London Kentish Town Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: The “exquisite kebabs” at this family-run Turk in Kentish Town (which takes its name from the original Victorian sign above the door) have “set the standard in north London for years”. Don’t be put off by the “limited menu and basic amenities (more like a local chippy)” – the food is “fresh, good quality and delicious”, while “service is cheerful”.

2022 Review: Adding Indian spicing to pasta and crispy Italian pizza explains the name of Devinder Singh’s Tufnell Park venue, which opened in Spring 2020. Early bird feedback suggests it's a concept that ‘has legs’.

800+ wines by the bottle and a selection of 75 craft beers are the USP of this intriguing Tufnell Park showcase for regional French drinks and produce. The menu changes every six weeks with a different region moving into focus – it’s short and in a supporting role to all the delicious grog, but good value.

“Tucked away behind an ice-cream parlour” in Kentish Town, “this lovely local restaurant produces dishes that would shame a far more expensive West End place”. Calabrian-born with Moroccan heritage, chef Mustapha Mouflih conjures up “exceptional real Italian cuisine” in a “no-frills” setting which is “reflected in the prices” – and “a bargain deal on corkage”.

“Really good Calabrian pizza made with sourdough” is winning attention for this Kentish Town newcomer, which opened in November 2022, with a mix of standard and unusual toppings, such as ’Orange Crush’ (creamed butternut squash, leeks, olives, chilli and peanut butter). It also has an often overlooked Clapham sibling (not listed), that’s been open for three years; and is part of a wider genuinely Italian chain with branches in numerous cities, founded in Bologna in 2010.

“All the food is wood-grilled and tastes fantastic” at this exciting March 2023 newcomer – a converted boozer (a Victorian hostelry, previously called The Oxford Tavern) from former Brat chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings that’s not just “a welcome addition to Kentish Town” but widely hailed from more distant postcodes as “the perfect gastropub”. The “original” if quite limited menu is extremely highly rated in a slew of early reports (and just about every newspaper restaurant critic has waxed lyrical over it); there’s also a “superb and well-priced wine list, plus great beers on tap”.