London Hoxton Restaurant Guide

“Delicious roast chicken, with sides such as potato purée and root veggies” – as well, of course, as fries and salads – have won a growing fanclub for Romain Bourrillon’s upbeat French-rotisserie chain, whose most popular branches in our annual diners’ poll are in Bayswater, Queen’s Park and Parsons’s Green.

“Dead hippie sauce is a must” at these “very loud” operations, which “remain at the head of the gourmet burger pack” for many fans with “lots of options available”. After 14 years of growth from a food van to a national chain with 10 venues in the capital, they “don’t seem to have lost their way yet”. “The dark and grungy ersatz New Orleans interior vibe” is of the love-it-or-hate-it variety.

This ten-year-old rock ’n’ roll ramen concept is in expansion mode at the moment, having pushed into the southwestern suburbs with openings in Richmond and Putney in recent years, followed by High Street Ken and the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station in 2022. They “still do a very fine bowl of tonkotsu”, and the classic rock soundtrack stays the same.

“Exemplary small-plates and pasta” is the focus at this small Hoxton showcase for the marvellous cuisine of Emilia-Romagna (think Bologna, Modena, Parma, etc). The dishes are even named in the local dialect.

“Intriguing twists on the kebab theme” (plus “good beer brewed on site” at the Kraft Dalston branch) continue to win consistently good ratings for this expanding chain, which in September 2022 adds a 20-seater in Brixton to its roster of locations. See also Kebab Queen.

Some of the “tastiest Vietnamese food in town” is found at this pair in Hoxton and Soho from Hieu Trung Biu, a pioneer of pho and other southeast Asian specialties in the capital over two decades. Popularity means they can be “deafeningly loud”.

These “quirky, popular and lively venues” (nine in London; four more out of town) serve “British and American comfort foods” in “good portions” – think pancakes, full English fry-ups, French toast, plus cocktails later in the day. It’s all “deeply unhealthy – but soooo delicious with good-quality ingredients”. Top Tip – “benefits for over-65s” (in the shape of half-price dishes).

For a meat-free burger, this tiny brand (the first vegan restaurant in Europe to use ‘Beyond Meat’ in its patties) is well worth a try if you need a bite near the Old Street roundabout, or are down Pop Brixton way.

“A fun, cheerful Mexican atmosphere” and “enjoyable, fresh tasting” street food dishes can still make “an excellent standby” of this stalwart chain, which has 10 sites in London nowadays. “Even if nothing on the menu is going to wow, its consistent quality and value are reassuring”, with ratings and popularity starting to regain their historic high standing since a majority stake was sold to Nando’s owner, Dick Enthoven, a couple of years ago.

“In the unlikely, understated but pleasant environs of Shoreditch Town Hall”, this iconic modern venue – a UK flag-bearer on the World’s 50 Best – is approaching its 10th year and, for the most part, “still knocking the ball out of the park”. With its “calm, unpretentious room table setting” and “cool open-kitchen approach”, it delivers “imaginative and precise cooking with a wide range of tastes and textures” that fans say is “the best of the best”, and bolstered by novel wine and drink pairings. (Michelin, never exactly ahead of the curve, awarded it two stars in 2022). “Professional, attentive and caring service” plays its part and there’s been “outstanding attention to detail since reopening post Covid”. The whacking bill continues to be an issue here, though. Even many fans find it “disturbingly pricey” – although they note “you get what you pay for” – but others feel the value just doesn’t stack up: “third visit probably now our last… at over £600 for two, it’s now just toooooo expensive”.

“Doing what they do very well” – “top burgers” are presented with a veneer of Parisian sophistication at this seven-strong chain, popular not just for their value but their “lovely” styling too.

“Still delivering on what it set out to do” – Alan and Mark Wogan’s (yes, the late Terry’s sons) hip pizza chain is the best-rated of the mid-sized groups, thanks to its “huge and amazing pizzas with delicious and unusual toppings” (“now the choice is even easier with the 50/50 option!”). Top Menu Tip – “awesome vegan nduja pizza” is amongst a growing number of plant-based options (and, from June 2022, they now have a fully meat-free site, in their 135-cover Shoreditch branch).

“One of the best meals I had all year” – this “noisy, little spot in Shoreditch” showcases “simply great cooking” from kickboxer-turned-chef Jon Lawson, who prepares “awesome sharing-style Italian plates” with Spanish and North African touches. “Perfect for a date night if you want to impress, while still keeping it hip and intimate”. The occasional duff note concerns the low-intervention wines: “interesting” to some, to others “expensive” or “an acquired taste”. Top Tip – “grab a seat at the counter for the best ambience/experience”.

“Great pho” and other Vietnamese crowd-pleasers is the attraction at this well-known “cheap and cheerful” canteen on the ‘Pho Mile’ stretch of Shoreditch’s Kingsland Road.

This quartet of family-run restaurants have won a big reputation for their southwest Vietnamese dishes, including pho and their famed goat with galangal. They started out 15 years ago in Shoreditch before heading across the river to Battersea.

“You can’t really go wrong with the plates of meaty delicious chops” (“nothing delicate or subtle just full flavours doing the meat full justice”) at these “no-frills but hearty” pit stops, which provide a “vibrant” and “excellent-value” option for an inexpensive meal out. “It’s great to be able to choose how many chops you want to eat and the sides and sauces are the absolute best”. “They deliver an impressively consistent performance”, and “given that there is nowhere to hide when the food is this simple, it’s hats off to the chefs here!” “Don’t go for a quiet night”, though, as they “can be rather rowdy”. Top Tip – “the Monday night Butcher’s Block offer is super value, especially when teamed up with £10 corkage to BYO”.

“Superb food with a real eye for detail and quality” – Ruth Hansom’s “outstanding modern cuisine” is really “going places” at this well-established gastroboozer, just off Great Eastern Street. The pleasant-enough dining area is quirkly located on the mezzanine, up a spiral staircase from the main bar: choose from either a five-course or eight-course tasting menu.

With its big, high-ceilinged basement restaurant looking out onto a cool sunken garden – this style-conscious Shoreditch hotel (launched in 2017) never felt like it fully established itself fully prior to the pandemic. It closed from 2020 till June 2022, just after the conclusion of our survey, so our rating will have to wait till next year.

These “groovy Peruvian late-night bar/restaurants” make “a stylish and fun way to end a night out, with a multiplicity of delicious small dishes on the tasting menu”. Best to go in a party mood: they can be “too noisy for conversation”.