Best restaurants in Camden

This cosy pub has a woody frayed-at-the-edges interior but it’s often full of trendy drinkers and boasts Primrose Hill’s celebrity elite as many of its regulars. The blackboard menu changes seasonally but the food is inspired by Mediterranean and British cuisine. Think anchovies and sage tempura alongside gravlax with toast, capers and lemon and patatas bravas with aioli.

It takes just one step into Poppie’s for you to be filled with nostalgia and instantly craving a portion of salt and vinegar-laced chips. Pat ‘Pop’ Newland is the brains behind it all and has earned a somewhat legendary status with decades of experience on the scene. All of the fish is sustainably caught on day boats and is prepared by in-house fishmonger Salih Sadik. 

Giant, stringy mozzarella sticks with a rich marinara dipping sauce, gooey five cheese macaroni and of course, a strong selection of trusty grilled cheese sandwiches – this is any turophile's dream. The food is as Instagrammable as the interior with a marble U-shaped countertop that’s suitable for groups of one to four to dine at. This ones comes with a warning that food envy is very, very likely to occur.

There’s room for a relaxed tapas bar in every neighbourhood and Camden has a great one. Jamon Jamon (insert so good they named it twice joke) keeps things rustic and homely inside, serving up heaped platters of meats and cheeses alongside classic cooked tapas like squid ink paella and prawns cooked in garlic and white wine.

This much-loved family-run kaiseki restaurant still flies under the radar, despite being right up there with the best Japanese restaurants in the city. Owner chef Makoto Kuwaki trained for 15 years under some of Japan’s best kaiseki master chefs, before opening his own restaurant in Camden. Keep this one handy for special occasions.

The second of chef patron Michael Nadra’s London establishments, this intimate neighbourhood restaurant offers high quality contemporary food in a relaxed environment. There is an array of menus to choose from like the three-course set menu for £45 and a la carte options which include steamed sea bass with prawn and chive dumplings and butternut squash risotto with garlic and parsley banana blossom.

This award-winning Indian restaurant offers contemporary twists on your curry-house favourites and dishes that are bursting with flavour. House specialities include the Goan sea bass, pan seared and served with a tomato, coconut, onion, mustard seed and curry leaf sauce, and the slow cooked lamb shank with baby potatoes, ginger, mint and spices. Service is friendly and efficient, and the drinks menu is very comprehensive.

Three Uncles has grown into one of London’s most reliable, well-priced lunch and dinner options, and this site in Hawley Wharf food hall is always busy with punters queuing for Cantonese roast duck and pork on rice. We recommend the combo boxes with plenty of extra ginger and spring onion sauce.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the bright green awning and gingham tablecloths of Greenberry Cafe. It fits perfectly with Primrose Hill’s peaceful vibe, serving a quality brunch in the late morning and an excellent dinner menu that includes beef tartare, chicken schnitzel and some Asian-inspired dishes like tempura courgette with white truffle mayo.

DeGusto has a prime bit of Camden real estate, just minutes from the markets and canal. We loved the stripped-back, rustic vibe of the restaurant, and the menu is just as beguiling, with proper Italian cooking like rabbit tagliatelle and spaghetti alla chitarra with white truffle. The team is super helpful when it comes to vegan and vegetarian options too.

Expect comforting classics with a contemporary twist at this friendly, low-key Italian. The interior is relaxed and in warmer months sitting at the outdoor tables brings a real Mediterranean feel to the dining experience. Staff are helpful, attentive and work to deliver a homely atmosphere alongside great food. The menu features several homemade pastas, available in small or large portions, as well as meat and fish dishes such as the poppyseed-crusted salmon with peas and pancetta.

Restaurant, wine bar and bottle shop Half Cut Market trades in the sort of compact, ever-changing wine bar menus that have become so popular in London, but the cooking is excellent, backed by very knowledgeable wine sourcing. Regular guest chef events add to the appeal.

After winning the BBC’s My Million Pound Menu investment, this London street food veteran opened its first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in 2019. Baba G's Camden is takeaway only these days, but the food is worth returning for, whether its signature Bhangra burgers served in buttermilk naan-style buns or the ingenious ‘Pachos’ – a hybrid popadom-twist on nachos.

Full of chilled-out charm, this authentically British gastropub offers an excellent selection of cask ales, craft beers, fine wines and artisanal spirits. On the menu you’ll find pub staples like cod and chips or sausage and mash alongside innovative, modern dishes such as pan-fried seabass with chargrilled Provençale-style vegetables and a tomato tapenade. There’s a fantastic Sunday lunch menu too which is best enjoyed with a tumbler of spicy Bloody Mary.

A genuinely beloved family-run Portuguese restaurant, O Tino doesn’t fuss too much with appearances - the experience is just about delicious food and charming service. All your favourite classic Portuguese dishes are here from bacalhau to piri-piri chicken, all washed down with Portuguese beers, vinho verde and more.

Be prepared to burn off the calories you’ve consumed at this Argentinian-eatery as staff actively encourage punters to take to the dance floor following their meal. Offering authentic food and wine at affordable prices, this welcoming restaurant often hosts energetic tango nights. An open grill and Patagonian clay oven take centre-stage offering theatre to the food and not just the atmosphere.

A little Camden hidden gem, Myths & Flames is always busy with locals, who come by for lunchtime wraps or to get stuck into a banquet of Greek mezze and grilled meats, including lamb chops, chicken gyros and pork skewers. If in doubt, stick to the skewers and classic Greek dishes like moussaka, spanakopitakia and pastitsio.

One of London’s most reliable vegan restaurant groups has a big, busy site right by Camden station, serving up some thrilling vegan cooking for a constant stream of hungry diners. Inspiration comes from far and wide and is channelled into health-conscious vegan dishes like harissa patatas bravas and grilled artichoke Caesar salad with broccoli and crispy kale.

One of four restaurants from the small Japanese chain, OKA Primrose Hill offers a delicious selection of sushi and a modern take on pan Asian and Robata Grill cuisine. Specialties include the spider roll filled with soft shell crab, kimchi, cucumber and wasabi mayo and the inside-out jalapeno salmon roll which is stuffed with spring onion, shichimi spices, avocado and cucumber and rolled in tempura crumbs.

Part restaurant, part wine shop, Lume sticks to authentic Italian classics, all well executed at palatable prices. Sit with an excellent bowl of linguine with clams and bottarga, sip on a glass of crisp Soave and finish with a hefty portion of tiramisu, and everything is right with the world.

Sitting on the same corner for more than 30 years, Lemonia has a long list of loyal customers who keep returning for a taste of the Mediterranean on the streets of north west London. This restaurant is run by Greek-Cypriots and the cosy interior with booths and hanging baskets compliments the comforting menu that’s full of all the classics. Rich moussaka, grilled fish and charcoal-flamed meats are all present – if you’d prefer a taste of everything order the mezze for a selection of hot and cold starters, main dishes and Greek salad.

Vegan pizzas have really taken off over the last few years but Purezza was there at the beginning of it all, and it remains one of the best in town. The team has developed its own vegan mozzarella (and various other vegan products) in house, and combined with a good gluten-free dough option, Purezza caters for practically all comers with excellent options.

Mr Ji demonstrates the sort of smart, boundary-pushing cooking that makes London so exciting. Expect East Asian dishes with western twists - crispy wontons with a filling of coppa ham, Chinese vinegar and Parmesan, for example - all backed up by a low-intervention wine list. The soy curd ice cream is genius.