If you can't book ahead, arriving right at opening or well before the typical dinner rush (before 6:30pm or so) gives you the best odds of a walk-in table without a booking.

This sits between Reservations and Reservations Required: the restaurant will seat walk-ins if it has space, but doesn't guarantee it, so a booking removes the risk of waiting or being turned away, particularly on weekend evenings.

Looking at the 51 reservations recommended listings we track, the highest concentration is in Westminster (19), Kensington and Chelsea (8), Richmond upon Thames (6). By cuisine, it's most common among Italian restaurant (9), Indian restaurant (4), Seafood restaurant (4).

Restaurants built around a raw bar or a small daily catch, where the kitchen can only serve as many covers as the fresh seafood available that day allows, are a common source of this tag in London.

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Reservations Reservations required Good for groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between this and Reservations Required?

Reservations Required means walk-ins generally aren't seated at all; Reservations Recommended means the restaurant will seat walk-ins if it has space, but doesn't guarantee it.

What's the best time to walk in without a booking?

Arriving right at opening or well before the typical dinner rush, before around 6:30pm, gives you the best odds of a walk-in table.

Where in London is reservations recommended most common?

Westminster has the most, with 19 of the 51 restaurants we list offering reservations recommended.