London Islington Restaurant Guide

James Dawson’s wine shops/clubs/bars are “great places to catch up with friends over a bottle you might never ordinarily have tried”. “The staff are super-helpful, with lots of suggestions” of bottles from independent and sustainable producers. The food is “OK if a little uninspiring”, but “who cares when there’s one evening a week when you can drink wine at retail prices”.

“French comfort food in a cosy setting in the heart of Islington” is just the ticket at this long-serving outfit, where “both cuisine and ambience resemble a bistro in France two or three decades ago”. “Wines have a restrained mark-up”, and there’s a “super-value set lunch which is also available on Saturdays”. Top Menu Tip – “boeuf bourguignon is particularly good”.

2021 Review: The “lovely Thai food” at these reliable cafés is “impressively authentic given that they are a chain” – “excellent value” and “fast”, if occasionally let down by “iffy service”. Founded in 2008 by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who inherited the name of their first East End site, the group has 18 branches in London and expanded to Liverpool, Manchester, Reading (delivery only) and Leeds following the sale of a majority stake to US investors. The couple also have two spin-offs, Lao Café in Covent Garden and the new Chinese noodle bar Hoh Sek in St Katharine Docks.

“Fairy lights, greenery and charming decor create a warm and cosy atmosphere” at this still-expanding group, which is most popular as a “reliable and friendly brunch option”. Its Med-inspired tapas is typically rated somewhere between “tasty” and “nothing special” and scores overall are dragged well down by those experiencing “chaotic service” and “food that doesn’t live up to the pretty dining room”.

“Evoking a big Parisian brasserie”, this Wolseley Group venture on Islington Green has had a chequered history. Opened in 2015, when Corbin & King owned the business, they closed it again in 2019 saying “we just couldn’t make it the success we aspired to”. But then, in 2020 – having failed to sell the property – they re-opened and had a second run at making a go of it. With Corbin & King then forced to exit the business in 2022, we are now going around again under the new owners. In June 2023, after our survey had completed, the restaurant re-opened yet again after a complete refit of the vast space and a new menu. Though brighter, the decor is still in the traditional brasserie mould. When it comes to food: out go the retro ‘tarte flambées’ and the chicken schnitzel – in comes the focaccia and – according to the PR – an ‘evolving seasonal menu… taking inspiration from the southern Mediterranean coastal regions’. Er, except it also includes very un-Mediterranean dishes like Dressed Dorset Crab, Loch Duart Salmon with jersey royals and a watercress velouté and Flat Iron Steak Frites. The weekend brunch – with its pancakes and Eggs Benedict – also owes little to Spain, Italy and Greece. Other novelties are a new cocktail bar, and a DJ booth (the latter of which really risks ‘Dad dancing’ for this kind of venue). Our pre-revamp feedback suggested the same rather ‘OK but not particularly distinguished’ performance of old. But we’ve left it unrated on the basis of the latest changes, as this sounds like a case of ‘outlook negative’.

This “cheap ’n’ cheerful Turkish operation” has been an atmospheric fixture on Upper Street for more than 25 years, offering “well cooked and presented dishes in generous portions”. “The smaller Gallipoli has gone, so all efforts have been put into this larger branch”, which has “a relaxed style, with different areas to sit in depending on the occasion”.

“An amazing variety of small, tasty and unusual combination dishes served in a very cool environment” continues to win a thumbs up – if from a tiny fan club – for this Israeli-Japanese one-year-old in the shiny new Islington Square development.

“The Dead Hippy burger is a dirty, dirty legend” – the best-named burger on British menus and “if not the easiest burger to eat definitely the tastiest” (especially when chased down by a boozy “hard shake”) – at the “cool” chain founded 15 years ago by Scott Collins and Yianni Papoutsis. The expansion of recent years seems to have ground to a halt with the closure of branches in Boxpark Croydon and Clapham Old Town, with a new strategy based around boosting sales via a national network of delivery kitchens launched in 2023. Top Tip – “root beer is available if you want a bit of real Americana!”

This “tiny hole in the wall with an even tinier kitchen” on Islington Green “delivers time and time again” with its tasty and good-value Afghan cooking. Top Menu Tip – “get the pumpkin curry”.

2021 Review: “When all you want is an old-school burger”, these US-based arrivals of recent years really “hit the spot” – you can “build your own”, with “tons of accessories”; plus “seriously addictive fries”, “thick milkshakes”, and “more soda flavours than is reasonable”. “The eat-in experience is as depressing as McDonald’s”, though, in fact perhaps more so – “some branches have a strangely gloomy ambience” – but fans feel that “if you don’t mind 1980s-rock, a trip can still be surprisingly fun”.

2023 Review: This “handy local Indian restaurant” near the Almeida Theatre in Islington is rather smarter than the average curry house, and has a wide choice of fish and seafood dishes in addition to the standard meat and veg range.

“What a find!” – this Puglian specialist close to Islington’s Almeida Theatre (it takes its name from the Salento peninsula’s red earth) is “a cheap ’n’ cheerful favourite”, thanks to its “generous portions of absolutely delicious and comforting Italian food”. It may “lack kerb appeal, but once inside you find an attractive dining room with quite a buzz” – making it a “classic and authentic neighbourhood restaurant”. Since spring 2023, founder François Fracella also has now opened a second site near St Paul’s.

It’s “not haute cuisine”, but you’ll find “reasonably well-cooked bistro fare that’s very well-priced for the location” at this old-school haunt that has done sterling service for almost 40 years on the Islington main drag, opposite the Almeida Theatre. “The two-tier Parisian theatre boxes are a bit of a mad addition to the interior design”, but they make “a great spot for a family meal before a show”.

This “great neighbourhood gastropub” in Islington is “very strong all-round”, and the in-house butchery means it delivers a “stunning roast”. It’s still winning excellent ratings after a dozen years, with just a single gripe this year – “they only had one vaguely interesting beer on tap”.

2022 Review: “The atmosphere is downbeat but the food is addictive” at this Chinese canteen near Angel, which serves “tasty, spicy food with lots and lots of pepper”. “Try and avoid the more conventional Chinese restaurant dishes for an authentic regional treat.”

Set among the antiques shops of Camden Passage, this “comfortable” Islington institution has been superbly run by two generations of the Segal family for 55 years. The “simple but very good quality food is served in a bright and well-spaced conservatory dining room at the back”, at tables that are “nicely spaced”, with “just the right amount of buzz to have a conversation”. Top Tip – huge garden area for summer dining.

“Tasty and authentic” Scandinavian dishes including “excellent fish” are on the menu at this “surprisingly cosy and stylish” Nordic outfit in Islington, where “attentive service” ensures an enjoyable meal. Top Menu Tip – “the venison meatballs with lingonberry sauce deserve a special mention”.

“Stunning salads, amazing pastries” and a “lovely variety of interesting prepared dishes” have stood the test of time at Yotam Ottolenghi’s “vibrant” deli-cafés – still hugely popular 22 years on from the launch of the first in Notting HIll. The Israeli-born chef and writer has had an enormous influence on the way people shop, eat and cook, helping to create a whole category of modern Middle Eastern cookery and “totally living up to his reputation as a leading expert in vegetarian cuisine” – even though his premises serve meat and fish. An occasional quibble – “the prices? Too high for a few stalks of broccoli even taking into account the undoubtedly skills of the Chef!”

“Lovely Austrian spot in the middle of Islington” – a fixture of cute Camden Passage for more than a decade – that’s perfect “when you fancy something a bit different”: “think good coffee and amazing cakes by day and gorgeous goulash and schnitzel by night”. “Interesting Austrian wine list, too”.

“Calves’ liver, perfect coq-au-vin, deeply flavourful venison stew” – this Gallic venue in Islington doesn’t aim for foodie fireworks, but fans like its traditional approach, “warm” atmosphere and “willing” service. The less rosy view is that the cooking is “rather standard French food, if good enough for an evening with friends”. Top Tip – the interior is split level in some areas and regulars say “the top section especially feels romantic”.