Chalk Farm, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“You are welcomed warmly” at this attractive and easygoing Primrose Hill brunch-friendly haunt, which – say fans – is “the sort of place you always come out of in a good mood”. But while most reports affirm it’s “a lovely place for simple but delicious meals at any time of the day”, there is also a view that “the food’s perfectly pleasant, it’s a useful local, but nothing to get too excited about”.

2022 Review: “It’s amazing how much fun you can have dining in a shipping container!!” – Irish chef Adrian Martin’s July 2020 newcomer may be thus housed in Camden Town’s new eco market on Buck Street, but – with its incongruously posh decor and £65 eight-course menu (£110 if you go for the wine matching) – it’s certainly not in the grungy, street food category (even if you do have to go outside to the loos in the market). As the name hints, the focus is on seasonality and foraged food, but early press reviews – while not writing the enterprise off – have given it a slightly bumpy ride. Some of our early reporters are much more upbeat, though, hailing “inspirational and outstanding cuisine” that its most ardent supporters would put “in the same class as Aulis and Story”.

Billing itself as: ‘A world-first restaurant employing, training and empowering people who have experienced homelessness’ – this charitable venture opened in late 2024 in cute Primrose Hill, on the site that was for decades the late lamented Odette’s (RIP). Its simple menus – brunches, breakfasts, dinners of steak, cod and chicken – aren’t aiming for foodie fireworks but scored well in our survey. (And in his November 2024 review, although The Telegraph’s William Sitwell wanted “a little more oomph, more zest, more thrills and spills”, he still found it “sweet, sensible and conformist with buckets of warm conviviality”, and serving “safe and respectable brasserie fare”).

“Beautifully restored pub” in Gospel Oak – a fine Georgian (1752) pub rescued from oblivion by new owners Phil and Aimee and reopened at the end of 2024, complete with attractive decor and candlelight. Early feedback is limited but suggests it’s worth a visit for its “friendly welcome and sensibly sized portions”: in particular “excellent Sunday lunches with children’s portions on offer and perfectly cooked meat and veg”.