If January is anything to go by, 2026 is set to be an exciting year for London-dwellers. Whether you're based in London or are looking to explore the city for the first time, the capital city has a wealth of new offerings each month, and team HELLO! has been trying the best on offer this February.
From delicious French food just moments from Piccadilly Station to romantic three-course dining with views over the River Thames, we are bringing you our honest reviews of the best places to eat and drink and the newest activities to keep you busy in London this month – and spoiler alert, our top picks won't break the bank.
Where to eat and drink
Succulent steak for under £20
Having arrived in London from the Middle East, Swiss Butter is the latest offering on the city's steakhouse scene and HELLO!'s Lifestyle team couldn't have been more impressed with the offering. Based on Southampton Row, just a stone's throw from Tottenham Court Road, this restaurant keeps its menu simple – but so delicious.
Steak Butter offers three dishes (steak, chicken or salmon) with their signature sauce, chips and salad. Several of us indulged in the fillet steak (priced at £19.95), which was generous in size and cooked to perfection. Meanwhile, one member of our dining party enjoyed the salmon (which she attested was moist and flavourful), while another tried the chicken, which was equally moreish.
The sauce was total garlicky goodness, and the accompanying crusty bread was the perfect addition, ensuring we could mop up every last morsel. Fries and salad balanced the protein portion of the meal perfectly and kept us full for hours afterwards.
That said, after our mains, which had been washed down with a cold glass of house white, we had to stick around for dessert. It was the molten chocolate cake all round – perfectly warm, oozing chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream, it was simply divine. The central London location makes it the perfect end to a day spent exploring, and the atmosphere was lively enough to make any girlie catch-up a total delight.
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Reviewed by HELLO!'s Lifestyle Team
Cafe society in Central London
Brasserie Zedel is a London institution for a reason. Just minutes' walk from Piccadilly Station, its unassuming entrance belies the art deco glamour of its restaurant, which has been serving fantastic French food to tourists and locals alike for nearly 15 years.
Customers can choose between a well-priced classic prix fixe menu, which features traditional dishes such as eggs mayonnaise to start and steak hache for mains, the plats du jour, which change daily, and include orders like rabbit in a mustard sauce, and a set formule, which features celeriac starter, twice-baked Swiss cheese soufflé for a main and a lemon meringue tart for dessert.
The à la carte menu is home to some of my favourite French dishes - all reasonably priced given its central location. I always order a large, tangy steak tartare - mopped up with lots of complementary bread and butter - followed by a mountain of profiteroles with chocolate sauce. Vegetarians and carnivores alike are well catered for, with meat-free options sitting alongside andouillette (tripe sausage), and the wine list is fun to work your way through.
As well as the restaurant, the building is home to an American bar and the Crazy Coqs live music and cabaret venue.
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Reviewed by Miranda Thompson, Features Editor
Romantic three-course dining on the River Thames
With restaurants dotted all over London, you can be sure that whatever your plans entail in the capital, you can rely on delicious food and drinks at one of Brown’s many branches. I visited their Butlers Wharf venue, which is situated on the River Thames and looks out onto Tower Bridge, offering stunning evening views from their window seats. They also have a fab outdoor terrace for when spring finally comes along.
The menu offers a delicious mix of classic comforts, including seafood and even traditional roasts on a Sunday afternoon. We opted for the seafood platter to share, which was absolutely delicious, and the amazing staff recommended a crisp white wine to pair perfectly with our main of prawns and chorizo linguine.
We also tried one of their amazing cocktails - mine was the mango mimosa, made with champagne, Cîroc vodka, and mango - which was the perfect way to start the evening. The food, atmosphere, and genuinely kind staff really make it a special and romantic spot in the capital.
For Valentine’s Day this year, the restaurant is also offering a three-course menu for the day of love, featuring classic seafood dishes such as lobster linguine, alongside indulgent desserts like champagne sabayon.
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By Katy Huke, Audience Development Manager
A very special bistro
The Starling bistro in Esher really is something special. Thirty minutes from London by train, Esher itself is on the doorstep of Sandown racecourse, a royal favourite. Close by, on the high street, you'll find this beautiful, modern bistro that's already been awarded a Michelin star. Starling was opened by Great British Menu winner Nick Beardshaw in 2024 with the aim of cooking the best of British produce in a relaxed environment.
And, entering Starling on a wet Thursday lunchtime, you can see immediately why it's been a hit with the locals, with babies and birthday parties among the tables. Within the well-appointed surroundings, you're immediately well looked after - we particularly enjoyed talking through the wine menu with expert head sommelier James, and the clever wines he paired each dish with - but the lovely staff are simply attentive, rather than encroaching on your meal.
While many of our fellow diners were working their way through a reasonably priced set lunch menu (available Wednesday and Thursday for £37.50), we opted to go à la carte, beginning with moreish truffle crumpets dusted with parmesan. My husband started with more cheese in the form of a Comte Royale with pickled walnut ketchup and a burnt onion cracker - the cheese transformed into a panna cotta-like texture - while I opted for a steak tartare, topped with a deep-fried egg. Every mouthful was moreish.
I chose a pork tenderloin served with crispy, light crackling and an unbelievable malt-glazed cheek for my main, while my husband loved his melt-in-the-mouth venison with blackberry ketchup, savoy cabbage and black pudding. Vanilla ice cream topped with peanuts, caramel and malted milk pieces was the perfect way to finish - especially once we dug into the chunk of chocolate concealed at the bottom of the glass. A visit to Starling was absolutely worth the trip.
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Reviewed by Miranda Thompson, Features Editor