London Camden Town Restaurant Guide

High marks for the “wonderful”, authentic tapas at this busy Hispanic, near Mornington Crescent. “Why can’t the ambience match the food?” query some; but on summer days its garden provides a lovely location.

“Top-notch sashimi, tempura and sushi at reasonable prices” inspire the highest praise for this offbeat operation near Mornington Crescent, whose “mock-Tudor-cum-Tyrolean decor is bizarre but doesn’t detract from the authentic Japanese cooking”. “I’m trying, and failing miserably, to keep it a secret from my friends!”.

“Creative and intelligent” cooking wins nothing but high praise for this contemporary update of the traditional curry house, in Camden Town. It has a sister venue, Salaam Namaste, in Bloomsbury.

“Even for burgers the French do it better”, say fans of this small group with a Gallic-inspired take on American fast food: “steak haché comme il faut, and les frites are also perfect”.

Founder Pat “Pops” Newland, who started working in the East End fish trade at the age of 11, has decorated these venues (Soho, Spitalfields and Camden Town) in 1950s memorabilia, so “it feels like Poppies has been around since London’s rock’n’roll days”. It’s not as bad as it sounds – you get “proper fish and chips”: “all the classics are here, together with some welcome additions (seafood platter, lemon sole)”, but “most importantly, the chips are great!”.

“Good Neapolitan cuisine including nice pizzas” in “huge portions (with a useful kids’ menu)” is “a pleasant surprise” for most who report on this global chain, which actually originates in Naples itself. Feedback is not all bouquets, though – ratings are undercut by one or two reports of “mediocre” (e.g. “stodgy”) dishes.

This substantial Georgian tavern where Camden Town meets Regent’s Park is part of Gordon Ramsay’s empire, and has disappointed most reporters this year. The owner is famous for his tongue-lashings, and here he gets it back in spades. “Worst meal this year: terrible roast beef, terrible service” – “Ramsay should get his own house in order!”