Heads and shoulders above the rest: The five restaurants below beat the local competition
(Picture: Getty Images)London Zoo can proudly claim to be the world’s oldest scientific zoo, founded in 1828 as a centre for animal study. Its days as a tourist attraction began when it was opened to the public 19 years later. However, with the Regent’s Canal to the north and Regent’s Park on all other sides, finding somewhere decent to eat before or after involves a rather longer walk than a saunter from Gorilla Kingdom to the Reptile House.
Primrose Hill is the closest restaurant centre — though given that it’s synonymous with north London celebrities, is not the cheapest place to eat out. If the weather is fine, the park of Primrose Hill itself offers one of the most iconic panoramas of London from the summit; stylish Regent’s Park Road is lined with delis (Anthony’s is excellent) for DIY picnics or there’s a food market in St Paul’s primary school on Saturdays.
Remember, too, that Camden Town is an easy walk: Parkway is lined with quality chains (Pizza Pilgrims, Masala Zone, Jamon Jamon) though it’s far more fun to walk down the canal to Camden Lock, which has as many places to eat as options to buy some good-decision-at-the-time Celtic jewellery. Still, sometimes an aimless wander isn’t the one — for feeding time after the Zoo, here are five of the best restaurants nearby.
Lemonia
Modern-day Athens is home to cutting-edge restaurants pouring wines made by some of Europe’s most dynamic winemakers — but that is very much not the experience on offer at Lemonia. Instead, the restaurant speaks to a certain type of north Londoner for whom the culture and cuisine of Greece represent the acme of Interrailing freedom circa 1979, the year Lemonia opened. It remains a beguiling fantasy, with walls covered with vine leaves and wooden tables covered in huge plates of hearty Greek cooking: hot and cold mezze to start, moussaka and stifado to follow, plus meat and fish from the charcoal grill or half a dozen veggie dishes. Lemonia has been run by the same family since opening and the staff are great with kids. A three-course weekday set lunch for £16.50 is a Primrose Hill bargain.
How much? Three courses approx £35
How far? A 16-minute walk
89 Regent’s Park Road, NW1 8UY, lemonia.co.uk
The Engineer
A gastropub of the old school, this Primrose Hill classic — a short walk along the canal from Camden and another easy stroll to the zoo — combines a ground-floor bar, a first-floor dining room and one of the nicest gardens in NW1. Dishes range from quality pub grub (Scotch egg, chicken and leek pie, steak and chips) to classy plates of pan-seared scallops and octopus with ’nduja; vegetarian choice is decent and the Sunday roasts immense. To drink, there’s craft beer on tap, wine by the glass from the Coravin, classic cocktails and house sodas for kids and teetotallers alike. All in all, The Engineer is the sort of perfect local that will have you scanning estate agents’ windows on the way home.
How much? Three courses approx £30
How far? A 12-minute walk
65 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JH, theengineerprimrosehill.co.uk
Oka
This five-strong mini chain has conquered some of London’s smartest neighbourhoods, from Barnes and Chelsea to Marylebone and Soho, with a familiar and family-friendly line-up of pan-Asian favourites. This Primrose Hill outpost is no exception and, if the selection of sushi and sashimi, ceviches and curries, salads and fried squid could hardly be called ground-breaking, the quality is consistently good and the service reliably speedy. A short two-course lunch menu for £19.50 makes deciding what to eat easy, and there are also a couple of kid-specific dishes — miso salmon and chicken panko teriyaki — with rice and broccoli on the main menu. If the weather’s nice, pick up some sushi, soup and a rice bowl to eat on Primrose Hill.
How much? Three courses approx £30
How far? A 15-minute walk
71 Regent’s Park Road, NW1 8UY, okarestaurant.co.uk
Sam’s Café
“A greasy spoon without the grease” is how this retro caff describes itself, and while the tongue is kept firmly in cheek there’s also plenty of delicious stuff to get one's mouth around. The design details of red leather banquettes and formica tables are on point, but newspapers to read, a vintage jukebox to listen to and a menu that includes vegan options and a short European wine list suggest the retro vision is bang up to date. All-day breakfasts include a full English, bacon and sausage baps and eggs every which way, lunches stretch to soups, salads and good things on sourdough toast, while dinner might be a fish of the day (sea bass, say), Korean-style chicken wings or courgette and saffron risotto.
How much? Breakfast dishes around £9, lunch and dinner dishes around £13
How far? A 13-minute walk
40 Chalcot Road, NW1 8LS, samscafeprimrosehill.com
York & Albany
A 19th-century John Nash townhouse on the edge of Regent’s Park, the York and Albany is part of Gordon Ramsay’s empire, which dictates a rather Noughties feel to the design scheme (lots of lilac and leather in the light-filled interiors) but also enough cheffy touches on the menu to maintain interest. The chicken wings are spiced with tamarind and come with coriander and chives, the roasted cod is served with crushed potatoes, artichoke and salted capers, the veggie choice isn’t bad and there’s a burger, fish and chips and dry-aged rib-eye steak if you don’t want anything too fancy. Added attractions include a set menu for £19.50/£24 for two/three courses and, because the York and Albany is also a hotel, weekend breakfasts. Bottomless pizzas are served next door at Ramsay’s Street Pizza (£16 per person, or £8 for kids).
How much? Three courses approx £45
How far? A 13-minute walk
127-129 Parkway, NW1 7PS, gordonramsayrestaurants.com/york-and-albany
