For more London restaurant guides, check out our guides to the best pizza places in London, best London wine bars and best London pubs with great food.
10 London institutions to eat your way around the world
Diwana Bhel Puri House, Euston Square
This vegetarian Indian canteen on London’s iconic Drummond Street – a South Asian culinary hub right in the middle of the city – was established in 1971. They’re famous for their Gujarati thalis, chaat snacks, idlis (steamed rice cakes) and epic shatteringly-crispy masala dosas. The paneer-sag dosa is particularly special, filled with a punchily-spiced spinach-cheese filling, with sambhar and coconut chutney on the side. Save space for their famous kulfi ices available in almond ‘malai’, pistachio or tropical mango. instagram.com/diwanabhelpoorihouse/
Afghan Grill, Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green Road is a street where Indian sweet shops (Raj Mahal), hip wine bars (Top Cuvée), iconic British-Italian cafes (E. Pelicci), Turkish grills (Taş Fırın) and women-led Bengali kitchens (Oitij-Jo) all coexist with delicious camaraderie. Afghan Grill is an unassuming restaurant right in the middle of the action – and one that’s serving up some the most extraordinary food in all of East London. The huge meat grills, chapli kebabs and mantu dumplings are a great place to start, and their homemade Afghan naans are freshly baked to order. But the biryanis and Kabuli pilau are what they are renowned for – intensely flavoured with slow cooked lamb and spices.
Mr Falafel, Shepherds Bush
This vegan Palestinian eatery in Shepherd’s Bush Market has been serving up some of the best falafel in the city since 1999. Everything is freshly prepared to order, using locally sourced ingredients from the market. Their iconic ‘classic’ falafel wrap is stuffed to the brim with hummus, fried aubergines, pickled turnips, parsley and tahina sauce. Variations include wraps that add in juicy green olives, mashed broad beans or pickled aubergines stuffed with walnuts. You can even ask for them to be done Lebanese style (with tomatoes, pickles and mint), Syrian style (with hummus, pickles and lemon) or Iraqi style (with aubergines, sumac and amba sauce). mrfalafel.co.uk
Merkato, Kings Cross
This Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant on Caledonian Road is not only popular with knowing locals but has also attracted the attentions of London’s top critics in recent years. Portions are gargantuan – with speciality dishes like their dereq tbsi (sautéed beef with tomatoes, pepper and onion), keyh qlwa (hot spiced fried lamb), and special kitfo (minced beef with spiced butter). Their delicious injera (fermented teff flour pancake) is tangy and springy in texture, the perfect vehicle to scoop up everything in front of you. merkatokingscross.co.uk
Sông Quê Café, Kingsland Road
Of all the Vietnamese establishments along Kingsland Road, Sông Quê Café – with it’s iconic green walls and signage – remains one of the best loved. Opened in 2002, the Pham family have been cooking up their Vietnamese fare to queues of people at the restaurant ever since. Their rich pho broth is made with choice cuts of beef cooked for hours, with 7 special herbs and spices. The delicious spice soft shell crab is delicately crispy – topped with sharp red chillies and spring onions. Their chargrilled quail is charred to perfection, served with a wonderfully balanced lime and pepper dip; and the vermicelli noodles are brightly flavoured with lemongrass, soy and fresh herbs. songque.co.uk
Lisboa Patisserie, Goldborne Road
The hipsterfication of Goldborne Road has done little to halt the popularity of Lisboa Patisserie – with its iconic swirly typographic façade – that is one of the most well-loved establishments along the street. They’ve been serving up generously portioned (and affordably priced) freshly baked Portuguese pastries since the 1990s – abundantly displayed in glass cabinets that are a joy to peruse. The perfectly scorched pastel de nata are a must, but don’t stop at just those. Try the bolas de berlim (Portuguese jam donuts), the brioche style croissants, the bolo de arro (Portuguese rice muffin), fruity caracol spiral buns, the chorizo pastries and the apple tarts. Their rocket-fuel coffees are also deliciously punchy – in the very best way! instagram.com/lisboa_patisserie/
101 Thai Kitchen, Hammersmith
This west London institution is one of the oldest restaurants in the country to serve-up Isaan cuisines from north-eastern Thailand, as well as Southern Thai cuisine. Its bright pink façade makes for a striking welcome, and this is a place that is perpetually busy – for good reason. They are proud of doing things ‘the Thai way’ which means boldly flavoured dishes, spiced with unapologetic gusto. The traditional Issan laab, pork ribs with tamarind and grilled seabass with peanut-chilli sauce are a great place to start. But the Southern Thai curries are the highlight of the menu – like the Gaeng Thai Plaa (mackerel with salted fish sauce and vegetables), the Gaeng Kua (coconut curry with wild betal leaf), and the hot peppery Gaeng Prig. 101thaikitchen.uk
Fish, Wings & Tings, Brixton
The sunshine yellow and green exterior of this Brixton Village institution has been a popular fixture since Trinidadian chef Brian Danclair opened it in 2012. They specialise in vibrantly flavoured, locally sourced, Caribbean food, with a welcoming family spirit and community-led ethos. From the ‘small tings’ section of the menu, the pepper prawns with Granny Suzy sauce, reggae wings with pineapple-mango chutney, and split pea-callaloo fritters with tamarind are true winners. From the ‘big tings’, try the superb stew oxtail with rice and peas, or the fish roti with chickpeas, pumpkin and tamarind kuchela. And to drink, opt for the non-alcoholic homemade spice sorrel punch which is sharp, tangy and deliciously fragrant. fishwingsandtings.co.uk
Golden Phoenix, China Town
Every establishment in China Town has a remarkable diasporic story to tell and Golden Phoenix – right in the heart of Gerrard Street – has one that spans generations. Today it’s Maria Lai Lentz who oversees things – the daughter of the original owner, who established the restaurant over 30 years ago after arriving in London from Hong Kong. He was one of the original China Town pioneers but sadly passed away during Covid. Today, their handmade dim sum, Cantonese style roast duck, and congees are amongst some of the best around. Try the crab, scallop and pumpkin dumplings, the BBQ pork puff pastries, or the deep-fried prawn dumplings served with salad cream! goldenphoenixchinatown.co.uk
Ustun Lahmacun & Pide Salonu, Stoke Newington
This unassuming and bijoux traditional Turkish establishment on Green Lanes serves up some of the thinnest, crispiest and most flavourful lahmacun (Turkish flatbreads) in the area – topped with minced lamb, parsley, tomatoes, onions and peppers. It has something of a cult following – and it takes just one bite of their warm, rolled-up, salad-stuffed Turkish bakes to see why. Everything they make is hand-kneaded, freshly rolled and wood-fire baked to order. The pide (Turkish pizza) menu is vast – with toppings like lamb, Turkish sausage, feta, halloumi, eggs and even Turkish pastrami. ustunlahmacun.com
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