Old Harlow Restaurant Guide

“Locals and visitors” beat a path to this “lovely pub with top-notch food” from chef James Rix and his wife Bianca, who have transformed it into an “Interesting and exceptionally busy venue” over the past 20 years. Top Menu Tip – “dessert on a whole different level: Paris Brest, choux pastry, praline cream, hot chocolate sauce & toasted nuts of exceptional taste and quality”.

2021 Review: “In the heart of Walthamstow Village”, this “great neighbourhood spot” – a Spar supermarket with kitchen attached – wins praise for its “quality” cooking (“the 2019 Harden’s description of pub-type grub underplays its standard and originality”). “Very relaxed and welcoming for young children”, the venture’s best-known innovation is bacon jam, which you can buy by the jar in various flavours. Other branches have opened in Hackney and, most recently, Hammersmith (somewhat better-served areas, so these respective branches are somewhat less of a local lifeline).

2023 Review: “A good-to-find culinary outpost in an area with few interesting eating spots” – this “welcoming” gastropub is well worth remembering: “a steady hand in the kitchen meets good ingredients, and if food and wine both tread a relatively safe path, it’s no less enjoyable for that”.

“In the heart of Essex, this fabulous fish restaurant” (est. 2010, and revolving around the “plush conversion of an old pub”) “offers amazing dishes and attentive service in a truly beautiful setting”. “It can be fun watching the TOWIE types amongst fellow diners”, but if that loses its appeal, divert your eyes to the “pleasant views from the terrace on a sunny day”.

2023 Review: “Great atmosphere and something quite different!” – this “warm and welcoming” Buckhurst Hill operation mixes Goan and Portuguese influences. It’s a partnership between Cyris & Pervin Todiwala and the Redman-Schaffer family from Woodford, delivering “great little dishes” (‘petiscos’) and “fantastic Portuguese wines from independent estates”.

In a village a short drive outside Chelmsford, this converted sixteenth-century pub has fine countryside views and provides a traditionally comfortable destination, complete with linen tablecloths, candles and cut glass. It wins good all-round feedback (if not a huge volume of reviews) and its modern brasserie fare (with steak, beef Wellington and cote de boeuf to share a highlight) helps it regularly feature in Essex food awards. (Owners Brendan Curran & Justin Mullender are also known for the quality of their put-downs on Tripadvisor!)

2022 Review: Jamie Oliver’s parents Trevor & Sally retired from this sixteenth-century village gastropub after 44 years in November 2020, so it has recently changed hands: it’s now a part of the 12-strong Chestnut group of pubs. The Olivers always ran the Cricketers well, but regulars say “(even in the tepee) the food is possibly up a notch”.

2023 Review: “This lovely country pub” run by brothers Tom (a self-taught cook) and James Bainbridge (a former Fat Duck manager) wins consistent ratings for its high-quality cooking using “good-quality meat and fresh, tasty ingredients”. There’s a “lovely ambience and service to match”, all at “amazing value-for-money prices”.

“Pub grub done the Galvin way” is to be found in the chef brothers’ home county at their “beautiful pub, restaurant and garden, set in stunning countryside” (if “in the arse end of nowhere”, according to a day tripper from South Woodford). “The cooking here is very good with something of a European vibe (with pub standards to fall back on if you choose to dine in the bar rather than the more formal restaurant setting)”. “The staff always make you feel welcome, and the landlady, Katie, is particularly charming”. Top Tip – “an unusual highlight is Christmas Day lunch, which is well thought-out and nicely cooked (Chateaubriand or halibut if you hate turkey!)”.

2021 Review: “Very lively and noisy with families and children” – the “large” Harringay original of this small Turkish group is over twenty years old, and remains “understandably popular, given its reasonable prices”: “the food is good and plentiful and just keeps coming”, and “the grilled meats are just yummy”. There are now spin-offs in Chingford, Walthamstow and Finchley. Top Tip – “doggy bags are readily provided”.

“Fine fish” from Billingsgate and “good wine” make for an “excellent fish ’n’ chips meal” at this large South Woodford chippy.

2023 Review: “Off-the-chart pub food” – ranging from standard classics and “excellent roasts” to “fantastic, restaurant-style” European dishes – makes this 500-year-old Essex village boozer an appealing option for both locals and visitors.

“A mini Shinkansen Japanese bullet train that brings your sushi orders” is a UK first at this bright, first-floor Japanese café in Chingford: a fun cheap ’n’ cheerful experience. “Downstairs is a proper pub (the ‘Rusty Bike’) complete with TVs showing sport and a selection of board games: you can order Thai and sushi on both floors. Yum!” (It goes without saying: this is not first choice for culinary purists).

“Busy at times, but still with a great vibe” – this converted Victorian factory in Dalston (opened in 2013) will be familiar to some as the location for the 2021 hit film ‘Boiling Point’; and wins acclaim for its grills and other modern British dishes. In June 2024, they launched a new two-floor spin-off in South Woodford: this time in a fine-looking Georgian building – a large site with 150 covers and a 50-seat outside terrace. It has a similarly flexible menu, with options for snacks, brunch, and Sunday lunch.