We have nothing but the utmost respect for the late Douglas Adams, but when he wrote “It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.” he couldn’t have been more wrong. As proof, just look at these amazing potato dishes currently on the menus of London restaurants.
The Dover's crispy potato cakes
Mayfair - 33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
There's an awful lot to like about The Dover's menu, but for us these crispy potato cakes are right at the top of the list. Their own take on confit potato goodness comes topped with lemon crème fraîche and Oscietra caviar. If you can't book a table at the restaurant, it's worth knowing that these snacks are also available at the bar and go down very well with a martini.
Sune's grilled potatoes
Broadway Market - 129A Pritchard’s Road, London E2 9AP
When we first visited Sune, there was much to love about the menu there, but we were particularly impressed by their grilled potatoes. The potatoes, steamed and then charred over wood and charcoal, were at the time covered in a sauce of brown butter, egg yolks and crème frâiche. However, the sauce changes several times a year, so it's worth going back to try all the variants. Right now, they're served with a peppercorn aioli. We asked them for more info on the aioli and were told it's "seasoned with a blend of toasted black, sarawak, pink, white, Szechuan and brined green peppercorns. The aioli is finished with fermented onion puree and a splash of green peppercorn brine." That sounds worth crossing town for.
Café Francois' rotisserie potatoes
Borough Yards - 14-16 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD
This sister restaurant to Maison Francois has been a big hit right out of the gate in Borough Yards - more affordable than the original but still very, very French. Their fries are excellent, but the rotisserie potatoes, roasted under the rotisserie chickens and then covered with a chicken dressing are next-level.
Tollington's chips bravas
Finsbury Park - 172 Tollington Park, London N4 3AJ
Another smash hit from the people behind The Plimsoll, Tollington's North London take on a Spanish fish bar has a menu full of amazing dishes. That said, most of the reviewers (and us) specifically singled out their take on patatas bravas, which sees the "patatas" part replaced by the crispiest chips imaginable. It's worth travelling to Tollington's for these alone, frankly.
The Hero's mash
Maida Vale - 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
This pub comes from the same people behind The Pelican and while they have a grill restaurant upstairs, this mash is currently only available on the pub menu downstairs. This appears to be following at least a 50/50 ratio of potato to butter which is how all the best mash should be made.
Sesta's roast potatoes
Hackney - 52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG
Roast potatoes seem incredibly hard for restaurants (or pubs) to get right, particularly if you're comparing them to the years you spent years perfecting your own (as we have). But these roasties from Sesta are just pitch perfect, crumbly AND crunchy. Pair that with a frankly amazing bone marrow emulsion dip and these can't be missed.
The Ninth's crispy Agria potatoes
Fitzrovia - 22 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NB
The Ninth may be best known for their other fried wonder, pain perdu, but another must-have dish on the menu are these fried potatoes. The kitchen team choose late-season Agria potatoes and then pair them with an intense sundried tomato aioli.
Photo by Felicity Spector
Juliet's Quality Foods hash browns
Tooting - 110 Mitcham Rd, London SW17 9NG
There are many great ways to start the day, but for an absolute guaranteed hangover-busting, face-the-day-with-confidence dish, you'll want The Poacher Hash at Juliet’s. It’s a plate of super crispy hash browns topped with an unseemly amount of cave-aged Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. Simple, but effective.
Hawksmoor's Tunworth mash
Various locations across London
Hawksmoor has all manner of carby treats, including some particularly good beef dripping fries, mash & gravy and triple cooked chips. But it's the deeply cheesy Tunworth mash that we return to again and again. Essentially it's mash with a quarter piece of Tunworth cheese in the middle - hard to beat.
Quality Chop House's confit potatoes
Clerkenwell - 92–94 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3EA
Probably London’s best-known potato dish, this has been on the menu at Quality Chop since it was first devised by chef Shaun Searley back in 2013. Sliced, baked, compressed and then deep-fried before serving with a simple addition of Maldon salt and mustard dressing, it’s the dish to beat.
Core's Potato & roe
Notting Hill - 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN
One of the classic dishes on Clare Smyth's tasting menu at her multi-award-winning restaurant is 'Potato and roe’ - sitting in a pool of dulse beurre blanc, and topped with herring and trout roe. It's a dish inspired by Clare's childhood growing up on a farm in Northern Ireland by the sea and it's probably the poshest potato dish we've ever tried.
Brat's smoked potatoes
Shoreditch - 4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL
Take potatoes, place them in the fire at Tomas Parry’s Shoreditch gaff and then let the application of heat, fire and smoke do its work. Serve in a puddle of melted butter. Job done. They're also on the menu at hit sister restaurant Mountain, in Soho.
Barrafina's tortilla
Soho, Covent Garden, King's Cross
The arrival of this oozy, not quite set tortilla to London in 2007 was a revelation. Chef Nieves Barragan turned the original 27 stooled bar on Frith Street into somewhere foodies would queue for an hour for tapas. Nieves is now at Sabor (which also do a mean tortilla), but the made-to-order tortilla at Barrafina is still a thing of beauty.
Trivet's Hokkaido baked potato millefeuille
Bermondsey - 36 Snowsfields, London SE1 3S
At Jonny Lake and Isa Bal’s two Michelin-starred London Bridge restaurant, the dessert you’ll be most intrigued to try is this. Made from roasted potato skins which are then added to puff pastry to form the layers, it’s served with sake and white chocolate mousse, butter and sake gelato. They’ve managed to turn a basic potato into this thing of architectural patisserie beauty and for that, they should be lauded.
Dauphinoise potato, Winterdale cheddar & caramelised onion pie at Holborn Dining Room
Holborn - 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
This vegetarian wonder is served up by Nokx Majozi, Head Pie Maker at Holborn Dining Room. This potato pie has become one of their signature dishes and is every bit as worth the journey as its meaty counterparts. It's also their first gluten-free pie, so even more people can try its potato goodness.
Placki potato pancakes at Ognisko
South Kensington - 55 Exhibition Rd, London SW7 2PG
With a whole section of the menu devoted to placki - Polish potato pancakes - a visit to Ognisko in South Ken has to be on any tuberphiles hit list (yes, we're aware that's not a real word). You'll have to take it from us that there's actually some underneath all the chicken livers in the picture above. These rosti-like pancakes are heaven and you'll need them if you're going to work your way through Ognisko's vodka list.
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