Kosher Restaurants in London, Page 5

Start in Golders Green. More kosher restaurants sit here than in any other part of London, and Golders Green Road gives you grills, dairy cafes, sushi, and a famous run of bakeries in one walkable stretch. Hendon, one stop up, is the next densest, quieter and more residential but with a strong line of restaurants and takeaways along Brent Street and Vivian Avenue. Between and around them, Temple Fortune and Edgware fill in the rest of the everyday eating.

Borehamwood, out past Edgware, has grown into a real kosher pocket of its own and is worth the short train ride if you are staying that way. Stamford Hill, in the north-east, is a large Charedi community with its own eateries, mostly under stricter local supervision and geared to residents rather than visitors. Central London has only a handful of kosher options, so if food is a priority, base yourself in the north-west rather than in town.

The mainstream certification is KLBD, the Kashrus division of the London Beth Din, and its seal is on the great majority of the restaurants here. Kedassia is the stricter Charedi authority, common around Stamford Hill and on many packaged goods, and you will also see the Federation (KF) and the Sephardi Kashrut Authority (SKA). If you hold to a particular standard, the useful habit in London is to look for the specific board's certificate rather than a generic sign, since the difference between KLBD and Kedassia matters to some diners.

Almost everything closes for Shabbat, from Friday afternoon until Saturday night, and again for the festivals. Sundays, by contrast, are one of the busiest times to eat out here, so the popular grills fill up and a booking helps. Getting around is easy without a car: the Northern line runs through Golders Green and Hendon, and buses like the 13, 82, and 102 connect the main parades.