WHERE TO EAT IN LONDON DURING FRIEZE | THE RAKISH GENT GUIDE
If Frieze had an afterparty, it would probably be at The Aubrey. Housed inside the Mandarin Oriental, it delivers Japanese izakaya dining with elevated precision—Popcorn Lobster, Sandos, and the Medusa Spritz cocktail from their “Yellow Book Vol. 2.” The interiors, designed by Brady Williams, are a masterclass in mood: rich, layered, and effortlessly theatrical.
Frieze Week — London’s annual convergence of art, culture, and cool — returns from 15–19 October, drawing the global creative crowd to Regent’s Park and beyond. But between galleries and installations, the question remains: where to eat? Whether you’re in Mayfair for a martini, Marylebone for modern Italian, or Shoreditch for something more subversive, this is where The Rakish Gent will be dining during Frieze.
Created by Frieze co-founders Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, Toklas is a natural homecoming for fairgoers. Set within the brutalist shell of 180 The Strand, the restaurant and bar serve a weekly-changing Mediterranean menu from Head Chef Chris Shaw, paired with a bakery next door turning out breads, patisserie, and coffee for the creative crowd. It’s understated, quietly confident, and exactly the kind of place you’d expect from the minds behind the fair itself.
A restaurant as sharp as the tailoring it neighbours, 45 Jermyn St remains one of London’s most stylish addresses for an all-day affair. During Frieze, stop in for the Lobster spaghetti, flambéed tableside, or a perfectly chilled Martini 45, served in its own ice bottle. To mark its tenth anniversary, the restaurant unveils new awnings by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, bringing colour and artistic flair to the restaurant’s classic facade—an homage to its creative clientele.
Recently relocated from Peckham to Marylebone, Kudu blends South African soul with modern European precision. Designed by co-founder Amy Corbin in collaboration with Fabled Studio, it’s an inviting mix of earthy tones and artistic detail, complete with works by South African artists. The menu, built around the open braai, turns out smoky, flavour-forward dishes perfect for those escaping the Frieze crowds.
Chile meets London at Mareida, a newly opened restaurant blurring the lines between dining and design. The interiors—bespoke native wood tables, volcanic rock tiles, and contemporary art—set the tone for a menu rooted in Chilean flavours and storytelling. During Frieze Week, it’s the restaurant everyone will be talking about before the art.
Located within Blue Mountain School, Cycene is part-restaurant, part-art installation. The Michelin-starred dining experience unfolds across several rooms, blending food, design, and ritual. For Frieze Week, Cycene pairs its nine-course tasting menu—think 10-day aged cod with lemon verbena butter—with Alchemy and Form, the debut furniture exhibition from SASA Works housed beneath the restaurant. The result? A rare intersection of art and appetite that feels distinctly East London.
Finally, no Frieze week would be complete without Rita’s. Returning for its seventh consecutive year, the Soho cult favourite sets up shop inside the fair itself, serving tacos and subs to fuel collectors and curators alike. It’s quick, loud, and addictive—proof that sometimes, great art deserves great tacos.
Angela Hartnett’s Café Murano has expanded into Marylebone with its first breakfast menu and a refreshed Italian offering. Expect handmade pastas, regional cicchetti, and the comforting warmth that defines Hartnett’s approach to Italian cooking. The interiors are softly elegant—green leather banquettes, Murano glass lighting—and dotted with personal touches, including oil portraits of Hartnett’s dogs, Betty and Alfie. It’s refined but relaxed; a well-tailored restaurant for London’s well-tailored crowd.
Jake Finn’s St John’s Wood restaurant Cinder unveils a new collaboration with Woolff Gallery, bringing contemporary art into the restaurant and ground floor ‘speakeasy’ private dining room. The installation features striking works by Susila Bailey-Bond, Joanne Tinker and Patrick Boyd. Among the highlights is Boyd’s Staple Diet, a witty print depicting a crew of 3D-printed miniature figures dining on a feast of staples. The display marks the start of an ongoing partnership between Cinder and Woolff Gallery.
The Connaught Grill x Purdey | Mayfair
Heritage meets precision at The Connaught Grill, where the legendary Mayfair dining room is marking game season with a Purdey collaboration. Think tailored service with bespoke napkins and tableside theatrics and the Game Pie—featuring squab, venison, and rabbit—pays homage to British fieldcraft. Even the cocktails nod to the collaboration: the Game Changer, a mix of sloe gin, bergamot, and champagne, is poured into the Tom Purdey signature flask. It’s indulgence, redefined.
Trullo at Frieze Masters | Regent’s Park
North London’s beloved Trullo makes its Frieze debut this year, bringing its trattoria soul to the fair itself. Expect a menu that feels both grounded and celebratory: hand-dived scallops with pangrattato, pappardelle with beef shin ragu, and the iconic tiramisu. It’s the sort of food that makes you pause mid-art chat, fork in hand, and remember that Italian simplicity can be its own form of art.
Claridge’s Restaurant x Dante | Mayfair
For those who prefer their martinis with a touch of Manhattan nostalgia, Claridge’s Restaurant plays host to Dante, the NYC bar that’s become synonymous with transatlantic style. Inside the art deco dining room designed by Bryan O’Sullivan, guests can order Caviar Martinis, NY Strips, or a Shrimp Cocktail, all while soaking in the quiet glamour of Mayfair. The collaboration runs through December, offering Frieze-goers a taste of Fifth Avenue sophistication without leaving London.