The Restaurants Turning Recipes into Reads

We all love a good meal out – perusing a menu, quizzing a sommelier, sampling all the starters, sharing a pudding. But sometimes – particularly as the air cools and the leaves turn colour – there is nothing better than dining from the comfort of our own kitchen table. So, we’ve selected the top restaurants divulging their best-kept secrets, for the sake of those days when all we feel like is being a snug homebody. Hail, then, the best restaurant cookbooks, ready for us to sprinkle our own London-standard culinary magic. 

The River Café by Ruthie Rogers and Rosie Gray

The River Café has been firmly cemented in London lore for decades. Originally opened as a canteen for an architectural firm in 1987 by Ruthie Rogers and Rosie Gray, the River Café was once dubbed by The New Yorker as one of the best Italian restaurants in Europe. Considering it’s on the bank of the Thames and not the Tiber, that speaks volumes. Given the restaurant’s popularity, the ensuing recipe cookbook came as no surprise. Featuring an innovative reinterpretation of Italian farmhouse cooking, with an overarching emphasis on simple seasonal food and vibrant flavours. Be it the Tuscan bread soup Ribollita and the braised beef “Manzo in Tagame”, or the lemon cake and Zabaglione Ice Cream, these rustic recipes are testimony to the River Café’s ethos – unfussy, authentic, and ingredient-led cooking.

The River Café can be bought from penguin.co.uk

Arabica: Small Plates, Big Connections by James Walters 

James Walters, founder of Arabica, went from joining forces with a charismatic food stall seller in Borough Market twenty-five years ago to running two thriving restaurants in Borough and King’s Cross today. Through colourful dips, flaky pastries and sizzling grills, his book serves up an inspiring taste of his travels across the sensory-rich Levantine region he has explored since Arabica’s beginnings. From the sun-drenched sandstone hills of Jordan to the bustling, spice-laden souks of Damascus and Istanbul, this is a part of the world that never skimps on either variety or vibrancy – something his cooking doesn’t fail to reflect.

Find Arabica: Small Plates, Big Connections by James Walters at arabicalondon.com

The Ritz, London by John Williams MBE

What could be more quintessentially London than the Ritz? The glowing signs, the traditional white drapes, the blue awnings, it’s truly a landmark hotel. Dining there is nothing short of an elegant and sophisticated experience. And while you may not be able to replicate the silver service, you can definitely bring the haute cuisine home. Written by John Williams MBE, who served as Ritz London’s executive chef for 14 years, who has simplified the hotel’s historic dishes, making them more informal and accessible, despite the chef describing his food as “true gastronomy and purity”. Think fillet of turbot in a Champagne sauce, Dover sole à la meunière, and mousse with rhubarb and ginger.

Buy The Ritz London: The Cookbook from theritzlondon.com

The Book of St. John by Fergus  Henderson and Trevor Gulliver

Nose-to-tail, fin-to-gill, root-to-shoot eating has become increasingly popular in the last few years as part of a drive to become more sustainable and produce less waste. In London, nose to tail and St. John’s Smithfield are practically synonymous. If you ever pass the restaurant, you’ll likely see a burgeoning crowd largely comprised of East Londoners sat, perched, and stood on the pavement in their floor-length oversized coats and Margiela tabis. To mark St. John’s 25th anniversary, founders Fergus  Henderson and Trevor Gulliver published over 120 recipes in the Book of St. John – which sounds adequately biblical given the restaurant’s almost cult following. Alongside photos and illustrations from the duo, the cookbook provides an extremely user-friendly guide to demystify the process of offal and butchery. For novices, this may sound intimidating, however, with recipes for beef mince on dripping toast, the St. John Master Pickle Chutney, and Sherry Trifle, it’s a love letter to quality ingredients.

Roadtest classics from St. John by purchasing the recipe book from stjohnrestaurant.com

Claridge's the Cookbooky by Martyn Nail and Meredith Erikson

Legendary restaurant critic, Grace Dent, once said of The Claridge’s Restaurant: “This is where I’d head if world war broke out.” If that’s not high praise, we’re not quite sure what is. A temple of Art Deco, Claridge’s is an institution of Modern British dining and thanks to Chef Martyn Nail and Meredith Erikson, the secrets behind the time-honoured recipes have been revealed. The famous chicken pot pie – so good that apparently when a chef tried to retire it, he was “told by the powers that be, it was him or the pie" - is a particular highlight. Featuring a legendary two-day chicken stock, it balances comfort food with refined eating.

Order Clarige's The Cookbook from claridges.co.uk

Trullo by Tim Siadatan

It’s so easy to have disappointing Italian food in London because of the sheer volume of restaurants. Some lack flavour, others lack originality. Trullo absolutely falls into neither category. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that for Anglo-Italian restaurants, it’s one of the best in the city. Jay Rayner and Giles Coren would agree – the latter, who went twice in one week and said he “may never bother going anywhere ever again”. Tim Siadatan, Chef and Co-founder of Trullo (and Padella) has put pen to paper and written out some of the classics for Trullo the Cookbook. It includes warming, comforting recipes like the Roman classic, pici cacio e pepe, which is so simple, yet so easy to mess up, and which is the perfect cosy dish for a cold winter night.

Take home Trullo the Cookbook penguin.co.uk

OPSO: A Modern Greek Cookbook Book by Andreas Labridis and Nikos Roussos 

If you’ve dined at either OPSO or Kima, you’ll already know that their cooking captures the soul of Greece with contemporary flair – the creative vision of chefs Andreas Labridis and Nicolas Roussos, one of the country’s most celebrated talents and holder of two Michelin stars. Begin your morning with mountain eggs laced with black truffle, before moving onto a lunchtime feast of golden halloumi, gyros wraps and charcoaled turbot, kissed by smoke. And don’t forget to whip up some moustokoulouro cookies – rich with chocolate, brown sugar and cinnamon – for afters. You’ll find room for them one way or another.

For the best of Greek dining, purchase OPSO: A Modern Greek Cookbook  opso.co.uk

The Quality Chop House: Modern Recipes and Stories from a London Classic

There aren’t many restaurants left that have been open in London for over 150 years. Quality Chop House is one of the few and for good reason. Of course, there is more to the menu, but overall, the formula is simple: good meat and good potatoes. They don’t stop at a steak, there’s a huge emphasis on seasonal game and using the most flavourful part of an animal – no matter where it may come from. So while this may not be the book to buy if you’re a vegetarian, it’s absolutely the right call to satiate any carnivorous cravings. Proximity to a good butcher is a prerequisite for things like trotter tortellini and beef fat bread rolls, but it’s written in an accessible enough manner that you can replicate the restaurant’s classic.

Buy Quality Chop House: Modern Recipes and Stories from a London Classic from penguin.co.uk

Berber & Q, Josh Katz

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Set in an old taxi repair shop under the railway arches of Haggerston, is the industrial home of Berber & Q. Blending North African and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, with American Barbeque, it’s a smoky, spice-laden celebration of feasting. Think harissa hot wings with whipped feta. Although the small plates trend has (rightfully) been critiqued, Berber & Q's dishes are designed precisely for sharing. The various dips and grilled pita are just the gateway, which will have you salivating as you wait for the onslaught of slow-cooked meats, charred vegetables, and tangy spiced sauces. All of which has been carefully collated by Josh Katz, co-owner and chef into a cookbook. It’ll be no shock to readers that Katz is ex-Ottolenghi when they see the mouth-watering collection of plates. According to reviews, “every recipe is a showstopper, with many layers that build to create a complex flavour, and because of Josh Katz's clear, well-written instructions, it is a joy to cook from”.

Berber & Q is available from Josh Katz’s website chefjoshkatz.com

French Classics by Matthew Ryle

In his introduction, Maison François Executive Chef – and TikTok sensation – Matthew Ryle welcomes his readers to open this book after a long day, and “cook their problems away”. That we will do, as through the form of perfectly-puffed cheese soufflé or a hearty beef bourguignon, the book pours through several classics that are pure, comforting indulgence. Whether you’re cooking for one or hosting a Provençal-style feast to impress, Ryle’s recipes solve it all – each captured in stunning, cinematic visuals. And it’s no surprise: this is a chef who knows exactly how to make food look as good as it tastes.

French Classics by Matthew Ryle can be purchased from his website matthewryle.com