London Belsize Park Restaurant Guide

The “most charming front of house”, led by “delightful owner Guiseppe” adds brio to this “passionate and cute little local”, which occupies a quiet corner of Primrose Hill. “Good wines… it’s also a wine shop” add to the gastronomic appeal of its “authentic” Sardinian/Sicilian gastronomia.

2021 Review: Now fully vegan, this 1968-vintage Primrose Hill outfit can claim to be Europe’s oldest veggie restaurant, and is still co-owned by musician Roger Swallow of the Albion Band, long-time resident in LA. The food has had its ups and downs over the decades and is nowadays mostly (if not uniformly) rated “enjoyable and tasty”, even by reporters “neither vegetarian nor vegan”. It closed for major refurbishments in summer 2019.

“Been going for 30+ years and still love it” – this “shamelessly old-school Greek” is a longstanding north London destination, and fans say it’s “such a nice change from the ubiquitous, pretentious, small-plates places” in serving “traditional taverna fayre that’s perfectly decent, if not exciting”. What people really go a bundle on though, is its “lovely family-friendly atmosphere”, as fostered by “very approachable staff who have been there forever” (but who “can be slow at busy times”).

“A favourite brunch venue” – this “lovely casual local café/restaurant” in Primrose Hill “offers all-day dining with plenty of choice from an eclectic menu”. Top Tip – “winter lunch in one of their outdoor heated ‘castaway shacks’”.

2021 Review: This “excellent local” bistro in Primrose Hill – “there should be one on every high street” – has a “good buzz” and does “a nice line in deconstructed versions of French classics”. The original La Petite Ferme near Exmouth Market is a “lovely little” venue “offering brilliant value”.

This classy north London institution in the heart of pretty Primrose Hill “never disappoints and is really good value” under renowned chef-patron Bryn Williams, who has been in charge for the last 15 of its 45 years, and whose family farm in Wales supplies the kitchen (including with “excellent, tender beef”). It’s the venue of choice for locals with something to celebrate – while many from further afield just “love Sunday lunch at Odette’s, sitting outside on a sunny day”.

“Excellent modern kosher food in a beautiful setting” wins solid praise for this Belsize Park brasserie with a large and attractive outdoor terrace. The menu’s European dishes include family favourites handed down to the owner, David Levin, by his Hungarian-Jewish mother and grandmother.

Simon Bradley has been cooking for well over 30 years at this stalwart venue, in a backstreet near Swiss Cottage tube station, whose smart interior is judged somewhere between “gloomy” and “pleasant”. The “mostly good” (if occasionally “erratic”) European cuisine and “nicely priced wine list” mean it’s “well above the norm for the area”, making it particularly “useful for a pre-Hampstead Theatre meal”.

This “tiny” Belsize Park two-year-old from chef Jake Finn (ex-La Petite Maison and The Ritz) is a “buzzy neighbourhood spot”, where most of the food has been ‘kissed by flames’ on the Josper grill. But while it’s undoubtedly a boon “in an area of drought for decent restaurants”, opinions divide on its performance: to fans it provides an “excellently judged, seasonally changing menu”; to sceptics, it’s “somewhat underwhelming and a bit expensive”.

Modern Italian cuisine with Antipodean influences – including an impressive list of Australian and New Zealand wines – is to be found at this new venture in the heart of Belsize Park from Australian founder and coffee entrepreneur Jeffrey Young, who is also behind the England's Lane café next door.

Self-taught baker Dan Martensen and Caravan head baker Jack Ponting have worked on perfecting a New York bagel recipe; after a stint at Caravan, Martensen opened this bricks-and-mortar place in September 2023.

This three-year-old neighbourhood Italian wins solid ratings for its modern cuisine and is a bright spark in Belsize Park’s fairly dim culinary constellation.