I’ve decided to compile my list of the ten best restaurants in Finsbury Park. These N4 eateries range from reasonable to higher-end prices and cover various cuisines from Italian to Indian, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and pub grub. If you’re searching for places to eat in Finsbury Park or the best restaurants in North London, you might find my ten best restaurants in Finsbury Park an exciting read. Please note that this list isn’t in any particular order, and I’m focusing on restaurants rather than cafes and those suitable for an evening meal. These also have great selections for non-meat eaters, so they are perfect if you want vegetarian menus. I’ve lived in the area for some twenty years and have eaten at these establishments many times, so I can’t wait to tell you about my favourite restaurants in Finsbury Park.
Ten Best Restaurants in Finsbury Park
Dotori | Korean and Japanese Cuisine: This small restaurant is unassuming but so good that it’s always packed. You’ll find the owner preparing fresh sushi, and you can see the busy open kitchen in action. The menu starters include prawn and vegetable tempura, which is always beautifully made. The kimchi or spring onion and seafood pancakes are also excellent. For mains, it’s Korean seafood, chicken, pork belly or beef BBQ dishes. They have a selection of Bibimbap, mixed rice dishes topped with vegetables, mixed seafood, pear and beef soy BBQ and more variations, some with eggs. These come sizzling to the table, so watch out because they are boiling; stir in your sauce and enjoy. Otherwise, you can opt for the stew pots, noodle dishes, noodle soup or gyoza. Or you might prefer a Bento box, teriyaki fish, maki rolls, sashimi carpaccio, nigiri sushi, temaki or sashimi. They have quite an extensive menu, and it’s reasonably priced, although not cheap, but it is worth it for the excellent quality.
Dotori 3A Stroud Green Road N4 2DQ
Q&T | Vietnamese Cuisine: At Q & T Vietnamese restaurant, begin with Crispy Spring Rolls (pork and prawn or vegetarian) or Fresh Summer Rolls with prawns and hoisin sauce. Try the Green Papaya Salad, adding chicken, prawns, or tofu, and explore the Vietnamese Crepe, Grilled Pork Meatballs, Chicken Satay, Shaking Beef, and Spare Ribs. The Pho stands out for mains, along with Rice Vermicelli Salads with various toppings like grilled pork, meatballs, spring rolls, lemongrass, and chili. They offer beef with black bean sauce or vegetables, Chicken Curry, Prawn dishes, Grilled Sea Bass Fillets, Crispy Whole Sea Bream, and Salmon Fillets.
The Old Dairy | Modern British Pub Grub: The Old Dairy is a large pub serving Karaage Sticky Chicken, Chicken Wings, Battered Halloumi, various Burgers and pub classics like Steak and Ale Pie, Fish and Chips and Flat Iron Steak; this is the perfect place to enjoy a grown-up Sunday lunch or a get together with a group of friends.
The Old Dairy: 1-3 Crouch Hill N4 4AP (at the end of Stroud Green Road)
La Fabrica | Spanish Tapas: This spacious and buzzy restaurant offers authentic meats, cheeses and wines imported from Spain. The menu is a contemporary take on traditional tapas dishes focusing on the Andalusian region. You’ll find all your favourites from Jamon Serrano or Iberico and a selection of Spanish charcuterie or cheeses. Meat tapas include ham croquet, grilled chorizo, meatballs in almond sauce, and black pudding stuffed peppers. Poultry includes chicken with garlic and chicken livers with red onion and Sherry Vinegar. Fish and seafood options are prawns with garlic, fried squid, scallops with ham and squid ink rice. Vegetarians might like the Spanish omelette, patatas bravas, pan-fried green Padron peppers, garlic mushrooms, fried aubergines with sugar cane honey or Seville-style chickpea stew. Desserts include chocolate churros (my favourite), almond tart, almond paste mousse and more. It’s a lively place to enjoy sharing tapas dishes with friends and sample some excellent Spanish wines.
La Fabrica: 45 Stroud Green Road N4 3EF
Osteria Tufo | Italian Cuisine: This restaurant is owned by an Italian couple who make white and black ink pasta on the premises. This will be served with tasty sauces ranging from Neapolitan sausage with porcini mushrooms in a light tomato sauce or Cornish crab with sweet Sicilian cherry tomatoes and saffron. Fish dishes like grilled sea bass or lobster are often featured. There will usually be a couple of meaty dishes like butter and sage pan-fried calve liver or sliced prime Scottish fillet of beef with balsamic dressing and rocket. Desserts include a homemade tiramisu. The restaurant is the most upmarket Italian restaurant in the vicinity and is ideal for a romantic date night or a small group of foodie friends.
Osteria Tufo: 67 Fonthill Road N4 3HZ
La Saporita | Italian Pizza. There are quite a few pizza restaurants in Finsbury Park, but I’ve decided to tell you about this one because I think it is a little undiscovered. You’ll find it located just off Stroud Green Road, and although it isn’t massive inside, they are big on hospitality. The pizzas are delicious; they come in 12” or 16”, have a thin crust and are cooked in a clay oven. You can go for a simple Margherita or a vegetarian special with mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, red onions, pepper, spinach, broccoli and olives. Meat eaters will love the salami, bresaola, Parma ham and pepperoni with tomato and mozzarella. They also serve risotto, pasta, meat and fish dishes. It’s a non-fussy restaurant with a low-key, friendly vibe, excellent service and great pizza. A great place to catch up with a friend over a glass of Italian wine and a 12”.
La Saporita: 174 Tollington Park N4 3AJ (just off Stroud Green Road)
Yard Sale Pizza | Pizzas: On Blackstock Road, you’ll find a little pizza restaurant which does a great trade with take-outs. You can also sit down and enjoy your pizza with your hands, so don’t expect knives or forks here (you get them for the salad, though). Order a delicious butternut squash or tender stem broccoli topped pizza and a fresh side salad. Check out the blackboard for special pizza editions, which are always amazing. Finish with a freshly baked brownie, and you’ll be delighted.
Yard Sale Pizza: 54 Blackstock Road N42DW
Salvation in Noodles | Vietnamese Noodles: After their Balls Pond Road restaurant’s success, SIN opened up on Blackstock Road, and we were so happy when they did! They serve hot and cold Vietnamese-style noodle dishes in urban industrial-style surroundings. You can start with summer or fried spring rolls, chargrilled lemongrass marinated lamb chops, crispy chicken wings or pork and water chestnut dumplings. Hot noodle soups are prepared fresh each day with an aromatic broth, including thin rare steak ingredients, king prawns, shredded chicken crab, pork belly or tofu with mushrooms. The soup base varies from oxtail, chicken and vegetable. Rice noodle salads are served with pickled carrots, Vietnamese herbs, Nuoc Cham dressing sauce and garnished with roasted peanuts and fried shallots. The variations include pork with wood-ear mushrooms, grilled pork patties, beef wrapped in a leaf, chargrilled and garlic prawns or crispy tofu. Try the Vietnamese iced coffee while you’re there—an excellent place for a casual and informal meal with your partner or a few friends.
Salvation in Noodles: 2 Blackstock Road N4 2DL
Jai Krishna | Indian Cuisine: This is a no-frills restaurant with minimal attention to décor, but the vegetarian food is reasonably priced and very good. It’s all relatively old school because they give you a piece of paper, and you write down your order. It might take a while to decide from chana masala to mixed vegetable korma, aloo gobi, spinach paneer, okra curry, aubergine curry, and so many more vegetarian curries. They also have ‘exotic dishes’ like chilli paneer and mushroom dopiaza. The lemon rice with cashews and mushroom rice were exceptional. You can bring your bottle of wine or order a salt, sweet, pistachio or mango lassi. Desserts are kulfi plus a few ice creams. It’s a real mix of clientele from students to middle-class curry lovers—a cost-effective restaurant to visit with a few friends.
Jai Krishna: 161 Stroud Green Road N4 3PZ
Palmyras Kitchen | Lebanese Cuisine: I love this small independent Middle Eastern restaurant specialising in freshly prepared Syrian and Lebanese food. They serve plenty of mezze vegan and vegetarian dishes, including falafel and hummus. Charcoal meat dishes are popular. Their menu covers a wide selection of food, including salads, fish, meat, soups and more. You must check out Palmyra’s Kitchen if you’re looking for Middle Eastern restaurants in N4, pre-theatre dinner in Finsbury Park, or places to eat near the Picturehouse Cinema. I
Palmyras Kitchen: 5-7 Wells Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JU
Where You’ll Find The Best Restaurants in Finsbury Park
If you’re unfamiliar with Finsbury Park, there are a couple of hot food spots in the area, including Stroud Green Road, Clifton Terrace, and Blackstock Road. Stroud Green Road runs from Finsbury Park Station to Crouch Hill, which ends when you reach the Old Dairy Pub. This is quite a long strip which houses many restaurants and cafes with every cuisine you can imagine.
The Old Dairy Pub
Travel to the Best Restaurants in Finsbury Park
These restaurants in Finsbury Park are easy to reach because of the great travel connections. The underground is serviced by the Victoria and Piccadilly Lines. One tube stop away at Highbury and Islington, you have the Overground Line, and the end of Stroud Green Road is right by Crouch Hill, an Overground station. We also have a train line serviced by Great Northern. There are two parts of the bus station, one at Wells Terrace and the other at Station Place. Buses travel to and from Angel, Battersea, Waterloo, Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Hackney Wick and many more popular places. All the restaurants are within walking distance from the leading travel hubs.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks, Homeboy, for dining with me at all these restaurants in Finsbury Park.
