How To Eat In North London

My favourite activity is eating. Whether I am catching up with friends or I have a day all to myself, I tend to venture into the centre of London for a cup of coffee or a plate of food. However, cultivating my favourite places to drink and dine that are close to my home for this article, I became flushed with a sensation of gratitude and blessing. Of course, the city may offer more in terms of gastronomic status. Though, the places I have listed in this article deserve to be known just as well. They lack a capitalist atmosphere which can only be achieved by a warm staff and the food they put love and care into before serving to their customers.

Nissi

None of the Greek restaurants I have dined at have ever scratched the surface of what Nissi delivers in terms of quality of food and hospitality. Their dishes are hearty enough to make it feel like a family affair, with enough attention to detail to gift a pleasant culinary experience. If you are dining with one or more people, I recommend going with the classic Mezedes. Here you can taste Greece in a multitude of courses – including cold starters, hot starters, fish, meat and dessert. However, if you are dining alone or your guests are not the sharing type, I urge you to order the Octopus. Despite the exceedingly generous offerings of delicious vegetarian dishes, the chargrilled octopus served at Nissi is cooked to tender, succulent perfection – with a lining of charred fat that seeps into the flesh and flavours it gorgeously. Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon over the top and thank me later.

Address: 62 Aldermans Hill, London N13 4PP Delisino Brasserie

La Caverna

La Caverna has been there for me when I turned eleven and I proudly showed my friends my favourite place to eat. It was there for me when I had a crush on a boy at school and our mutual respect for the owner of the restaurant broke the ice. This food, the staff, everything the business stands for, it was there for me when I was lonely and grieving – the only thing I could look forward to was ordering an Italian takeaway, wearing comfortable clothes and watching a comedy on the television. My order has remained the same since I discovered it – Scallopine Milanese (veal escalope with spaghetti Bolognese) and Pane All’aglio Con Formaggio (the best cheesy garlic bread ever). Whether I eat on the sofa in my own house or on the wooden chairs at the restaurant, I feel at home – I feel as though I am embraced by family. La Caverna continues to be somewhere I am completely grateful to hold in my past, my present and my wholesome and flavoursome future.

La Caverna’s story:

‘It was 1977, the year punk and disco shared the airwaves, yet the food landscape was a far cry from what it is today. In December of that year, just days before Star Wars opened in cinemas across the country, La Caverna opened its doors to serve fresh, homemade pizza and Italian comfort food to North London. Over 40 years later, our aim (and traditional family recipes) remain the same.’

Address: 169 Chase Side, Enfield EN2 0PT

Wilton Patisserie

Every time I eat at Wilton, I feel incredible perplexity and disappointment in knowing that not enough people are aware of the patisserie – and just how good it is. The coffee is great, there are savoury options such as toasted sandwiches and traditional Greek pastries, as well as a gorgeous row of desserts that spoil you for choice. I still get excited before each of my visits to the patisserie and, although everything seems it could satisfy me, I have a few particular favourites that I struggle to steer from. For a savoury bite, I enjoy a plain flaouna – heated slightly so that the cheese filling and golden dough bind together in my fingers. It is customary for flaounes to contain raisins or sultanas – and, Wilton do offer this. However, I find this ingredient to have an overpowering sweetness that reduces the simple beauty of the sesame seed-coated pastry. After devouring my flaouna, I impatiently dig into a dessert. As of late, I have opted for the Hazelnut – a dark, glossy cube filled with layers of chocolate sponge, chocolate and fresh cream, roasted hazelnuts, gianduja and all of it encased in a gorgeous chocolate and hazelnut ganache. This dessert masters the experience of decadence, while tasting luxuriously delicate.

A message from the owner:

‘We are very proud to be able to bring traditional Greek-Cypriot sweets to our community and to pass them on to the next generation. For us, our patisserie is more than just a bakery—it’s a way to preserve the flavours, techniques, and stories that have been passed down through our family for generations. Each pastry we create is a tribute to our heritage, and we love sharing that experience with both long-time lovers of Greek-Cypriot desserts and those discovering them for the first time.’

Address: 49-53 Chase Side, London N14 5BU

Delisino

Driving down a mundane road of muted city colours, a humble pastel blue building caught the corner of my eye. Fuelling my curiosity, I visited Delisino Brasserie for the first time. The man who greeted us owned a familiar face. Having not quite placed him yet, he took my order and told me he remembered me from the local restaurant he used to wait. It is far easier to remember a waiter than a customer. Though, this man remembered me. He remembered me and my mother and we congratulated him on opening a restaurant of his own. Having ordered a dish that satisfies savoury and sweet cravings, the star of the show was the slice of French toast served with seasonal fruit, fresh cream, maple syrup and a sprinkling of pistachio nuts. Despite saving it to be eaten after the savouries, it did not lose its airy texture and golden flavour. The toppings were intentional and each had a purpose – this is lacking for a lot of pancake/waffle/French toast partners. Often, there are too many toppings that do not work together and the dough resting underneath no longer plays a starring role – the extras have outshone them and ruined the entire show. However, Delisino’s French toast was thoughtful and very delicious. The brasserie makes you feel as if you are being welcomed wholeheartedly into somebody else’s family.

A message from the owner:

‘Delisino is your go to destination. Our cosy little establishment is your home away from home, when you feel need to escape and indulge in well made wholesome food with a side of great coffee.’

Address: 123 Chase Side, Enfield N14 5HD

The Meeting Bar and Restaurant

The Meeting’s staff attention to detail must be accredited right off the bat. The Thai culture feels incredibly authentic in the way each customer is treated with care, with respect and value. When I was sixteen years of age, I felt tremendous honour in treating my father to a meal at The Meeting to celebrate him turning fifty. Along with the (genuinely tasty) after-dinner mints, our waiter presented my father with a The Meeting branded wallet – as a gift. While this generous gesture is never expected, it is what has secured a seat in my memory. As well as the kind hospitality, which has not faded for all the times I have visited without my father, I return to The Meeting for the never-fail-to-please delectable dishes. As I want to taste a little bit of everything, I tend to order a noodle dish (Pad Si Ew Neur is my favourite), a form of stir-fried meat (usually Duck, the Ped Kratiam is a great choice) and a bowl of steaming rice (Kao Suay, simply delicious jasmine rice). Despite having a full stomach, I cannot ever resist their pandan pancakes to cap off the night. The pandan in the dough provides an earthy vanilla and coconut flavour – enveloping a toasted desiccated coconut and palm sugar filling. I guarantee you will walk away from The Meeting feeling blessed.

Address: 253 Southbury Rd, Enfield EN1 1RG

I do not believe I will live in Enfield for the rest of my life. Food being a great passion of mine, I doubt my culinary desires could refuse to take me to other corners of the globe. Though, wherever I go, I am certain that I will long to be surrounded by my family and small white bowls of flavour at Nissi. To be watching television with a deep bowl of Scallopine Milanese on my lap. To drink coffee opposite my mother at Wiltons as we slowly dip our forks into a silky lemon meringue tart or a moreish hazelnut cake. I will long to find the devotion to hospitality that I experience at Delisino. Always, always, I will long to be clinking a glass of Singha beer at The Meeting with my father – the creator of my love for food.