Battersea has seen a good number of restaurant openings over the past year – mostly chains given the exorbitant rental prices of Nine Elms and the Power Station. But just outside the main development lies a more hidden stretch under the arches, home to a handful of independents including the aptly named Archway, a charming, … Continue reading Archway
Folde showcases how satisfying cooking with veggies can be but in an unpreachy way. Formerly a morning-afternoon café, the next chapter in its journey is an evening offering. Seasonal, sustainable and thoughtful, Folde proves that the best veggie restaurants are those that don’t make a song and dance about it. A few minutes walk away … Continue reading Folde
Lai Rai (meaning “little by little”) brings the Vietnamese culture of bia hơi – a meeting for snacks and cold beers – to Peckham. A café by day (11am-3pm), this new spot becomes a satay-scented canteen by night (post 6pm). True to its name, it’s a spot ideal for long, summer nights. Situated on Rye Lane — a world … Continue reading Lai Rai
Sister to Amber, Ara has been set up by restauranteur Murat Kilic. Whilst Amber focuses on food from the “Middle East”, Ara has broader horizons with a menu influenced by Murat's "love of travel and experimentation". The result is Turkish food with Asian twists – think tahini mirin and umami dust. Indeed, this reflects Murat’s … Continue reading Ara
Chinese restaurants have tended to conform to a stereotype: steamy-windowed hotpot franchises, revivalist Hong Kong cafés and Sichuan joints abound. But the London Chinese food offering seems to be diversifying with a richer, more varied and culturally-faithful landscape – think little regional super-specialist restaurants drawing attention to diversity of Chinese cuisine and regional traditions – … Continue reading Hainan House
A no-frills taqueria inside the labyrinth of stalls within Peckham’s Rye Lane Market, this colourful all-day stall makes hand-pressed, 100% corn tortillas that must be among the best in London. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Gabriella and Manolo de la Torre, also known as “Taco Manny”, fast food is in de la Torre’s blood. His … Continue reading Guacamole’s
Sitting serenely within the Hyde Hotel, in the bustling heart of the City, is Turkish restaurant Leydi. The figure at the helm of this hotel restaurant is Oklava founder Selin Kiazim, who’s making her return to the London dining scene after she sadly had to close her Shoreditch restaurant in early 2023. Her plan here … Continue reading Leydi
The best sushi spots are often local, the kind of spot you keep returning to, for comfort and resetting. Located in leafy NW3, Jin Kichi must be the local gem for Hampstead folk. Just a stone’s throw from Hampstead Tube station, this cosy Japanese restaurant is known for its high-quality yakitori skewers and sushi. Set … Continue reading Jin Kichi
All-day Indian café, bar and restaurant Kricket have pulled another winning outpost out the bag – this one in the heart of Shoreditch. Having enjoyed dinner and breakfast here, I can confirm that this is a spot worth crossing town over for. After all, Kricket have travelled a long journey. Starting life as a pop-up … Continue reading Kricket
Georgian restaurant Kinkally, in the foodie enclave of Charlotte Street, had been on My List for a long while. A highlight of this long-overlooked cuisine is their dumplings, which have been turned into an art form here. The brains behind Kinkally and its sultry subterranean sidekick Bar Kinky is Diana Militski. She’s been travelling to … Continue reading Kinkally
From well-renowned Australian chef David Thompson comes “Long Chim”, on the corner of Chinatown and just down the road from another hit Thai spot, Speedboat Bar. “Long chim” translates loosely as ‘come and try’. Having relished a dinner here, I’d certainly be tempted to return to try more of the (vegan!) menu. When he … Continue reading Long Chim
The dining room of Soho’s Sun and 13 Cantons doesn’t exactly scream the next star chef’s prime breeding ground. Pretty tightly crammed with banquettes, familiar green metro tiles and proximity to the pub’s clamorous post-work boozers, it appears to be pretty run of the mill. But this space has hosted nascent residencies from the likes … Continue reading Mamapen
Holy Carrot has been all over social media: think micro-influencers, reclined against curved walls, eating plant-based dishes, at one of London’s latest sustainable restaurants. Formally operating as a pop-up and supper club, Holy Carrot found a permanent home in Notting Hill last July and a very beautiful one at that. The weekend my companion and … Continue reading Holy Carrot
Above the Globe Tavern in Borough Market (in what was once Bridget Jones’ flat) sits Khao Bird, a Thai restaurant with a focus on the northern Thai food of Chiang Mai. Pubs and Northern Thai food seem to be enjoying a symbiotic relationship currently – another pop-up on My List in Clapham’s The King & … Continue reading Khao Bird
Tucked away down a windy residential street in Hackney, Japanese restaurant Uchi feels like a neighbourhood gem. Self-describing as a home-style café, “Uchi” fittingly means “house” in Japanese. Its unique Japanese ambience is evident even before you step inside. The large windows offer a view of the horigotatsu tables and wooden stools and once inside, … Continue reading Uchi
Decimo – Spanish for “tenth” – is a Mexican-Spanish restaurant by Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. Aptly, it lives at the top of the brutalist The Standard Hotel in King’s Cross. Though not usually in search of fancy restaurants sitting on the top of buildings, Decimo seemed to be both style and substance. The chefs here use the … Continue reading Decimo, The Standard
Greyhound Café sits in foodie hospot Fitzrovia. Securing a last-minute Friday booking in this area is a challenge (including at top of my list Georgian restaurant, Kinkally). That’s where Greyhound Café, the London outpost of an established Bangkok chain, steps in. Under the radar, reviews suggest it’s a lively spot for a fusion Thai-Western evening. … Continue reading Greyhound Cafe
Plants of Roselyn – affectionately known as simply “Roselyn” by the team – sits on Tooley Street, a stone’s throw from London Bridge and around the corner from its sister restaurant Kin + Deum. This buzzy restaurant is ideal for an after-work dinner when you want to feel revived and rejuvenated. With charming service, this … Continue reading Plants of Roselyn
An all-day café come pizza bar, Ria’s has just knotched up the dial on the – already thriving – Notting Hill food scene one step further. Kicking off with coffee and home-baked cookies in the morning, moving to focaccia sandwiches at lunch, and transforming into a natural wine and pizza bar come evening, Ria’s has … Continue reading Ria’s
Proper good Mexican food – “authentic” street-food style – is difficult to find in London. However, some new spots are cropped up on the block – Hacha Bar in Hackney East, Lucia’s in Hackney Wick and closer to my neck of the woods, Taquiza in Peckham Rye. Under the arches and adjacent to the famous … Continue reading Taquiza
Tucked behind the White Horse pub at the tip of Rye Lane, Janda Diner is a two-dozen seater Malaysian restaurant that punches well above its weight. Thanks to the insights shared by one of the very welcoming founders, Lanny, I learn that “Janda” translates as “female divorcee”. Often stigmatised, Janda here is recast as an … Continue reading Janda Diner
A Pimlico Road local, The Orange pub and hotel – part of the Cubitt House family – has recently undergone a renovation both on the décor and food front. Adjoining its boutique hotel, the pub is housed in a handsome white stucco building looking out onto the lovely Orange Square. The menu has been overseen … Continue reading The Orange
Borough Market seems to be having a Renaissance of late. From Rambutan and Kolae to Akara and Akub, its latest blockbuster openings have attracted much well-earned hype. Recently, all the critics and the entire social media world have been alive with Borough Market’s latest opening Oma and its downstairs bar Agora. This duo come from … Continue reading Agora
The aptly-named Half Cut Market occupies that curiously limbo area: on the cusp of Islington and Camden, it’s neither Tufnell, Holloway nor Kentish. Though (or because) of its half-way space (pun intended), it’s one that has proven ripe for regeneration, with a thriving scene of artisan coffee shops, independent wine bars and creative pop-ups. Half … Continue reading Half Cut Market
From the team behind The Counter in Notting Hill comes its second venue on Soho’s Kingly Street. Chef Kemal Demirasal is one of Turkey’s most celebrated (self-taught) chefs and former six-time Turkish national windsurfing champion. Sticking with the coastal theme, here he celebrates the food of the Aegean coast: dishes are crafted with salt dried … Continue reading The Counter
A family-run Chinese dumpling house and sake bar that started life as a pop-up, My Neighbour The Dumplings has now blossomed with two very popular outposts: one in Clapton and its successor in Victoria Park. For those not based in the East, it’s worth the journey over. With a dim sum dining style of shared … Continue reading My Neighbour The Dumplings
A taste of Tulum has found its way to the King’s Road, an area much in need of a foodie reinvigoration, not least a Mexican-inspired one. Somewhat of a no-man’s land when it comes to any good restaurants, its founder Fraser Carruthers recognised this: ‘King’s Road has been missing something like this, so when the … Continue reading Ixchel
From LA chef Julian Denis comes Facing Heaven, a successor to Hackney-based vegan Chinese Mao Chow. Tucked on a corner around the back of Mare Street, it’s an unassuming, nameless shopfront. Once inside, though, low key it is not. With black-and-white chequerboard flooring and low neon lights reflecting off every surface, this small room serves … Continue reading Facing Heaven
Back to East London again for hip eatery, Lardo. Tucked between London Fields and Hackney Central, besides cult bakery and pasta pop-up Pophams, this disco-balled, industrial Italian is the Italian love-child of former Bistrotheque manager Eliza Flanagan. There are a lot of restaurants a bit like Lardo: think pizza, pasta, short wine list, a smattering … Continue reading Lardo
Poon’s Wontoneria is currently operating as a pop-up on Charlotte Street. Despite being a relative newcomer to the London food scene, it boasts a long and proud history. It’s the kind of tale that might feature on a Netflix documentary. No stranger to the London food scene, legendary Bill and Cecilia Poon introduced London to … Continue reading Poon’s Wontoneria
For modern Malaysian flavours with a Chinese influence, full of life, colour and fragrance, a trip (or trek) to Mambow (no. 4) in Clapton is well worth it. Founder Abby Lee honed her skills spending two years in Puglia. Mambow (no. 1) initially launched as a bowl food pop-up in Commercial Street in 2020. Due … Continue reading Mambow
With three branches – in Stockwell, Haggerston and Bethnal Green – Arepa & Co is a Venezuelan arepera serving traditional food in a contemporary and very colourful environment. Hidden away within the charming De Beauvoir Village, the Haggerston outpost overlooks the canal. Though we visited for a Sunday dinner, I’d definitely return for daytime brunch … Continue reading Arepa & Co
Restaurants are all about staging, and Milk Beach ticks all the boxes on that front. Its second branch, after the highly popular Queen’s Park restaurant that hit north-west London in 2018 and quickly became known for its brunches, this Soho outpost more of the same formula. Think a breezy flutter through Mediterranean and south-east Asian … Continue reading Milk Beach
With a name that translates as ‘curry over rice’, Plaza Khao Gaeng is a Southern Thai restaurant and sister restaurant to chef-owner Luke Farrell’s Speedboat Bar (on which, see my review here). Awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in March 2023 the Plaza seeks to recreate the flavours of the region’s neighbourhood khao gaengs or local … Continue reading Plaza Khao Gaeng
Founded in 2019 by three old friends and long-time South East London residents – Luke, Ben and Helen – Peckham Cellars feels like a place set up by locals for locals – somewhere that should be kept quiet. With a relaxed vibe, it’s the kind of wine bar-come-bistro that you want to keep hidden so … Continue reading Peckham Cellars
You might think Thai restaurant Supawan is a kind of layover stop-off point: perfect for a quick bite to / fro King’s Cross St. Pancras. From the outside, Supawan looks unassuming: the sort an unknowing traveller might stumble into fresh off the train, when hunting for something to eat. Supawan doesn’t jump out at you … Continue reading Supawan
From the founder of Fitzrovia's Akoko comes Akara, another West African restaurant this time in Borough (Yards). Whilst the Fitrovia branch is pitched at the more elevated level, its (equally smart) offshoot blends “the crispy, fluffy attributes of Nigerian Akara Osu with the flavour-packed delights of Brazilian Acaraje ”, i.e., each country’s spin on the … Continue reading Akara
From the team behind Som Saa in Spitalfields – what must be one of London’s best Thai restaurants, on which see my review here – comes Kolae. Named after a Southern Thai cooking technique that involves coating ingredients in a curry-like coconut marinade and then grilling over open flames, Kolae puts fiery flavours to the … Continue reading Kolae
A lively restaurant with a pool table in Chinatown, Speedboat Bar is the kind of restaurant that wants everyone to have a good time. Its crowd-pleasing Thai food will certainly help with that. Speedboar Bar comes from the Sethi brothers’ JKS Restaurants, the umbrella behind an impressive spread of ventures, from Mayfair’s Gymkhana and Iranian … Continue reading Speedboat Bar
Having started out as a series of pop-ups, with spells at Dinerama, Hawker House, KERB at Camden Market, and Seven Dials Market, vegan street food eatery Club Mexicana enjoyed a stint at London’s first vegan pub, The Spread Eagle. Having tested the water, it then opened up a permanent base, first in Kingly Court and … Continue reading Club Mexicana
Located in that glossy little corner of St James’s, Toba is an Indonesian restaurant by Pino Edward Sinaga. It’s taken over the spot of Michelin-starred West African restaurant Ikoyi. It's a strange part of town, St James’s. Essentially a lesser-known southern extension of Mayfair, it's barely a half mile square and yet contains a high … Continue reading Toba
Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins describe their live-fire restaurant in London’s Dalston as “More than just a restaurant.” It’s a “cult”. After a series of successful pop-ups, together they’ve opened their first permanent site in a rough old yard at 40FT Brewery. A large custom-made grill and smoker stand proudly in the covered yard. Bringing … Continue reading Acme Fire Cult
Fully plant-based eatery Mallow comes from the team behind Mildred’s. Though at the forefront of veggie dining, Mildred’s has always felt a bit run-of-the-mill. The sort of world food that you might cook at home. Mallow, on the other hand, feels far more creative and special, with an equally varied menu but thoughtfully done. Though … Continue reading Mallow
Taking over the space of what was once Passo (on which, see my review here), Lilienblum has landed in the somewhat transitory space of the Old Street roundabout. Another eatery from world renowned celebrity chef Eyal Shani, Lilienblum is the street in Tel Aviv where you’ll find one of his most celebrated restaurants, Hasalon. Like … Continue reading Lilienblum
The much anticipated debut restaurant of Mexican chef Adriana Cavita had been on My List for some time. A June birthday or two seemed like the ideal opportunity to tick off. Cavita, the person, is a well-known talent: previously trained at El Bulli, she has a degree in gastronomy and has explored her country’s under-appreciated … Continue reading Cavita
For me, Greek food screams Spring / Summer. So Notting Hill’s Suzi Tros – which conjures up all the vibes of the Mediterranean, visually and culinary – was a natural choice for small plates over Easter weekend’s very blue skies and the final arrival of Spring. For years, you could count the number of genuinely … Continue reading Suzi Tros
Much talked about chef, restauranteur and author Cynthia Shanmugalingam has now opened her debut restaurant Rambutan in Borough Market. This in itself is something to celebrate: Cynthia is the first Sri Lankan Tamil woman to open a restaurant in central London – better still, within the City’s oldest, renowned food market. Its setting is a … Continue reading Rambutan
A review of another “Levantine” restaurant here and it’s no surprise. Often labelled as the “Ottolenghi effect”, London’s love affair with Middle Eastern food has transformed our relationship with vegetables. Boiling to eternity is thankfully out; (whole) roasting, charring and grilling has come to the forefront – not to mention dips, spices, tahini and all … Continue reading Bubala, Soho
We’ve come to define Middle Eastern – or Levantine – cooking in a generic way. Encompassing a range of regions, the term overlooks the region’s diversity. Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan proudly rejects this and is much more specific. Describing the food at his renowned restaurant in Bethlehem – Fawda, Arabic for “chaos” – as “modern … Continue reading Akub
“Farang” translates as “foreigner”. Though perhaps consciously branding as a foreign interpretation of Thai cuisine, a taste of the food here certainy feels authentic – whatever that means. Farang is home to head chef Seb Holmes. Originally opened in February 2017, Farang set up as a pop-up that planned to be around for at least … Continue reading Farang
Yumtini 