Exploring London's Unbeatable International Range

A world capital naturally boasts abundant restaurants serving cuisines from around the planet. Five ace examples of London's delicious diversity.

OGNISKO

An upscale Polish restaurant? I’ll confess I went for the sheer novelty; I’d never even heard of such a place in America. But the food ended up feeling oddly familiar — a cross between the cuisine at Austrian restaurants popping up across the U.S. (Brasserie Zentral in Minneapolis is one outstanding example) and the Russian triumphs at Portland’s Kachka, where I had one of my favorite meals of last year. Ognisko’s digs lean formal — linens, chandeliers, crown molding for days — but the setting feels more relaxed after a shot of vodka flavored with rhubarb or horseradish. Filled dumplings like pierogi or the smaller, more buttery pelmeni; rabbit leg with peas, bacon, and spaetzle; and pork schnitzel with fried egg and a side braised cabbage swiftly banishes the chill settling into London this time of year. 55 Prince's Gate, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PG, 020-7589-0101, ogniskorestaurant.co.uk.

TABERNA DO MERCADO

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Taberna's beef sandwich and runner bean fritters; lead image above, mezze at Al Waha.

The brand-new sibling to Nuno Mendes’s swank celebrity magnet Chiltern Firehouse hearkens to the chef’s Portuguese upbringing. Begin straightaway with runner beans in a tempura-like batter, and gobble them quickly before they turn soggy in their gentle clam-juice broth. Mendes personalizes and transforms the often-heavy fare of his country — lightening a traditional beef and vegetable stew, for example, with lamb sweetbreads cooked to textbook crispy-creaminess. In accommodating weather, sit on the patio midday with a monster beef or pork sandwich and gaze at the throngs traipsing through Old Spitalfields Market, where the restaurant resides. 107b Commercial Street, London E1 6BG, 020-7375-0649, tabernamercado.co.uk.

KOYA BAR

Bowls of sustaining udon — plush, ropy noodles made in house — drive the menu at this 25-seat Soho restaurant, a darling of London’s food pundits. Akin to serious ramen houses, udon can be ordered hot or cold, in broth or with dipping sauces, and with simple ingredients (mushrooms with walnut miso, mixed seaweeds) that complement rather than dominate. The restaurant is open morning to night daily and serves singular morning meals: Try the English Breakfast udon with fried egg, bacon, and shitakes, or kedgeree, a curried rice porridge of British-Indian origins bolstered with smoked haddock and poached egg. 50 Frith Street, London W1D 4SQ, koyabar.co.uk.

AL WAHA

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Fattoush salad and exterior of Al Waha

In an area of West London rife with Middle Eastern dining options, Al Waha ("The Oasis") distinguishes itself by caressing the divine details, to paraphrase Nabokov. Starched tablecloths, white and bronze-colored walls, and framed portraits of calligraphy quoting age-old Arab philosophers set a calming atmosphere. The exacting cooking reminded me why Lebanese cuisine is so glorious: Such gratifying contrasts exist between the fresh, textured salads; the creamy chickpea and eggplant spreads; and the hefty pleasures of grilled meats served in numerous forms. The fried and baked savory pastries, filled with minced lamb or halloumi cheese and meticulously seasoned, particularly dazzled. 75 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UL, 020-7229-0806, alwaharestaurant.com.

BAO

If you’ve ever had a Momofuku-style steamed bun filled with pork belly or any other manner of protein, you know what to expect at Bao — down to the blond hue to the wood that recalls David Chang’s original noodle bar in Manhattan. For that reason, I had planned to skip this place; there were too many other new experiences to have in London. But every food writer I met in London raved about it, and I found myself walking through Soho midday and noticed there was no long line out the restaurant's door, a rarity. Sure enough, a fried chicken bao charmed with its happy clash of soft bun and battery crunch. Even more rewarding, though, was a Taiwanese rice bowl filled with sausage-like shreds of guinea fowl with egg yolk and pickles. 53 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AS, baolondon.com.


Bill Addison's London Recommendations, Mapped