Afghan Kitchen — Restaurant in London

I was there with my partner just yesterday evening. We arrived around 7pm, we were left standing for about 10 minutes and literally ignored by staff before being told that the first table is available after 8pm, we were hungry but the food looked delicious so we decided to go for a walk and come back at 8pm. We got back to the restaurant just after 8pm, again we were ignored for a good 15 minutes. When we were talked to we were told will be available soon. Our order was taken while we were standing and we kept waiting for a total of 45 minutes after our booking time before being cramped next to another couple around a table that definitely does not take food for 4 people. I talked to the waitress and said that we have been standing for more than 45 minutes after our rereservation time, she apologized and she asked for our order, I said we ordered 25 minutes ago. She said maybe our order is late because they are out of one of the dishes we ordered, we were straving so we changed that dish to get our food faster. The dishes are pre-prepared and are merely heated in a microwave before serving so we expected our food in around 5 minutes. It took more than another 35 minutes. We literally saw people ordering a good half an hour after us being served their food, eating and leave while we are waiting for our food. In the meantime more and more people were standing in the space next to us to the point our neighbors dishes starting being pushed off the table and falling on the ground. We ate whatever food was served to us quickly as we were both starving, bread never came, the waitress apologized again saying they have a problem with the oven, we asked for some more rice so we can eat the sauce dishes we ordered, it took forever again. Our bread never arrived nor our drinks. We paid and left, I was angry at the young waitress and felt bad for it, I never get angry at waiters, I know their job is tough. But we have mistreated 4 or 5 times without anything being done by the staff except empty apologies. This is the worst service I had in a London restaurant in 15 years of life in this city. The single star is because food we had did taste good. And it is generous. The staff ruined...

Brilliant little gem just off Upper St in Angel! I'm continuously surprised at the quality and diversity of food options up in this yuppie haven, but very happy to be so. Afghan Kitchen, as the name suggests, provides a limited but delicious range of Afghan specialities. And I'm not kidding about the limited part - there are 4-5 starters, 4 meat mains, 4 veggies mains, and an attempt at dessert.

The first thing you need to do is order the bread. This is baked fresh from the time you order and is so popular that people will wait up to 30 mins to ensure they have it with their meal. I kid you not, the couple sitting in front of us were insistent and said one of the main reasons they come to AK is for the bread alone! It's a fluffy naan like bread that comes out piping hot and covered in butter - absolutely amazing.

For the mains, I'll recommend the yoghurt chicken, the fish, and the pumpkin. I should mention that all this food has been prepared that day and is in massive serving dishes in a glass case on the ground floor. They will then nuke the food you order to get it hot and ready for you. Normally, any place that nukes food would be an instant veto, but AK manages to serve up incredible flavours despite the microwaving. I can understand why they do this, it's a small location and some of these dishes require hours of cooking to get the flavours just right.

Back to the food! The chicken was very tender and juicy with a spiced yoghurt sauce. With just a bit of heat, it satisfies your need for decadent creaminess without sucking up all the flavours. The fish was seared and served in a chilli gravy. It was cooked perfectly with flaky flesh and vibrant chillies coming together in each succulent bite. The pumpkin appears simple but had a kick to it. I'm not sure if they sprinkle chilli on it before roasting but the combination of sweet and spicy is truly excellent.

Between two of us, we finished of about 4 mains (the 4th being a cauliflower dish) and 1.5 loaves of bread which came to around £40. We were absolutely stuffed to the gills though so an all-you-can eat for £20? Yep I'm in anytime! People...

🇦🇫 Afgahn Kitchen

📍Islington, London, N1 8DU

Nestled between a coffee shop and a barber shop, Afghan Kitchen is easy to walk past- minimal branding, plain white exterior. I stumbled upon it thanks to Lily Allen via the Off-Menu podcast. With Nat Geo's food festival already on the day’s agenda, dinner here felt inevitable.

Angry men worried about Big Brother’s cashless conspiracy- your next meeting spot is sorted. Afghan Kitchen is CASH ONLY. While that may catch some diners off guard, the Tesco Express ATM is a short walk away.

As a white British man who’s never stepped foot in Afghanistan (though one day, I hope), my knowledge of the cuisine is limited. I expected big flavours- and got them.

From their very small menu (do little, do it well), I chose Chicken in yoghurt, Rice, and Afghan Chutney. I would’ve ordered more but I was alone and rationing my £20. The chicken fell apart under the gentle push of the spoon- moist and tender. Moist. Moist. Sorry. Moist. The yoghurt sauce delivered a chorus of herbs and spices I couldn’t name but enjoyed with every bite.

The rice? Good rice. I’m no expert. The chutney left me confused until I asked- a punch of coriander, walnuts, vinegar. Might be "too much" for some, but without it, I’d have wanted something to cut through the richness. The Afghans clearly know best.

Food is pre-prepped fresh, chilled, and heated to order (yes, probably microwaved. Mouth-burning levels). Not a complaint, just fact.

Seating? Two tables. Expect to share. If that’s not your vibe, don’t go. For me, it added to the ‘home-cooked’ experience.

With a coffee, chicken, rice, chutney, and baghlava (a little dry- but maybe that’s me), the bill came to £20.50. A 10% optional service charge caught me out, as I’d drawn exactly £20. £20 was paid.

I’d love to try more Afghan spots- maybe one day, even under the Silk Road...