Waltham Abbey, Portuguese Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “Great atmosphere and something quite different!” – this “warm and welcoming” Buckhurst Hill operation mixes Goan and Portuguese influences. It’s a partnership between Cyris & Pervin Todiwala and the Redman-Schaffer family from Woodford, delivering “great little dishes” (‘petiscos’) and “fantastic Portuguese wines from independent estates”.

“I would never have imagined chicken ’n’ chips could be so delicious! It’s like being on a mini holiday!” – the original, “über-busy” SE1 branch of this growing chain of “posh Nandos” is a smash hit. “The yummy food, the fabulous greenery, the buzzy atmosphere, the extensive vinho verde wine list. Who’d have thought such a gem would be found under a grubby railway arch in South London!” Expanding under owners MJMK (who also own Lisboeta and Kol), the group has a less-high-profile Shoreditch spin-off; and is also set to open in 2023 in Victoria, on the site last occupied by Hai Cenato (RIP). Top Tips – don’t just stick to the peri-peri chicken – look out for the African rice, chorizo and other menu options. Also, at SE1 “there is a downstairs, but try to eat upstairs in the lovely loft-style space, with plenty of light and enough plants to require a full time gardener!”

“I would never have imagined chicken ’n’ chips could be so delicious! It’s like being on a mini holiday!” – the original, “über-busy” SE1 branch of this growing chain of “posh Nandos” is a smash hit. “The yummy food, the fabulous greenery, the buzzy atmosphere, the extensive vinho verde wine list. Who’d have thought such a gem would be found under a grubby railway arch in South London!” Expanding under owners MJMK (who also own Lisboeta and Kol), the group has a less-high-profile Shoreditch spin-off; and is also set to open in 2023 in Victoria, on the site last occupied by Hai Cenato (RIP). Top Tips – don’t just stick to the peri-peri chicken – look out for the African rice, chorizo and other menu options. Also, at SE1 “there is a downstairs, but try to eat upstairs in the lovely loft-style space, with plenty of light and enough plants to require a full time gardener!”

“Fresh, pungent sharing plates”, “cooked in front of you”, backed up by “good wine options” – win praise for this tiled bar in a railway arch near Borough Market (founded by Max Graham, from the Churchill’s port family), which does “just what Portuguese tapas should do”. “Characterful service” contributes to a “wonderfully relaxed” atmosphere.

2021 Review: “A little corner of authenticity in an ever-more-gentrified bit of London”, this Portuguese café in North Kensington’s Golborne Road has been famous for its pastéis de nata for more than 20 years – and, despite increased competition, fans swear they’re “still the best custard tarts in town”.

“Portuguese cooking at its addictive best” has delivered “yet another hit for Nuno Mendes” (in partnership with MJMK Restaurants) at this “really enjoyable” three-floor yearling in Fitzrovia, where “distinctive”, “top-quality” dishes are “made from the best produce”; (“it already feels like a fixture on the dining scene – the sort of place you want to go to again and again, and to tell people about”). Fans also celebrate the “cool vibes” of its “buzzy (if slightly boomy)” café-style setting, although the interior can also seem “cramped” and not everyone’s wild about the music (“I complained to Nuno, but he likes it loud!”). Success has also brought concern about “hype”, or that “some prices risk becoming a joke” – “it tasted good, but the price stuck in the throat”. Top Menu Tip – “love the pork fat dessert”.