October's wet. Eat well anyway.
By October the game season is open, the first truffles are turning up and London's kitchens are cooking with whatever the harvest brings in, which more than makes up for this usually being the city's wettest month.
Game at Rules, and Notting Hill's three stars
Rules, on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, has been open since 1798 and is the London restaurant most tied to game. From autumn the menu fills up with grouse, partridge, pheasant and venison, and the panelled dining room, hung with cartoons and paintings, suits the food. A weekday lunch is when the room is at its calmest.
Two of London's three-star restaurants are in Notting Hill. Core by Clare Smyth, on Kensington Park Road, cooks British produce with real care, and its potato and roscoff onion dishes are famous. The Ledbury on Ledbury Road, Brett Graham's place, has long been at its best with game and autumn produce, and both need booking weeks ahead.
Mayfair and St James's
Umu on Bruton Place has held a Michelin star for over twenty years for Kyoto-style cooking that follows the Japanese seasons closely, and in autumn that means matsutake. Angela Hartnett's Murano on Queen Street also has a star and changes its Italian menu with the season. In St James's, Michael Caines at The Stafford, another one-star, does Sunday lunch with roast beef.
Staying in London?
Search 155 serviced apartments, or ask a residence for its private direct rate.
Get the direct rate → or call 020 3790 7766
Sunday roasts and Saturday markets
Once the clocks go back, a long Sunday lunch makes sense again. The Harwood Arms in Fulham is a Michelin-starred pub known for its game, serving Sunday lunch right through the afternoon, with bookings opening three months ahead. The Goring in Belgravia carves the beef at your table in its Michelin-starred Dining Room, and Fifty Cheyne, on Cheyne Walk in Chelsea, takes Sunday lunch bookings until 8pm.
If you've got a kitchen, autumn is when the Saturday farmers' markets are at their best. South Kensington on Bute Street, Pimlico Road on Orange Square and Notting Hill at Fox Primary School all run on Saturday mornings, and squash, wild mushrooms, apples and game all cook well in a small kitchen.
Food hygiene ratings for the places in this guide
Official fact Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, checked 23 September 2026. 5 is the top rating.
| Name | Registered address | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules | 34-35 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LB | 4 | Nov 2025 |
| The Ledbury | 127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ | 5 | Nov 2025 |
| Umu | 14-16 Bruton Place, W1J 6LX | 5 | Jul 2025 |
| Murano | 20-22 Queen Street, W1J 5PR | 5 | Mar 2024 |
| Michael Caines at The Stafford | The Stafford, 16-17 St James's Place, SW1A 1NJ | 5 | Nov 2025 |
| The Harwood Arms | Walham Grove, SW6 1QP | 5 | Feb 2025 |
| The Goring | 15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW | 5 | Mar 2025 |
| Fifty Cheyne | 50 Cheyne Walk, SW3 5LR | 5 | Aug 2026 |