12 Lewis Cubitt Walk, London N1C 4DY

This impressive arts venue, a sibling establishment to The Bridge Theatre, features a cafe and bar run by St John that’s open to all. Enjoy freshly made madeleines and top wines in its modernist setting.

120 Cromer St, London WC1H 8BS

Located inside the YMCA yoga centre, Thenga Café is quirky and inviting, offering a purely vegan menu with European and Indian influences due to the chef's travels and Bengali heritage. The daily set meals are one of London's most affordable eats.

1 York Way, London N1C 4AS

Very much doing exactly what it promises, Beer & Burger Store combines a huge range of craft beers with smashed-patty burgers that are among the best in London. Be sure to get some dipping gravy for your burgers too.

279 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8QF

They describe themselves as a "rustic French bakery" selling some of the very best French loaves in the King's Cross area. Also, it’s ideal if you need an impressive cake to mark a special occasion and we are addicted to their Croque Monsieur.

Unit A Gasholder 10, 1 Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4BY

Idris Elba has his very own wine bar in Coal Drops Yard. Wine tasting is available plus a well-thought-out selection of champagne, cocktails and wines by the glass. It’s a sophisticated spot and you never know which A-lister you might bump into!

King's Cross Station London N1C 4AH

Parcel Yard is an all-day Fullers pub inside the station, with a seasonal menu inspired by the best of British. Think dishes like lamb’s liver with bubble & squeak and red wine gravy and they also have a great kids menu. It's perfect for a quick drink before you grab a train.

 65 Shepherd's Bush Green, London W12 8QE

Originally a pop-up at another Hoxton, Chet's is the permanent restaurant at the Hoxton Shepherd's Bush. Created by LA chef Kris Yenbamroong it mashes up Thai and American influences into the menu.

1 Electric Boulevard, Nine Elms, London SW11 8BJ

This restaurant covers the rooftop of the art’otel that's directly opposite Battersea Power Station, giving it unrivalled views of one of London's most iconic buildings. That's backed up by food from acclaimed chef Henrique Sá Pessoa (with Michelin stars to his name) who has produced a menu featuring contemporary Portuguese dishes using the best British, Spanish and Portuguese produce.

Unit 3, 10 Jamestown Rd, London NW1 7BY

Kosovan-born Nazmi Dervishaj is behind this popular Mediterranean bar and cafe which serves up a winning menu of Mediterranean-led dishes. Their weekend brunch is a big hit and cocktails are also worth a try - the list has both vegan and non-alcoholic options available, which is a nice inclusive touch.

12 Fortess Rd, London NW5 2EU

This cosy little restaurant with pared-back interiors serves traditional Ethiopian food. The Queen of Sheba's speciality is stewed meat dishes and injera, spongy Ethiopian flatbread, as well as the traditional coffee ritual, where it's served slowly and heartily strong.

85 Willes Rd, London NW5 3DN

Dishing up traditional Vietnamese food in an intimate and simple restaurant, Pho Ta's menu includes the likes of bun cha, pork belly in a meaty broth, along with summer rolls and meat grilled over charcoal. It doesn't serve alcohol but runs a bring-your-own option.

135 Fortess Rd, London NW5 2HR

As the name suggests, the restaurant is a meeting of east and west, in a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant near Tufnell Park. But more specifically, the menu focuses on bringing together the owner's two favourite cuisines: Indian and Italian. Think masala margarita pizza, butter chicken arancini and saag paneer truffle tagliatelle.

52a Prince of Wales Rd, London NW5 3LN

The Fields Beneath cafe is about three things, coffee, wine and food and it focuses on doing them all really well. The food offering has been vegan since 2018, and it's as local and seasonal as possible, the wine is natural and there's always a single-origin coffee on filter.

343 Kentish Town Rd, London NW5 2TJ

Two brothers run Babuji, which is named after their father who loved Bengali, Mumbai and Pakistan street food. The menu is a homage to the street food of countries across South Asia, from the likes of aloo tikki chaat to Bengali prawn curry.

91 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8NY

A Filipino concept from the Maginhawa group, this one is based on street ice cream sellers who help people keep cool in the humidity of the Philippines. They're always brightly coloured and popular flavours include ube, a purple yam. Think pandesal ice cream sandwiches and shaved ice drinks with layers of sweet toppings.

259 Kentish Town Rd, London NW5 2JT

This is the latest iteration from the family, which spans over a 100-year history of Jewish bakery tradition and is now run by Aaron, the great-grandson of founder Wolf Kossoff, a Jewish refugee from Kyiv. Aaron has worked at Honey & Co. and was also head baker at Ottolenghi when he was just 27. Now he's brought his skills home to produce excellent bread, pastries and baked goods under his family name.

285-287 Kentish Town Rd, London NW5 2JS

Known for its simple but tasty Turkish meat and doner kebabs in even simpler surroundings, E Mono has been highly praised by The Times' food critic, Giles Coren, for years. The flatbreads are made on-site, and the chicken shawarma is free-range. There's seating inside to dine in, as well as its popular takeaway service.

114A, 116 Fortess Rd, London NW5 2HL

French restaurant and bar, Authentique draws its offering inspiration from 12 French-speaking regions, such as Jura and Savoie (between Switzerland and Burgundy) which rotate monthly. There's a huge array of interesting wines served by the glass, while the well-stocked wine shop has around 700 wines and 75 beers.

167 Junction Rd, Archway, London N19 5PZ

Norman's looks like it’s been here forever, but actually only dates back as far as 2020 and is a modern take on a proper British caff (not a café). It keeps the humble tradition alive with the likes of hearty English fry ups, and dishes from sausage, beans and chips (not French fries) to cottage pie, and syrup sponge and custard.

83 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8NY

This neighbourhood Filipino bakery is another outpost from the Maginhawa group which owns Bintang and Ramo. Here, it's all about sweet and savoury baked goods, including Japanese-inspired fluffy sando sandwiches filled with corned beef hash or panko chicken and mushroom, through to breakfast Filipino milk buns with beef sausage, egg, cheese and tomato compote.

26 Fortess Rd, London NW5 2HB

From owners Tanzi Ellison and Jean-Francois Pioc – who previously set up Café Gourmand in Soho – Patron brings a slice of French brasserie dining to Kentish Town. Expect classics like countryside terrine and slow-cooked confit duck on the menu. Their dining room extends across two buildings - next door also has a Parisian speakeasy-style spirit lounge, plus a terrace at the back.

23 Pratt St., London NW1 0BE

A real stalwart in Camden's food scene is Andy's Taverna, which first opened way back in 1967. Serving up classic and affordable Greek food, there's plenty of skewered souvlaki meat, dolmades, moussaka, grilled fish and veggie dishes along with Greek wines. The white-walled courtyard can even make you feel like you're in Greece, on a sunny day, that is.

9 Jamestown Rd, London NW1 7BW

As one of the oldest vegan restaurants in London (it first opened in Soho back in 1988) this Camden outlet is one of six branches. Its plant-based dishes are bright, bold and still manage to be exciting, and it undoubtedly paved the way for the modern vegan food scene in the capital.

4-6 Inverness St, London NW1 7HG

Ma Petite Jamaica has been doing its thing since 1985, and now also has a rum and reggae bar next door, too. The jerk pit style menu has all the classics you'd expect, including jerk pork, chicken and red bream, curried goat with rice 'n peas, plus ackee and saltfish and dumplings. Rum cocktails rule the roost and Red Stripe is on tap.

64 Parkway, London NW1 7AH

This contemporary Indian restaurant, run by chef patron Sabbir Karim and his team, is critically acclaimed and has become a bit of an institution. Dishes are vibrant and the extensive menu branches out beyond the dishes of your usual local curry house.

93 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8NY

Intimate Bintang is one of London's oldest Filipino restaurants, which dishes up a menu of halal self-styled pan Asian fusion food. It doesn't serve alcohol, but you can bring your own and pay corkage. It's part of the Maginhawa group, which owns five other restaurants in the area, including Ramo Ramen in Kentish Town below.

90 Gloucester Ave., London NW1 8HX

A real stalwart of the north London food scene, The Lansdowne first opened its doors in 1992 in Primrose Hill and is a classic British pub. On the menu is a mixture of Mediterranean and British dishes, from French onion soup to slow-cooked oxtail and cheek stew with mash.

14-16 Camden High St, London NW1 0JH

Owner, Yi Fei, comes from Chengdu in Sichuan so Jinli really specialises in Sichuan food. Its spicy hot pots are revered, such as the braised beef brisket, along with other typical regional dishes. The Camden restaurant is the group’s latest outpost to open outside of London's Chinatown.

Unit 199, Hawley Wharf, 2nd Floor Foodhall, Camden, London, NW1 8AA

Set up by three childhood friends, Three Uncles is an ode to their beloved memories of visiting roast meat cafes back in 1970s Hong Kong. Having started with a stall in the City, they progressed to this Camden spot where their chopped-to-order roast duck, crispy pork belly and char siu pork are all cooked using traditional Cantonese methods.

Unit 93 - 94, Chalk Farm Rd, Chalk Farm, London NW1 8AH

Following on from the success of the Cheese Truck, The Cheese Bar specialises in all cheese serving possibilities, from chunky grilled cheese sandwiches, to melting fondues and sharing cheeseboards, plus there's a cheesemonger. So popular is the brand, it's now one of five outposts across the city, including The Cheese Barge in Paddington and Pick & Cheese in Seven Dials Market.