London Fashion Week 2025 drinking and dining hotspots
From hidden Mayfair speakeasies to Parisian dining rooms doubling as art galleries, London’s restaurants are stepping up for Fashion Week (18-22 Sept). Expect limited-edition drinks, star-spangled guest lists and many social media stunts.
Aqua Kyoto courts Steve Madden
Soho’s Aqua Kyoto has paired Japanese plates with a fashion makeover. From 17–24 September, it partners with shoe designer Steve Madden on cocktails and desserts. Order the KANJI 17 (vodka, citrus, sage) or a black sesame fondant, post it on Instagram and you may walk out with a new pair of heels. Not haute couture, but close enough.
Gaia Mayfair draws the show ponies
Mayfair’s Gaia has become shorthand for the fashionable lunch. Founded by restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin and chef Izu Ani, it is Greek-Mediterranean glamour in limestone arches and azure upholstery. Recent guests include Drake and the Beckhams. The wine list leans European, the cocktails more experimental. If you are not here during Fashion Week, someone else will be, obviously.
NYX: the secret beneath
Slip through a door at Gaia and you arrive in NYX. Naomi Campbell and Katherine Langford have already been spotted. From 9pm, NYX offers a calm and intimate lounge experience, but after midnight, the resident DJs curate an energetic atmosphere with cutting-edge music and a premium party vibe. London has plenty of bars, but few with this much theatre packed into a velvet-lined basement.
La Maison Ani hangs art on the plate
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Over in Belgravia, La Maison Ani is hosting an exhibition with Mayfair’s JD Malat Gallery. From 8 September to 8 October, Ghanaian artist Kojo Marfo’s latest works hang in the dining room, with chef Izu Ani serving a four-course menu inspired by each painting. It is as close as one gets to eating an art installation.
Bund Lounge aims sky high
On the 28th floor of the Hilton on Park Lane, Bund Lounge is Mayfair’s newest high-altitude distraction. Styled on 1930s Shanghai, it holds only 88 guests, which is about the same as a medium-sized afterparty guest list. DJ Guy Gerber headlines its official launch on 18 September. Fashion Week cocktails are devised with Seventy One Gin, and Don Julio 1942 is poured. Open until 4am. Bring stamina.
Chiltern Firehouse remains evergreen
Ten years in, Chiltern Firehouse still attracts models, actors and stylists into its Marylebone courtyard. Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss have long been loyal, and during Fashion Week, the courtyard buzzes with espresso martinis and midnight gossip. The ricotta pancakes at breakfast are the most reliable paparazzi magnet in W1.
Sexy Fish goes flamboyant
If Chiltern whispers, Sexy Fish shouts. Damien Hirst’s mermaids, tropical fish tanks and pan-Asian plates make it the most theatrical dining room in Mayfair. DJs keep the energy dialled up while Champagne flows freely. Guides have previously quipped, “Prepare to party with the FROWers”, and they were not wrong.
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