Hoxton Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “A nice, laid-back American buzz” has helped win a loyal following over the years for this small chain of Kansas City-style diners: one of the first in London to bring BBQ indoors. “It’s a fun place” (in the right mood) and the food is “decent” and in man-sized portions, but “not particularly special”.

“Chicken with amazing sides” is the winning formula at Romain Bourrillon’s rotisserie chain, which imports its chooks from France. “Nice brunch”, too.

“The Dead Hippy burger is a dirty, dirty legend” – the best-named burger on British menus and “if not the easiest burger to eat definitely the tastiest” (especially when chased down by a boozy “hard shake”) – at the “cool” chain founded 15 years ago by Scott Collins and Yianni Papoutsis. The expansion of recent years seems to have ground to a halt with the closure of branches in Boxpark Croydon and Clapham Old Town, with a new strategy based around boosting sales via a national network of delivery kitchens launched in 2023. Top Tip – “root beer is available if you want a bit of real Americana!”

These funky (and noisy) ‘rock ’n’ roll ramen’ bars shook up the capital’s Japanese fast-food scene when the first outlet opened in Soho 11 years ago, spawning a small group now reaching as far as Richmond. Their “super ramen” is served with 20-hour pork bone broth cooked these days at a kitchen on Bermondsey’s ‘beer mile’. But the business has not been immune to the industry’s difficulties: a Putney spin-off only lasted a year before closing, and a long-touted outlet in the old Eurostar terminal at Waterloo has yet to eventuate.

“A relatively limited menu allows for a focus on quality” and authenticity at this duo showcasing the food of Emilia-Romagna: both the original “small and intimate” branch in Shoreditch; and the one “formerly known as ‘In Parma by Food Roots’ in Fitzrovia (since early 2023 now rebranded in line with its sister restaurant)”. “Staff are very accommodating” and offer “Italian meats and cheeses and Bolognese/Emilian standbys, like Tagliatelle al Ragu (definitely not SpagBol!)”. “Go back frequently as it’s great value too”.

“Tasty kebabs and sides” that “offer a modern twist on traditional Middle Eastern cuisine” make this “brilliant” Carnaby Street outfit “a must-visit”, “in the lovely setting of Kingly Court”. The Battersea branch is “an absolute gem”, and there are now half a dozen outlets around town, including at the Market Halls in Oxford Street and Canary Wharf. See also Kebab Queen.

“Thoughtful” Vietnamese food is served at “fabulous prices for the generous portions” at this duo in Soho and Hoxton from Hieu Trung Bui, who has done much to popularise pho and other southeast Asian dishes in London over more than 20 years. That “plenty of Asian people eat there too” speaks for its “authentic” style.

2022 Review: “Top Korean street/junk food”, say fans of Linda Lee’s K-pop-styled pit stops, known for their funky fried chicken and other luridly flavoured bites. In the second half of 2021, she closed her Covent Garden branch, leaving just Shoreditch and St Pauls open, but north London and Nine Elms branches are coming soon apparently.

2021 Review: “Neapolitan influences are evident in the choice of ingredients, and the wood-burning oven makes for good, chewy, charred crusts, unlike most high-street pizzas” – so say fans of this global chain, whose HQ is indeed in Naples. Not everyone is impressed, though, and ratings are dragged down by those who feel it’s merely an “everyday” choice: “OK for a bog-standard group, but not great”.

“Plenty of yummy breakfast options” win praise for this “extremely well done” brunch specialist which launched 19 years ago in Soho and now has 13 self-described ‘cafés’, 10 of them around the capital, and another four bars and pubs. The fry-ups, pancakes and other comfort-food delights can be accompanied by cocktails if you fancy pushing the boat out early with a Breakfast Mai Tai. Any complaints? – “just the incredibly annoying queues”.

2023 Review: 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.

These “lively, colourful” Mexican street-food joints are, say fans, “great for a quick bite” – “the food remains pretty good (if not where it was several years ago)” and “you can’t complain at the prices”. That’s the majority view anyway, although there is a small minority who feel it’s “very average” now (and its ratings risk heading that way). Founded by MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers in 2007, the group hit the buffers during the pandemic and halved in size to 10 sites in London, with Dick Enthoven of Nando’s taking a controlling stake.

The UK’s leading position on World’s 50 best has helped underpin the longevity of this mould-breaking icon, which opened 10 years ago to phenomenal acclaim in the incongruous hipster surroundings of Shoreditch Town Hall. Fans “love the vibe of the room”; and say Isaac McHale’s “awesome and imaginative” cuisine “just gets better and better”. Even they, though, can concede that with the tasting menu now costing £195 per person it is “getting a little expensive now”. And then there is a minority for whom it’s not only “overpriced” but “vastly overrated and living off the PR” (“I adore fine dining and was fully prepared to spend on a fantastic meal. But the food, while technically fine, felt over-thought and overly fussy, with scant imagination or soul”).

“Fab burgers with a posh turn” – including “awesome sweet potato fries” – still lead the charge at these Frenchified fast-food outfits, but they are transitioning into a brasserie group under the ownership of Hush Mayfair’s Jamie Barber. The 20-year-old original – a “great, cosy little spot in Camden” – and its Balham offshoot are all that remain as pure burger bars, while Kingston, High Holborn and Chelsea are now branded as brasseries with an extended menu to match.

This “hectic but enjoyable” trio of pizzerias from Alan & Mark Wogan (the late Sir Terry’s sons) – in “lovely Neal’s Yard”, Marylebone and the City – specialises in large 20-inch pizzas (enough for 2 or 3), with “not the usual toppings” – air-dried wagyu beef with truffle creme fraiche, curried minced lamb with smoked burrata – “served alongside the usual ones”. Top Tip – “you can have a half-and-half if you can’t decide”.

“A find!” – “Sit at the ground-floor kitchen bar for a fun, close up experience” at this sophisticated Shoreditch joint, where Jon Lawson and his team provide accomplished sharing plates (often with Moorish touches) and deliver them in a “knowledgeable and friendly” manner. But ratings took a hit this year, with the odd review referring to cost-of-living concerns: “most of the food is excellent but the size of the portions for the price charged was ridiculously small and felt like a starter at the price of a main. For the premium cost, you might expect comfy seating too!”

“Some of the best Vietnamese food on Kingsland Road” is to be found at this “no-frills dining room” in Shoreditch – everything is “fresh and fragrant”: no wonder “they’re always so busy”.

2023 Review: 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.

“Absolutely delicious grilled meats with equally tasty accompaniments, all in a buzzy and fun setting” inspire many loyalists for Gordon Ker’s “go-to” chain, which in May 2023 added a fifth branch in Canary Wharf’s North Dock. “Hawksmoor every week could be financially ruinous, but this never disappoints, be it lunch or dinner, for half the money”. Top Tips – “Butchers Block Monday prices, and regular £10 corkage. Get in!” Also the “all-in” meat-fest of lamb and pork chops, steak and bacon: “it uses cheaper cuts and preparation is basic, but juices drip over the plate, and the peppercorn sauce is delicious!”