The woman-led restaurants, bars, and cafés our stomachs are always happy to support.
LessThe Begging Bowl isn’t just the best Thai restaurant in Peckham, it’s one of the best Thai restaurants in London. Head chef Jane Alty is the woman behind their menu of grilled lamb ribs, galae peanut curry, and minced duck larb salad. It’s a relaxed neighbourhood spot that’s perfect for a big, group sharing situation and make sure you get involved in the whole deep fried sea bass with kohlrabi, roasted rice, and plenty of chilli.
Whisky expert Mia Johansson is the woman responsible for Swift, a go-to cocktail bar in Soho. The easygoing vibes and excellent drinks here are difficult to match, even in this part of town. At street level, there’s a shiny Art Deco-style bar that’s good for grabbing a beer or sipping martinis, while downstairs there’s a moody whisky bar with red booths and basement vibes aplenty.
Anyone who’s anyone around east London knows about Lucky & Joy’s sesame noodles. Within no time the Chinese-influenced restaurant, headed up in the kitchen by Ellen Parr, has become a part of the furniture on Lower Clapton Road. Their sweet, savoury, and spicy noodles have certainly helped this, along with regulars like Grandma’s potatoes, and those lusty turnip cakes. As has their neon, good time aesthetic, plus their unwavering support of Homerton Hospital throughout the pandemic.
One of the most celebrated chefs in the country, Clare Smyth is the head chef at her synonymous fine dining restaurant. A converted townhouse in Notting Hill, Core is the restaurant you go to when you want to do the whole fine dining thing without risking a shred of celeriac on a bed of edible leather being your dinner. The food here is perfectly executed, exciting, and most importantly, extremely tasty.
We have more feelings for this restaurant than we did our ex who we shared three long years of our lives with. Why? Because you can’t beat the spark you get with the LiangPi noodles at Master Wei, no matter how defined your jawline is. Guirong Wei’s Bloomsbury spot has some excellent biang biang noodles, and a spicy cumin beef ‘burger’ that is a staple any time we’re “in the area” [read: travel an hour out of our way for noodles].
Mei Mei is right in the heart of the feelgood buzz of Borough Market. On the changing menu you’ll find things like assam fish curry, deep fried chicken rice, nasi lemak, and a fantastic coconut milk ‘Captain’s Curry’ that warmed the cockles of our grumpy little hearts on one particularly savage rainy Thursday. The woman responsible for this bright-bowls, big flavours spot is Elizabeth Haigh, a chef who gained critical acclaim at fine dining spot Pidgin before opening Mei Mei.
Aptly on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, Lady of the Grapes is a charming little wine bar owned by French sommelier Carole Bryon. We’ve been here on dates, with mates, and for several Emergency Wine Situations. You know, like when it starts raining and your umbrella fails, or you discover you were wearing your shirt inside out for the entirety of that meeting and you need a little vino, stat. Expect candlelight, natural wines, cheese, and yet more cheese.
With Milk is a sister act. Not the kind that involves Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith in habits, but a sister act nonetheless. A great little coffee shop in Tottenham, it’s owned by Hana and Lela Mamma, with a little assistance from their adorable pet dog Tekka. Not only do they make a mean turmeric latte, they have a changing menu of sandwiches and sweet treats that always hit the spot. There are plenty of gluten-free options and their huge croissants are quite frankly, f*cking fantastic.
Few restaurants hold the excitement for almost unending possibility but guaranteed deliciousness as Freddie Janssen’s Snackbar. The Dalston cafe is so much more than just that. It’s a place to hang out indoors or out, munching dill pickle hash browns or enjoying an impromptu taco night. Much of the menu and experimentation comes from Janssen’s own travels (and cravings) and you’ll soon learn that they’re often aligned to your own. See: that mortadella banh mi.
Sambal Shiok is a casual Malaysian spot in Highbury which is the place to get laksa in London. As well as serving up some seriously satisfying laksa, owner and chef Mandy Yin’s menu includes things like prawn noodle salad, Malaysian fried chicken, and black bean tofu.