LDNGuide

The Best London Restaurants With Halal Options

23 London restaurants with excellent halal options.
bun and sum group burger shot

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Eating halal means that you can pretty much find yourself turning vegetarian when you’re eating out. Most restaurants offer some excellent options for non-meat eaters, but it doesn’t mean that watching someone else eat a burger while you’re eating another halloumi wrap hurts any less. Which is why we’ve made a list of some of the best London restaurants with halal options—from Lebanese bakeries to a dive bar with excellent Philly cheesesteaks. And if you’re looking for halal brunch, we’ve got a separate guide for that too.

Walk-in Only Spots

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Bakery/Cafe

Victoria

$$$$Perfect For:BreakfastBrunchCoffee & A Light BiteHalal
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Halal status: All meat is halal

This excellent Victoria bakery churns out brilliant cheesy flatbreads, topped with all sorts of delicious bits that have officially made brunch hot again. There’s a menu of things like merguez and aioli, and burrata and burnt honey-topped flatbread, as well as great coffee and a comfortable neighbourhood energy. Chestnut Bakery has mastered the art of creating somewhere you’ll want to spend all your time.

Halal status: Everything

The burgers at Bun & Sum—an LA-style takeaway burger spot in Mile End—are worth travelling for. Smashpatties are stuffed in between soft buns, topped with everything from brisket or pastrami to a straightforward slice of American cheese. When it’s sunny, leaning against the hood of a car while eating their Big S’mac is an experience. Or order a couple of burgers and the BBQ rib-topped fries, and head to one of the many green spaces nearby for a picnic involving London’s answer to In-N-Out.

Halal status: Everything

Even if you live across town, Birria Taco in Kensal Rise is worth making the effort for. Birria tacos, birria-loaded fries, and birria ramen—everything at this bright, laid-back Mexican spot revolves around the adobo-marinated meat stew. There’s the option of lamb or beef, both of which are excellent, so the only thing to figure out is how much you’re going to order. The answer should be: a lot. It’s walk-in only but you’ll usually be seated pretty quickly.

Halal status: Everything

Burnt Smokehouse, a stripped-back spot near Leyton Midland Road station, has the kind of BBQ platters that Instagram’s algorithm feeds you in your hungriest moments. Charred pieces of tender spring lamb, smoky, soft discs of beef sausage, and sides that’ll put your Lactaid to the test—mac and cheese, creamy potato salad, chicken salt fries. But the burger is our favourite thing to get here. It’s so juicy that by the final bite our bottom bun had all but disintegrated.

Halal status: Beef

The smashburger is a special thing. Especially to those (erm, us) who have never been big fans of the ultra-thick beef patty, it means finally having all the right ratios. And Buk’s special burger is not only halal, but it has some seriously outstanding ratios. A thin but substantial, flattened beef patty, a double portion of melted American cheese, plenty of that creamy, chilli house sauce oozing over the patty, and sweet caramelised onion to top it all off. This burger laughs in the face of the Big Mac. And we laugh in the face of anyone who hasn’t been to this laid-back Camden spot and tried it.

Halal status: Minced beef

You might not typically care about whether the meat at a pizza place is halal or not, because, after all, the most important part of the menu is the saucy marinara and gooey cheese part, right? But that’s not the case at this Detroit-style pizza restaurant in Spitalfields. Because as excellent as the classics are, you shouldn’t leave before trying the cheeseburger pizza. Ask for it without the bacon for a doughy, meaty, cheesy pizza that has all the best parts of a burger (yes, it is topped with pickles). That said, don't ignore their marinara-heavy Red Stripe or the margherita. Both are available by the slice.

Casual Sit-Down Spots

Halal status: Everything

There aren’t many halal Sunday roasts in London, but of the ones we’ve tried, the jerk beef number at Guanabana, a Caribbean restaurant on Kentish Town Road, is the best. It’s a hefty plate of food, with the right ratio of rich jerk gravy to everything else. The perfect bite includes spicy, tender jerk beef, the edge of a crispy roast potato, a caramelised baby carrot, a piece of sweet plantain, and an unevenly cut corner of a yorkshire pudding soaked in gravy. Come with a small group and share the mac and cheese alongside it. 

Halal status: Chicken

This small family-owned restaurant on New Malden High Street is our favourite Korean spot in London and has plenty of seafood options, like an excellent calamari and spring onion pancake that we could genuinely eat every day. You’ll also be pleased to know that the chicken is halal, which means you can load up on the moreish kan pung gi chicken. It comes in a smoky chilli sauce and is one of our favourite dishes here. The menu is lengthy so bring a couple of friends and work your way through it, but make sure to book a table beforehand as this is a popular spot with limited seats.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

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Halal status: All meat is halal

There are plenty of restaurants serving great Turkish food around N4, but this one also serves Uyghur specialities. Whether you settle into one of Dilara’s warm, cosy booths for a solo bowl of fat, slippery legmen noodles, or you get the large plate chicken to share with a few friends, you’ll soon see that this low-key spot has all the makings of a place you’ll want to visit regularly. Also, take our word for it: you’re definitely going to want to order a little extra to take home for tomorrow.

photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli

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Halal status: Beef, chicken, and turkey are halal

Passyunk Avenue, a Philadelphia-inspired spot and dive bar in Fitzrovia, feels like a local bar out of a Christmas movie. But the cheesesteak is what you’re here for. It’s made with shredded rib-eye steak and your choice of cheese in Italian hoagie bread. It’s moreish in all the right ways and once you try it, you will be back.

Halal status: Everything

Hearty seafood platters, tender BBQ chicken thighs, and sweet Spanish-style rice are just some of the deliciously messy things you can find at this American-inspired Camden favourite. Trap Kitchen’s menu has a ‘bucket’ which very much speaks our language and is a must-order. Get it with the lobster tails and make sure you also order bang bang prawns, spicy mac and cheese, buttered corn and egg, and Oreo-topped waffles. Basically, arrive here hungry.

Halal status: Chicken

Tooting spot Daddy Bao—who is very much related to Master Bao and Mr Bao—is serving some of the best fried chicken in London. You heard it here first. Now, picture the aforementioned fried chicken inside some pretty incredible bao, topped with wasabi mayo, kimchi, and sriracha, and you’ve got a great night ahead of you. But as great as the chicken bao is, the shiitake mushroom bao has our hearts. Order a selection of bao, fried chicken thighs, veggie dumplings, and then get another shiitake mushroom bao for good measure.

Big Group Spots

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Halal status: Chicken and lamb

We’re pretty sure that if you break Brigadiers down into ingredients, it goes something like this: three parts excellent Indian food, two parts Thierry Henry oil portraits, and 20 parts unfiltered fun. We’re talking a pool room, card games, and live sport on demand. And if that isn’t enough to get you to this City spot, then let us introduce you to the superb lamb chops too.

Halal status: All meat is halal

There’s quite a lot of choice when it comes to Persian restaurants in London, with a large proportion of them being halal. But Sadaf is one of our favourites. This airy spot just off High Street Kensington serves some great lamb chops, moreish naan, and some of the juiciest koobideh around. The hefty portions mean you almost always end up getting some to take away, which is always a plus.

Halal status: Ask for the halal menu

This old-school Italian spot in Kensington has been around for decades, and not only does it have some pretty decent vegetarian options, but it also has a separate halal menu which you can get by asking a server. Come here for big portions of feelgood pasta and great pizzas at a decent price.

Halal status: All meat is halal

In case you don’t already know, Gökyüzü is a Turkish restaurant in Harringay that lives in our hearts rent-free. We’d go for the manti, the chicken wings, the cop shish, and the beyti. Yeah we know it’s a big order, but it’s the kind of food you happily take away and eat the next day. Or as soon as you get home. They have other branches in Finchley, Walthamstow, and Chingford.

Halal status: Everything

Although it feels hidden, this small Malaysian spot tucked inside Queensway Market, isn’t much of a secret. Because when you’re serving food as tasty as Normah is, word gets out. Everything from the unbelievably crispy fried chicken wings and comforting prawn laksa, to the roti beef rendang is a cut above the rest. Come with a group so that you can try a bit of everything, and then return alone so you won’t have to worry about splitting another flaky roti ever again.

Special Occasion Spots

Halal status: Select cuts of beef

Halal Korean barbecue is hard to come by and so is a good hotel restaurant. Korean Grill Kensington is the answer to both. The high-end, yet gloriously laid-back, Korean spot near Gloucester Road is filled with people who own five of the same black turtleneck. So at least put on your nice pair of jeans. Servers do all the hard work, flipping and cooking the meat on the tabletop grill, so all you have to do is eat it. The £150 meat board is filled with enough high-quality meat to feed three people—our favourite is the pre-marinated king kalbi. It's a must-try along with the beef ramyun jeongol.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Halal status: Chicken

You don’t visit Rambutan to completely escape the chaos of Borough Market, but the chaos inside this Sri Lankan spot is the organised kind. Glimpse gundu dosas being flipped in a paniyaram pan over an open fire, and watch staff dash about the store cupboard-sized kitchen. Warmth radiates from all corners of the plant-filled dining room and friends split flaky rotis and over-order dishes from the changing menu—like excellent prawn curries and spicy fried chicken—without regret.

Halal status: Chicken, beef, and veal

There are several reasons to get excited about Cicchetti, an Italian spot located directly by Harrods. From the jazzed-up dining room that makes you feel like you’ve escaped Brompton Road and landed in Venice, to the daydream-worthy truffle and pecorino ravioli, it’s more than worth your time. And the fact that most of the meat is halal means you can get plenty of sharing plates and try a bit of everything.

Halal status: Chicken, beef, and duck

Meals at Cantonese restaurants in London usually involve a strong focus on the seafood dishes, a lot of “does this have pork in it?”, and very rarely some halal duck. But not only does this cosy spot on Upper Street serve halal roast duck, whole soy chicken, and fried shredded crispy beef, it doesn’t serve any pork. At Hong Kong Restaurant you can order with confidence. It helps that the dim sum is some of the best in London and the dan dan noodles come in an earthy peanut sauce that we’d happily lick from the bowl.

Halal status: Everything

Sometimes you want to go to a steak restaurant without calling 48 hours ahead and asking if they can pretty please get some halal meat for you. The answer to those impromptu rib-eye cravings is Zelman Meats. On the top floor of Harvey Nichols, this inviting, red booth-filled spot serves some top-notch steaks, for some equally decent prices. A sharing platter situation with every cut of meat is £53 a head. Get that along with chunky, triple-cooked fries and the creamy lobster croquettes if you’re feeling fancy, and you’ll be very happy and very well-fed by the end of the night.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

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Halal status: Chicken

Like finding a tenner in some long lost jeans, coming to Bibi feels like making the ultimate discovery. Hidden in plain sight on a corner just seconds away from the chaos of Oxford Street, this Indian spot is small but significant. There’s a menu of incredibly designed dishes, from melt-in-your-mouth orkney scallop in a tangy lemonade dressing, to tender grilled chicken in a cashew and yoghurt whey sauce that you’ll want to lick off the plate. We could also gush about the counter seating or the fun mocktails, but the reason you should come—and the reason you’ll definitely return—is for the sensational food.

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