London Restaurants - North London

340-342 Essex Road, London N1 3PB

Chef James Cochran’s exile from Islington after the closure of 12:51 was thankfully shortlived as he returned to open the bistro pub The Brave. It might be a pub in name and looks, but both the bar snacks and dining room menus reveal Cochran’s creative hand, from jerk spiced Scotch eggs to the hay emulsion that comes with the slow cooked shin of beef.

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

Godet comes from Sylvain Bertozzi, the man behind popular wine bar Binch in Hackney. He's brought his wine nous to this Islington pub which prides itself on a great wine list. There's beer too, of course, as well as a regular kitchen residency and it also acts as part listening bar with decks built into the bar itself.

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. Led by chef Simon Shand, previously at Leroy, there's a menu of tapas 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.

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.

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

Taking over the old Gilbert Scott space, this sees Allegra chef Patrick Powell in charge of the main restaurant at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel. There's a decadent French menu on offer here (expect lots of rich sauces) in a drop-dead gorgeous room that's also paired with one of the best cocktail bars in the King's Cross area.

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.

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. Critic Fay Maschler said it was the best Cantonese cooking in London.

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.

72 Highbury Park, Highbury East, London N5 2XE

Seb Holmes' Farang has become a huge Highbury hit, offering some of the best Thai cooking across London, made with both Thai and British produce. Originally a pop-up, it soon went permanent and they've recently added an excellent in-store larder.

Unit 2, Building, 4 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG

The BAO team continue their success with this opening inspired by the western style cafes in Asia. You'll find their signature bao buns alongside inventive western-style dishes like Chicken XO Kiev. As this location is also a bakery, you can take home your very own BAO goodies.

34 Drayton Park, London N5 1PB

Owners David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim also run nearby Primeur and Jolene, both also excellent. Here, there's a distinct focus on seafood and the menu changes every day, although if the cuttlefish croquettes with aioli are on there, make sure you order those. In the summertime, you can take a glass of something cold out on the front courtyard and if you're really pushing the boat out, ask for the leather-bound, handwritten, ‘black book’ of fine wines.

5 Stable Street, London N1C 4AB

We often daydream about the bacon and egg breakfast naan at Dishoom. Consistently packed and offering a buzzy atmosphere, people keep coming back for its excellent Indian small plates. Its take on Bombay cafe culture ensures long waits and queues at all their restaurants. Be prepared to queue at busier times.

171 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX

This is the Holloway home for critically acclaimed Malaysian laksa specialists Sambal Shiok, headed up by Mandy Yin. The laksa is great, but so are all the other dishes. Look out for regular events there and enjoy the wine list with a focus on Riesling.

117 Benwell Rd, London N7 7BW

This Holloway restaurant (it's just across the road from the Emirates stadium) has won a deserved reputation for cooking up some of the best Shang Xi-inspired street food in London. Yes, that means there's a bit of heat involved here, but their hand-pulled noodles are among the best in town. Their pork/beef "burgers" are not to be missed.

4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD

The Compton Arms has been a tiny Islington mainstay for many years but has really blossomed since its most recent revamp. Originally the home for Four Legs, the kitchen is now run by Dara Klein's Tiella which is all about traditional, rustic Italian food.

220 St Paul's Rd, Highbury, London N1 2LL

The Nook comes from Angus and Lale Oztek-Pook who have experience at Zucca, Bernardis and Oklava among others. The food is described as "contemporary European with a Turkish twist" and is paired with a winelist of sustainable, organic, biodynamic and minimal intervention wines. It works as a deli too, so there's lots to take away.

105-106 Upper St, London N1 1QN

This restaurant comes with the backing of Zhang Chao of Xi’an Impression. The team behind the restaurant are aiming to cover multiple regions of China, all helped by the fact that they have chefs in the kitchen who originate from different regions and bring with them varying experiences and knowledge. Here you can expect an excellent pan-Chinese meal, that just happens to be plant-based too.

9 Islington Green, London N1 2XH

Originally launched by Corbin and King, this is a revived Islington grand cafe which now offers a menu that's more of a traditional French brasserie. It's one of the largest restaurants in Angel and there's a very handy bar in here too.