The 5 very best buffet restaurants in London

Indian Villa in Ealing Common is bringing India to London with their traditional cooking techniques, fresh quality ingredients, and classic Indian decor. On Sundays, you’ll be able to eat to your heart’s content with their buffet running from 1pm to 9pm every week. Dish up your own plates with the likes of classic curries, freshly baked naan, flavourful biryanis, and an assortment of vegetarian options to keep everyone happy.

Pile your plate high with butter chicken, tikka masala, chilli chicken and chilli prawns, lamb seekh kebab, and onion bhaji, all to be enjoyed in the relaxing, comfortable setting of the West London restaurant. The staff are welcoming and knowledgeable, ready to advise you on all the dishes available and can help you decide which of their old-style Indian dishes are right for you.

Battersea Park Road’s Sushi Cafe has quietly become one of the area’s most revered eateries, and can more often than not be found packed out with punters who are in on the secret. In true Ikazaya style, its interiors are laidback and minimal, allowing the main focus to fall on the quality of the food and the drinks selection. 

While there is an à la carte menu, the buffet option here is a no-brainer: £25.80 per adult for an hour and a half of (almost) unlimited mouthwatering morsels. The menu features close to 100 different plates, from sashimi to steam buns, as well as a generous list of wines and sakes for washing down and unwinding. There are some limits to how many times a certain dish can be ordered, and some cost a little extra, however there’s no chance of you going home peckish…

The buffet experience at this Brazilian steakhouse is a little unusual. This kind of restaurant is actually known as a churrascaria, which means the meat is usually prepared with sea salt, peppercorns and garlic, before being barbecued and served rodízio style – by roving waiters who move from table to table. 

First, diners are encouraged to help themselves to a buffet selection of salads and traditional dishes, such as the national dish of Brazil, feijoada, which is a rich stew made up of black beans, beef and pork. Meanwhile, on each table there’s a card that is green on one side and red on the other – green meaning a passador will stop, carve and serve succulent strips of meat straight off the skewers. There are fifteen different cuts of meat on offer here, including the juicy prime picanha, which is one of the most popular choices in Brazil, as well as chicken hearts, which are apparently devoured so much in this South American country that they are the only part of the animal that it doesn’t export. With smoky, umami flavours and immensely satisfying portions, this spot is a must for adventurous carnivores.

Aroma Buffet might be located in a shopping centre, but don’t let that put you off. The restaurant describes itself as Pan-Asian, and to its credit, it serves aromatic Indonesian rendang curries, as well as elegant plates of sushi and tasty teppanyaki-style meat. 

Diners will also find all of the Chinese restaurant classics cooked with care and consideration, from zingy Singapore noodles to salty beef in black bean sauce, and incredibly moreish Peking duck with soft, floury pancakes. Make sure you leave room for dessert – arrays of perfectly iced cakes and a chocolate fountain are far too alluring to miss out on. The decor is sleek, with tasteful decorative touches and low lighting, making Aroma Buffet somewhere you could comfortably stay a little while. 

In the heart of London’s theatreland lies an eatery where you can become part of the production. The contemporary, industrial-style Jumak39 features a Korean and Japanese à la carte restaurant on the ground floor, where you can order bento boxes and hotpots – not all that unusual for central London. 

If you venture downstairs however, you’ll find a neon-lit basement where you can indulge in an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue that you’ll actually get to cook yourself. Each table has a grill in the middle, where you place your chosen cuts, and while these cook, you can pile your plate with unlimited sides and salad. Whether you choose to wrap your meat in lettuce (Korean style), or do your own thing entirely, this buffet joint adds another element of excitement to the whole experience.

This Islington institution has gained almost cult status over the past few years, which is partly due to its frankly bonkers prices, in addition to its unconventional decor. You can eat as much as you like of its completely vegetarian selection of Indian dishes – including various curries, dahl, rice, and breads – for just £8.95. Plus, you can bring along your own wine and beer if you wish. The interiors are understandably basic, however the walls are plastered with words of affirmation and support for the vegetarian lifestyle and there’s a warm community atmosphere.