West Thurrock, International Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: Open in November 2021 (first announced in 2019) – this latest branch of the excellent Elephant & Castle-based Italian food operation comes complete with a sustainable timber frame and rooftop urban farm. A transformation of Redbridge Town Hall car park, it’s a collaboration with the local council and the Mayor of London as part of Ilford’s new cultural quarter.

A “fabulous riverside location” is the making of this grand 1837 tavern, where artistic and political types of the Victorian era (including Charles Dickens) would gather for famous ‘whitebait suppers’ – ‘Greenwich whitebait’ still feature on the menu (but turtle soup has long since disappeared).

Andrew McLeish’s longtime beacon on London’s south-east fringe receives nothing but plaudits for its “imaginative” and “excellent quality” field-to-fork dining (an ethos reflected in the restaurant’s rooftop beehives), with its loyal army of local fans saying it’s a “very special place that easily beats most high-end offers in Central London”. Even those who have “been using Chapter One for special occasions for over 20 years” don’t get bored since “the menu is changed weekly” to keep things fresh; there’s also a more informal brasserie menu and “the addition of the conservatory bistro is a must for the summer”.

2022 Review: A ‘botanical, waterside Garden of Eden’ – according to the Canary Wharf PR team – this foliage-filled street food market (with siblings including Pergola Padington, The Prince Earl’s Court and Lost in Brixton) opened on the Crossrail Place roof garden in May 2021 (on a site that was formerly E14’s Giant Robot). A roster of street-food stars inhabit a space that’s a little slicker than its siblings, but there’s also an in-house food offering and three bars.

This welcoming Victorian pub-with-rooms on a corner site near St John’s station, between Deptford and Lewisham, is a “favourite with locals” for its freshly cooked food – in particular a wide selection of “good burgers”.

“Thank you for everything. Especially the cheese sablés”, say fans of the old regime at this local venue: long one of the few highpoints near Surrey Quays station. Since Valentine’s Day 2025, though, it’s been a case of all change, with the old management leaving and the arrival of the ‘Sammy’s Bistro’ team. On the menu: a few classics such as Boeuf Bourguignon and a few handmade pasta dishes and wood-fired pizzas. Reports please!

2022 Review: One of the few early 2021 newcomers (at which time it was delivery only) – this ‘soul food fusion’ newcomer operates out of the Peckham Levels. The aim? – ‘a bold and culturally relevant brand to disrupt the traditionally Euro-centric and often whitewashed London food scene’. This translates into hearty spicy scoff – Trinidadian Bara Tacos (fried bread with a chickpea filling), Philly Banh Mi Cheesesteaks… deep-fried Oreos.

“Affordable fine dining” – say fans – makes these Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf venues (from Nico Simeone’s Glasgow-based national chain) “good for date nights” and “real value-for-money”. “The tasting menu changes regularly, so it’s a different experience every time” – the formula being “no mystery: you get to taste small samples of delicious food all related to a specific, changing theme”. (“We’ve been twice this year – more themes have caught our eye without the window of opportunity to try them. It’s not filling, but a really enjoyable eat”). There is, though, an alternative jaundiced view, which is that they offer “style over substance – you’ll leave still feeling hungry and the venue is noisy, like being in a canteen”.

“Great breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea in a proper yurt!” – who could ask for more, query fans of this “amazing cafe in an unlikely place!”: the aforementioned yurt in the grounds of the Royal Foundation of St Katherine in Limehouse. “Staff are lovely and the cafe is part of a charity which works with food poverty and social deprivation in the area. A real feel-good vibe!”