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Turns out that our favourite restaurant in London is also the Good Food Guide’s favourite local restaurant in the capital.
Mambow in Clapton, which we here at Time Out crowned the best restaurant in London earlier this year, has just been named London’s best local resto by the storied Good Food Guide, which has been out there reviewing restaurants, pubs and cafés across the UK since 1951.
Chef/owner Abby Lee’s rather marvellous Mambow was located in a food market in Peckham until 2023, when it moved to a permanent location in Clapton, east London. ‘To win is a wonderful surprise and a real testament to our incredible team,’ said Lee. ‘We are so lucky to work with people that are all equally passionate about showcasing Malaysian cuisine and culture, which has helped put us on the map.’
Speaking about Mambow, co-editor of the Good Food Guide Chloë Hamilton said: ‘The pandemic prompted a change of direction for so many chefs and in Abby Lee’s case it set her on a path to open the wonderful Mambow. The restaurant is always buzzing, and the cooking incredibly flavourful and reviving. It’s a true beacon of London neighbourhood dining.’
Mambow might have been the regional winner, but a fair few other London restaurants were given the nod in the big list of 100 great local joints. Find them listed below:
London’s best local restaurants, according to the Good Food Guide 2024
- Sam’s Waterside, Brentford
- Les 2 Garçons, Crouch End
- The Parakeet, Kentish Town
- Home SW15, Putney
- Josephine, Chelsea
- Paulette, Maida Vale
- Giulia, Shepherd's Bush
- Rubedo, Stoke Newington
A whopping 60,000 nominations were cast to help compile the Good Food Guide’s list of 100 great local restaurants, while the final ranking was decided by the guide’s shadowy cabal of inspectors.
Other regional champs included Bavette in Leeds, which was named the overall winner of the entire 100, while Med in Brighton was named the best local spot in the southeast, while Levenshulme’s Cibus was named the best in northwest and Edinburgh’s Fin & Grape was named the best in Scotland. You can read more about all the UK winners here.
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