Cheap Food in Archway, Greater London*

Corner eateries, quick bites and the local chippy

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• For culinary innovation at a reasonable price, you can't beat the Green Chillies in Junction Road, which offers a "fusion of Polish and Indian cuisine". Sadly, I can't tell you what it's like, because I've never found it open. Still, the concept is brilliant.
• workers cafe. left hand side down holloway road.5 mins walk from archway station. roast dinners , fry up's the lot so tasty. massive portions. free tea!!! expect to get change from a fiver for dinner, desert and a can of coke. also the girls in there are very sound, service with a smile. don't be surprised if you see the occasional crack whore about though, but whats wrong with a little entertainment?
• The best restaurant by miles is St John on the top of Junction Rd - excellent atmosphere, good prices and food, reasonably priced wine. Very popular though - you need to book really if you want to eat at peak time, even on a Monday! Bloke who owns it is called Nick (nice geezer) and he must make a mint - There is little competition in the area, even though gentrifcation means that it's pretty middle-class much of the housing round there now - dont know why - they should convert some of the millions of samey corner shops into something better - defo a market I think.
• Cheese and onion pasties from Stagnells - luverly and good for post booze belly!
• Manky chicken shops aplenty - tho the content is seriously debatable. 'Best Kebab'?! have you smelt the place? Cafe Mosiac does a nice tomato and mozza soup - tho the vino tastes like vinegar. Cafe Diana - After being greeted by 'Yes Lady/Boss?'you can get a v cheap fry up -ok but shite beans - H---z arent exactly expensive- so bloody serve em you pikeys!
• Peking Palace - Chinese Vegan Food. Absolutely fantastic!! They don't serve alcohol there, but it is BYO with a small corkage fee. Try it!!! Delicious food and really friendly staff.
• Toll Gate Cafe: very friendly with artsy decor, garden, reclaimed church chairs, tasty homecooked mostly vegetarian food (bakes, lasagne, rissoles, soups etc.), fresh salads, lots of lovely cakes etc. huge portions, cheap! Populated by locals who aren't scared to venture onto the weird Archway roundabout (opposite the Archway Tavern).
• Peking Palace - next to KFC at the top of Holloway Road. A vegan chinese restaurant - and tasty too! Fake crispy duck made from soya, a fair amount tofu, lots of vegetable dishes, asparagus tempura, non-meat chicken, beef, lamb etc. Honestly it's very good, and I'm a meat eater! Part of the Temple empire I think which is running places in South Ken, Soho, Clerkenwell etc. They do cheap lunchboxes and a buffet at lunchtime. No alcohol though so you'll have to drink Ame or jasmine tea.
• Archway Kebabs is brilliant! Claims to make 'the best kebabs in the UK' and I'd go along with that (even though my experience is limited).
• An excellent new vegetarian restaurant called Peking Palace has opened up on Holloway Rd, right near the tube station. Very tasty vegetarian food is served eat-in or take-away.
• The Co-op opposite Archway tube station provides a legendary lesson in retail incompetence. First and foremost, as mentioned elsewhere on this site, there is never anything you want in stock. Fresh fruit and veg? You're 'aving a larf. Bread? Only on Wednesday between 11pm and midnight, mate. Anything else you want? Buy something else instead, because they haven't got it. This doesn't seem to stop the store being packed out with customers at all reasonable times, most of them irate because the place was out of stock of what they wanted! This of course means huge, slow-moving checkout queues, frequently delayed by failed weighing machines and price checks which for some reason have to be carried out by the slowest member of staff currently on duty. I am certain the security guards are there to protect the clueless and bumbling manager from assault by customers, rather than prevent a robbery. And when you really need the place, on a Sunday night when you're out of food - it's closed! Thank god there's loads of decent corner shops in Archway!
• A very good bakery called Stagnells on Junction Road which has queues outside it on a Saturday. All the staff are very friendly and it is a real local. The bread is fantastic.
• There's several good restarants in Archway these days. There's the Paris-London which, since it's moved premises, is not as good as it was but is still good food and not too pricey. Down Junction Road there is the St Johns which has a great restaurant in the back, a beautiful settings with good grub and a brilliant wine list - very reasonably priced too. Excellent. There is also the best Indian Restaurant in London just opposite the tube on Holloway Road called the Sitara. Very small and popular (so book ahead) the food is unbelieveable and the people are friendly. It's even decorated by pictures by local artists (all for sale).

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Last updated: 2008-10-14