dining across its open kitchen and Chandelier Room.
• Sip bank holiday pints at Pembury Tavern, home of the Five Points Brewing Company.
West London
• The Hart is always a good shout for its rustic yet perfectly executed pub fare and cosy booths.
• Try hand-pulled noodle queen Guirong Wei’s new Fulham restaurant The Wei, which has a special focus on dumplings.
• Much-loved west London pub The Salusbury is ideal for sharing elevated pub snacks at the bar, or a hearty lunch.
• It’s walk-ins only at Canteen, Portobello Road’s no-fuss Italian restaurant with a menu that changes daily.
