Afghan kitchen is remind me of the food of Indian cuisine and taste of the food remind me of India. The spices are perfect and well cooked lyk there food and try wine and champagne there enjoy the mill and time spend their was memorable
Very friendly little place, with honest food. Afghan cuisine is something between Indian/Pakistani and Lebanese/Syrian, with mild to light spicy flavours. Service is very competent, in spite the struggle of having a sole waitress for the whole place.
We tried all the non vegetarian dishes, and I'd recommend the chicken with yoghurt and the lamb and potatoes (arguably the spiciest dish, but nothing on proper spicy Asian food). The fresh bread is really good, as is the rice. The Merlot wine we had was fantastic, but the yogurt and mint tea I found not good; simply a combination of ingredients that i am not a fan off. Interesting thing to notice: when you ask for coffee, you are given a coffee presser. A most welcomed surprise as the coffee is enjoyable.
Book ahead as the place is very small (maybe 30 people max), and take cash with you as they do not accept card (there's an ATM a few feet away if all fails).
This is DELICIOUS! Super tasty food! Amazing staff, we believe it's a family business so it feels very home-cooked! We tried everything on the menu and nothing disappointed! Even dessert, Afghan balaclava was so good! Venue is so nice too, definitely coming back asap! Adding to this also super cheap for London!
For the first time of trying Afghan food I decided to give this restaurant a shot and didn't regret it. The food was great and the stuff was very polite. The only uncomfortable thing wore the chairs.
Delightful little surprise !!
I reached at 10.30pm so unfortunately just had the chicken with yoghurt and no naan to taste .. but I believe their specialities are lamb with spinach and the naan is a delicacy too! Very good Baklavas. An authentic taste with good flavours and spices and at reasonable prices !
Definitely worth a second / third visit !
Went on a Friday night with 3 other friends. I thought we would have to wait a while for seats due to the size of the place, but luckily we got a table instantly. Ordered a mix if meat (lamb and spinach and chicken) and vegetarian dishes (beans and pumpkin) with rice and bread. The food was absolutely delicious and was very authentic. I wish the portions were slightly bigger though. Will definitely be coming here again. Meesha
Great restaurant with authentic and reasonably priced food. My friend loved the chicken but for me, the lamb dish absolutely stole the show. This place gets busy so better to book in advance.
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I LOVE Afghan food. If there’s any other cuisine I love apart from Pakistani (of course), Iranian and pretty much every other kind of food, it’s the Afghani food. I remember when we lived in Islamabad and my dad used to take me to this Afghani restaurant in Blue Area. It was the best! They do the most amazing, warm, fluffy bread served with melt-in-your-mouth meat. Not to mention, my mum’s side of the family hail from a specific part of Afghanistan so may be that could be a factor too but who knows where the massive love for this food comes from- I’m just glad it’s part of my life.
So imagine my surprise when I came across this little gem in Angel- of all places! I walked by this place quite a few times and was always curious. I decided to go eat here one day and haven’t looked back since. The seating here is limited and it gets quite busy so best to either book in advance or try coming at times when it won’t be that busy. Try your luck! Or else you’ll be sharing your table and space with other people. Either way- it’s worth it.
They have a very simple menu- no more procrastinating over what you want to eat. You choose from 4 meat and 4 vegetarian dishes. They do few dishes but they do them well! I definitely recommend the Lamb with Potatoes, Chicken in Yogurt and Aubergines with Yogurt and a side of rice and fresh bread. To be honest- I’ve pretty much had everything on their menu and it all tastes amazing. The bread can get heavy so order one between 2-3 people as there is rice to fill you up too. A very affordable meal!
The amazing taste of these specialty dishes far out weighs the long wait for a spot in this tiny restaurant where you see your food scooped and microwaved before your very eyes! Although I'm still bitter about £7 for a large bowl of plain rice...
Small menu with good food. Lamb and spinach is pretty stellar as is the home-made Afghan pickle.
Wonderful food and friendly service. Having read a lot of mixed reviews about the service at Afghan Kitchen I wasn't sure what to expect, but the lady who served us was extremely friendly and attentive. We had the aubergine and the dhal which were both delicious. We'll be back soon!
Good food, slow service and staff in need to stress-management. The food was delicious, definitely not too high on the healthy scale (with the amount of butter that floats on the curries and glistens on the bread.. which makes it so yumm too). The staff was either unprepared for a full-house on a Wednesday evening or just having a bad day as they kept moving smaller groups to join other people on bigger tables (in the middle of their dinner) to accommodate new punters who came in.
One of Angels best. The menu is fantastic with less than a dozen things to choose from (an underestimated quality in any restaurant) It never seems to change but I'm never tired of it because they do each dish so well.
I'm not sure how well it represents Afghanistan cuisine but it's tasty with great mains, bread, sides and service. Worth every penny.
If you can't get a table the takeaway is just as good.
The Afghan kitchen is a charming restaurant overlooking the Islington Green and a 5 minute walk away from Angel Tube station. With very few Afghan restaurants in central London, the Afghan Kitchen is brimming with individuality. Set on two levels you really do feel like you are in a kitchen at the restaurant, with barely enough to seat more than about 20-25 at full house. This does add to the intimacy of the venue making it great for dates, but troublesome for larger parties. - See more at: http://www.londonosophy.com/london/afghan_kitchen.html#sthash.a1Kg5x5x.dpuf
to me afghan food is the offerings of kabul restaurant. kabuli pilau made from long grained sayla rice whose centre is a piece of tender beef that comes off in strips when pulled to eat. it if further garnished with raisins and julienned carrots pickled i
I was excited to visit this restaurant, as I had never tried Afghan food before. And wow, it’s really delicious! The menu is quite modest, but the food is packed with flavour. On this evening, we ordered aubergines with yogurt, chicken in yogurt, and dhal
The food is precooked, but as they are all stew based, a little time sleeping in some marinade won’t do it any harm. As I never heard a ping of a microwave, I can only imagine they heat it up in a pan. I hope.
I'm tempted to say that it's all in the somewhat overpriced rice but that would hardly be fair to its rather decent meat dishes. The modest setup is located just across Essex Road opposite Islington Green. Interestingly, despite its prominent location, you could walk straight past it without realizing. It could be due to its understated façade (the restaurant's name appears not on its front but on a column inside the restaurant), simple furniture or even the plain food counter. If you have not guessed it already, it's Afghan Kitchen I am talking about. Despite hearing good reviews (both online and offline) about Afghan Kitchen, I have never stepped foot into the restaurant. Beside the reasons above, I am not exactly a fan of large communal tables - there are two large ones on Afghan Kitchen's gro
Absolutely delicious, amazing bread and great starters followed by great stews.
Tiny place so definitely need to book, and the menu is always small but delicious. Service is speedy and friendly.
Always feels ridiculously good value.
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Located in Islington, Afghan Kitchen has been a favourite of mine for a number of years, now. This tiny eatery could easily be missed if not paying full attention, but is very popular and constantly busy, which is always a good sign.
The small menu consists of Afghan home cooking and offers delicious bowls of food, serving both meat and vegetarian dishes from the Afghan cuisine. From spiced pumpkin, chicken with yoghurt, lentil dhal and more, the best thing to do here is to choose a number of plates and share amongst friends. Just be careful not to make your side eye too obvious if someone takes the last of something that you wanted.
Bright orange pumpkin is served, drizzled with yoghurt which cleanses the palate from the subtle kick that comes with it, a perfect mouthful of food. The lentil dhal is a rich, thick purée that tastes superb and is very comforting, leaving you spooning for more. Lamb with spinach has great depth to it; the meat is very tender as if it had been stewing for hours. Chicken in yoghurt with mint is probably the most popular dish on the menu. Succulent pieces of meat slathered in a yoghurty, mint sauce is absolutely gorgeous and I'm always gutted when this bowl of food comes to an end. Fluffy white rice is served alongside, to combine with the dishes, making them last longer for your taste buds to enjoy.
They only have one dessert here, which is the traditional option of baklava. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the stuff, so I just fill up on mains so much so that dessert isn't an option. Alternatively, if dessert is still required, I just grab a wispa gold on the way home and inhale that.
Some people may be deterred from this place, due to its simplicity style, but that is their lose I say! Yes, the space may be small, but I like the café style they have acquired and the food is brilliant. It has to be good if it has kept me coming back for years. It’s one of those places where I actually get a craving for the food…. ‘cor… I could really eat an Afghan right now’ (the food not a person). The service may not be on par to some of the elegant restaurants in London, but they are always welcoming. My advice, give it a go, if you don’t like it, it means more space and food for me.
This restaurant has a warm and cosy appeal making it akin to home. It's worth mentioning that, since it's opening the food has gotten better. The Olivier salad with 'doktorskiy' sausage was wonderful. Along with this, chicken soup and kotleti made for an amazing lunch. Traditional Russian sweets placed in drawers next to one's table gave it an interesting touch and appeal. The staff was rather attentive and warm.
Hope to go back there soon!
This place can be very difficult to spot, because of the absence of a sign outside. However, this place is perfect. I loved the yogurt chicken dish, and they also have some very nice menu options for vegetarians. The prices are also decent, and the service is warm and welcoming. I recommend it.
I really did not get what this place was for. The food was just average and the portions were not also that filling. The service was bit slow and the waiter seemed to be in a bit of rush. I was really hoping for some good Afghan Chicken here and I was very disappointed after my visit here.
To begin with, the place has slight space issues.The ambience is interiorized in a packed manner which gives the place a cramping atmosphere. However, they do offer advance reservations! The food is so brilliant and exquisite you cannot pass this place by. Amongst my favourites is their pumpkin dish! Truly mesmerizing!
Lovely place to go for some Persian food. The food is all very tasty, the chicken curry being the best. The place is always packed with people, and has a home like feel to it. The service is prompt and not rushed, and the staff very friendly. Not the place for a private dinner date though. Would go back soon.
This place looks quite famous, given the small amount of seats that were vacant.The seating arrangement puts you along side unknown people which might an unusual experience.
The serving staff is patient and cordial even during peak hours.
The food in my opinion, is pretty smashing and the flavors make it one of the best i have ever had.
I recommend trying the Sarah's dish which is heavenly, being an ardent lover of Indian and Persian cuisine, i found my taste buds satiated here.
I am rushing back.Do visit!
Went with a couple of friends and had a wonderful time here. the food was excellent, and given the bunch of people I had gone with, it was a fantastic experience. We were in the mood to experiment and ordered anything meaty on the menu. And we were pleasantly surprised - not a single dish was below expectations!
Lovely place to try some authentic Afghan food. The dishes are all well prepared, and quite spicy. The chicken sauce was yummy, and so was everything else. The food however isn't freshly prepared, so adding or subtracting from the dishes is not an option, and there isn't a lot of variety either.
This place serves very hot and spicy food that you will feel a burning sensation in your mouth. It is perfect for people who like their food to be extra spicy as the flavors and taste of the dishes is really nice. The menu does not give you an extensive selection of dishes to chose from. The place is always busy with people. Decor is perfect for a quite meal with your partner!
The Afghani cuisine here is marvellous, especially the yoghurt chicken and the fish which had so many different flavours to it. This place offers fantastic food at pretty reasonable prices!
A small and quaint place butt really amazing. The menu is small but has some great options. They have around 10 options one can pick from and I have pretty much sampled all of it. Each of them was great and very satisfying. My favorite was the chicken dish. Keep in mind to order some extra bread, to have with the sauce.
This is a very small restaurant and you will definitely feel cramped for room., therefore, I suggest you to go there early so that you can find a table. The menu is quite an extensive one and offers a lot of vegetarian options to choose from. The quality of food was very good and fully satisfied my taste buds.
This place is not in a very approachable location, but offers delicious food with a limited list of options on the menu. The interiors are not very spacious, so it is not recommended for big groups. The food here is delectable and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this place for a good meal.
We happened to go to this lovely place after a friend suggested it. The service was prompt and food was brought in very quickly, everything tasted great too, especially the lamb with spinach. The meat was so perfectly cooked, tender and succulent. The food was great, the breads and juices all freshly prepared, and all very filling. will go back soon.
The place was crowded considering we went on a Wednesday night.The food was really tasty, not very healthy though. The staff was a little confused and was having a hard time getting everyone seated, The food was worth the wait though, and good value for money.
occasionally one discovers a great place to eat and this Afghani restaurant is my discovery. The food is lip smacking and sumptuous. The portions are gigantic. The staff is very well mannered and efficient. The food was full of flavors and the place is invariably crowded. Also, the dishes are reasonably priced.
The menu is a short one though each of the dish is perfectly prepared. I really like Afghan cuisines and is a regular here simple reason of quality that is on offer. The place is crowded at times and you may have to wait for a while to get a table but that shouldn't deter you to try their food which is absolutely delicious and I am pretty sure that you will get the value for your money.
This place is very warm and cozy and has some good Afghani food. The place has a home like feel, and is spread over two floors, both of which have the appearance of a kitchen, which just adds to the experience. This place doesn't exactly have a lot of seating capacity, but will go back here soon.
This is a tiny little place and often crowded so we had to wait for a while before we were seat, but the food more than makes up for the long wait. The food is amazing, and everything made right in front of your eyes, wonderful experience. A little expensive, but will come back nevertheless.
This Afghani place serves simple and authentic Afghani food to all its customers. The menu is basic and short, comprising of four veg and non veg dishes each. If you are looking for a specific Afghani dish, you are sure to find the popular ones here!
Do give it a try!
We Love Food, It's All We Eat
+4
I first went here in 2001 when I moved to London, and loved the simplicity of it, and the fact that it’s the only Afghan restaurant I have ever seen. I went back a few months ago with Ade after visiting the launch of the fab Wenlock & Essex pub up the road. I was so pleased to see it is still exactly the same, like returning to an old friend. The menu remained limited, just four meat dishes and four veggie. And the food unashamedly reheated in the microwave.
My regular dish, Lavand-e murgh (chicken in yoghurt) is still exactly how I remember. Slightly chewy from being blasted in the microwave, but lovely never the less. Ade opted for the ghorm-e sabzi (lamb and spinach curry), which he liked more than he expected to.
Love the bread, on a visit several years ago with my dear friend Julia, she described it as ‘the kind of bread that Jesus would have eaten.’ I’ll always remember that, and it adds to the nostalgia of the restaurant.
It is tiny inside, despite being two floors. And it’s canteen-style seating, and it can be quite snug, and hard to get a seat. A good place to go to listen to other people’s conversations.
The prices look the same also, about £6 for a main course. We left stuffed, and happy, with leftovers in a doggy bag. And not too out-of-pocket. What more could you ask for?
Not a variety of choices but that's the beauty of it. What they serve is all that you would want. Good quality food, small and cosy sitting area, ideal for a quick but enjoyable lunch.
The aubergine dish is a treat. The only downside is the rice. If your not a big fan of rice then you would really enjoy the food, but if like me you have to have your dish with rice, then you would be slightly disappointed.
We had to queue and wait a bit to enter but it completely worth it. The yogurt chicken was the protagonist no doubts, deliciously seasoned with a peppery taste. It is all served to be shared, so we asked for rice, bread and the fish stew, which was good but honestly the chicken eclipsed it. For dessert, sweet and nice baklavas. We’ll definitely come back. Prices are very good, about 9£ each plate.
Some of the food was delicious (lamb and spinach, chicken and yogurt) - less impressed with the fish stew, but that could be down to personal preference. The bread was also nice. Didn’t rate the baklava. Service was okay, we had to share the table with another couple who were on a date which was a bit odd - we had both booked tables, not like we were walk ins who were squeezed on! Overall I’d go back, but don’t expect fine dining
A fantastic and cosy gem of a place offering some exquisite palette satisfiers.
Affordable dishes that will not fail to impress. Service with a smile added value to the experience.
This hidden gem in Islington is a must visit !
It was elegant, cosy and welcoming.
The menu is very small however it was packed with flavour.
We order the lamb and spinach , chicken and fish stew.We had rice and traditional Afghan bread also.
It was authentic and felt like home food.
A decent Afghan restaurant serving a variety of home-cooked Afghan meals. The delicious food service was ok , but it was quite busy, I really liked the fact you share your table with random guests
Affordable and tasty - a great place for a lunch break.
It may look like a takeaway place but you can actually sit down and eat. As you walk in, you only see one communal table, but there is more tables upstairs.
The menu is very straightforward. Four veggie options and four meat/ fish ones.
You get a side of rice with your main. That’s all.
We had, between two of us, a aubergine dish, a daal and a fish stew. (Plus some rice)
Aubergine was a bit bland, but everything else was good.
Lovely little homely place in Angel serving home cooked Afghan cuisine. The menu is short - which is exactly how I like it. We ordered virtually everything off the menu. Such as Chicken in Yoghurt sauce, lamb with spinach, pumpkin, bread etc. But the standout dish for me was the Fish Stew. Really delicious. Only downsides is that the place is really tiny, and the baklava is average. But for what you pay, this place is outstanding value for money. Would highly recommend.
Quite interesting and decent Afghanistan restaurant, with wide range of homemade Afghan dishes. The stew fish and yogurt chicken is quite good, even though the fish is quite hot.
The place is busy, some people really loud and enjoying their time, so be prepared.
The food is fair but not exceptional, hence the four stars. The service is fast and you need to understand that the table is available for the time you eat. To keep prices reasonable you need to accept that they need to rotate tables even because there is always a queue and I'm fine with that.
We had a mix of plates but I had only the aubergines, which were fine. Apparently the other dishes were better and I will try those next time.
People mentions the small selection but the kitchen is small and that's the best they can probably do.
Booked for a Thursday evening around 8pm. Very small place but love the intimate setting and small menu.
Service- wonderful and so friendly, very happy with the overall experience.
Food- so affordable and yummy! The definitely recommend the lamb with potatos and the fish curry.
Thank you for lovely dining experience
really great homemade-feel type food for cheap. service is sometimes a bit slow but it doesn’t really take away from the atmosphere. the baklava was dry but you can’t go wrong ordering everything on the menu to share + pickles!
Food was delicious, the restaurant is simple but has a warm atmosphere. The restaurant is small so make sure you book in advance. We order too much food at the end as it was so hard to make a decision 😅 but everything was at the end super tasty... Really pleased! I'll be back.
Just a note, they only take cash.
Highly recommended. Small menu that’s vegan friendly. We had the dall and fish curry which were amazing and went well with bread.
The only reason why I’m giving it four star is because it’s a CASH ONLY place but there was no mention of it when I made my reservation.
Very busy even in a weekday evening!
They only do walk-in and only accept cash
Highly recommend the lamb with spinach😍 lamb was tender and the spinach was very flavourful
We also ordered the aubergine with yoghurt, the taste was quite interesting, the spices made it taste like a kind of Chinese medicine (a kind of herbal taste!) not to my liking but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad
Chicken with yoghurt was okay, chicken could be more tender but the sauce was nice.
Baklava were really dense and sweet but tasty👍🏻 one with some cinnamon flavour and another one tasted like vanilla. Both were good
The carrot ginger juice was added with sugar and water. It would be better if it’s freshly made🙈
Staff were quite nice and friendly☺️
Portion was ideal and food was all in a reasonable price
Finally got space here and it was so worth it!!!
Food - simply amazing, tender, flavourfull, delicious
People - lovely, friendly, sweet
İnterior - tight but cozy, lets you to tlak to others and make new friends:)
Price - really good price
Incredible restaurant right on Essex Road. Would recommend booking as they were not taking walk ins. Food was cheap and so flavorful, will definitely come back often!
Not been here for a while. Still very much enjoy the food and still quick service.
Shame that the yummy bread they have didn’t turn up till after we finished the meal. But still tasty. Fish one was bit on the spicier side for me as I’m not great with spice, but still great. The lamb and veggies were less of a killer for me.
Nice quick sharer meal that’s not very expensive I recommend.
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