London Kensal Rise Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “What a find!” – In a fairly obscure part of town, near the Queen’s Park Estate, “a really cosy, neighbourhood Italian, serving a top selection of cheap ’n’ cheerful dishes, but also more pricey ones, all freshly made and of great quality” (in particular the hand-rolled pasta). Service from husband-and-wife team Simonetta and Avi “is very professional but lively, and there’s a real sense of community at play (e.g. the staff were handing out little pieces of paper with a guest’s name on it, asking us to sing along for his birthday!)”

“Genuine Neapolitan pizza” is what they strive for at this 10-year-old Kensal Rise spot and its “compact” Crouch End spin-off – and it earns them higher marks for food than most competitors, year after year.

“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.

Chef Jesse Dunwood Green has returned to Kensal Green for his third restaurant (after nearby Parlour and Six Portland Road in Notting Hill), with a focus on ingredients sourced directly from the grower, farmer or fisherman.

“A great addition to Queen’s Park” – this October 2021 newcomer from the team behind East London hipster favourite, Berber & Q, gives them another hit on the other side of town. “Everything about this place is spot-on”: from the charming staff, to the “excellent atmosphere”, to the “delicious and inventive Israeli-style cooking”… “it was one of those meals that I did not want to end”. Quibbles? – “some might dislike the lack of tables with much privacy, or the trendy wine list full of options you have never heard of!”

Fatizah and Irqam Shawal (whose parents opened the venerable Satay House in 1973) are set to open this Malaysian style ‘kopitiam’ (a kind of South East Asian coffee shop) in ever-more happening Queen’s Park late in 2022. Many of the fave rave dishes from Satay House will feature on the menu here.

Though well-received, the original Lino’s near St Barts never properly got off the ground before Covid struck and closed during the pandemic. This September 2022 newcomer adds to the expanding Queen’s Park scene, a two-floor site plus outside dining too.