Best neighbourhoods in London for food lovers

I may be biased but London is one of the best cities in the world when it comes to food and restaurants. I consider myself a foodie and love nothing better than researching where I want to eat when I go on holiday – because who wants to have a disappointing meal? Or not be able to get a table because you didn’t reserve one in advance? So if you’re heading to London, or even if you live here, I’ve got you covered. Having lived in London for over 20 years – in my opinion – these are some of the best neighbourhoods in London for food lovers.

Bermondsey Street

Every tourist heads to Borough Market, and rightly so. It’s a fantastic place and definitely one you should visit. But… if you want to avoid the crowds and still experience amazing food, head to nearby Bermondsey Street, which is about a 5 minute walk from London Bridge Station.

This vibrant street is absolutely PACKED with amazing restaurants, bars and pubs. I’ve been eating out on Bermondsey Street for years and these are my top recommendations:

Fleurie is a French-style bistro and wine bar with a real neighbourhood feel. The food is fantastic and they have a great bar too. They also have some outside seating for when the weather is good.

Laphet, one of London’s only Burmese restaurants, which serves delicious classic Burmese dishes in a modern setting. The concept is sharing and it’s recommended to order two to three dishes per person. They also have locations in Shoreditch and the West End.

Casse-Croûte, a French bistro where the menu changes daily but there are only three starters, three mains and three desserts to choose from. An absolute gem of a restaurant that will make you feel like you’re in Paris! They don’t take online bookings so make sure to call them to reserve a table as they are very popular. They have very limited outdoor seating too.

Baccalà, an Italian seafood and wine restaurant which serves modern food rooted in traditional Italian cooking. Food critic and Masterchef regular Jay Rayner is a fan! The decor is gorgeous and they have counter seating as well as a few outside tables. Their wine list is excellent too.

Pizarro Bermondsey by José Pizarro serves delicious, contemporary tapas in a stylish setting. They actually have two restaurants on Bermondsey Street but I’ve only been to Pizarro Bermondsey (many times over the years). Their other restaurant is José Tapas Bar and is smaller. At Pizarro Bermondsey you can opt for counter seating, which is my favourite as you can watch the chefs cook, or table seating. They don’t have outdoor seating. The food here is fabulous but it is on the pricey side.

Queen’s Park

Queen’s Park is a neighbourhood in North West London, on the Bakerloo line and the Lioness line (the Overground). Whilst it’s not exactly central London, it’s only Zone 2 and is definitely worth a trip for foodies. Apart from great restaurants, there’s also a big park with a little animal farm, a huge kids play area, a golf course and a bandstand for concerts in the summer. And on Sundays the local primary school on Lonsdale Road hosts a fabulous farmers’ market.

Here’s my recommendations for where to eat in Queen’s Park, mainly on the high street and Lonsdale Road.

Carmel, an all-day eatery that cooks on open fire. The food is Eastern Mediterranean and is absolutely delicious. If you don’t get addicted to their flatbreads, there’s something wrong with you! They have a great vibe and you can choose counter or even outdoor seating.

Sudu is a three-generation, family-run Malaysian restaurant close to Queen’s Park tube station. They serve authentic Malaysian breakfast, lunch and dinner and there’s even a cool Speakeasy bar downstairs! I definitely recommend booking as it’s very popular.

The Salusbury has been a Queen’s Park landmark for like, forever. However, recently they’ve had a complete refurbishment and have opened an elegant dining room alongside their pub. Whilst the two are separate areas, they are connected at the back where the bar is. They also offer a private dining area. There are some tables outside but this is for the pub and not the dining room.

Don’t tell Dad is both a neighbourhood bakery on one side and a restaurant on the other. The bakery opens at 8am every day and the restaurant is open from midday for lunch and from 5:30pm for dinner. The restaurant even features on the Michelin Guide.

Liverpool Street and Shoreditch

Miyako is located inside the Andaz hotel by Hyatt. It serves authentic Japanese food in a stylish setting. The quality of the sushi and sashimi is excellent and the broth of the ramen was the best I’ve ever had. They are also dog friendly so you are welcome to bring your furry companion.

Manteca is hands down one of my favourite Italian restaurants in London. It’s located in Shoreditch, towards Old Street. They serve delicious Italian food, using nose to tail (so the whole animal) and make their own focaccia, pasta and salumi. They have an upstairs area, which is divided into two sections, and a downstairs area with private dining options. There’s no outside seating. Top tip: ask to be seated upstairs and ideally on the side of the open kitchen. Our favourite is the counter seating by the open kitchen that does the starters.

Spitalfields Market if you’re looking for low key dining with lots of options, head to Spitalfields Market. They have pretty much every cuisine you could wish for – from Ethiopian food to dim sum, Neapolitan pizza, BBQ, tacos, poke and more. It’s a foodie’s dream.

Galvin la Chapel is a one Michelin star restaurant right near Spitalfields Market. It’s set in a beautiful former school and the building is Grade 2 listed. The food is fabulous and the service is professional and attentive – without being stuffy. A top tip is to book a table during the festive season as they decorate it so beautifully.

King’s Cross

Ever since the addition of Coal Drops Yard to the neighbourhood, King’s Cross has become a culinary destination. In summer in particular, it’s a delight as there is loads of outdoor dining areas, fountains that the kids can run around in, market days and of course there’s the canal that you can walk along to digest your meal.

Here are my recommendations of where to eat in King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard.

Barrafina is a small chain of Spanish restaurants serving award-winning tapas. We’ve been to almost all of their locations (Covent Garden, Borough Market, Charing Cross and Coal Drops Yard) and they never disappoint. Most of their restaurants only have counter seating but the Coal Drops Yard one has tables too so great if you’re in a group.

El Pastor serves up tasty tacos and delicious margaritas. They have lots of other Mexican favourites on their menu, such as quesadillas and tostadas. They have a large outdoor terrace as well as indoor dining.

Lina Stores is a small chain of Italian restaurants. They started as a deli on Brewer Street in Soho in 1944 and are now a London institution. I’ve been to all of their locations but I really like the one in King’s Cross.

The setting is lovely, with the mint green decor, the food is really good and it’s not too pricey. I’d recommend ordering three pastas for two people as they perfect for sharing and trying different dishes.

The Lighterman is a pub and restaurant set over two levels and overlooking the canal. I’d recommend asking for a table upstairs as it’s much nicer (in my opinion) than downstairs and there’s outside seating upstairs too. Their flatbreads are really delicious! And on Sundays they do a traditional Sunday roast.

Soho

Soho is one of London’s most vibrant areas but it is also pretty touristy. It’s got tons of places to eat and drink so here are my recommendations.

Bocca di Lupo is located right in the heart of Soho. It’s been open since 2008 and offers a modern trattoria feel. Serving authentic regional Italian dishes, it’s popular so definitely book in advance and specify whether you’d like a counter seat or a table. We love to sit at the counter so we can see the chefs cook. It’s on the pricey side but is an institution.

Bancone is a small chain of Italian restaurants and their Golden Square branch is located in Soho. They make their pasta by hand every day and you can often spot a chef in the window making fresh pasta. The decor is really nice and you can choose counter seating or tables.

Chinatown is a vibrant area of Soho and packed with authentic Chinese restaurants. It’s an absolute must-visit in London. For dining options, check out the Real Beijing Food House, Four Seasons and Wong Kei (which opened in the 1980s.) For dessert, head to Mamasons Dirty Ice-cream, which serves amazing Filipino ice-cream. Try the ube in a bilong. Delicious!

L’escargot is London’s oldest French restaurant and is located on Greek Street, one of Soho’s most iconic streets. It was also the first restaurant to serve snails in London, hence the name. And it’s also the first place I ever tried snails… they were actually pretty good! They are also dog friendly, so you can bring your four-legged friend with you to dine. They have a really good value set menu prix fixe too where you can get two courses for £25 or three for £29 between 12 -3 pm and 5 -6:15 pm. Perfect for a pre-theatre meal.

The Devonshire on Denman Street is a classic London pub serving restaurant-quality food from their in-house butcher and bakery. On Sundays they serve traditional roast beef with all the trimmings. This place is incredibly popular so booking is essential.

So those are my recommendations for some of the best neighbourhoods in London for food lovers. Where would you add?

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