This list was painful to collate.
I'm a foodie, see. When I first moved to the big city five whole years ago (it's actually my five year anniversary in a few days time), the thing I was most excited about was the food. The chance to try any cuisine in the world without travelling more than an hour from my front door. The hope of one day eating in some of the country's most renowned restaurants, with food from recognised chefs.
The problem with London, reader, is that it's big. It's a little too big to have a "regular" – unless you're one of the lucky few who settles in a neighbourhood and never leaves (looking at you, rocketing rent prices). And there's a little too much choice to always visit the same spots anyway. Every week the food section of Time Out has me adding to the London hit list at the back of my diary – and I'm not sure I'll ever eat through my bucket list.
So when you find somewhere you actually want to go to more than once in the city, you're onto a winner. Which is how I eventually managed to put this list together. These are all places I've visited at least twice, and each time have had an incredible meal. Plus the dish I most recommend ordering there – which I've also done each visit...
NB: this list is NOT in order. That was a bridge too far for my indecisive mind...
Delamina East (Shoreditch)
When I discovered this place it was actually called Strut & Cluck – a nod to the volume of turkey recipes on the menu. But what was once a humble pop-up has since developed into two restaurants, under the name Delamina.
The menu is everything I love about Mediterranean cooking. It's small plates with big flavours – Ottolenghi without the ridiculous price tag, and almost everything has tahini on it. I've never ordered a dish I hate here. The menu is divided into Earth, Land and Sea, and I recommend a little of each.
My particular faves? The charred cauliflower comes with a generous drizzle of lemon zest creme fraiche, and is studded with jewel-like pomegranate molasses and seeds – for optimum flavour and crunch. The chicken in lettuce cups with spicy tahini and date molasses manages to be light and creamy at the same time, and the za'atar squid on cripsy kale is a great combo of sweet and sour.
But if I really had to choose one thing, I'd choose the hand-pulled shawarma. Sounds simple, tastes ridiculous. There's dates, pine nuts, tomatoes, thick tahini and a fluffy cloud-like pitta bread to mop it all up with.
Polpo, various locations
I first stumbled into Polpo in Farringdon. I worked locally and had walked past it enough times to sense it was a pretty nice place, but as a broke junior working in marketing I knew it would definitely need to be a special occasion to warrant a trip inside.
I made it eventually – for a birthday meal with my family. And I basically fell in love.
At this point I'll share something that soon won't be a shock: I am OBSESSED with small plates. There's something incredibly satisfying about being able to order four dishes without any judgement, and trying four different flavour combos is always going to beat having one.
Polpo's cuisine is Venetian – which means meat and fish feature heavily on the menu, along with some adorable mini pizzas and antipasti-style nibbles. My absolute go-to dishes are: the 'nduja arancini and stuffed fried olives (for a pre-meal nibble); the fritto misto (mixed, lightly breaded fish and shellfish); indulgent and beautifully rich spicy pork and fennel meatballs; and the simple-sounding but wonderfully fresh zucchini, rocket, basil and parmesan salad – which I've recreated countless times for my weekday lunchbox.
My absolute favourite order is surprisingly vegetarian – the chickpea, spinach and ricotta balls with tomato. You know something's really good when I try to make my own version of it and fail spectacularly, and I've had way too many unfortunate run-ins with chickpeas now to say I've ever made a ball that tastes as good as Polpo's. Order it and wash it down with the restaurant's very own prosecco. You're a gondola away from actually being in Venice.
>> Polpo
Dishoom, various locations
The queue at Dishoom is much like the many exits at Bank station – it's one of those mythic London things that people talk about, but you'll never really understand until you experience it yourself.
In my teenage Somerset years, the thought of queuing for a restaurant would have made me roll my eyes in utter disgust – but here I am, several Dishoom queues later with absolutely ZERO regrets. There's a reason you're waiting for your food, and it's more than worth it once you get inside.
Dishoom serves Bombay-inspired breakfast naans by day, and indulgent small plates by night – it's actually one of the only places I can safely say is as good for brunch as it is for dinner. Everything on the menu is lovingly thought out and tells a great story, and as a copywriter myself I can't help but fangirl over the brand's use of words.
But we're here for the food. So let's talk food. First things first, don't just order one breakfast dish. Dishoom deserves at least two – I recommend ordering one each (but share), then sharing a sweeter dish for br-essert (brunch dessert, obvs). The bacon naan roll is famous and for good reason – the bacon is smoky, the naan is pillowy soft, and the tangy chilli jam is a perfect accompaniment. Next up I'd order the Akuri – an Irani café dish consisting of golden scrambled eggs, laced with fragrant spices and served with puffy homemade buns. Then share a bressert of house granola – it's stuffed with nuts, toasted in butter and honey, and complemented with a silky, creamy yogurt. Wash it all down with the bottomless chai tea, and spend the next month craving it. You're welcome.
By night – go mad. I have a few Dishoom staples I'll always order – paneer curry, charred masala prawns, the chicken thigh cooked delicately in cream and spices for ultimate tenderness (they call it Murgh Malai), and a chilli broccoli salad to balance it all out. But Dishoom is one place where I'll always try something new, because you can literally always guarantee it'll be amazing.
The ultimate dish? It's not original but... the black daal. Even hearing the words "black daal" sets my soul on fire. Dishoom's recipe is tightly guarded so my many attempts to recreate it have always fallen a little short of the mark, but at £6.20 a bowl it's an indulgence I'm more than willing to pay for on the regs. It's so richly flavoured it tastes creamy – the lentils will actually melt in your mouth. Which is no surprise considering they apparently cook it for 24hrs to nail that depth of taste. Hungry?
>> Dishoom
Champagne + Fromage, various locations
Coming from a family of cheese lovers means I've spent a good chunk of my London life in search of the perfect cheeseboard. It's taken me to overpriced cheese shops (I once paid £5 for the tiniest chunk of blue cheese), rooftops (namely Boundary, who do a great yet small cheeseboard), and more often than not to the aisles of M&S (for a Camembert to bake).
Luckily I found cheese mecca in the most romantic way: on one of my first dates with my boyfriend of three years. It's called Champagne + Fromage, and they basically serve champagne and cheese (duh). You can order the good stuff in loads of different formats – there's raclette, tartines, salads and boards, with champagne available to buy by the glass.
But if you're going to do it, you really must do it properly. Splash out on the £25 gastroboard and try three cheeses, three charcuterie meats, cornichons and two tapenades with plenty of bread to mop, dunk, pile and devour. The cheeses are handily grouped into different families, so will perfectly complement each other – and a special shout out here goes to the staff, who know more about cheese than my own family. Which really is an achievement.
You'll almost definitely come out with tighter jeans, but it's honestly the best cheese experience in London by a long shot. Prepare for some weird dreams...
The Good Egg, Stoke Newington & Soho
While the dinner at The Good Egg is great, as the name would suggest it's really all about brunch here. And damn, those eggs are good.
The Good Egg is a Jerusalem kinda café, so za'atar, labneh feta and preserved yogurts feature highly on the menu. Essentially you can expect all the classic brunch dishes with an interesting and delicious twist on them. The shakshuka gets an indulgent touch with za'atar sourdough and a creamy lemon preserved yogurt; the breakfast hash is given personality with harissa flavour and marinated feta; and the French toast comes with a fragrant strawberry and rose jelly, plus crunchy pistachio brittle.
I'd honestly recommend any of their savoury dishes. Close your eyes and point – you won't be disappointed. But an absolute must-do when visiting The Good Egg is to leave with a slice of Oded's babka in hand. Flavours vary depending on the day, but expect mouthwateringly soft dough, sticky swirls of chocolate or caramel, and a generous portion that means sometimes you've got enough for a second serving later (with ice cream, of course).
>> The Good Egg
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