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
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