Providing easy access to the city's vast array of restaurants, The London Underground is not only a convenient way to travel around the capital, but a greener alternative too. The simplest way to pay is to tap your contactless card or smartphone. You can also buy an Oyster card (a pre-payment card which you can top up as required). In this article series, we take a look at some of the Inspectors’ favourite restaurants within easy reach of the Tube network. For information on London's transport network, we've got that covered too.
One of the oldest and least tampered-with routes in the London Underground network, the Hammersmith & City Line began life way back in 1864. Unlike many other lines, its name hasn’t undergone any major revisions – and its route has been similarly fixed, covering its current path from Hammersmith to Barking since 1936. When it first opened, before the eastward expansion towards Essex, the line ran between Hammersmith and Farringdon (‘the city’), where many top restaurants now reside. A range of cuisines can also be found along the line today, with Japanese, French, Greek and Persian cooking featured among the restaurants our Inspectors love.
Wood Lane: Endo at The Rotunda
Japanese
‘Where the sea meets the sky’ is the tagline for this One Star venture from eponymous Japanese Chef Endo Kazutoshi. It’s an apt description for a sushi restaurant perched on top of the former BBC TV Centre, just round the corner from Wood Lane station. The omakase experience is a pricey yet consequently luxurious affair, with ingredients like lobster and Wagyu beef among the first-rate produce used. As expected, the nigiri is a highlight, and Endo himself makes for an engaging host.
Ladbroke Grove: Straker's
Modern British
Thomas Straker is something of a superstar in the online food scene, with over 2 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok. Luckily, you can do more than just watch him cook at this popular neighbourhood operation in Notting Hill. Flatbreads are the signature way to begin – topped with the likes of mussels, chilli and garlic butter – before moving on to rustic, fuss-free dishes with the occasional streak of originality. Italian influences are present in the cooking too, as they are on a wine list that places an emphasis on low-intervention producers.
Westbourne Park: The Pelican
Traditional Cuisine
Another spot on the Hammersmith & City Line’s western ‘branch’, The Pelican is an old Victorian pub serving no-nonsense food that delivers no small amount of flavour. Traditional British cooking is at the heart of the operation, with dishes like Barnsley chop and chicken & mushroom pie. Fittingly for a place like this, the service is friendly, the décor is rustic and it’s suitably busy. There’s also an appealing bar snacks menu, so you can accompany your pint with a sausage roll or mince on toast.
Farringdon: Tehran Berlin
Iranian
Formerly known as The Drunken Butler, this is an utterly charming restaurant where founder Yuma Hashemi and his team serve modern Iranian cuisine and provide wonderful, warm hospitality. Yuma was born in Tehran and raised in Berlin, but it’s the former that has the greater influence over the cooking here. The multi-course tasting menu allows you to sample a range of dishes and is centred around their speciality, tahdig – a crunchy rice dish often served with meat stews and salads.
Aldgate East: Townsend
Modern British
If you’re looking to increase your cultural credibility while having a good meal out, then Townsend is one of the Hammersmith & City Line’s most viable options. It’s located inside the Whitechapel Gallery, meaning you could combine lunch with a stroll around the latest exhibition. The restaurant itself offers a selection of modern British dishes that have been carefully balanced and demonstrate sound technique. Its location is ideal too, as you couldn’t be closer to Aldgate East tube station unless you were on the platform itself.
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Other restaurants that we love on the Hammersmith & City Line include:
Hammersmith: Sam’s Riverside
Modern British
King's Cross St Pancras: Dim Sum Duck
Cantonese
Barbican: Club Gascon
French
Liverpool Street: Galvin La Chapelle
French
Why not complete your culinary trip around London with a stay in a MICHELIN recommended hotel?
Hero Image: Endo at The Rotunda (© FoodStoryMedia)
