BELLY London Menu

BELLY London is an independent neighbourhood bistro at 157 Kentish Town Road. Founded by restaurateur Omar Shah, it combines the structure and technique of French bistro cooking with the bright vinegars, ferments, smoke and deep savoury flavours of the Philippines. The warm, relaxed room reflects a menu built around careful sourcing, preparation in house and dishes that balance comfort with surprise.

Smoked trout kinilaw introduces the Filipino tradition of curing seafood with citrus and vinegar, enriched here with coconut milk and lifted by shiso. The popular tempura cod pandesal places crisp fish, tartare sauce and salmon roe inside a soft, slightly sweet Filipino bread roll. Cured scallops with chilli, annatto and coconut provide another fresh expression of the kitchen’s seafood focus.

Larger plates move between sea, fire and slow cooking. Seafood caldereta brings together clams, mussels and squid with roasted tomato, red pepper and a rich prawn emulsion, while wagyu bistek uses braised shallot and charred lemon to sharpen the beef. Woodland mushroom arroz caldo with a cured egg yolk gives the comforting rice porridge a deeply savoury vegetarian form.

Seasonal vegetables receive the same precise treatment as meat and fish, with examples such as pumpkin kare kare combining peanut sauce, almond and citrus. Beef fat fries make a particularly rich accompaniment to the cod pandesal. Ube tiramisu turns purple yam and berries into an original finish, while frozen custard profiteroles with fish sauce caramel capture the restaurant’s playful balance of French technique and Filipino seasoning.

Address: 157 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town, London NW1 8PD, United Kingdom

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