European restaurants in London: Where to eat your way around the EU after Brexit

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Ailis Brennan31 January 2020

After three years of will-they-won’t-they, a heated argument or two, and more couples counselling than any therapist could handle, we’ve finally called the whole thing off.

We’re still not quite sure who’s getting the dog, but Britain has left the EU. Not everyone is happy about it all – anyone? – let alone the London restaurant industry, which has thrived beyond measure in collaboration with our European neighbours.

January 31 still bears many an unanswered question for the food world, highlighted plainly last week when two Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi revealed he had been denied permanent UK residency after living here for 23 years.

What we do know is that the cultures and the people of the European Union have made an indelible mark on our restaurant scene, and London’s food lovers are pretty damn grateful.

In the years before Brexit, we’ve welcomed pasta aplenty, tip top tapas and even the odd brotchen – the capital now boasts a smörgåsbord of restaurants offering food from every country in the EU.

Now that it’s time to say goodbye, here’s our ode to the joy of eating European in London.

Austria - Fischer’s

There’s a little bit of Vienna to be found in Marylebone. From the team behind The Wolseley, Fischer’s mittel-European menu encompasses well-loved schnitzel and strudel dishes alongside lesser-known brötchen (open sandwiches) and käsespätzle (an Austrian take on mac and cheese).

50 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HN, fischers.co.uk

Belgium - Belgo

Belgian dining isn’t all about chocolate – sometimes its about beer. At mini-chain Belgo, dozens of Belgian brews are served alongside Liège meatballs, waterzooi (a Flemish fish stew) and plentiful pots of moules frites.

Various locations, belgo.com

Bulgaria - Sunny Beach

This restaurant aims to bring a little bit of Bulgarian sunshine to Turnpike Lane. Named for the golden sands of a popular Black Sea tourist hotspot, Sunny Beach serves up a slice of Bulgarian coastal culture alongside parlenka (a traditional bread topped with cheese) and shopska salad made with tomatoes and sirene cheese.

8 Westbury Avenue, N22 6BN, sunnybeachrestaurant.co.uk

Croatia - Taste Croatia in Borough Market

While not a restaurant per se, Borough Market’s Taste Croatia is one of the foremost proponents of Croatia’s cuisine in the capital. Head to the deli to pick up award-winning Dinarski cheese, fig vinegar and truffled foods.

9 Stoney Street, SE1 9AA, tastecroatia.co.uk

Cyprus - Oklava

Cypriot spread: Sharing plates at Oklava

Selin Kiazim’s acclaimed Shoreditch restaurant Oklava is a innovative purveyor of Turkish-Cypriot dishes, with a menu featuring including a Black Sea cheese pide with za’atar butter, and a lamb and loquat kebab served with Urfa chilli dressing. Looking for a taste of Greek-Cypriot food? Head to north London’s Kolossi Grill where you can tuck into dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), spiced loukanika sausages and lamb kleftiko.

74 Luke Street, EC2A 4PY, oklava.co.uk

Czech Republic - Bohemia House

Formerly known as Czechoslovak, this restaurant recently reopened as Bohemia House the next stage in its considerable history. Having started in 1939 as a post-war meeting place for Czechs and Slovaks (yes, this spot might make another appearance further down the list), the restaurant still serves Czech beers on draught, pork and sauerkraut goulash and slow-cooked beef cheeks in red wine.

74 West End Lane, NW6 2LX, czechoslovak-restaurant.co.uk

Denmark - Snaps + Rye

Snaps + Rye have transported Copenhagen cuisine to west London, serving up light bites in a slickly designed setting. Breakfast includes eggs on Danish dark rye toast with Riberhus cheese, lunch features a selection of smørrebrød open sandwiches topped with herring and smoked potatoes, and dinner showcases frikadeller meatballs made with pork and veal.

93 Golborne Road, W10 5NL, snapsandrye.com

Estonia - Nordic Bakery

While we haven’t quite managed to track down an all-Estonian restaurant, Nordic Bakery encompasses all sorts of Estonian favourites. It serves a Karelian pie, a popular dish in the country, which is similar to a pasty made with rye flour and filled with potato or rice, served here with an egg butter spread.

14A Golden Square, W1F 9JG, nordicbakery.com

Finland - Aster

While Aster’s menu is a mix of European influences, it takes many cues from chef Helena Puolakka’s Finnish heritage. Specialities include duck served with liquorice (a Finnish favourite) and Skrei cod with crushed potatoes, kale and seaweed beurre blanc.

150 Victoria Street, SW1E 5LB, aster-restaurant.com

France - Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

There are plenty examples of superb French food in the capital. But with the country exercising such a huge influence on global fine-dining, we had to highlight one of its masters: Alain Ducasse’s three Michelin-starred restaurant at the Dorchester dishes up the likes of confit duck foie gras and a ‘Sauté gourmand’ of lobster.

53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, alainducasse-dorchester.com

Germany - German Gymnasium

Epic: German Gymnasium has 447 covers

The German in German Gymnasium comes not just from its menu but its history: it was formerly the 19th century home of the German Gymnastics Society. Still, on its plates, chef Bjoern Wassmuth serves up the likes of veal Jäger Schnitzel with mushroom sauce and currywurst with triple-cooked chips.

King's Boulevard, N1C 4BU, germangymnasium.com

Greece - The Athenian

(@jakesfoodbible )
@jakesfoodbible

Greek cuisine comes in many forms across the capital, but for a taste of the country’s favourite street food dish, head to The Athenian. The grab-and-go spot specialises in souvlaki, a kebab-like dish which wraps grilled pork in pita bread with tomatoes, red onion and even oregano-sprinkled chips, all drizzled with tzatziki.

Various locations, theathenian.co.uk

Hungary - The Rosemary

2018 saw the sad closure of Soho institution the Gay Hussar – but those looking for Hungarian food in London still have the Rosemary to soothe the loss. This organic restaurant serves up chicken-filled Hortobágyi pancakes, and lashings of beef goulash with Hungarian nokedli noodles on the side.

178 New Cross Road, SE14 5AA, therosemary.london

Ireland - Daffodil Mulligan

Richard Corrigan is arguably the capital’s finest Irish chef, and all of his restaurants give the produce of the Emerald Isle a stellar showcase. Daffodil Mulligan, however, is a full-on doing it for the craic. It has its own Irish bar, serves the likes of crubeen (a traditional Irish dish made with pigs feet) and most of the produce is sourced daily from Corrigan's Virginia Park Lodge estate in Ireland.

70-74 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ, daffodilmulligan.com

Italy - Lina Stores

London loves Italian food, but this family-owned, Italian deli loves London so much that it’s been sharing its fresh pasta with Soho for more than 75 years. Restaurants on Greek Street and in King's Cross (we'd recommend sticking to the Soho joint) now join the Brewer Street site of Lina Stores, serving up superb handmade pasta cooked in front of you just over the counter.

Latvia - Balzambars

Fan of Latvian bar chain Balzambars? We thought you were. The good news is that you can now have an authentic Latvian drinking and dining experience at its UK outpost in Bayswater, where regularly changing dinner menus include solyanka soup served with rye bread.

72 Queensborough Terrace, W2 3SH, facebook.com

Lithuania - Berneliu Uzeiga at Shepherds Inn

Another Eastern European chain has found a place in London, with Lithuanian restaurant group Berneliu Uzeiga finding a UK home at Leytonstone’s Shepherds Inn. The menu features a range of national dishes including didzkukuliai dumplings and turkey meatballs.

485 High Road Leytonstone, E11 4PG, berneliuuzeiga.eu

Luxembourg - The Delaunay

We're sorry to disappoint anyone who's come here looking for a quetschentaart or a rieslingspaschteit, but unfortunately there are no dedicated Luxembourgian restaurants in London – but given the population of the entire country is one fourteenth the size of London's, it's not overly surprising. Squished into the meeting point between France, Belgium and Germany, a good option instead is the mittel-European offering at The Delaunay. Dishes at the grand cafe-style restaurant include thuringer, a name that was formerly given to Luxembourg's favourite sausage before the Thuringia region of Germany stopped them using the word.

55 Aldwych, WC2B 4BB, thedelaunay.com

Malta - Gayhurst Community School

London’s much-loved Maltese cafe Paparellu closed its doors in 2016, but that’s not to say Maltese chefs aren’t still making waves in London. Malta-born Nicole Pasani gave up a role at Yotam Ottolenghi’s Nopi to get involved cook at Gayhurst Community School in Hackney. She has since published a cookbook and her Chefs in Schools charity has lead to her working with Jamie Oliver. So, though currently only pupils can try her Maltese-influenced dinners, but her passion for its cuisine is bound to be passed on to the next generation. Alternatively, way out east in Romford, is Joe's Place, which has a few Maltese specialities too.

Gayhurst Road, E8 3EN, @saltbutterbones

The Netherlands - De Hems

The food of the Netherlands is a little trickier to find in London than you may expect – De Hems claims to be London’s only authentic Dutch pub. Dutch beer can be found in many forms at the Chinatown spot, while the food menu features the likes of kaasouflees (cheese parcels) and bitterballen (beef croquettes).

11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW, dehemspub.co.uk

Poland - Daquise

This South Kensington restaurant has stood on Thurloe Street for more than 70 years. Throughout its staggeringly long tenure, it has hosted many a famous face and served up traditional Polish cuisine. Dishes on the menu today include jajka faszerowane (Polish-style stuffed eggs) and watrobka cieleca, a dish of calf liver with fried onion and apple.

20 Thurloe Street, SW7 2LT, daquise.co.uk

Portugal - Volta do Mar

London’s taste for Portuguese food has really taken hold in recent years, but Covent Garden's Volta do Mar showcases a more unusual side to the country's complex culinary history. Embracing the influences from Goa and beyond that pepper Portuguese cuisine, dishes include Mozambique-influenced piri piri chicken, as well as Iberico pork vindalhau. For a more recognisable version of the country's petiscos (small plates), head to Bar Douro, the popular snack bar that now boasts two sites in the capital.

13-15 Tavistock Street, WC2E 7PS, voltadomar.co.uk

Romania - Amurg

Along with a fairly garish colour scheme, Romanian food is the order of the day at this Leytonstone restaurant. Diners will find popular Balkan staple mamaliga (a sort of polenta porridge or cake) as well as traditional tripe beef soup.

579 High Road Leytonstone, E11 4PB, amurg.co.uk

Slovenia - Baltic

This Southwark restaurant encompasses a range of Eastern European cusines. It sells pierogi dumplings, a popular dish in Slovenia, where they are more often made with buckwheat. Baltic fills them in the traditional style with potato, cheese and spring onion.

74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA, balticrestaurant.co.uk

Slovakia - Bohemia House

We told you we'd be back at Bohemia House. Alongside the Czech beer, the restaurant also serves Slovak-style dumplings with sauerkraut and smoked pork meat – if you want to double up on your dumplings, order a sweet version with custard as dessert.

74 West End Lane, NW6 2LX, czechoslovak-restaurant.co.uk

Spain - Barrafina

London’s Spanish restaurant scene is buzzing with Iberian excellence, but one of the best spots for it has to be Michelin-starred Barrafina. This tapas bar serves up some of the best croquetas in the city – oozing with its creamy centre and filled with unctuous jamon – while its olive-oil laden, garlicky pan con tomate is exceptional.

Two locations in WC2, W1, N1, barrafina.co.uk

Sweden - Aquavit

Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef Marcus Samuelsson took his inspired take on Scandinavian cuisine to New York, before London brought Aquavit over here too. The menu includes a traditional smörgåsbord sharing selection featuring the likes of blood pudding with lingonberries, bacon and lardo, as well as gravlax with mustard and dill sauce.

1 Carlton Street, SW1Y 4QQ, aquavitrestaurants.com

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