There are endless options of where to eat in London. This is no surprise since it’s such a massive city with about 9.5 million people calling it home. It’s a very diverse and multicultural city. You should be able to satisfy whatever food craving your heart (or tummy!) desires.
With so many options to choose from, I always find it so satisfying to find an amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
What exactly is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant? Well, this seems to be open to a few different interpretations.
For some, they might be picturing a small and dingy spot serving terrible food or they might have never even heard of the term. For others, including myself, I think of hole-in-the-walls as surprising hidden gems.
These spots may have simple and unassuming decor but the food is usually to die for. You know that a place must be serving amazing food if there are lots of people dining in or lining up outside the door.
This post includes a list of surprising hole-in-the-wall restaurants my partner and I visited on our recent trip to London.
Makan Cafe, Portobello Road
What is Makan CafÉ?
Makan Café is a family restaurant serving authentic Malaysian street food since 2001.
The place itself is simple but quite spacious with numerous tables.
What’s unique about this place is that when you enter, you have to go up to the counter to order your
food. You have the option to order from their regular menu or from their ready-made menu.
- They have dishes cooked fresh daily on display at the counter. They are placed on warmers, very much like turo turo in Filipino cuisine or cafeteria style dining. This is very popular with takeout orders but we noticed a few dine in customers also ordering from this menu.
- They also have a regular menu in which your food will be prepared and cooked to order. You are given a numbered table stand and you can choose where to sit. They will then bring your food fresh from the kitchen to your table.
Both styles seem to be equally popular. When we visited, we opted to dine in and order from the regular menu. However, there was a constant stream of customers ordering take away from the ready-made menu.
What to order from Makan CafÉ
We ordered Chaw Kway Teow chicken (Exotic stir fried flat noodles) and Egg Fried Rice with Chicken
Satay.
Both dishes were extremely tasty! The noodles were perfectly cooked with a good kick of spice. The
chicken satay was seasoned well and went perfectly with the peanut sauce.
Where is Makan CafÉ located?
Makan Café is located on Portobello Road by Ladbroke Grove tube station.
We came across this place after exploring the shops and sights of the popular Portobello Road Market.
Address: 270 Portobello Rd, London W10 5TY
Hours: Open daily 9:00 – 21:30
London Naru, Greenwich
What is London Naru?
London Naru Korean Deli is an amazing little spot in Greenwich serving authentic Korean food.
Even though they opened right at the start of the pandemic in May 2020, they have done really well.
They have a 4.9 rating on Google with excellent reviews from customers.
What to order from London Naru
London Naru serves Korean snacks such as Kimchi Stew, Chobab (Korean Sushi) and Korean Style Fried
Chicken. They also serve popular dishes like Bibimbap and Beef Bulgogi.
We ordered Jap Chae, Korean Fried Chicken and Beef Bulgogi. All three dishes were delicious!
Where is London Naru located?
They are conveniently located right by the Greenwich DLR and train station.
Address: 21 Lovibond Ln, London SE10 9FY
Hours: Tues- Sat Noon – 20:00, Sun-Mon closed
The place is very small with limited seating inside. They cater mostly to take out orders and had a steady stream of customers coming and going.
If there are no seats available inside, you can sit at the benches right across the restaurant in front of the Daniel Defoe Student Hall Dormitory.
Jin’s Kitchen, Holborn
What is Jin’s Kitchen?
Jin’s Kitchen is a small and simple mom and pop’s Korean restaurant in Holborn. They specialize in authentic Korean dishes and Japanese style katsu (tonkatsu) curries, all at very reasonable prices.
We ate here after spending an afternoon in the British Museum nearby. It was tiny with just four small tables. Thankfully, we arrived just before the dinner rush and were able to get a table. A lineup was starting to form as we were finishing up.
What to order from Jin’s Kitchen
We ordered a small Bulgogi for £5.20 and a large Chicken Katsu Curry for £7.50.
The katsu was perfectly crispy with a yummy curry sauce. The bulgogi was actually very tasty.
Based on what customers were ordering, their best sellers seem to be the katsu curry and teriyaki.
Where is Jin’s Kitchen located?
Jin’s Kitchen is centrally located in Holborn, close to the British Museum and Shaftesbury Theatre. The closest tube station is Tottenham Court Station.
Address: 232 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8EG
Hours: Mon-Fri 12:00-6:00pm, Sat 12:00-5:00, Sun closed
This post outlined three amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurants in London.
I absolutely can’t wait to go back to London and discover more gems like those on this list.
If you want more ideas of where to eat in London, check out this list of yummy must try pastries.
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