We think it’s safe to say that Northcote Road occupies something of a unique position, both in geographical terms and in the minds of the average Londonder.
Sprawling from Battersea to Balham but certainly not Clapham, it’s a buzzy, populated street that’s pedestrianised and almost continental on the weekend, with action, activity and al fresco dining all taking place along the strip.
Yet, it also feels strangely superficial; every other shop could be a JoJo Maman Bébé, and for a road of such obvious affluence, at first glance the dining options are a little predictable; all mid-level chains and Gail’s bakeries.
But scratch the surface just a little harder, and amongst those ever-presents are a handful of fantastic food purveyors, producers and restaurants doing some truly great grub. If you’re wondering where to eat on Northcote Road, Clapham Junction, then here are the best restaurants.
Porchetta & Grill
Ideal for a porchetta sandwich that will transport you to the Italian countryside in one bite…
Yep, we realise just 7 or so words ago we said ‘restaurants’, but the first place to eat on our list isn’t actually one of those. Instead, it’s a compact, black trailer, parked outside Joe & Juice and serving some of the best porchetta in the city.
Here, the proposition is simple; unctuous Umbrian porchetta with crisp crackling, served either in a semolina dusted ciabatta or over polenta and vegetables. Rustic Roman sausages, heady with fennel seed and white pepper can also be supplemented; now that’s a sarnie worth heading south of the river for. Come to think of it, we’d swim the river for one of these.
With the main ingredient expertly prepared by Giovanni Morinello, an Italian butcher with 30 years of experience, you’ll be in very safe hands here.
Just back from the Northcote Road and a five minute walk from Porchetta and Grill, you’ll find the edge of sprawling Wandsworth Common; the perfect place to tuck in to your sandwich in peace. You can thank us later!
Website: Porchettaandgrill – Home (facebook.com)
Address: 40-28 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NZ
Osteria Antica Bologna
Ideal for a warm and welcoming Italian restaurant…
From here on in you’ll start to notice a theme, that the majority of the best places to eat on Northcote Road are Italian. And that’s no bad thing when you’ve got a neighbourhood resident as good as Osteria Antica Bologna, a warm and welcoming Italian which has been in the same spot for over two decades and does all of the simple, rustic things just right.
So, that’s freshly made pasta, ragus that taste like they’ve been bubbling since the restaurant opened, risotto that’s genuinely cooked to order (please allow for 20 minutes) and, if you’re feeling particularly ravenous, a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, that famous chargrilled T-bone steak beloved of the food aficionados of Tuscany.
With affordable wine by the glass and a convivial atmosphere every night of the week (except Mondays, when it’s closed), it’s no wonder that Osteria Antica Bologna is such a hit with the locals.
Website: Osteria.co.uk
Address: 23 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NG
Made In Italy 3.0
Ideal for Neapolitan pizzas with a broad range of toppings and comforting bowls of pasta…
Nope, this isn’t a restaurant that exists solely in the metaverse (tech heads, stand up), but rather, the best wood fired Neapolitan pizza you’ll find on Northcote Road.
The second branch (yep, still confused by the name) of the popular King’s road pizzeria, Made In Italy 3.0 does a fine selection of pizzas at the more traditional end of the spectrum, with all the usual boxes ticked concerning San Marzano tomatoes, Caputo Tipo double zero flour, fierce cooking temperatures, and an origin story that starts in Southern Italy, the home of proper pizza puritans.
The thing that makes Made In Italy unique is their cheese factory, housed in Battersea and producing handmade mozzarella and burrata every day. Run by a third generation Italian cheesemaker, this ensures an incomparable freshness in the final product and results on the street.
Alongside more traditional toppings like margherita and diavola, you’ll find some more fascinating offerings like ‘Crokke’ which is billed as a cheeky pizza featuring crocche, the famous Neapolitan street food and another entitled ‘Carbonara Pizza Porn’ – and nope, we don’t know why the word ‘porn’ appears like this on the menu sporadically either, but we’ll let that one slide…
This Italian restaurant in Clapham also caters for those non-pizza fanatics in the group (yes, there are such people). On our last visit we had a bowl of gnocchi pomodoro – a simple yet incredibly satisfying no-frills dish if ever there was one. We could eat it every day.
Website: madeinitalygroup.co.uk
Address: 59 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NP
Read: 6 of the best takeaway and delivery Neapolitan pizzas in South London
Rosa’s Thai Cafe
Ideal for classic Thai curries and regional specialties…
So far, it might feel like Northcote Road is London’s very own Little Italy (though, officially, this is an area in the south west corner of Clerkenwell), and sure, the dominance of Italian restaurants here is stark. But there’s also capable Thai food being cooked on Northcote Road that’s well worth your time if you’re not in the mood for more pizza.
Rosa’s Thai has outposts all over London – yep, we did say Northcote Road is dominated by chains – with the restaurant gaining popularity for its affordable, properly punchy Thai dishes with origins from across The Kingdom. The Clapham branch has found a home on Northcote Road, and it provides welcome respite from the dough-based offerings that define the rest of the strip.
Go for the stir-fry dishes, as Rosa has real woks and burners out back and that all-important ‘hei’ can be sensed on the plate and palate. The chilli and basil stir fry is a very satisfying one plate wonder, akin to Bangkok’s beloved pad gra pao, but using Thai basil instead of the holy stuff. Regardless, it does the job.
As their website boasts, over 1.6 million Pad Thais have been served by the restaurant group. We’re a little embarrassed to admit just how many of that number were us.
Website: rosasthaicafe.com
Address: 54 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1PA
Buona Sera
The ideal neighbourhood Italian restaurant…
After that brief, spicy respite, we’re going for another Italian, this time at Buona Sera which has been serving the good people of Clapham for over a quarter of a decade.
Meaning ‘good evening’, this is actually a spot best enjoyed in the late afternoon sun, as the restaurant has plenty of outdoor seating (even on a weekday) and a sunny disposition to match it.
These guys have been in the same spot for thirty years, and have finely honed their simple yet satisfying offering. With a sprawling menu of capable pasta plates, as well as some simple starters perfect for picking as you watch the world go by, Buona (autocorrect attempted to change that to ‘buoyant’, which would be rather fitting) Sera is a lovely place to while away a few hours.
Website: buonasera.co.uk
Address: 22-26 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NX, United Kingdom
Breadstall
Ideal for massive quarter slices of sourdough pizza with sturdy puffed crusts…
Breadstall is a mobile unit that sits just a few strides down the street from Porchetta & Grill, but the proposition here is slightly different; nominally it’s a pizza joint, but there are other edible treats to be found here, too.
In fact, though the quarters slices of sourdough pizza with a sturdy puffed crust that makes them ideal for taking away are Breadstall’s biggest seller, taking pride of place at the forefront of their display of the day’s wares, we’re here for the freshly baked focaccia and ciabatta, which are generously filled and tasty as you like (ours is a fried chicken, rocket and mayo, thanks for asking).
That’s not to say the pizzas aren’t fantastic, and with Breadstall delivering, Londoners can now get a slice of this little corner of South London straight to their door.
Website: breadstall.com
Address: 56 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1PA
Seafare Fish Bar
Ideal for fish and chips…
For a no fuss, no frills fish and chips restaurant, Seafare Fish Bar is one of Northcote Road’s true gems. Though the bulk of the business is the takeaway trade, Seafare has a cute patio outfront which is ideal for basking in the sun if the weather’s right.
Back inside and into the vats of bubbling rapeseed oil (which the restaurant recycles into biofuel), all the fish here is sourced daily from Billingsgate Market, with a choice of cod, haddock, plaice, rock, squid and scampi pleasing the pesci crowd, with a light, delicate batter.
Sides are reassuringly traditional, with the wally a real whopper and the gravy thick and proper. Chips tread that most welcome line between crisp and soggy that all chippy connoisseurs are well versed in, and the mushy peas actually taste of peas rather than vinegar.
And that’s all you can ask for from your local chippy, right?
Website: seafarefishbar.com
Address: 89 Northcote Rd, London SW11 6PL
Tamila
Ideal for South Indian feasting that’s a different proposition to your old-school curry house …
Residing in the former Ve Kitchen site, Tamila brings something genuinely different to Northcote Road’s dining landscape. From the team behind Islington hits The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown, this is their first outpost south of the river, and it’s a more casual affair than its gastropub siblings up north.
Perhaps with a slice of the Dishoom morning market in their crosshairs, there’s a keen focus on South Indian breakfast and brunch here – the masala dosa arrives as a crisp, golden scroll accompanied by coconut chutney and sambar that puts most of the road’s brunch offerings to shame. The medhu vadai (savory lentil ‘doughnuts’) are worth crossing postcodes for, striking that perfect balance between crisp exterior and fluffy middle.
Come evening, the kitchen shows its real muscle. The Thanjavur chicken curry is worth ordering for the sauce alone – complex, aromatic, and crying out to be mopped up with their exceptional rotis, while the Chettinad lamb curry brings that lovely, undulating chilli heat without sacrificing on nuance or deliciousness.
The drinks list is equally considered, featuring Indian-spiced takes on classic cocktails alongside their own Tamila lager, which is a drinkable, pleasant enough drop. The success of this Northcote Road venture has already prompted a second site opening in King’s Cross this month, but there’s a already buzz about this original that suggests it’ll become a neighbourhood fixture for years to come. We’re certainly not complaining.
Website: tamila.uk
Address: 39 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NJ
Slice Street Bakery
Ideal for slices, sandwiches and sausage rolls...
Okay, we accept this is neither a restaurant nor quite on Northcote Road (the A205 separates the two), but we’re not going to let a little pedantry get in the way of what is arguably London’s greatest sausage roll.
Yep, at Slice Street Bakery on St. John’s Road, you’ll find one of the most generously proportioned, beautifully seasoned, properly fatty portions of minced pork based nirvana that we’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking our teeth into, all gorgeous mouthfeel and salty deliciousness. And whilst £4 might seem like a hefty price tag, this is a real piece of work, weighing as much as a newborn baby and, in many ways, even cuter.
Slice Street also do excellent sandwiches – the fried chicken with a kind of buffalo sauce dressing is particularly lovely – and Roman pizza slices for those looking for a lunch spread to make any colleagues or family members jealous. Great stuff, indeed.
Address: Eckstein Rd, London SW11 1QE
Oddonno’s Gelati
We had to finish with something sweet and Italian, in keeping with the road’s preferred cuisine. At the award winning Oddonno’s Gelati, the gelato is at its best when it celebrates a singular ingredient, ramping up the characteristic flavour of that ingredient to dizzy new heights.
In fact, Oddonno’s pistachio gelato is regularly acknowledged as one of the best single scoops in the city, with Time Out London saying back in 2010 that ‘’the pistachio is some of the best you’ll ever taste’’. That same pistachio also received two gold stars at the 2009 Great Taste Awards. After several balmy evenings spent strolling the strip in the company of the fabulous flavour, we have to agree.
Website: Oddono’s Gelati Italiani Instagram
