Category Archives: top 10 best restaurants in Kennington

The top ten best restaurants in Kennington – numbers 4 to 2

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4. Aobaba
pros: top quality Vietnamese food and loads of choice – who needs Kingsland Road?
cons: it’s a brightly lit cafeteria on the side of an Oriental supermarket so don’t come here for the ambiance
hygiene rating: 4

3. The Ragged Canteen at Beaconsfield
pros: super tasty vegetarian food and organic Monmouth coffee
cons: it’s not open that often (they serve hot food Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from noon, last orders 2.25pm; at other times it’s drinks and cakes)
hygiene rating: 4

2. Brunswick House
pros: totally unique setting amidst LASSCO’s antiques, plus top quality seasonal food
cons: the staff can be rude, and if you want to buy the chair you’re sitting on, be prepared to remortgage your house first
hygiene rating: 3

the winner will be revealed on Wednesday

Brunswick House

Brunswick House

The top ten best restaurants in Kennington – numbers 7 to 5

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7. Dirty Burger
pros: top quality, posh, juicy burgers
cons: the Vauxhall gyratory goes right past the outdoor tables, and the veggie burger features mushrooms, which everyone knows are banned throughout Kennington on grounds of taste, texture, appearance, smell, and name
hygiene rating: 5 (Reassuringly Clean Burger)

6. Doost
pros: delicious Persian specialities, a charcoal grill, and loads of vodkas
cons: it’s a little pricey
hygiene rating: 5

5. Adulis
pros: Eritrean food is such good fun
cons: the service can be a little sketchy
hygiene rating: 4

Doost Persian Grill & Vodka Bar

Doost Persian Grill & Vodka Bar

The top ten best restaurants in Kennington – numbers 10 to 8

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The votes have been ignored counted, so now we begin our countdown of the top ten restaurants in Kennington:

10. Mamuśka
pros: it’s great fun and cheap
cons: Polish milk bar food can be somewhat utilitarian
hygiene rating: 5

9. Gandhi’s
There are two renowned curry houses in Kennington – Gandhi’s and the Kennington Tandoori. Both do good quality food but we prefer Gandhi’s for their vegetable thali and their social media strategy (which is non-existent so preferable to Kennington Tandoori’s).
pros: you might see someone famous
cons: it will probably be a senior politician or Professor Green
Gandhi’s hygiene rating: 4
KT hygiene rating: 5

8. Bonnington Cafe
pros: this would be no. 1 for atmosphere
cons: the vegetarian and vegan food is inevitably hit and miss due to the rota of volunteer chefs
hygiene rating: 3

Bonnington Square Cafe - kenningtonrunoff.com

Kennington Runoff’s top ten restaurants in Kennington

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On Sunday we will begin our countdown of the top ten restaurants in Kennington – and we’re looking for your input which we will ignore before compiling the list ourselves.

So don’t hesitate, leave a comment here or email your favourites to kenningtonrunoff@gmail.com

If you’re looking for inspiration, try here.

n.b. Dragon Castle is ineligible for this poll – don’t ask why, but there’s a clue here.

Dragon Castle - kenningtonrunoff.com

The Lobster Pot

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The Lobster Pot is one of London’s finest seafood restaurants. It’s also arguably London’s funnest restaurant. And it’s a North Kennington institution – it has been here since 1991 and it’s frequently booked up. Really, you should just go there without knowing what to expect, but if you don’t mind a spoiler then read on.

Lobster Pot exterior - kenningtonrunoff.com

After ringing a buzzer to gain entry (a precaution that dates back to the nineties rather than being necessary today), you will find yourself inside a ship, with port holes looking out into the sea (i.e. an aquarium):

The Lobster Pot porthole and mermaid - kenningtonrunoff.com

A fish through the porthole of The Lobster Pot - kenningtonrunoff.com

Upstairs you are on the deck on the ship, with a view of a nearby port painted on the walls, and the sound of seagulls piped through the sound system.

On the deck at The Lobster Pot - kenningtonrunoff.com

Ship memorabilia is scattered throughout the restaurant:

The Lobster Pot toilets - kenningtonrunoff.com

The Lobster Pot menu - kenningtonrunoff.com

If you order the lobster (and you should – it is excellent), you will be given a special Lobster Pot bib when it arrives:

The Lobster Pot bib and oyster - kenningtonrunoff.com

I don’t have photos of the staff but the chef looks like Poirot, the staff dress as sailors and one of them is six foot four with model good looks. Eating here is an experience.