5 London restaurants I love, by Joia head chef Jose Jara
Joia is a rooftop restaurant with brilliant views of the newly-refurbished Battersea Power Station. The restaurant is within the art’otel, with its incredible rooftop swimming pool, which opened this past year, and is one of the most spectacular places in London to go for a swim.
Joia is a Portuguese restaurant from famous chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, the Jamie Oliver of Portugal. We went to Lisbon earlier this year to taste his foodie inspiration. There’s an adjacent bar, which serves good cocktails if you’d rather just sit around on beanbags and enjoy river and chimney views.
Here we speak to Jose Jara to hear the five places he eats at in London on his day off.
KILN I love the vibe of this tiny restaurant based in Soho. I’ve dined here a few times and have never been disappointed. They serve really tasty Thai food and almost every dish is cooked on charcoal. Last time I went, I tried the ‘three pepper curry pork jowl’ and it was fantastic. I wouldn’t recommend it for large groups as it is very small, but it’s perfect for a couple.
SABOR I went for the first time soon after it first opened and was really impressed with the interiors: it makes you feel like you’re in a traditional bar/ restaurant in Spain. The dining room upstairs, called Asador, is perfect to have a catch up with friends or a special celebration. Overall, I’d recommend Sabor for authentic Spanish food with a lot of soul.
Read more: A toast to the pubs, restaurants and cafes that keep London alive
Homies on Donkeys A Mexican taqueria serving some of the best tacos I have ever tried. It’s perfect for a special celebration or to meet with a large group of friends as it’s a big space. Their tacos carnitas (braised and confit pork with jalapenos) are something else.
PADELLA I try to dine here as much as I can! They have two restaurants in London, one in Shoreditch and one in Borough Market, serving up simple pastas that are incredibly well made. It’s perfect for a quick lunch but also for special occasions with consistently high quality food.
PAPI’S MUNCHIES We first visited Papi’s Munchies in 2021 and since then it’s been my favourite pizza in London. We normally go at least once or twice a month, and it’s perfect for catching up with friends as it’s also in a pub called The North Star. The team is lovely and the sourdough pizza is the best I have tried. The menu is simple, around 15 different pizzas, garlic breads and some great sauces. They have a couple of desserts too including an amazing tiramisu and nutella pizza, which is my son’s favourite. I should mention that I can’t order any pizza other than their blue, mush and ham (with stilton and garlic mushrooms) – it’s just brilliant.
Read more: Learning Lisbon’s foodie secrets with the Jamie Oliver of Portugal