Given most of this blog is dedicated to pubs, with My Complete Favourite Pubs in London being a compilation of the various lists I’ve done over the past few years, I’ve finally gotten round to putting the two volumes of My Favourite Restaurants in London together in an updated collection. Much like my favourite pubs, I will update this list periodically from time to time so keep checking in to see where I’d recommend!
Anyway, on with the show!
Padella (6 Southwark Street, SE1 1TQ)
Padella is easily one of my favourite restaurants. Located by London Bridge and Borough Market, it serves the best Italian food in the capital. It’s a place where you buy around 3-4 plates between two people which is a great way to try more of their excellent menu of pasta dishes. It is extremely popular however, the best thing to do is to get in the queue around 10-15 minutes before it opens for lunchtime at 12pm or dinner at 5pm. If not you could be waiting a while! It’s also worth trying to sit at the bar, there you can sit an watch the chefs cook right in front of you.
Rasa Sayang (5 Macclesfield Street, W1D 6AY)
A little bit of Malaysia in Chinatown, Rasa Sayang has a great menu of Asian cuisine. The name of the restaurant translates as “lovely feeling” and that’s how I feel whenever I eat here. I’m a huge fan of the rendang which you can get with either beef or chicken at a very reasonable price. They also serve a great range of noodles and seafood dishes.
Katzenjammers (The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark Street, SE1 1TY)
Tucked away downstairs a stones throw from Padella is another favourite of mine. Katzenjammers is a traditional German Beirkeller. This place could easily be on one of my Favourite Pubs list as they do an excellent selection of German beers on tap (and they come in steins! Very dangerous as “I’ve only had three!” really means you’ve had six!) but they also serve an excellent menu which is mainly sausages of all varieties. My favourite is the Currywurst which is delicious with fries. The place is also a fun night out with Oompah bands performing later in the week.
Pizza Union (Various)
I discovered Pizza Union early in 2018 when my brother Michael came down to London for a training course. Cheap, quick but excellent pizza awaits you, with most pizzas costing no more that £5-7 and a margarita costing as little as £3. They’re ready within 10 minutes and are absolutely delicious. There’s a few of them across the city so keep your eye out for them. The one near King’s Cross is ideal if you have a train to catch!
Tayyabs (83-89 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, E1 1JU)
Famed for their legendary Tandoori Lamb Chops (pictured above) Tayyabs is something of an institution. The restaurant can cram in around 500 diners and it is incredibly busy. I therefore recommend getting the set menu which has everything you could want, and includes those lamb chops! I would also follow dinner here with drinks at The Blind Beggar which I reviewed in my first pubs blog as they are a five minute walk apart.
Flat Iron (Various)
Flat Iron has just one thing on its menu, steak for £11. And while not being the biggest piece of meat, it is delicious! You then have the option of adding sides and sauces (béarnaise obviously!) and with a good choice of beers to accompany your meal, it makes a great place for a meal out. There’s now a handful of Flat Iron’s across London now, but my favourite thing is the free popcorn you get on entry and free ice cream on your way out!
Dishoom (Various)
Dishoom is wildly popular, and it’s easy to see why. There’s now a few of them across the city, but I tend to frequent the one in Covent Garden when my parents are visiting. Serving an excellent selection of Indian cuisine in a wonderfully decorated space, it has to be an essential place to go. One of the outstanding things for me with this group of restaurants has to be the breakfast selection, particularly their Naan rolls which provides an excellent way to get over a hangover!
Southbank Charcoal Kebab Kitchen – aka Troia (Unit 3F, County Hall, Belvedere Road, Lambeth SE1 7GQ)
Tucked away behind County Hall in Waterloo, Troia serves a great range of Mediterranean dishes ranging from Turkish kebabs to pasta. Owned by the current Mayor of Lambeth, Ibrahim Dogus, it’s popular with Labourites and makes for a great fundraising venue, especially given it’s over the river from Westminster. The lamb shish kebab would be my dish of choice!
Blues Kitchen (111-113 Camden High Street, NW1 7JN)
Blues Kitchen is a great night out. First the American-inspired menu of wings, fried chicken, beef brisket and burgers is excellent. They have a great choice of beers and drinks as well as having a stage where live acts and DJs can take you into the early hours. With other branches in Brixton and Shoreditch, you can be sure of a good time, whether you spend all evening in here or not.
Hawksmoor (16 Winchester Walk, SE1 9AQ)
More of a place to go for a fancier dinner, Hawksmoor serves some of the best steak in London. There’s now several of these restaurants in the capital, and while sadly it is only a rare treat for me (it’s around £30 for a decent steak), going here does make it a special occasion. This branch is located in an old warehouse just next to Borough Market and their Sunday Roast dinners are particularly delicious.
Mildred’s (Various)
From meat to veg. Mildred’s is an entirely vegetarian and vegan restaurant and is one of the best of its kind in London. The original branch opened in Soho in the 1980s and soon became an institution which is still there today. The branch in King’s Cross opened a few years ago and is just up the road from the Pizza Union. I’m a particular fan of the Sri Lankan Curry which is delicious as long as you like cashew nuts.
Crudough (10 Navigator Square, Archway, N19 3TD)
Keeping it local for my next one, Crudough is just up the road from me in Archway. Located next to the tube station on the recently pedestrianised Navigator Square, Crudough serves in my opinion the best sourdough pizza in North London. With an intimate setting, and good food, it’s a great place for dinner.
Roti King (40 Doric Way, NW1 1LH)
Finally, we head to the excellent Roti King. Situated next to Euston station in a basement, this small restaurant can mean a wait to be seated but its worth it. They serve a delicious range of Malaysian dishes. Roti’s are flat breads and the speciality here is to have them served warm with a different filling. They also have a good range of noodle dishes if that doesn’t take your fancy.
So there you have it. A complete list of my recommendations of where to grab a bite which I hope you get to sample and enjoy. Now all this restaurant writing has made me very hungry, I’m off to make dinner.
JP
James Potts 