Buckhurst Hill, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“An interesting menu with excellent cooking” wins fans for Oden Oren’s small Eastern Mediterranean bistro in Dalston, although some reports argue that “he needs to do something about the acoustics”. Since 2023, he’s also run a deli near London Fields.

2021 Review: This Victorian-era local on Newington Green relaunched three years ago as a gastropub and has “maintained its standards” despite rising popularity – “long may it stay that way”. The blackboard menu “tries hard to cater for all tastes”… and by all accounts largely succeeds. Craft beers and “reasonably priced” wines also go down well.

“Simple… seasonal… superb” sums up chef-patron Ed Wilson’s approach at this East London fixture, near Columbia Road flower market – and after 15 years, “the food is better than ever”. “Despite the carnivorous name (and logo!)” the menu also incorporates “impressive and delicately cooked fish and seafood”. Natural wines are a big theme – “uber cool, weird and wonderful bottles that taste better than they look” – “but there’s lots for the traditional palate, too”. Top Tip – “go on weekday lunchtimes to avoid booking”.

“Go mad for further adventures in veg” at Yotam Ottolenghi’s famous deli-cafés, whose Middle Eastern inspired menus are best known for their “creative” salads and meat-free dishes (bread and pastries are also “fabulous”) but there are also some meat and fish options. They are far from cheap, but “the spicing is interesting”, “the flavours are immense” and “the small-plates format allows you to try a number of options”. “A great spot for brunch” or “to drop in for cake and tea”. The Islington branch is most commented-on, and in December 2023 its newest sibling (also in north London) opened on Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, while a branch in Richmond, in the leafy southwest, is scheduled for late 2024.

“Delicious tiny plates of interesting and seasonal Italian dishes” plus low-intervention wines delight diners at Jon Lawson’s “casual and vibey small Shoreditch place”, which – post Covid – is re-establishing its very impressive all-round ratings. “It’s just a really great place to go: grab a seat at the kitchen bar and watch lovely food being expertly prepared”.

“Go mad for further adventures in veg” at Yotam Ottolenghi’s famous deli-cafés, whose Middle Eastern inspired menus are best known for their “creative” salads and meat-free dishes (bread and pastries are also “fabulous”) but there are also some meat and fish options. They are far from cheap, but “the spicing is interesting”, “the flavours are immense” and “the small-plates format allows you to try a number of options”. “A great spot for brunch” or “to drop in for cake and tea”. The Islington branch is most commented-on, and in December 2023 its newest sibling (also in north London) opened on Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, while a branch in Richmond, in the leafy southwest, is scheduled for late 2024.

With a bright, modern interior lit by big floor-to-ceiling windows, this flexible neighbourhood amenity near Old Street is a canteen and bar that opens all day from breakfast. It’s from the team behind well-known Hackney wine bar Sager + Wilde, hence an above-par drinks offering. But food is far from incidental: there’s a “constantly changing, seasonal menu” of southern European small plates, some larger risotti, pasta and burgers and it majors in a big range of pizza. Top Tip – it “can handle large parties with ease”.

This “buzzy and enjoyable location” for “very well-executed Mediterranean small dishes” is the more casual offspring of Sam & Sam Clark’s Moro next door in Exmouth Market – and now has its own spin-off in Hackney Road. The original Spanish/Moorish fusion has taken on additional influences from further afield, including Crete and the Middle East. Top Menu Tip – “good cheese fritters with Cretan honey and Cretan sausage and yoghurt with first rate flatbread”.

“A great wine list from all corners of the globe” has helped underpin the ongoing popularity of this modern wine bar chain, despite a year that saw it sold out of administration and the closure of its popular King’s Cross branch. Although this period inspired iffy marks and the odd report of “totally disorganised” service, the four remaining outlets still inspire tons of, albeit slightly lukewarm nominations as a handy option “for a simple meal”: “don’t expect any sort of culinary fireworks” from the “straightforward” dishes “but there are some very nice, reasonably priced wines” and the interiors are “definitely pleasant”. Top Menu Tips – “lovely cheese croquettes and steak ’n’ chips”.

“The original gastropub and still streets ahead of the competition” – this enduring institution (est. 1991) continues to put in a remarkably enduring performance on Farringdon Road. Chef Ed Mottershaw rustles up a daily changing menu of “cleverly constructed, intelligently put together flavours… like the dishes you wish you cooked at home…”; “no faff, pretence or posturing, just honest fare packed with hearty flavour and devotion to the palate”.

“It’s busy, it’s buzzy, but the focus is on the high standard of cooking” at this brilliant collab between the Tom Dixon studio and famous Israeli chef Assaf Grannit, by hip Granary Square. “The good vibe and great decor are down to the design and accessories” (Dixon’s London studio is in the adjacent building) but it’s Assaf’s “unique combinations of wonderful flavours” in the Tel Aviv-inspired small plates that have built its reputation: “enough to tickle the most jaded palate: lots of herbs, pomegranate, chilli, with brilliant bread and dips”. That said, the food is “rather simple for the prices charged”: “a bit overpriced if very delicious”. Top Tip – the outdoor terrace comes into its own in summer.

2021 Review: A “wealth of wines by the glass” and “tasty nibbles”, help make this growing group of self-service wine bars a “fun way to try a selection of vintages from a multitude of small producers”. At the Battersea Power Station branch’s school you can educate your palate towards Wine & Spirit Education Trust certification and watch wine being made from grapes grown in Oxfordshire and Surrey.

“It’s back” under new ownership and management – tucked away in the former HQ of Sandeman’s port dynasty, this City haunt was “much missed by locals in search of a good ‘working’ lunch, and is settling back into operation nicely” after a four-year interregnum. The modern European cuisine and service are consistently well rated, and “the experience is not too expensive” – while the 600-bottle wine list, appropriately strong on port, is “as good as they come”.