London’s Best-Kept Secret Eatery: Parlour

After a glowing review in the Independent travelling to what appeared to be the depths of northwest London for a meal at Parlour seemed doable. And as soon as we stepped inside we knew we had made the right decision. The dining room has a modern retro feel with the added cosiness of a wood-burning fireplace. The tables and chairs are a mishmash of metal tables and diner-style booths, which suits the menu down to the ground.

The food rivals some of the best eateries in the city, but Parlour has an advantage — they don’t take themselves too seriously. At first the menu appeared to be written in code, but our waiter enthusiastically explained the dishes and before we knew it, we had ordered half of the things on the menu. The homemade soda bread has a touch of molasses, just enough to make the room seem a little warmer and to whet your appetite. Cow pie (steak and ale pie, heavy on the steak, light on the pastry) is topped off with a sculptural bone marrow presentation while the beetroot salad starter has a delicious mixture of beetroot – of both the purple and golden variety, something that you rarely see outside of places like Napa Valley.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is the type of place you could linger for hours with friends or bring the newspaper and comfortably dine solo. Go now though, this part of London is slowly but surely making a name for itself as a foodie destination and we’ll be competing for reservations before we know it.

Parlour
5 Regent Street
London NW10 5LG
www.parlourkensal.com