I’m planning a trip to London and I’m a bit confused about restaurant and bar dress codes, specifically “smart casual.”
Most of the places I’ve looked at list smart casual as the required dress code, but when I check photos online the reality seems very inconsistent. I’ve seen everything from people in shorts and T shirts to others wearing button down shirts, jackets, and more formal outfits.
What I’m trying to figure out is how to interpret this in practice as a visitor. I will be touring during the day, so I won’t always be dressed formally, and I’m trying to understand when I can go straight to dinner versus when I should go back to the hotel to change.
I assume some places are truly casual and others lean more upscale, but it is hard to tell from the wording alone. Some venues also mention rules like no tracksuits, which makes me think that might just be standard wording to keep things slightly more polished rather than indicating a strict dress code.
For those familiar with London dining culture, is there a reliable way to tell how strict a “smart casual” requirement actually is? Or is looking at photos the best method to gauge it?
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