London Finsbury Park Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: From its Finsbury Park base (next to the Park Theatre), this “cheerful” group of “good neighbourhood pasta-stops” subsequently expanded to Ealing and then onto Wembley branch (there’s also an outlet in Westfield Stratford); all deliver “well-cooked”, affordable pasta.

“Crowded, buzzy and fun” – this “atypical Italian” (“one of the waiters even breaks into operatic arias”) “round the back of Finsbury Park station is a real neighbourhood gem”. “Owned and run by the incredibly friendly and attentive Paola”, its “cuisine ranges across Neapolitan and southern Italian in general and is totally unpretentious – it could be described as a little rustic”. “No dish disappoints but to nit-pick, the menu hardly changes”.

2021 Review: “Brill sushi and mouth-numbingly spicy Korean hotpots” draw a bustling crowd of overseas students to this “unprepossessing” operation near Finsbury Park tube – once “the best-kept secret in town”. But word has spread about the “sensational Korean and Japanese food for £10-£20 a head” – “authentic and in huge portions”. Cash only and no booking.

“Delicious thin-crust pizzas” win consistently high ratings for this 10-strong chain across north, east and south London. They are a socially conscious bunch who contributed 8,000 meals to NHS staff during the pandemic.

2023 Review: This well-known Finsbury Park fixture celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and is well established as a hub for north London’s Italian community as well as locals drawn by its reliable “cheap and cheerful” Italian comfort food, led by pizza from the wood-fired stove. There’s a bar in case you have to wait for a table, and bambini are made to feel welcome.

2023 Review: From the same hipster-favourite stable as Primeur and Westerns Laundry, this eat-in artisan bakery between Finsbury Park and Holloway serves a small, simple menu from the blackboard as well as pâtisserie and brunchish fare from breakfast onwards. Feedback is relatively limited, but one Hornsey reporter feels it’s “worth crossing north London for”.

“Tasty, good-value noodles” in a “relaxed environment” make this 12-year-old London chain (14 branches, plus Brighton and Brum) “worth a visit”. The “ramen is deep and fabulous” if “limited in range (no fish-based dishes except prawn)”, and is augmented by “quite acceptable katsu curry”. Aficionados should head to the Haggerston branch to watch the noodles being made.

“Legendary Dexter cheeseburgers and well-flavoured small plates” of “delicious, unfussy grub” hit the jackpot at this “crowded Finsbury Park local” near the old Arsenal stadium, “if you want to eat down-to-earth cooking, served up with charm in a proper boozer”. “With the exception of the burgers the menu changes constantly”, and “attention is on the food not the decor” – although the ‘Four Legs’ duo, Jamie Allan & Ed McIlroy, did strip out the previous incarnation’s Oirish-themed interior before launching here two years ago.

Opening June in a former Finsbury Park chippy, a Spanish-inspired seafood spot from Four Legs, the team behind The Plimsoll nearby. Expect casual drinks and standing bites at the front bar and restaurant seating at the back.