Ikoyi’s Jeremy Chan reveals his top five places to eat and drink in London
For Jeremy Chan, co-founder and chef of Ikoyi, the best way to understand London is through the local restaurants and pubs that shape daily life. “All the places I’m recommending are very neighbourhood specific,” he says. “I like them all for the same reason: it’s a slice of life of that area. I think it’s nice to feel like you’re there to see how that community lives.”
With that in mind, Chan’s top five places to eat and drink in London are less about fine dining pageantry and more about familiarity, comfort and a true sense of place. From a railway-arch wine restaurant in Hackney to a Camberwell pizza joint and an old Thames-side pub, these are the venues that remind him why London, for all its glamour, is still best experienced one neighbourhood at a time.
Planque, Haggerston
Seb Myers’ Hackney restaurant under the arches, where seasonal cooking meets a stellar low-intervention wine list (Photo: planque.co.uk)
“Planque is my go-to restaurant for a celebration. It’s in Haggerston, Hackney, under two old railway arches. Aussie chef Seb Myers runs it, and I love Seb’s cooking. The menu changes seasonally and takes some inspiration from Parisian bistros. It’s a great place if you like wine. They have a thoughtfully curated list of small-scale and low-intervention wines, some are matured on site.”
PlanqueAddress: 322-324 Acton Mews, London, E8 4EA, United Kingdom
Waterman’s Arms, Barnes
A 19th-century riverside pub in Barnes, best for roasts with a view of the Thames (Photo: watermansarms.co.uk)
“I really love the Waterman’s Arms in Barnes. A friend of mine who used to be the head chef at The Camberwell Arms (also very good) runs it. It’s a bit out of the way in Richmond upon Thames, but I live in Camberwell, and it’s a nice cycle route on the weekend. It’s a beautiful old building, dating back to the 1850s, and it feels comfortable and familiar. The restaurant on the top floor has good views of the Thames, and I’d recommend getting a table next to the window. The menu looks quite simple, but it’s been put together with a lot of care. I like to come here with a group of friends and order all the roasts. The potatoes are incredible.”
Waterman’s ArmsAddress: 375 Lonsdale Road, London, SW13 9PY, United Kingdom
Theo’s Pizza, Camberwell
Camberwell’s cult sourdough pizzeria serving marinara, ’nduja and Scotch bonnet-fired pies (Photo: theospizzeria.com)
“This is my local for a quick bite; it isn’t fancy, but the pizza is reliably good. It serves Neapolitan sourdough pizza, and I like the no-frills interiors. I usually order the marinara pizza, which is just tomato and garlic with no cheese, and a spicy pizza with Scotch bonnet, salami and ’nduja. The service is quick and I can get them delivered to my flat, which is quite a dangerous post service.”
Theo’s PizzaAddress: 2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London, SE5 8SY, United Kingdom
The Guinea Grill, Mayfair
A Mayfair institution where cosy pub culture and ribeye steaks come together (Photo: Instagram / @guineagrill)
“When I’m not working, I try to avoid fine-dining restaurants. I really love how we cook at Ikoyi, but if I eat complex food on my day off, it takes me back into a work headspace, and I find it difficult to relax. Pub culture in Britain is something I’ve really grown to love. At first, I didn’t really understand it. But it can be quite grey and gloomy in London, and pubs are really cosy, warm places.
The Guinea Grill is good because there is a pub at the front and a restaurant serving steaks at the back. This is a good place to go with a friend and order the Aberdeen Angus ribeye. London has many well-known, critically acclaimed restaurants, but although this isn’t in the spotlight, it’s still busy with a buzzy atmosphere. It’s somewhere I also recommend for people coming to London who want to see a great restaurant that’s not on all the award lists but is just very good.”
The Guinea GrillAddress: 30 Bruton Place, London, W1J 6NL, United Kingdom
Silk Road, Camberwell
Camberwell favourite for fiery Xinjiang and Sichuan dishes, cumin lamb and unforgettable dumplings (Photo: Flickr / Kake)
“This is probably the restaurant I’ve been going to the longest since moving to the city, and it’s still one of my favourite spots in London, but I prefer their old decor. It’s local Xinjiang and Sichuan-style dishes in a simple restaurant in Camberwell. Hot, no-frills food that tastes like home-cooking and the dumplings remind me of the kind I used to eat for lunch as a student in Beijing.
I also like that you can have a feast with a group of friends and spend less than £20 a head. The food comes out instantly and is piping hot, and you’re usually in and out in less than an hour, too. There aren’t many other places that do this kind of comforting, simple cooking so well with no gimmicks. The taste of black vinegar, cumin and chilli is what I taste when I think of the Silk Road. Their cabbage dish has to be one of the greatest of all time.”
Silk RoadAddress: 47 Camberwell Church Street, London, SE5 8TR, United Kingdom
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