London Restaurants - North London

73 Highbury Park, London N5 1UA

Lupa is a team-up of two locals: Ed Templeton, who is one of the founders of Carousel, and actor Theo James. Bringing in an ex-Pidgin chef to lead things, the menu takes its inspiration from Italy and in particular, Roman cuisine. Snacks, small plates and great wine are the order of the day in this compact restaurant where you might run into the odd celeb or two among the Highbury locals.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR

Victor Garvey, the man behind Michelin-starred SOLA, in now in charge of The Midland Grand in King's Cross. The menu concentrates on French-inspired haute cuisine, with more than a little tableside theatre thrown in. The dining room itself is one of the most impressive in London and it's also well worth making time to have a drink in the excellent Gothic Bar (which also has snacks from Garvey).

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. Now so popular that you can expect a queue unless you go super early, it is nevertheless worth the trip.

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.

38 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9DT

This brightly coloured restaurant serves up some of the most delicious and authentic Thai food in London at great prices. Try Phuket cashew nuts or Southern specialities like Pla Tod Naam Pla – crispy seabass with sugar, fish sauce and green apple salad.

Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AB

Barrafina are considered as being some of the best Spanish restaurants in London and this Kings Cross outpost is no exception, with a particular focus on Catalan cooking. It's primarily counter dining, but they also have a stunning alfresco-only grill restaurant, Parrillan.

84-86 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4Q

Morchella comes from the same team behind Perilla in Stoke Newington, but this is quite a different beast. Taking Mediterranean influences as its starting point, it's a laid-back affair in a bright dining room just off Exmouth Market. Expect small to medium sharing plates, a strong European wine list and there's also a separate bar too.

7 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7QE

Downstairs, the William IV is a proper pub, loud and busy with a bar food selection that covers all the basics. But if you head upstairs to their dining room you’ll find a separate menu and space to sit back and relax. An experienced team are using connections with great suppliers to serve up a seasonal menu that focuses on great produce. The room is great too, with real fires in the winter and large windows that make it perfect for summer lunches.

One and a Half, Ardleigh Rd, London N1 4HS

Run by two Cordon Bleu-trained chefs, Melanie Clarke and McKenzie Amaral and only operating during the day, this cafe has already built up a loyal following for its regularly changing menu. Seasonality is key here so scones might feature wild garlic in the spring, and there’s always plenty entice on the baked goods front.

8 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DU

Tamila is a casual Indian restaurant from the team behind The Tamil Prince (a nearby pub). The food is inspired by executive chef Prince Durairaj’s South Indian heritage and the menu focuses on made-to-order rotis and curries like Thanjavur chicken curry. There's also a Sunday feast available here and a small basement bar (only available if you're dining).

63-65 Parkway, London NW1 7PP

This small Parkway restaurant doesn't like to conform to labels. Instead, it describes its sharing plates style as a blend of Asian and European cuisines and takes its cocktails seriously, too. The menu lists its wonton dish as "Wontons? Tortellini?" noting the similarity between wonton skins and traditional pasta. It also includes other fusion dishes like the Sichuan chicken burger and dumpling skin "tacos".

20a Halliford St, London N1 3HD

Coming from the Goodbye Horses team (which is just across the road), this is a combo ice cream/wine bar. Exepct unique and original takes on ice cream, all paired with excellent wine. It also helps that it's all set in a compact and beautiful space where the mirrors and backlit ceiling create a space like nothing else.

340-342 Essex Road, London N1 3PB

It might be a pub in name and looks, but both the bar snacks and dining room menus reveal a creative hand in the kitchen, from the jerk spiced Scotch eggs to the curry emulsion that comes with the cuttlefish arancini. Expect a strong seafood offering too.

396 York Way, Camden Town, London N7 9LW

Half Cut Market is a combo restaurant, wine bar, bottle shop set up by a group of talented hospitality veterans. it's earned plenty of awards as a wine bar, but the kitchen itself is well worth heading to, with ex-Brat chef Aidan Richardson. Look out for their collab dinners with top chefs too.

2 Inverness Street, Camden, London NW1 7HJ

This Mexican bar and restaurant is led by ex-Ella Canta chef Daniel Sanchez, who comes from Mexico City. His aim here is to deliver an authentic and vibrant Mexican restaurant where the bar scene is as important as the restaurant. The food includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and more while the drinks list features a strong margarita section.

Unit 92, Camden Stables Market, Chalk Farm Lane, NW1 8AH

Jugad is from from healthy food delivery company Foodhak, who opened right in the middle of Camden Market. The restaurant aims for the same goals as their delivery service - a diverse and balanced menu that's completely gluten and dairy-free, serving up Indian dishes with a modern twist.

300 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2TG

Berberè is the UK outpost of an award-winning pizzeria that has locations across Italy. They're best known for their "living" sourdough pizzas, proofed over 24 hours. They serve up the classics, as well as their own takes like a smoked margherita pizza.

382 Essex Rd, London N1 3PF

Sharing an owner with popular Hackney wine bar Binch, Sylvain Bertozzi, this Essex Road boozer has had a very modern makeover, adding in space for a DJ and an expansive wine offering. Currently, the food side of things is run by Perkd Up Burgers. Keep an eye on their Instagram for news of a regular programme of wine events.

20 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DU

The Yellow Bittern takes a somewhat unusual approach to a restaurant, opening only on weekday lunchtimes (in two sittings) and only accepting payment by cash (and booking by phone only). Closer to a supperclub than a restaurant, the menu is by chef Hugh Corcoran, expect a regularly changing menu with a little bit of Irish influence.

167 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX

Topa takes over Provisions wine and cheese shop on Holloway Road in the evenings, transforming it into a Basque-inspired restaurant and wine bar. There's a menu of pintxos which changes regularly, all prepared in the tiny cooking space at the back. That's all paired with the excellent wines and cheese that Provisions is already known for.

21 Halliford St, London, N1 3HB

Goodbye Horses has taken over an old pub in Islington and transformed it into a modern wine bar and restaurant. The inside has a lovely modern refit, and the design is complemented with a great natural, organic and biodynamic wine list and an inventive menu. Look out for their ice cream shop across the street, The Dreamery, as the perfect place to end your meal.

3-4 Wells Terrace, London N4 3JU

A newcomer that’s already made quite a stir, this Vietnamese cafe right behind Finsbury Park station serves up exactly what the name suggests - boba teas and baguettes (aka banh mi). They also do a nice line in spring and summer rolls, mango salads and rice boxes.

27 Blackstock Rd, London N4 2JF

There aren’t all that many places serving up Uyghur food in London (and for that matter the UK), making Dilara a place of pilgrimage for anyone who wants to try it. Specialities include amazing hand-pulled noodles (the beef is a must if you’re a meat-eater) and they also do a range of Turkish dishes too.

2 Chapel Market, London N1 9EZ

Tucked down the far end (some might say the wrong end) of Chapel Market, this seafood spot has been turning out superlative dishes since opening quietly early in 2024. Chef Maoz Alonim has swapped the markets of Tel Aviv for North London and in doing so has given Islington this enticing oyster bar and grill.

172 Tollington Park, London N4 3AJ

Four Legs, the team behind nearby pub The Plimsoll, have transformed an old fish and chip shop into a Spanish-style seafood bar. That means there are plenty of seafood tapas and small plates on offer like their deep-fried deviled crab. And yes, there are chips too, with bravas sauce poured all over them.

300 - 302 St Paul's Road, London N1 2LH

Probably Islington's most famous restaurant, this Italian affair sees Tim Siadatan (also behind Padella) and Chef Owner Conor Gadd in charge. Expect superlative Italian cuisine at any time and at weekends, you can also pop into their wine bar next door for a glass and some snacks.

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.

172 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JL

Caravel is a restaurant on a barge, floating on the canal in Hoxton. In charge are brothers Lorcan and Fin Spiteri who are in charge of the food and drink respectively. Expect the kind of food from Lorcan "that he and Fin enjoyed growing up". There's also now a sister barge moored alongside which is a floating bar.

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.

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 a seasonal approach to cooking, defined by catches of the day with some of the best seafood dishes in town. Make sure to try their signature dish - the prawn on the lawn which is toasted soda bread with avocado and prawns.