Last updated March 2026

Finsbury Park station sees close to 10 million passengers a year, most of them racing through to somewhere else. Arsenal matches, Victoria Line connections, the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow; this Victorian terminus has too often been about getting people places rather than coaxing them to tap out and explore.

Which makes the current restaurant scene all the more surprising. Within ten minutes’ walk of the station, you’ll find one of only a clutch of Uyghur restaurants in the entire UK, a gastropub where getting a table is a tough old business, and a Kurdish bakery selling three naan for a pound-fifty.

Actually, perhaps that isn’t so surprising. The mix reflects the area’s particularly diverse demographics. Turkish and Kurdish families have been here since the 1970s, joined more recently by Syrian refugees and young chefs who’ve worked out that the rent’s cheaper than Hackney and the customers less exhausting than Shoreditch.

We’ve spent the last few months eating our way around Finsbury Park, to bring you this selection of some great places to eat within walking distance of the station. Here are the best restaurants near Finsbury Park.

Dotori, Stroud Green Road

Ideal for when you want brilliant Korean-Japanese fusion and you came carrying cash…

Dotori operates like a restaurant from 1995: cash only, no bookings, closes when the food runs out. In the age of OpenTable and contactless everything, this should be annoying. Instead, the tiny space next to Finsbury Park station fills every night with people who’ve learned to play by its rules.

The bibimbap comes in a stone pot hot enough to cause actual injury, the bottom layer of rice developing that crucial crust while you mix everything together with one of those thin metal spoons that burns your fingers. Their bulgogi beef has the sweet-savoury thing down cold, while the Korean fried chicken could make you reconsider your position on every other deep-fried item you’ve ever eaten in your life.

Downstairs there’s basement seating that feels accidentally discovered rather than designed, the kind of space where you drink Hite beer from the bottle and share tables with strangers because there’s nowhere else to sit. Down here or up there, the sushi is better than it has any right to be in a place that also serves kimchi jjigae, each piece cut with the kind of precision that suggests someone trained somewhere serious before ending up in this little corner of Finsbury Park.

Just remember the cash thing. There’s a Tesco with an ATM across the road, and yes, the person behind you in the queue made the same mistake. The lack of a card machine isn’t quirky inefficiency; it’s a business decision that keeps prices low and taxmen confused. At £30-40 per person for enough food to also have a really good takeaway lunch the next day, neither you nor they will complain.

Website: dotori.co.uk

Address: 3 Stroud Green Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2DQ

Read: Where to eat the best fried chicken in London

The Plimsoll, St Thomas’s Road

Ideal for a cheeseburger that ruins all other cheeseburgers, and so much more besides…

Ed McIlroy and Jamie Allan from Four Legs took over this corner pub with what seemed like a simple plan: serve good food without any nonsense. They delivered on (and continue to deliver on) that plan with precision.

The Dexter cheeseburger is the headliner, and at £13 has since become the kind of thing people cross London for; a construction of aged beef and melted Comté that maintains structural integrity despite your best efforts to destroy it. Various national restaurant critics have waxed lyrical about this burger for good reason; it’s fantastic.

But focusing on the burger misses what makes The Plimsoll special. The menu changes based on what McIlroy fancies cooking and what’s good in the daily deliveries. That might mean dover sole Grenobloise one week, pigeon bhuna the next. There’s a confidence here that comes from chefs who’ve stopped trying to prove anything – the plaudits and full tables encouraging them forward, unconstrained by place and time. The wine list stays reasonable enough, with several bottles in the £30 region, but this is a pub, so it’s pints all the way for us.

The problem (if you like to gatekeep, we suppose) is that everyone knows about it now. Tables turn every 90 minutes, and getting a reservation requires forward planning and, even then, a fair amount of waiting. That said, the bar takes walk-ins, which means you might get lucky if you’re willing to eat at 5:30pm on a Tuesday. The food’s good enough to justify the compromise.

The Victorian pub bones remain intact, which is to say it looks like a pub, sounds like a pub, and smells faintly of centuries of spilled beer and more recent burger fat that’s dripped onto the floor. They haven’t tried to turn it into something it’s not, which in the current climate of proliferating, standardised gastropubs counts as radical.

Website: @the.plimsoll

Address: 52 St Thomas’s Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2QQ

Read: The best gastropubs in London

Tollington’s, Tollington Park

Ideal for Spanish-accented seafood in what used to be a 1970s chippie…

The same team behind The Plimsoll has done it again, this time converting a former fish and chip shop into one of 2024’s most talked-about openings. Last year, Ed McIlroy and the Four Legs crew from just a paragraph previous took over the old chippie and turned it into something that looks exactly like a fish and chip shop – which somehow makes it feel more like a backstreet San Sebastián pintxos bar than any expensive refit ever could.

The original emerald frontage remains, the chequerboard floor’s still there (worn, not battered), and church pews have been bolted to walls as makeshift perches. The front operates as a standing-only bar where customers spill onto the pavement with Estrellas at £2.50 and vermouth on tap for £4.20. The back room takes bookings for those wanting proper seats, though Tollington’s energy is decidedly vertical rather than seated. Either way, you’re here for Spanish-inflected seafood that changes with what the boats (and vans – we aren’t a seaside city, after all) bring in.

The chips bravas have become the signature – fat, hand-cut potatoes crisped in beef dripping, then buried under salsa brava and aggressive amounts of aioli. It’s the kind of dish that honours both the building’s chippy past and its Iberian present without being particularly precious about either. They’re an ever-present on a daily-changing menu that might include piri piri John Dory, battered cod cheeks with alioli, or sardines bitter and smoky off the plancha. Whatever’s written on the board that day has been thought through, sure, but also scrawled on hurriedly, and there’s a kind of responsive, reactive, cooking cocinado-a-pedido energy to the plates that feels fresh and vital.

The wet rice dishes are a keen focus of the larger plates, and the team claim (half-correctly) that they inspired half of London’s current menu trends. We wouldn’t blame a few places a little further into town for paying homage to the seafood rice here – it’s that good.

McIlroy’s reputation from The Plimsoll means Tollington’s was packed before it even opened properly, which is either annoying or validating depending on whether you managed to get in. The crowd includes people who’ve queued before service starts, resigned to the fact that walk-ins mean standing with a plate balanced on a ledge, and the savvy few who knew to book well ahead for the scant few tables out back.

Small plates range from £8 to £16, making it possible to eat properly without spending stupidly. The cooking’s ambitious but the atmosphere’s determinedly casual – spinning fans overhead, abstract prints on yolk-yellow walls, industrial tubs of salt lining the shelves. They’re not trying to be cool, which obviously makes it extremely cool.

Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, for lunch on Sunday, and closed on Mondays.

Website: tollingtons.shop

Address: 172 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 3AJ

Palmyra’s Kitchen, Wells Terrace

Ideal for discovering the distinct flavours and techniques of Syrian cuisine…

The family who run Palmyra’s Kitchen fled Syria with their recipes, their memories, and the clothes they could carry. Now they serve some of the best Levantine food in the country from this stone-walled space opposite the Picturehouse Cinema.

Fruit is used deftly in savoury dishes to glorious effect: pomegranate molasses in the muhammara, dates stuffed into kibbeh, dried apricots turning up in lamb stews. It all leads to a light, bright eating experience that’s just so satisfying. The chicken shawarma is a particular joy; the meat comes charred at the edges but stays uniform and juicy within (an impressive feat considering Syrian shawarma tends to only use white meat), wrapped in structurally sound flatbread that doesn’t fall apart after two bites, despite it being saturated with pleasingly astringent toum.

The mezze showcases the kitchen’s deft touch most aptly. Each dish tastes distinct rather than like variations on tahini and olive oil. The baba ganoush has actual smoke flavour rather than just liquid smoke sadness. The fattoush uses sumac like it means it, not just as colourful garnish. It’s all incredibly fulfilling stuff.

The family who run the place possess that particular brand of Middle Eastern hospitality that makes you feel simultaneously like royalty and their favourite nephew. They’ll remember your order after three visits, ask about your mother after five, and by visit ten you’ll find yourself invited to their daughter’s graduation (it was a wonderful day, by the way). This is neighbourhood dining at its finest.

Open daily from noon to 2am, with outdoor seating that works eight months of the year if you’re layered up and optimistic, Palmyra’s inclusivity and warm welcome has made us loyal regulars.

Website: palmyraskitchen.com

Address: 5-7 Wells Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JU

Dilara, Blackstock Road

Ideal for eating Uyghur cuisine at one of London’s very few regional spots…

Uyghur food sits somewhere between Chinese and Central Asian, which is to say it’s like nothing else you’ve eaten. Dilara, run by Abdul and Rose Axmu who fled Xinjiang, is one of just a handful of restaurants in London serving it.

The hand-pulled noodles get made to order, each strand stretched with a confident dexterity that creates just the right texture – firm, pliable, but tender, too. They come in a lagman soup that uses cumin, coriander seed and caraway, but tastes wholly distinct. The big plate chicken lives up to its name, enough food for a couple who have come hungry, the sauce building heat gradually rather than attacking immediately.

The lamb skewers show what makes Uyghur cooking special. Dry-rubbed with cumin and chilli before meeting charcoal, they develop a crust that concentrates the flavour into something almost mineral, and a little funky too. Order more than you think you need; everyone does eventually anyway.

The restaurant packs tables like orderly Tetris blocks, acoustics ebb and flow with unpredictably, and you’ll leave smelling of the grill. None of this matters. In fact, it’s all part of the fun. Hot Dinners called it a place of pilgrimage, which sounds excessive until you’ve eaten here.

Opens daily 11:30am to 10pm. Closed Tuesdays.

Instagram: @dilarauyghurrestaurant

Address: 27 Blackstock Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2JF

Giacco’s, Blackstock Road

Ideal for family-selected Italian specialties…

Giacco’s owner Leo named his 20-seat wine bar after his grandfather, gets weekly shipments from his mother in Florence, and deploys generations-old family recipes on an almost-illegible chalkboard menu. If that sounds too cute, too contrived, the food will convince you otherwise.

The cheese and charcuterie boards feature imported items selected by Leo’s family in Italy, mortadella with the fat content of butter, pecorino with serious funk, ‘nduja that undulates with chilli heat just right…

…but it’s in the fresh pasta dishes, all scrawled on that daily changing chalkboard, that Giacco’s excels. Here you might find a tuna Genovese-style with tagliatelle, plump little parcels of ricotta, sage and Amalfi lemon, and thick cut pappardelle with confit duck ragu and crispy onions. It’s gorgeous stuff; roughly hewn, homestyle cooking that makes all of those marbled ‘pasta bars’ in Central feel a bit bland and silly. 

The wine list focuses on small batch Italian producers with broadly biodynamic leanings, with some French bottles thrown in for variety. There’s plenty available by the glass, and with a plate of that pasta and a slice of homemade tart (an almond and plum number the last time we visited), you can enjoy an eminently satisfying meal for under £50. Cheers to that!

Tuesday to Sunday, hours vary with Leo’s mood and the weather.

Website: giaccos.bar

Address: 176 Blackstock Rd, London N5 1HA

Baban’s Naan, Blackstock Road

Ideal for understanding that good bread doesn’t need to cost more than bus fare…

Three naan for £1.50. We could stop there and Baban’s Naan would be worthy of a place in our rundown of where to eat near Finsbury Park station. Because in a country where coffee costs £4.50, this Kurdish bakery’s freshly baked naan, coming from the tandoor with blackened bubbles and char marks, feels like it’s free. 

But to chunter on only about value would do a disservice to the quality of the cooking here. Everything gets made fresh, which means waiting just a little. Queues inevitably snake out the door at lunch. The Kurdish kebab wrap at £5 is an absolute steal, generous with grilled lamb and vegetables, yet digestible. There’s a falafel version too that’s equally good. 

You can choose your naan from an impressive range – everything from sesame, garlic, and zaatar to cheese and barley varieties. Their peshwari naan is perhaps the best in town, a pillowy delight with a generous filling of coconut, almonds, mango pulp, and rose water that strikes the perfect balance between sweet and fragrant.

Those two are the most accoutrement-heavy and expensive (relatively speaking, of course) offerings – the rest is ‘just’ naan. Plain, flavoured with zaatar, sesame, chilli or garlic. The simplicity is refreshing, the flavours fresh and to-the-point, the value undeniable.

The crowd includes local workers who’ve done the maths, students stretching loans, and food obsessives making special trips, the latter encouraged, perhaps, by a glowing review in the Independent during COVID times. Everyone waits without complaint, understanding they’re about to eat better than people paying five times as much.

Open seven days a week, 10am to 8pm. Miss it and you’re stuck with supermarket sandwiches, contemplating where your life went wrong.

Instagram: @babans.naan

Address: 51a Blackstock Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2JW

Petek, Stroud Green Road

Ideal for Turkish hospitality without the three-hour flight…

Now in its third decade, Petek has been feeding Finsbury Park meat grilled over charcoal with the kind of consistency and great value that builds devotees. Count us among them… 

The mixed shish is the highlight here, with lamb, chicken and kofte on a bed of rice that’s absorbed enough meat juice to be indecent, its own saffron-scented perfume standing up to that mixed meat run-off and creating something wholly new.

The lunch deal brings two courses for £18.50, the kind of pricing that makes you check the date on the menu. They’re playing the long game: lunch leads to dinner, dinner leads to weekly visits, weekly visits lead to loyalty. Everybody wins.

Little touches matter here. Warm pita with olives appears without asking. They’ll swap rice for bulgur if you ask. Turkish Delight comes with the bill, because you haven’t already eaten enough. And the seasoning is always spot on, whether you’re on the Adana lamb beyti or the falafel and helim wrap.

The family running it make each table feel like the only one that matters, even when the place fills with Arsenal fans in various states of emotion, the proposition the same whether you’re Saka or a Sunday league substitute. 

Open noon to 11pm daily, with the kind of reliability that’s increasingly rare.

Website: petekrestaurant.co.uk

Address: 96 Stroud Green Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EN

Frank’s Canteen, Highbury Park

Ideal for breakfast, bargain lunches and BYO dinners…

Frank’s Canteen occupies a somewhat liminal space between café and restaurant without existing in an identity crisis. Eggs Benedict (on a Dusty Knuckle muffin, no less) for breakfast, duck confit for dinner, both executed with equal conviction.

The prix fixe lunch at £21 including wine, Monday to Friday, makes you wonder what the catch is. The catch is the dining room’s small enough to hear every word of neighbouring conversations, though that’s a potential new friendship rather than a problem.

Wednesday evenings bring BYO with no corkage, basically free money in London terms, and there’s happy hours between 4 and 6pm, which means half price drinks and snacks (the mutton croquettes are superb). They also do a happy hours sub – recently stuffed with beef cheek croquette, apple jam, roquito and gouda cheese sauce – that’s big enough to share, so come with someone who appreciates a good sandwich and get them to cut it in half. The cooking has the flavours turned up loud enough to matter, which means nothing tastes like you could’ve just made it at home. It’s all pitched so perfectly.

Opening at 7:30am suggests optimism about human nature, but the shakshuka has enough fire to wake anyone. In the evening, steamed halibut, cockles and courgette is picture perfect, fine-dining worthy, and gives more than enough reason to linger. You know what? We might stick around for dessert…

Website: frankscanteen.com

Address: 86 Highbury Park, London N5 2XE

We’re heading a stop south next, to fill ourselves up further in Islington. Care to join us?

Last updated March 2026

Some Londoners are guilty of thinking of Walthamstow purely as that place at the end of the Victoria Line, the one with the marauding market or where you go to see bands at The Bell. They’re missing the point. Around the historic village green near St Mary’s Church, an impressive dining scene has been bubbling under these last few years, one that locals guard jealously and food writers are only just beginning to cover with the requisite diligence.

The Victorian terraces that web out from the ancient village green hide award-winning restaurants that have made national food guides, family-run establishments serving some of London’s most regional cuisines, and newer arrivals bringing serious cooking to an area that still remembers when its only dining option was the local pub. It’s this mix of old and new, community spirit and culinary ambition, that makes Walthamstow Village worth the journey to Zone 3 for your tea.

We’ve spent the last few months eating our way around the area (someone had to) to bring you this selection of the best restaurants within walking distance of Walthamstow Central and Wood Street stations. Here are the places that make Walthamstow Village a culinary destination.

Hiba Taboun, Wood Street

Ideal for freshly baked Palestinian flatbreads and mezze worth crossing zones for…

This compact Palestinian café on Wood Street has built its reputation on gorgeous kamaj (soft, airy Palestinian pitas) that emerges from the ovens throughout the day, still warm enough to steam when torn open. Part of a small family restaurant group that includes Hiba Express in Holborn, the Walthamstow branch focuses on turning those daily-baked bread into sandwiches and flatbreads that have locals returning multiple times a week, as well as regulars drawn from further afield by the come-hither wafts of the bread oven.

The manakeesh comes topped with za’atar and olive oil or spiced lamb mince (£7.75), the base given a sourdough treatment that adds complexity to the traditional flatbread. Their falafel sandwich layers the freshly fried chickpea fritters with roasted cauliflower, aubergine, and a sharp salad of cucumber and tomato bound with tahini and lemon. It’s superb; so invigorating and, giving you change from a ten spot, an absolute steal. For bigger groups or, indeed, appetites, the day’s platter brings together four different mezze alongside falafel and grilled meats – enough variety to work through slowly over conversation.

Palestinian coffee arrives with gentle warnings from staff about its intensity – the small cup carries cardamom, cinnamon and other spices, served without sugar in the traditional style. Not everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee), perhaps, but it’s excellent. Alternatively, the milky, fragrant mouhallabieh pudding provides a gentler finish to the meal.

The space is divided between Hiba Taboun and Mini Hiba, both simple rooms where the focus stays firmly on the food. Staff show obvious, merited pride in what they’re serving – the kind of place where servers check in through the window to ensure you’re enjoying your meal, which inevitably you are. 

At £35 for the full Palestinian brunch of a dozen plates and breads to match, or under £8 for a substantial sandwich, it’s priced for regular visits rather than special occasions. For both the quality of the food and the value, we’ve become one of those regulars. Takeaway is also available.

Instagram: @hiba_taboun

Address: 2, Golden Parade, London E17 3HU

Gökyüzü, Selborne Road

Ideal for generous Turkish grills and all-day dining from breakfast through late dinner…

Inside 17&Central shopping centre on Selborne Road, Gökyüzü occupies a two-level space that buzzes with families tucking into platters of grilled meat from morning until midnight (9am to 11pm actually, but who’s counting?). Part of a burgeoning London chain with roots in Kahramanmaras, the Walthamstow branch has become something of a local institution since opening in the early 2000s, winning the best Middle Eastern restaurant at the Deliveroo Awards last year.

The wood-fired oven near the entrance sets expectations immediately, producing a warm glow and warm bread that arrives at your table unbidden, alongside garlic yoghurt and ajvar. The Turkish breakfast spreads across the table in small plates – free-range eggs, feta, Turkish beef sausage, muska böreği, halloumi, fresh vegetables, simit, honey and jam – substantial enough to carry you through to dinner.

Come evening, the charcoal grills take centre stage. The Adana kebab showcases their skill with seasoning, the lamb mince enthusiastically but deftly salted. The mixed grill platters hit the table bearing enough lamb shish, chicken shish, ribs and chops to feed a small gathering. For something a little more personal, the Icli Kofte – stuffed bulgur with spiced minced lamb blended with spices – is a real winner.

Vegetarians gravitate towards the Sarma Beyti, which regulars describe in reverent tones. To finish, the künefe is a properly indulgent conclusion – honey-drenched wheat and cheese that arrives hot from the kitchen. 

The atmosphere lands somewhere between casual and special occasion, with latticed screens and teal accents throughout creating pockets of intimacy. After 9pm the lights dim slightly, the crowd gets livelier, but families with children remain welcome. At lower mid-range prices – expect around £30 per person for a feast – it delivers value too.

Website: gokyuzurestaurant.co.uk

Address: 42D Selborne Road, The Mall, Walthamstow, London E17 7JR

Read: The best restaurants in Camden

Slowburn, Blackhorse Lane

Ideal for award-winning vegetable-forward dining in London’s most unlikely location…

Slowburn has become one of London’s most talked-about restaurants despite (or, indeed, because of) its position inside a working denim factory on Blackhorse Lane. The 2025 Good Food Guide named it among the UK’s Top 100 Best Local restaurants, a recognition that seems almost surreal given you need to walk through an active jeans workshop to reach your table.

The dining room occupies one corner of the factory floor, separated from the industrial sewing machines by nothing more than some strategically placed plants and the confidence of chef-owners who understand that great food speaks louder than grand interiors. The menu changes with obsessive seasonality, focusing on vegetables grown within a few miles of East London, treated with techniques that turn humble ingredients into something truly memorable.

Recent highlights have included heritage carrots with brown butter and hazelnuts, fermented turnip with aged goat’s cheese, and a beetroot tart that converts even the most committed carnivores. When meat does appear, it’s used sparingly – perhaps cured duck breast with pickled plums, or slow-cooked lamb shoulder for sharing with a whole host of seasonal sides and sauces that are, in truth, the main event.

The natural wine list reflects the same commitment to small producers and sustainable practices, while service maintains the kind of knowledgeable enthusiasm that comes from a team who genuinely believe in what they’re doing. Booking essential, particularly since the Good Food Guide recognition has brought food pilgrims from across London.

Website: slowburn.london

Address: 114b Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, London E17 6AA

Güneş, Hoe Street

Ideal for Anatolian platters and charcoal-grilled kebabs in marble-clad surroundings…

The bar at Güneş, backlit in blue with what appears to be a vast slab of mineral-veined stone, sets the tone immediately – this is a restaurant that’s committed to creating a scene. Neon strip lighting, marble everywhere, velvet seating, a conservatory done up with faux-jungle styling…

But look past the decor and you’ll find a restaurant doing genuinely excellent things with meat over charcoal, the kind of place where locals return for ebullient hospitality and cooking that doesn’t cut corners.

The Anatolian and Mediterranean menu centres on what emerges from the charcoal grill. Adana kebab skewers arrive sizzling, the minced lamb seasoned with pepper and thyme. Lamb and chicken döner gets carved from the rotisserie throughout service, chicken shish is grilled until nicely charred. The Family Platter for 3-4 people brings together lamb and chicken döner, both shish varieties, chicken beyti, Adana kebab, chicken wings, and lamb ribs at £72.90, all served with rice, bulgur, salad, and bread for mopping.

The Iskender kebab – sliced döner layered over torn bread with tomato sauce and yoghurt, then finished with butter and herbs – is the sort of dish that keeps people coming back. Choose lamb or chicken for £21.90. Portions defeat most appetites, which seems to be the standard here. Hot and cold mezze run from hummus and cacık through to sigara böreği (feta and halloumi in Turkish pastry) and grilled halloumi, providing routes in for those pacing themselves.

Service operates with typical Turkish generosity – complimentary rice pudding arrives at the end of your meal, the kind of gesture that turns first-time visitors into regulars. The drinks list accommodates both the after-work Efes crowd and birthday parties ordering strawberry daiquiris and Sex on the Beach cocktails by the round. Chef Drew Snaith of SESTA in Hackney singled out Güneş when sharing his Walthamstow favourites, specifically recommending the Iskender kebab.

The restaurant handles everything from solo diners to large groups celebrating special occasions, remaining welcoming throughout. At mid-range prices, it delivers consistent cooking and portions that ensure nobody leaves hungry.

Website: gunesrestaurant.uk

Address: 328 Hoe Street, London E17 9PX

The Good Egg at Eat17, Orford Road

Ideal for Middle Eastern-inspired dishes in a unique grocery-restaurant hybrid…

Within Eat17’s expanded premium grocery store, The Good Egg operates as an independent restaurant serving Middle Eastern-inspired breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. This unusual setup – dining alongside shoppers browsing award-winning local products and artisan goods – creates an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in London.

The Good Egg’s menu focuses on vibrant, spice-forward dishes that wake up your palate. The shakshuka comes with perfectly runny eggs nestled in rich tomato sauce scattered with fresh herbs, while the babka French toast offers an indulgent take on weekend brunch. The za’atar fried chicken has quickly developed as something of a signature, and the rotating specials often feature lesser-known Middle Eastern dishes that showcase the kitchen’s ambition.

Operating from 8am-4pm for breakfast and lunch, then 5pm-9pm for dinner, The Good Egg accepts walk-ins for small groups or email reservations for parties of six or more. The casual approach suits the relaxed vibe – you might find yourself sharing a table with someone who just popped in to buy Eat17’s famous bacon jam and decided to stay for lunch.

The combination works surprisingly well. You can stock up on premium groceries, local produce, and specialty items while enjoying a proper meal, making this a true neighborhood destination rather than just another restaurant.

Website: thegoodegg.co

Address: 28-30 Orford Rd, London E17 9NJ

Etles, Hoe Street

Ideal for discovering Uyghur cuisine at one of London’s pioneering regional restaurants…

One of London’s first Uyghur restaurants, Etles has been serving the distinctive cuisine of Xinjiang province since before we (most of us) could locate the region on a map (we’re still not sure we can). The family-run restaurant occupies a modest corner site on Hoe Street, its dining room decorated with traditional textiles and the sounds of Mandarin and Uyghur floating from the open kitchen.

Uyghur food sits somewhere between Chinese and Central Asian, a gorgeous blend of influences, with dried spices featuring prominently and noodles – hand-pulled until slack – taking centre stage. Those noodles get made to order, each strand stretched with practiced confidence to achieve the perfect texture – chewy but tender, robust enough to hold up to rich, aromatic broths. The Large Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji) lives up to its name, a generous serving of chicken, potatoes, and peppers in a sauce that builds heat gradually through layers of cumin, coriander, and chilli.

The lamb dumplings flaunt the kitchen’s skill with dough and seasoning – each dumpling perfectly pleated and filled with spiced lamb that’s been cooked until it falls apart at the suggestion of a lurking utensil. It’s heady, brilliant stuff, and has earned a glowing national review from Jay Rayner at a time when he felt particularly threatened by Eater and Vittles for not venturing out of Central, it should be said.

Cash only, BYOB with no corkage, and expect to share tables during busy periods when local Uyghur families arrive for weekend meals that stretch across multiple courses and several hours.

Website: etleswalthamstow.com 

Address: 235 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9PP

Sodo Pizza, Hatherley Mews

Ideal for sourdough pizza and natural wines in an intimate neighborhood setting…

Sodo Pizza occupies a converted industrial unit on a quiet mews off Hoe Street that’s been transformed into one of Walthamstow’s most charming dining rooms. The exposed brick walls, wooden tables, and open kitchen create something intimate, worlds apart from the business of this corner of North London, while the flickering wood-fired oven (imported from Italy, naturally) brings a gentle touch of theatre.

The sourdough pizza bases represent years of obsessive experimentation – slow-fermented for 48 hours to develop complex flavors and a texture that’s simultaneously crispy and chewy. Toppings focus on quality produce first and foremost, with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and carefully sourced charcuterie. The nduja pizza with chilli honey and rocket is bang on trend to the point of ubiquity, but still works and is our go-to order. We love the anchovy, capers and olives number too, but simply can’t bring ourselves to order it, the Jon Bon Chovy moniker too cringe to say out loud.

The natural wine list leans into interesting bottles – Joan Meyer’s Liquid Skin, an orange Chenin Blanc from South Africa with cardamom and honey notes clocks in at a keen £36. There’s Heinrich’s Austrian pet-nat with mandarin and quince for £43, too. It’s a lot for a drop with your pizza, but it’s great wine nonetheless.

Claw back some of that money on their particularly sharp lunch deal, which runs Tuesday to Friday: £10 gets you either a 7-inch pizza with salad or a full-size pizza, plus a soft. Cheers to that.

The intimate size means booking is essential, particularly at weekends when the 30-cover dining room fills with locals who’ve discovered this hidden gem.

Website: sodopizza.co.uk

Address: 21-23 Hatherley Mews, Walthamstow, London E17 4QP

Yard Sale Pizza, Hoe Street

Ideal for award-winning pizza in a converted glass factory…

Time Out consistently declares this as one of London’s best pizzas (as do we) and the Walthamstow location emphasises how we both might be right. 

Rather than the promised yard, there’s a roof and stuff, with the converted glass factory providing an industrial backdrop to your pie, all high ceilings, exposed beams, and an outdoor terrace – call it a ‘yard’ if you want – that comes into its own during warmer months.

The sourdough bases use a mother culture refined over years, resulting in pizza that’s substantial and, in turn, digestible. The Holy Pepperoni holds cult status among London pizza obsessives, with pepperoni that cups and chars at the edges. The Full House combines pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, olive and peppers, but somehow doesn’t end up feeling like a Pizza Hut. That’s some sleight of hand, that.

Local beers are what you want to wash it down, with several options from Gipsy Hill Brewery on the menu. That means the beer travels just twenty miles from grain to glass. Our favourite is Yard Sale’s house lager, the Pyramid Scheme. The name baffles us, but there’s plenty of clarity in the can.

Website: yardsalepizza.com 

Address: 15 Hoe St, London E17 4SD

With pizza on the brain, we’re off in search of the perfect New York slice next. Care to join us?