London Restaurants - New Favourites 2017

It's not very often that I post restuarant reviews on my blog, but so far this year i've dined at some fantastic restuarants which are just too good not to mention...

Som Saa

Located on Commercial Street in Shoreditch, this is my favourite restaurant in this post. This Thai restaurant started life a pop-up but recently opened near Spitalfields. The atmoshere is trendy, but still welcoming with a relaxed but cool vibe. Between myself and my group, we ordered 6 dishes on the recommendation of the waiter and decided to share. Sometimes when you share dishes plates can be small, but we were very surprised with the size of the portions. We went all in with curry, salad, and rice - all proving to be delicious. The 'yum makeua yao' (aubergine salad with prawn floss) and the 'neua parlow' (braised beef cheek) were my two favourite dishes. The ice cream desserts are also incredible. As a group of 4, with drinks, we spent £30 each.

Dishoom

Indian cuisine is one of my favourites, so I'd been meaning to go to Dishoom for a while. With four locations in London and one in Edinburgh, Dishoom is a great social spot. With so many great dishes on the menu, I recommend going in a group and ordering several dishes to try. I visited the Shoreditch location, which is so popular you sometimes have to wait over an hour for a table, (I believe you can't reserve a table if your group is less than 6 people). The atmosphere is great, very sociable, and service is quick. My favourite dishes are the Calamari and the Chicken Ruby, washed down with a Bombay Colada. Price: Mid

Oklava

This modern Turkish restaurant is located on Luke Street in Shoreditch. I have dined in a lot of standard Turkish restaurants, but Oklava takes the cuisine to the next level. The restaurant is only small and has an industrial style interior. Chef Selin Kiazim draws on her Turkish-Cypriot heritage to inspire the menu. I have to say the dishes were superb and presentation was second to non. Price: Mid-High

Andina

I have been to Andina a couple of times now and thoroughly enjoyed it on both occasions. This trendy Peruvian restaurant is located on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch and if you love ceviche this is the place for you. Admittedly I had never sampled ceviche before visiting, but its fair to say i've converted to this cuisine. Dishes are small, but the flavour is incredible. You also can't visit without having a traditional Pisco sour. Price: Mid-High

Sacro Cuore

Undoubtedly one of the best pizzeria's I have found in London. Sacro Cuore has two locations: Kensal Rise and Crouch End. Established in 2012, with the Crouch End location being the second to open, this pizzeria serves traditional pizza made the same way as you would expect to find in Naples. Service is quick and there is a great selection of pizza and desserts to choose from.