OXBO Bankside

You're walking past the Globe, the river's gleaming behind you, and you duck into OXBO—a place that gets the balance right between looking proper and feeling genuinely welcoming. The vibe here is modern without being try-hard: dark wood, moody lighting, the kind of space where you can have a proper conversation without shouting. The menu's unashamedly Spanish, leaning into quality ingredients done simply—think croquetas that actually taste of something, seafood that's been treated with respect, and a wine list that knows what it's doing. Bankside's heaving with restaurants, but this one manages to feel like somewhere locals actually come back to, not just tourists ticking boxes.