Budget
Jin Kichi
Really good value, no frills sushi restaurant.
Nautilus
A very well known fish and chip shop. The great British invention to either take away or eat in. Locals travel a long way to buy here.
Parliament Hill Café
The only cafe actually on Hampstead Heath, and a nice place to stop for a drink or quick bite after exploring the heath.
Weng Wah
This Chinese restaurant specialising in dim sum has been operating successfully from this address for more than 20 years. Eat in or order delivery anywhere in the Hampstead area. The lunch menu at £5-8 offers especially good value.
Bangkok Thai Cafe
Exactly what the label says â a Thai cafe. Lightbites and fully fledged dinner courses.
La Creperie de Hampstead
A crepe stall in front of the King William IV pub. A wide variety of tasty sweet and savoury crepes for under a fiver. Queues can get long at the weekends. Been around a long time and passes the longevity test.
Midrange
Carluccio's
Serves cheap and decent, if not terribly inspired, Italian food. Good value for this area. Also has a deli attached. Part of a large chain.
Fratelli la Bufala
Italian bistro with an extensive menu of pizzas and grill items.
Freemason's Arms
A gastro pub offering both homely dishes and some more ambitious options. Good location only one minute walk from Hampstead Heath. Has a large open garden with many tables which is lovely in the summer.
Walnut
Cozy, neighbourhood West Hampstead restaurant which serves up modern European fare at affordable prices.
Caffe Nero
Modern coffee shop just around the corner from Hampstead tube station. Serves decent coffee with cakes and savoury snacks at slightly lower prices than elsewhere in Hampstead Village. Part of a large chain.
Giraffe
This is the original Giraffe, which has now gone to to be a very successful chain with 40 odd outlets in southern England. It still has the feel of a small independent restaurant and provides quality organic dishes. It is also child friendly, which might be a downside for a visit the morning after the night before.
Little Bay Kilburn
European cuisine.
Ping Pong
Well established modern Chinese restaurant. Dim sum is especially popular and therefore Sundays tend to get very busy and bookings are recommended.
Top end
Base
Mediterranean bistro notable for both its food and its wine list.
Goldfish
Asian fusion eatery boasts a menu that is distinctly modern Chinese, with main courses such as wasabi prawns, mocha spare ribs and pan-fry roasted duck with special curry sauce and apple salsa.
Odette's
Modern European cooking in the Primrose Hill district. Interesting set degustation menu for £60 per head.
Sardo Canale
An Italian Sardinian to be more precise restaurant in a lovely setting by the Regent's Canal. Although on the more expensive side, it is arguably worth it.
Vegetarian
Manna
The UK's oldest vegetarian restaurant which has been in operation since 1966. That says a lot about the quality of the food, and the presentation and service are also top notch.
Cafe 79
Simple vegetarian and whole food cafe with many vegan options also. Budget prices.
Hampstead Village and Belsize Park are well known for a wide selection of quality restaurants and cafes. The local resident population here is notably demanding, so any places that make it long term will be serving good food and providing good service. The daytime sees a cafe culture perhaps as strong as anywhere in London, and in the evening, restaurants attract visitors fom all over London, as well as neighbourhood locals.
Elsewhere in the district, Primrose Hill has its own eating sub-culture centre around some chic outlets on Gloucester Avenue, and London's oldest vegetarian restaurant nearby. The West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage area has some good local restaurants.