The Best Independent And Family-Owned Restaurants In London
Now is a more important time than ever to be supporting local, family and independently owned restaurants. As the UK hospitality industry continues to struggle with rising costs and prices, bail on Pizza Express and head to the places that are actually keeping London’s culinary history and reputation alive. Whether they’ve been passed down for generations or opened in the last 5 years as a result of displacement, these are the best family and independently owned restaurants breathing life into London’s restaurant industry.
E. Pellicci
E. Pellicci is perhaps one of the most iconic names in London. Loved by locals and A-listers alike, it has been serving our beloved community for over 100 years. Priamo Pellicci began in 1900, and he and his wife Elide brought up seven children in these very walls as they ran the cafe. The original tiles still stand on the outside, and the panelled wooden decor on the inside is original to the 40’s; as a result, Pellicci’s is a Grade II listed building. This is a family-run institution, and one of London’s most important venues.
Where: 332 Bethnal Green Road, London, UK, E2 0AG
Website: www.epellicci.co.uk
akub
In Notting Hill, akub has been celebrating Palestinian cuisine for years, and I must say, it is brilliant. Palestinian food has not made nearly enough waves in the London dining scene; the culinary traditions are both ancient and vast, and akub works with local suppliers to create an homage to Palestine right in the heart of England. Fadi Kattan, the chef and restaurateur behind it, is a phenomenal ambassador for the food of the region, combining soft education with an absolutely brilliant menu.
Where: 27 Uxbridge Street London W8 7TQ
Website: www.akub-restaurant.com
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen
Imad Alarban, a Syrian chef, entrepreneur and refugee from Damascus, came to London from Lebanon after his businesses were destroyed and he was forced to flee his country. In the early days of his time here, he worked many odd jobs before he entered the London restaurant scene, hosting charity events and supper clubs which began rapidly selling out. Imad’s Syrian Kitchen has now been open in Kingly Court since early 2020, guided by a belief that food is how we connect, how we honour history and culture, and how we preserve a shared humanity.
Where: Top Floor, Kingly Court, W1B 5PW, London
Website: www.imadssyriankitchen.co.uk
The Shed
A certified B Corp restaurant, The Shed was founded by the Gladwin brothers as a flagship of their Local & Wild group. It boasts a farm-to-fork approach capitalising on produce from the Sussex countryside. The restaurant embodies what it means to be sustainable, pairing English wines with hyper-seasonal ingredients while staying true to their ethos of “what grows together, goes together”.
Where: 122 Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington, London, W84RT
Website:www.theshed-restaurant.com
Afghan Kitchen
You may know Afghan Kitchen as being Lily Allen’s favourite restaurant in London or for having extremely affordable prices, but there is much more to the little restaurant than just that. The founders are sharing family recipes that tell the story of their Afghan culinary heritage. It is both modern and historic, intimate and casual, with everything from lamb kebabs to Afghan dumplings.
Where: 35 Islington Grn, London N1 8DU
Website: www.afghan-kitchen.hey-restaurants.com
Arments
Founded in 1914, Arments has been serving traditional pie and mash for more than a century after William and Emily Arment took over an existing Walworth pie shop and turned it into a local institution. Still family-owned and now run by the fourth generation of the Arment family, it continues to make its pies by hand using the same long-standing family recipe.
Where: Pie House, 7-9 Westmoreland Rd, London SE17 2AX
Website: www.armentspieandmash.com
SINO
Having opened last year, SINO is representing Ukrainian fine dining in the heart of Notting Hill. The team behind the restaurant represent culinary prowess, with Chef Eugene Korolev having shaped a career in some of Europe’s most celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants. They represent experimental drinks, with Ana Reznik serving up emotion-driven mixes. And they represent storytelling, with Polina Sychova designing everything around Ukrainian furniture and memory.
Where: 7 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 1HA
Website: www.sinorestaurant.co.uk
North Sea Fish Restaurant
Since 1977, North Sea Fish Restaurant has been a favourite amongst locals, visitors, and, according to them, London taxi drivers. They champion fresh fish in a simply prepared way (which is how any fresh produce should be prepared). They only use fresh fish, never frozen, with daily deliveries courtesy of the iconic Billingsgate Market. Whilst their fish and chips are iconic in their own right, other dishes like scallops, octopus, Dover sole, prawns, etc., etc., etc., are worth the journey in their own right.
Where: 7 – 8 Leigh Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 9EW
Website: www.northseafishrestaurant.co.uk
Abeno
Founded in 1993 by Jonathan Brown and Elize Nakatani, Abeno was Europe’s first specialist okonomiyaki restaurant, bringing the flavours of Osaka to London decades before the dish became widely known here. Still family-run today, the Bloomsbury restaurant remains one of the city’s best places to try authentic Kansai-style okonomiyaki, cooked on teppan grills at your table.
Where: 47 Museum St, London WC1A 1LY
Website: www.abeno.co.uk
