London Belsize Park Restaurant Guide

“Still going strong” after 45 years, this big, “family-friendly, community-spirited” taverna on Primrose Hill boasts a “reliable Greek-Cypriot menu that suits all tastes”. “Visit for the ambience rather than the food and you won’t be disappointed” – it’s the sort of place where “many of the waiters have served for decades; and once-young guests can often be seen tucking in with now grown-up children as well as grandchildren in tow”.

This “vibrant and busy” hangout in Primrose Hill is “obviously very popular with locals”, plying them with “huge salads offset with brownies and ice cream”, along with decent coffee and cocktails. In particular, it’s a big local favourite for a “released breakfast… if you can get a table”.

David Levin’s elegant-looking brasserie near Belsize Park tube scores well for its “consistent quality” and “great location”. And by the dire standards of London’s kosher restaurant scene, it’s one of the best all-rounders in town.

Simon & Jacinta Bradley’s “reliable neighbourhood restaurant” near Swiss Cottage station is one of the capital’s stalwart local champions, offering an unfailing combination of “well-presented dishes, friendly service and well chosen wines” for 32 years and counting. “Rarely busy at lunchtime”, it’s also a “very useful pre-theatre restaurant” for those heading to the Hampstead Theatre around the corner. Ratings, though, remain capped by those who view it as “a venue that’s convenient but dull”.

“Everything is flame-grilled – including the olives!” at this Belsize Park three-year-old from chef-patron Jake Finn (ex-LPM and The Ritz), whose second branch in St John’s Wood is equally highly rated. They are “buzzy, sometimes noisy” places, “famous locally for their triple cooked potatoes”. Top Menu Tip – “the standout chargrilled leek salad with ricotta and hazelnuts”.

“A well-conceived shortish menu of varied and interesting food” has won a warm reception for coffee entrepreneur Jeffrey Young’s ‘Antipodean-inspired Modern Italian in the heart of Belsize Park’. A visit is buoyed along by “a warm welcome and efficient but unobtrusive service (everyone in our – not always easy to please – party said they’d like to go again soon!”).

“Real quality pizza, good portion sizes and reasonable prices” have driven the rapid growth of this Chelsea-based group, launched five years ago by Carmelo Meli and Emanuele Tagliarini. A couple of reports also give a shout out to the “short but reasonably priced wine list”.

“The best bagels in London”! Self-taught baker Dan Martensen and Caravan head baker Jack Ponting worked on perfecting a New York bagel recipe and opened this bricks-and-mortar place in September 2023 in Primrose Hill. There’s the odd table, but it’s primarily take out.

A second location of the Chelsea restaurant in Belsize Village, offering dishes inspired by Chinese and Southeast Asian flavours. The menu includes a wide range of small plates, seafood, salads and classics. The space, designed with Jonathan Clark Architects, features natural materials, whitewashed wood, earthy tones and a dedicated bar area serving cocktails, sake and Japanese whisky. The restaurant includes multiple seating areas, a private dining room and an outdoor terrace.