Because Bites
Ethiopian eating on the Old Kent Road or buttery brioche burgers in Finsbury Park. Two Because editors share their best bites in London.
As a city, London is as varied as it gets. Abundant in neighbourhoods and flavours, to eat in London is to get a real taste of the world, and these dining spaces exist and thrive down small streets or busy main roads. Tasked with picking just two restaurants each, these are the spots we believe represent this wonderful city the best.
Pierre Victoire
Amidst the thicket of Ronnie Scott’s dwellers, Soho House snobs and pre-theatre menu tourists, finding a good meal in Dean Street can be a bit of a gamble. Thank God, then, for Pierre Victoire, a French bistro that has earned a sterling reputation as one of the finest independent restaurants in the area. Here, you can order impeccable moules marinères or steak frites under candlelight, served by French waiters with pencil-thin mustaches. Unfussy, reasonably priced and intimate, once that first glass of Pinot Noir hits your arteries, you’ll be transported to Paris in an instant. Book here.
The Plimsoll
Jutting out of a sleepy street in Finsbury park, the Plimsoll is a curious little spot that is small in appearance but mighty in literally everything else. Greeted with an oil painting of British comedian David Mitchell, the pokey space is packed with punters drinking cold pints and plates of their famous cheeseburger being passed around to guests sat at tables or perched on the curb outside. Served on dainty mismatched saucers, their burger is a fan favourite for good reason. Enough to make even the most stoic of vegetarian’s buckle, the meat is juicy and the bun buttery. Peppery chipolatas, crisped potatoes and healthy scoopings of eye-watering aioli, tie together with a hearty glass of red and you’ll have a new death row meal. Check out their changing menu here.
Addis Kitchen
Though it might not scream “date night”, South London’s Old Kent Road has a wildly international culinary landscape, with a greater diversity of ethnic groups than Edinburgh. To those in the know, the jewel in the crown of this very long road is Addis Vegan Kitchen. A cafeteria in the day, the restaurant serves some of the best Ethiopian food outside Addis Ababa. Atop a spongy pancake of injera, fermented teff bread comes dollops of different kinds of stews: gommen, a garlicky spinach stew; ydinch wot, potatoes in deep berbere spices; aterkik alitcha, split pea sauce stained yellow with turmeric. With warm, genuine service, generous portions and excellent prices, this is where you’ll find me on those dark January nights. (P.S. Their chilli sauce is wicked good!) Take a look at the menu here and you'll be sorted for next date night.
Dalla
Trudging along the busy road in Hackney, cars and mopeds zooming by, you could easily walk past this tiny Italian restaurant without even a second glance. And yet, if you do happen to find yourself in Dalla, the outside world slowly dissipates as the door shuts behind you and you’re seated at one of their few tables. White tablecloths, dimmed orange lights and linen curtains drawn along the bottom of windows, Dalla feels like a warm embrace, and that’s just their decor. A Frittata Morbida takes the entire concept of an omelette and flips it on its head. Served with a 12 year Balsamic, you’ve never had eggs like this. Their ragu is rich and the pasta (made in house of course) is chewy and so fresh it’s yellow. By the end of the meal, dessert will sound like an arduous suggestion, but for Dalla’s tiramisu, you just have to submit yourself to being stuffed. With only a handful of tables, don't leave it to chance and book here.
