Where the Royal Family love to eat and drink, from Bluebird to Bunga Bunga
Does The Queen ever dine out? Is Prince Charles a fan of curry? Would Prince Harry ever be seen noshing on a burger at a high street chain? The answer to all three questions is: yes.
Luckily for royal watchers at home and abroad, the whereabouts of the world's favourite HRHs are always well documented. Unsurprisingly, what goes on inside the establishments they visit stays inside, and privacy and discretion reign supreme – although behind closed doors, we all know that a royal loves to let their hair down.
If like us, you're hoping to be Meghan's new bestie or Harry's next drinking buddy – for as long as they're still skipping about the capital – look no further, as we've uncovered all the spots where you're most likely to bump into them. Alternatively, a trip across the Atlantic may prove fruitful.
From The Rum Kitchen to Byron, Claridge's to Bocca di Lupo and Bluebird, here's where you can spot (and dine like) a royal right now.
The Queen
Very rarely does Her Majesty dine out. If she does, it's for special occasions and events only. In her momentous 65-year reign, The Queen has been spotted dining and drinking in a variety of places including luxury hotels Claridge’s and The Goring, Mayfair haunts Quaglino’s and Bellamy’s, and West End favourite The Ivy. And Fortnum’s of course, purveyors of royal goods for hundreds of years.
Prince Philip
Although he keeps to Sandringham these days, if like me you spent 10 solid hours binge watching the early seasons of The Crown, you’ll know that Prince Phillip was quite the party animal in his younger days. To experience London town Philip-style, head to The Arts Club, a literary, arts and science club whose co-founders and early members included the likes of Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling. The Prince loves the place so much, that he is the gaff’s patron – make sure you Instagram his portrait hanging in the stairwell.
Prince Charles
The heir apparent's love for eating out is well documented, so much so that he even opened his own restaurant and gift shop, Rothesay Rooms in Ballater, Scotland in 2016. He's also said to be something of a curry fanatic. In 2006, his favourite curry house Brilliant was named best Punjabi restaurant and was awarded the lifetime achievement award in the Cobra Good Curry Awards – Gordon Ramsay even gave it the thumbs up, so it's only natural we trust the Prince's judgement.
Prince William
Like his brother Harry, Prince William is known to enjoy the odd night out. In his younger days, you'd often find him at Mahiki – a favourite with many young royals, including his wife Catherine and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Since then, the future king's once-loved hangout has changed a little. You can currently find a Japanese-influenced food menu to accompany your tiki cocktails, with dishes including soft shell crab spider roll maki and a fried chicken kara-age sliders.
You might also remember that the Duke and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge treated 27 members of their staff to Christmas lunch at Bumpkin in South Kensington in 2012. Everyone – from their press team to members of the household cavalry – got to tuck into a special festive menu in a private dining room. Other restaurant adventures with his wife, brother and cousins include rare appearances at members-only club Annabel’s (a favourite of his father and late mother, Diana Princess of Wales) and its sister, Loulou’s, also known as 5 Hertford Street.
Duchess of Cambridge
One word: Bluebird. The Duchess of Cambridge has been frequently papped at Chelsea’s Bluebird restaurant. Never been? Expect a menu of classic British fare and a knockout cocktail bar often frequented by the stars of Made in Chelsea.
Before she married into the Royal Family, several newspapers reported that she often had cutesy date nights with then-boyfriend William at Dans Le Noir?. Inside this Clerkenwell haunt, guests dine in complete darkness and dinner is served by blind waiters. Both would have dined anonymously. Who knows, you could have sat next to one of them.
Like The Queen, Kate has been spotted numerous times at the Goring Hotel. She famously stayed at the luxury five-star hotel with her family the night before the Royal Wedding, and even made a special appearance for its 105th anniversary party. Kate’s love for the place also extends to Prince Harry who notoriously fell off the hotel terrace and has been seen partying alongside Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie countless times. It’s even rumoured that a secret tunnel connects the hotel to Buckingham Palace. Very convenient.
Prince Harry
Before Harry met Meghan, the young royal was spotted with then-girlfriend Cressida Bonas dining at Notting Hill spot, The Rum Kitchen. If you've never been, you'll understand why the Prince loves it so much. The group has since closed its west London location, but the Brixton and Soho locations of the vibrant, Caribbean-inspired shack serve all sorts of west Indian classics (think jerk chicken wings, seafood gumbo and curry mutton) to the sounds of calypso beats – our Harry is quite the party animal, if you hadn't already noticed.
Another surprising favourite is the High Street Kensington branch of Byron. While the idea of Harry tucking into one of the burger chain's legendary "proper" patties may seem a little surprising, it's rumoured the Prince would regularly pop into the low-key eatery – it does make a whole lot of sense considering he lived around the corner. Burger shacks aside, the Prince has also been seen dining at the likes of pizza mecca Bunga Bunga and downing a few pints at the Sands End pub. Now, though, we imagine he has a taste for poutine.
Duchess of Sussex
Megan has been seen swishing back fine cocktails at Chiltern Firehouse and eating out at Italian favourite Bocca di Lupo. The most well-known spot she’s been seen dining in, however, is international members-only club Soho House. It’s said she had many a secret royal date with Prince Harry there, perhaps set up by close friend Markus Anderson, the "king" of Soho House and consultant to the chain worldwide. The group, incidentally, do have branches in Toronto and Vancouver.
