London Restaurants - North London
19 Prebend St, Islington, London N1 8PF
This artisan bakery in Islington is best known for its pastries - chief among them the maple bacon croissant, but its bread is up there too. Head along here for some great coffee in the minimalist setting and work your way through some excellent baked goods.
171 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX
This is the Holloway home for critically acclaimed Malaysian laksa specialists Sambal Shiok, headed up by Mandy Yin. The laksa is great, but so are all the other dishes. Look out for regular events there and enjoy the wine list with a focus on Riesling.
139 Graham Street, Angel, Islington, N1 8LB
After gaining a reputation for cooking Italian in the much-loved Bocca di Lupo, Jacob Kenedy returned to his US roots with a wonderful Cajun and Creole menu at his Lousiana-themed Plaquemine Lock on Regent’s Canal. If you fancy some deep-south cooking in London, there's little better available.
34 Drayton Park, London N5 1PB
Owners David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim also run nearby Primeur and Jolene, both also excellent. Here, there's a distinct focus on seafood and the menu changes every day, although if the cuttlefish croquettes with aioli are on there, make sure you order those. In the summertime, you can take a glass of something cold out on the front courtyard and if you're really pushing the boat out, ask for the leather-bound, handwritten, ‘black book’ of fine wines.
72 Highbury Park, Highbury East, London N5 2XE
Seb Holmes' Farang has become a huge Highbury hit, offering some of the best Thai cooking across London, made with both Thai and British produce. Originally a pop-up, it soon went permanent and they've recently added an excellent in-store larder.
156 Canonbury Road, London N1 2UP
Lee Tiernan's Black Axe Mangal (or F.K.A.B.A.M as it's now known) has made a small site on Highbury Corner into one of the best restaurants in London. With metal and rock music blaring out on the speakers, it's certainly unlike much else in town. It's described as 'an unauthentic, bastardised take of Turkish Mangal and Ocakbasi, with global influences.' It has a set menu that changes regularly while still featuring some of the classics like their squid ink bread.
9 Islington Green, London N1 2XH
Originally launched by Corbin and King, this is a revived Islington grand cafe which now offers a menu that's more of a traditional French brasserie. It's one of the largest restaurants in Angel and there's a very handy bar in here too.
292-294 St Pauls Road, London, N1 2LH
Prawn on the Lawn is a fishmonger and seafood bar - with a wine bar on the side. Expect the usual fruits de mer platters and whole crab as well as some more tapas-style dishes like scallops ceviche and their signature dish - the prawn on the lawn which is toasted soda bread with avocado and prawns.
63–69 Canonbury Rd, Islington, London N1 2DG
This Islington pub/restaurant has a strong emphasis on smoking and BBQ. Alongside the food expect plenty of rotating beers and the outside garden is a surprise oasis just off a busy Islington road.
21 Chapel Market, London N1 9EZ
Delhi Grill is Islington's "Indian Canteen" a London version of a Punjabi “dhaba”. The emphasis here is on Indian street food (on a menu which changes regularly) in a pared-back restaurant that's covered with its fair share of Bollywood posters. Come here with the intention of sharing everything and you'll have the best time.
44 Barnsbury St, Islington, London N1 1ER
This Islington pub is tucked down a quiet side street and remains one of the prettiest pubs in the borough. Run by Nick Gibson, the menu is a modern take on British pub grub. Grab a table in the garden if the weather's behaving itself.
Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR
A hugely impressive-looking venue, this has a decadent menu by Allegra's Patrick Powell which includes market oysters, sashimi tuna skewers and snacks like fried chicken and cashew hummus. It’s a proper destination restaurant and bar inside St Pancras.
52 St Thomas’s Road, London N4 2QW
When the Four Legs crew took on this Finsbury Park there were expectations sure but who could have predicted what a white hot success it would be? It’s often very hard to get a reservation but you can always rock up to the bar bit for a drink and one of their fabulous cheeseburgers.
124 King's Cross Rd, London WC1X 9DS
Everyone’s raving about Dim Sum Duck, a tiny gem in Kings Cross. It's run by a dim sum chef with more than 30 years in the business and specialises in hand-made dim sum and in-house roasted duck. Critic Fay Maschler said it was the best Cantonese cooking in London.
Tileyard Rd, London N7 9AH
This alfresco space is by Two Tribes and is based just outside their King's Cross brewery. Much of it is under permanent cover (along with heaters for the colder months) and it's backed up by impressive BBQ action by From The Ashes.
60 St John's Wood High St, St John's Wood, London NW8 7SH
This is from Corbin and King, the team behind The Wolseley, Bellanger, The Delaunay and more. This time it is an all-day restaurant serving French food with Russian influences.
177b Blackstock Road, London N5 2LL
Not to be confused with Shop Cuvee or Cave Cuvee, this is the original opening from the team who brought their enthusiasm for natural wine to the Highbury/Finsbury Park borders. Dishes change regularly but might include treats like a very good pate en croute or asparagus cassoulet.
14 Handyside St, King’s Cross, London N1C 4DN
This relaxed restaurant comes from the team behind Spiritland and offers Neapolitan wood-fired pizza with lots of traditional toppings, Prosecco, and an extremely memorable Nutella pizza to finish off! Downstairs is Supermax, its basement late-night licence cocktail bar.
188 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 7JD
Moio restaurant on Stoke Newington High Street is a collaboration between a chef and sommelier who previously worked together at Portland restaurant as chef and sommelier. There's a modern European menu with a big focus on matching wines with it.
Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AB
Pip Lacey, the former head chef at Murano is the brains behind Hicce, a restaurant with wood-fired food that's brimming with British flavours via Norway and Japan. Also worth noting, they have a little wine shop and market downstairs.
Unit 22-24, Bagley Walk Arches, Coal Drops Yard, London, N1C 4DH
From the same people as Casa Pastor, this really makes good use of the old coal storage area to evoke the feeling of a wine cellar. The wine list is, obviously, one of the best in the area served expertly by people who know their stuff.
196 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 2AG
Featuring the former Head Chef of Bob Bob Ricard in the kitchen, North London's new Kosher restaurant is aiming for a European grand cafe style of dining in leafy Belsize Park.
21 Newington Green, London N16 9PU
It's third time lucky for the team behind Westerns Laundry and Primeur as they have opened Jolene, a rare grain bakery and restaurant, on Newington Green. Expect a similar approach to their previous restaurants - ever changing menus, organic wines - with a big focus on the bread too.
40 Doric Way, London NW1 1LH
Roti King has established a huge reputation from a small restaurant in Euston. It's regularly lauded as being one of the best Malaysian restaurants in town and has attracted many to its subterranean location. Certainly expect some of London's best rotis as well as great lentil curries and spicy noodles.
47–51 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross London N1 9BU
Flat Iron have an avid following amongst Londoners, with their signature flat iron steaks being one of the best deals in town. This is their King's Cross location where they serve up the usual flat-iron steaks as well as some special cuts. And all for a much cheaper price than you'd normally pay at a steakhouse.
2 Bagley Walk, London N1C 4PQ
Coal Office has eye-popping interiors by Tom Dixon and food by Palomar chef and restaurateur Assaf Granit. If you're up at the counter, it's a scene quite familiar from The Palomar - Jerusalem-inspired food served up by a lively kitchen.
107 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN
Michelin-starred James Cochran has gone back to his roots with 1251, his Islington restaurant which is a much more personal affair for him. Here he's serving up modern British food, made with Kentish produce (and several nods to his West Indian heritage). The restaurant is pitched as a place to try Michelin-level dining in a more relaxed environment.
125 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9RG
This canalside restaurant on Caledonian Road has a menu full of authentic Chinese dishes that you don't see all that much of outside of Chinatown. Particularly good for groups.
Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AB
Restaurateur and chef Anthony Demetre (of Wild Honey) has brought his vision of a Spanish/Italian Vermuteria to Coal Drops Yard. As the name suggests, there are plenty of vermouth and negronis on the drinks list along with a seasonal tapas-style menu.
8 Russell Square, London WC1B 5BE
Described as "a neighbourhood restaurant created in partnership with three-time Bib Gourmand winner Brett Redman, and stylist-turned-restaurateur Margaret Crow" they're aiming for a Bloomsbury salon for the 21st century vibe.
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