How Much Does a Restaurant Fit-Out Cost in London in 2026?
Opening a restaurant in London is exciting. Seeing the first fit out quote can be less so.
From the outside it looks simple: tables, lights, a bar, a kitchen and some finishes. In reality, every great hospitality interior is the result of many invisible decisions across design, construction, services, compliance and branding that all have a cost attached.
If you are planning a new venue or a rebrand, you are probably asking a simple question: what is the real restaurant fit out cost London 2026 operators should plan for, and where does that money actually go?
This guide brings together real numbers, design insight and practical advice so you can brief your team, manage risk and invest with confidence.
Restaurant Fit-Out Cost At A Glance
For a quality restaurant fit out in London, expect £2,000 to £4,000 per square metre depending on design level, technical complexity and existing services.
As a starting point, that typically looks like:
- 60 m² café or takeaway: roughly £150K to £250K
- 150 m² independent restaurant: roughly £300K to £600K
- 300 m² flagship or fine dining venue: £750K+
These figures usually include design, construction, joinery, lighting and compliance, not just loose decor or furniture. If you receive a quote at £800 per m² in London, it is unlikely to cover what a real hospitality interior needs in terms of services, finishes and compliance.
Where Your Restaurant Fit-Out Budget Really Goes
A restaurant is closer to a boutique hotel than a simple shop fit. Mechanical systems, specialist finishes, lighting, acoustics and branding all have to work together, which is why line items add up quickly.
A typical restaurant renovation budget in London breaks down roughly as follows:
- Construction and fit out (35-45%)
Floors, walls, ceilings, partitions, plumbing, electrics, HVAC and fire strategy. - Joinery and furniture (20-25%)
Bar counters, banquettes, waiter stations, loose tables and chairs and bespoke features. - Kitchen and extraction (15-20%)
Commercial kitchen equipment, extract hoods, ductwork, grease management and fans. - Lighting and sound (5-8%)
Architectural lighting, controls, decorative fixtures and acoustic or sound design. - Design, branding and project management (10-15%)
Interior concept, technical drawings, brand work, permissions, coordination and site management. - Contingency (5-10%)
Unforeseen conditions, council or landlord requirements and cost inflation.
Understanding this mix upfront makes it much easier to compare quotes between design and build teams or general contractors for a commercial fit out London wide.
Basic, Mid Range And Luxury Fit-Outs
Not every project aims for a flagship restaurant interior design cost UK clients would associate with fine dining.
Design choices, materials and customisation have a direct impact on cost per square metre.
Basic (around £1,200 to £2,000 per m²)
Think quick service cafés or simple takeaways. Finishes are robust but minimal, furniture is mostly off the shelf and kitchen equipment is functional rather than premium. The focus is speed and practicality over long form brand experience.
Mid range (around £2,000 to £3,000 per m²)
Independent restaurants with a clear point of view usually sit here. You will see a custom bar, considered lighting design, a focused material palette and some bespoke joinery that makes the space feel tailored to the concept.
Luxury and flagship (around £3,000 to £5,000+ per m²)
Fine dining, hotel restaurants and destination venues belong in this bracket. Expect bespoke joinery throughout, stone or terrazzo floors, layered lighting, art curation, acoustic treatment and often more complex structural or services work.
The visual difference between a £200K restaurant and a £600K restaurant is rarely about size alone. It is usually about detailing, material quality and the amount of custom work.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions At First
Some of the biggest line items in a hospitality interior design London project do not show in moodboards. They sit inside ceilings, risers and plant rooms, but they are essential for opening.
Typical hidden or underappreciated costs include:
Structural modifications: especially in older London buildings that may need strengthening before fit out works begin.
Extraction and ventilation: often £25K to £80K depending on duct length, riser access and roof plant.
Licensing, fire alarms and life safety: usually £5K to £15K once design, installation and certification are included.
Disabled access compliance: required in all commercial premises, often involving ramps, accessible WCs and door adjustments.
Grease traps and drainage: typically £5K to £20K depending on existing infrastructure and council requirements.
External signage and canopies: usually £2K to £10K for quality, landlord approved elements.
Many lower cost quotes quietly exclude one or more of these, which is why it is so important to compare scope, not just the final figure.
Design First, Build Second
The most expensive mistake new restaurateurs make is building before the design is fully resolved.
Without a clear interior concept, coordinated technical drawings and a defined specification, contractors are left to guess details on site. That almost always leads to variation orders, delays and compromises.
A design led process, like the approach we use at Accanto, brings together:
- Guest journey, zoning and seating strategy
- Lighting and acoustics
- Kitchen, bar and back of house planning
- Brand, signage and menu integration
- Material, furniture and joinery specification
When these elements are designed as one system, you avoid costly rework and your restaurant fit out cost London 2026 budget goes into the things guests feel, not last minute fixes.
How Long A Restaurant Fit-Out Takes
Ambient restaurant lighting should never be static. Daylight, service patterns and guest expectations all shift across the day.
Smart dimmers and control systems let you move from lunch brightness to evening intimacy without losing coherence. You can set different scenes for brunch, pre theatre service and late night drinks while keeping the same fixtures in place.
You are not just lighting a room. You are directing a story that unfolds over the course of the day..
Let Materials Glow, Not The Fixtures
Alongside budget, timeline is usually the next big question. You want to open as early as possible, but you also need enough time to do the job properly.
Indicative build durations are:
- Shell and core (empty unit): around 16 to 24 weeks of construction
- Refurbishment or rebrand of an existing restaurant: around 10 to 16 weeks
- Small café or takeaway: around 6 to 10 weeks
You should also allow 4 to 6 weeks ahead of those numbers for concept design, technical drawings and permissions. Starting the design phase at least three months before your ideal opening date is usually the safest route.
Where You Can Save Without Compromising The Experience
Not every cost saving is a false economy. There are smart ways to protect your budget while still achieving a strong outcome.
Typical places to save include:
- Reusing services
Keeping existing extraction routes, toilet cores or HVAC plant where possible can remove large costs from a commercial fit out London project. - Prioritising lighting and seating
Guests remember comfort, atmosphere and how they look and feel at the table more than the exact grade of floor tile. - Mixing materials intelligently
Using mid range substrates with premium looking finishes, such as a laminate carcass with a stone look top, offers good value. - Planning the kitchen and bar early
Moving a kitchen, bar or riser after drawings are issued can add tens of thousands of pounds, so give these areas attention at the start.
In short, spend where people sit, touch and look and be pragmatic in back of house or low impact zones.
The Cost Of Getting It Wrong
Accanto has been called in more than once to rescue restaurant projects that went to site too early with the wrong team.
Common issues include:
- Non compliant extraction routes that need reopening of ceilings and walls
- Poor quality joinery that fails under real service conditions
- Lighting layouts that make spaces feel flat or cold
- Services clashes that delay practical completion
By the time these are corrected, the original “cheap” restaurant renovation budget has usually doubled. On top of that, a delayed opening can cost £10K or more per week in lost revenue, which can easily outweigh any perceived saving on design or management fees. budget. That is the power of lighting in the age of social dining.
Why A Design And Build Approach Can Save Money
Working with a dedicated restaurant design and build studio gives you a single point of accountability for both your restaurant interior design cost UK wide and your construction delivery.
At Accanto, design and construction sit under one roof. The same team that develops your concept also prepares your drawings, coordinates with trades and oversees the build. That means:
- One set of drawings and specifications
- Fewer gaps between disciplines
- Faster decision making on site
- Less scope for blame when challenges arise
For many clients, a design build arrangement reduces total project cost by 10 to 15 percent compared to hiring separate designers, project managers and contractors, purely through efficiency and reduced duplication., which can easily outweigh any perceived saving on design or management fees. budget. That is the power of lighting in the age of social dining.
Real Example: Chiswick Kitchen
For a recent 150 m² project in Chiswick, our team delivered a full restaurant design and build package: from early sketches through to handover.
The scheme included a marble front bar, CNC cut wall panelling, bespoke banquette seating, layered lighting and a robust back of house layout that could keep up with service.
- Size: 150 m²
- Total cost: approximately £420K
- Programme: 16 weeks on site
The result was a 120 seat venue that recouped its investment within the first year of trading. In cases like this, interior design is not a nice to have. It is an asset that shapes brand, revenue and long term value.
Key Takeaway
The true restaurant fit out cost London 2026 operators should plan for is about more than finishes. It sits in the quality of planning, the way services and structure are coordinated and the strength of the design vision behind every decision.
Design intelligently, build once and direct your budget towards the parts of the experience that guests and investors will actually feel.
Working With Accanto Interiors
Accanto Interiors is a London based design build studio for heritage and luxury homes. We blend architecture, interiors, and construction into one seamless process, so your project feels curated rather than chaotic.
If you are planning a renovation of a Victorian, Georgian, or Edwardian property and want to combine old and new interiors without losing the character you first fell in love with, we would be delighted to help.
Book a consultation via our website and start shaping the next chapter of your home’s story.
