Discover the Best Restaurants in London

I started writing this guide in January, and this year has kind of taken a turn since then, so i'm feeling especially grateful to have started 2020 off like I did. This is definitely going to be a hard year for everyone in the restaurant community, so I thought it would be a good time to shed light on happier times.

I'm breaking my 1.5 year food-writing hiatus to write about my recent travels to London. I'll start off by saying that I was lucky enough to ring in the New Year surrounded by friends, drinks, and some great food. All thanks to that little neon wristband that gave us open bar access and excessive amounts of champagne.

So i've decided to give you my unsolicited two cents on some of our good eats in London. Keep in mind this (like everything else I write) is just my opinion, so take this all with a grain of salt. Plus, it didn't rain a single day despite the fact it was winter SO I may be biased with my love for the city and all it has to offer.

Persepolis

Persepolis was a wonderful mom-and-pop mediterranean corner store/restaurant in Peckham. All dishes are highly influenced by many traditional Persian recipes, but with a twist - [almost] the entire menu was vegan.

We opened the worn menus to the first page which read "Snackistan" (lol) and settled on two dishes to share. The eggs scrambled with plantain and harissa came first, and next came something I would compare to a potato hash with cauliflower, vegan cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Wash this all down with a few Turkish coffees and a Saffron Banana Split and we were ready to take on the day. YUM.

Duck & Waffle

Duck & Waffle...where do I even start. The restaurant offered a beautiful atmosphere from the moment we stepped out of the Uber and into the super-fast all glass elevator. The elevator took us to the top floor of the Salesforce Tower, and opened to a large room decorated with twinkle lights and Christmas trees. The lights reflected on the floor-to-ceiling glass and looked like stars around us, not too shabby huh? The waiters were all knowledgeable, conversational, and kind. They answered our many questions about the menu and even made some spot-on recommendations based on their family-style meal set up.

The menu boasted veggie options such as a Cheese Soufflé (a meal i never knew I needed in my life), Puy Lentils (to die for), quirky meat-based options such as the Spiced Ox Cheek Donut, and of course the Duck & Waffle (a play on our typical chicken & waffle). We sat at dinner for almost 5 hours and had some of our favorite dishes of the whole trip. I honestly might have to write an entire article about this place so I can break down each dish for you...

Dishoom

Forgive me in advance because i'm probably about to write the most basic, predictable review about one of London's most coveted restaurants, Dishoom. Honestly though, this place hit and it was worth the 2ish hour wait (I rarely ever say that and mean it). For starters, we were passed hot Chai while we waited in line to go inside, and a waiter came to take our appetizer orders while we continued to wait at the bar. We munched on Veggie Samosas and Chilli Cheese Toast and almost disintegrated because both were so good.

We were already in high spirits when we got a table, so we took the waiters reco's on most dishes and were blown away. We decided on chicken tikka, masala prawns, mattar paneer, and gunpowder potatoes and honestly only stopped eating because we were so full. Worth it though - the dishes were fragrant, flavorful, while not being too heavy. 10/10, believe the hype on this one.

Nandine

This meal will forever hold a special place in my heart because it was our last meal in London. At this point we were exhausted, sick, and really craving Chinese food. Every Chinese food place within walking distance was closed, so we defeatedly walked to find something else.

This led us to (literally) stumble into Nandine to be greeted by a warm, communal atmosphere for some Kurdish Meze. The waiter started us off with some floral tea and Baharat Fries (topped with yogurt, pomegranate seeds, and various spices). We followed this up with the 7 Spice Chicken Shish garnished with grilled veggies, more yogurt, and some pickled assorted veg. This meal came as close to reviving us as humanly possible (we were honestly beyond saving at that point).

Falafel & Shawarma (Camberwell)

As with all of the best family-run establishments, they have a non-distinguishing name AND they only accept cold hard cash. It was a simple, quick transaction where you could choose 1. a wrap 2. a plate 3. some combination of both. The man who took my order completely memorized every detail of it and did so with the next 5-6 people, impressive.

I went with the falafel wrap and a side of potatoes and dear god... it was GOOD. The ingredients were fresh, and the wrap was packed to the brim with falafel, veg, hummus, and a garlic/chili sauce. Best part? The wrap was only £3.50. I honestly forgot to take a photo of the wrap and by the time I remembered, it was mostly gone. So enjoy a close up of the potatoes instead!

Kiln

What feelings do these phrases instill in you... thai food, ~three hour wait time, & rabbit curry. Thai food has to be my favorite of all time so we decided to put our names down and go to a pub down the street and kill some time. Turns out when you're drinking time fliessss by. I can't speak to the rabbit curry but Kiln is known for this dish and my sources tell me it was delicious (thanks Chris & Michelle).

I can speak to the veggie curry, glass noodles, and papaya salad. These dishes were surprisingly light, flavorful, and so easy to share. To top it off, every ingredient tasted so so so fresh. I was surprised they went light on the coconut milk for once in the curries too. This allowed us to actually get a feel for the spices and ingredients being used, and we loved every minute of it. My Mezcal margarita was the cherry on top to this warm, fun, and delicious dinner.

Shoryu Ramen

We took the opportunity to spend an evening in Shoreditch with the end goal of going to Shoryu. Shoreditch reminded us a lot of New York with the high-end cocktails and boutique restaurants. We made a pit stop at Old Spitalfields Market before for a before-dinner snack, and somehow made space for all of the pictured foods.

We dropped in for the famous halloumi/avo, shrimp, and fried chicken buns. We honestly went for it and ordered two bowls of veggie ramen and lychee cocktails and it was all divine.

Sketch

If everyone and their mothers hadn't already been to Sketch i'd spend a little more time on this blurb but ya know... Honestly if you just visit their website you'll get a good idea of the quirky experience you're about to have.

The two-course lunch was really good but the environment is the reason you need to make a reservation and stop in for lunch/dinner. We took lunch in the Glade room and it was beautifully decorated, with a floral centerpiece bursting through the table next to us and enveloping half the room, waitresses in funky old fashioned uniforms, and a rug that resembled moss (in a glade, get it?). Plus of course, the famous pod toilets actually make you feel like you've stepped into an alien's dressing room and make for a great photo OP.

Fish! Borough Market

What did we eat here? You guessed it, Fish! You didn't think I was going to end this post without some love to a London staple, right? This meal was simple but really good, with thick cut fries and one large cut of battered Cod. I can't speak to how this measures up to other fish & chips spots in London, but it absolutely satisfied our cravings!

I will note that I didn't love the mushy peas, but this isn't Fish!'s fault, I just don't think I like peas at all. Esp. if they are mushy.

Well, you made it to the bottom.

Thanks for reading & I hope if life takes you to London post-Corona that you can try some of these spots!