Gospel Oak Restaurant Guide

“Still a great pub to have as a local” – Giles Coren’s favourite gastropub and one of our annual diners’ poll’s highest rated in north London is well-placed for a stroll on Hampstead Heath and thronged at the weekend. It is also the “kind of gastropub where you can still just have a drink”. Its ratings staged something of a comeback this year: “the cooking remains good”: in particular “dinner is stunning and good value”. (If you’re an out-of-towner, consider staying in one of their seven guest rooms).

This “classy” brasserie in Belsize Park serves a kosher menu combining contemporary dishes with Jewish classics – and some Hungarian-Jewish family recipes handed down by founder David Lewin’s mother and grandmother. It’s “beautifully decorated” with “great presentation”, and features a year-round covered terrace with a retractable roof. Unusually for a kosher restaurant, it is able to host private gatherings during Shabbat.

“A great little bistro” in Gospel Oak, behind the Royal Free, which is “always packed to the rafters with people from the surrounding area who have been coming for years”. The straightforward food is of diverse inspirations – “good value and plentiful” – and “staff are attentive and friendly”. Now in its third decade, it makes no effort to modernise – but so what? It’s a place where “you could eat every day”.

“Beautifully restored pub” in Gospel Oak – a fine Georgian (1752) pub rescued from oblivion by new owners Phil and Aimee and reopened at the end of 2024, complete with attractive decor and candlelight. Early feedback is limited but suggests it’s worth a visit for its “friendly welcome and sensibly sized portions”: in particular “excellent Sunday lunches with children’s portions on offer and perfectly cooked meat and veg”.

“Bravo team Rossella!” Luca Meola’s “always-welcoming family trattoria” near Gospel Oak is “a lovely local that’s stood the test of time” and is “permanently buzzing” with regulars from across north London, for whom it’s often “a go-to restaurant for family celebrations and parties”. “Luca and his team provide excellent service”, a varied menu including “home-made ice creams”, and “wines from their own vineyard in Italy”. Top Menu Tips – “cheap dishes for lunch bring in many locals”; and “the authentic range of pizzas including the best Margherita and a Salsiccia made with Italian pork & fennel sausage and caramelised onions are just delicious!”.