Chicken Shop has been one of those rare experiences where my low expectations were disconfirmed. I…read morehave to say that I'm always wary of popular hangouts, such as Bone Daddies, Tasty Burger and Tram Shed. The latter, for example, did in my opinion not live up to the hype that they'd generated. (Good PR, but no substance really.) Chicken Shop was another place where I'd heard so much about and so I finally had to give it a try. It was a Thursday evening and we were quite early and so ended up getting a seat right away. (20 minutes later, there had already formed a substantial queue.) It was just the two of us and we chose to be seated at the bar. In fact, this is what I'd recommend to everyone, as you can watch how the chicken get grilled, chopped up and sent off to their respective "owners". What really convinced me of this place is the chicken, which was perfectly marinated, juicy, charred to perfection...and the sides and condiments that came along with it, were complementing it nicely. I have to say, it's not cheap, as you order the chicken and the sides separately, but then again the taste is worth it. I also really liked the decor and I felt super comfortable. Somebody had really thought about how to turn a dark basement into a livable and exciting space. (It's definitely part of the hipster family, but that's alright ;-) On top of that, I thought our waitress was just too sweet and so my overall experience was very positive. I can, however, see that this might not be the perfect place to hang out with a large group. It gets really crowded and so the staff might be quite keen to get you in and out of the establishment as soon as possible. My recommendation: go to the Southampton Arms about 300 yards away. It's a very cozy pub. Tip: If you live nearby, order the chicken to take-away and enjoy it from the comfort of your sofa! Beware to not drip the juices on the fabric though ;-)

Whoever said chicken is boring never ate here. I had three types one fine evening and so glad I…read moredid. Succulent rotisserie chicken is their specialty and it's so tender it will fall off the bone. Packed with flavour. Fried chicken sandwich was not the healthiest but very tasty. Lastly I had to try the chicken wings, sweet not hot. Juicy perfection! They have all the standard sides. We had the corn on the cob, which was good but needed some butter and salt. Fries were ok but crinkle cut is my least favorite. The star is chicken and it shines! Casual ambiance, and gets crowded during the dinner rush. Takeaway is a popular option as they were flying bags out the door. Sit at the counter if you want a view of the kitchen and all the roasted goodness. A trendy, hip spot that won't break the bank for a delicious meal.

Decidedly non-generic Chinese food with a focus on chicken, lamb, and noodles…read more We came here while headed back from a birthday party and interested in exploring something different while out and about. This place didn't disappoint as it could easily have been a good Chinese place in New York City, where that's more common. I'm not qualified to say whether it's authentic Xinjiang food, but it was certainly not your average Chinese restaurant and we were almost the only non-Asians in the restaurant for our full time there. The place was also nice enough on the inside to be a decent date spot, if not the most romantic place. It's definitely nice and not a hole-in-the-wall. The seemed to specialize in noodles, Dapan chicken, and barbecue lamb. We got some of each. The standout was the Dapan Chicken which was spicy and deliciously seasoned and not sweet at all. The chicken and potatoes were excellent, but do prepared to get the chicken off a few bones. We also got the beef noodle soup with the wide hand-pulled noodles. The noodles were amazing. The beef and broth were pretty darn good good, but I'd like to explore what else was there to see if I couldn't find an even better set of flavorings to put on top of the noodles. The chef's special noodles weren't quite as good. We got the slim noodles, which we didn't quite like as much and the sauce was a bit sweeter than I'd normally like. The cumin lamb barbecue skewers were also really good although you might want to avoid the pieces that are mostly just fat if that's not your thing. The flavors are all fantastic. The kids devoured an order of plain slim noodles and our son tried both the barbecue lamb and Dapan chicken, which was really nice. The service was fast, friendly and happy to give us advice about what to order. We'll definitely be back.

From the owner: We are passionate about hand - pulled noodles! It is fun…read moreand delicious Smokeless charcoal grilled lamb skewers with special jelly bean cube starter! Perfect match!

It was late, we were hungry, we were standing outside Chicken Cottage the end. Okay maybe not the…read moreend. We were on our way to my sister-in-laws place late and we hadn't eaten so we popped into Chicken Cottage and ordered some fried chicken and half a piri piri chicken. By far not the most glamorous meal for our first night on a recent visit to London, but it was actually quite good. I have never been to any other Chicken Cottages before, but both kinds of chicken were cooked perfect and were really favorable and the service was tremendously friendly and helpful. It's right by my sister-in-laws place, and I must say I will go again, I'm certain of it.

Chicken Shop around the corner from St. John's Wood High Street is clearly the best place for…read morechicken and chips in the area. And don't forget to leave room for dessert. When walking over to Chicken Shop, I came past Megan's and was shocked to find out they were closing this branch. I have only once been to Megan's in St. John's Wood, but thought it was a very welcome addition to the area. Unfortunately, it is no more. But now there is a new Chicken Shop branch just around the corner. Chicken Shop is a modern restaurant chain that currently expands and opens new branches in different parts of London. The shop in St. John's Wood is light with a big window front and a beautiful, simple design. I was wondering about how busy they were on a Saturday afternoon, even more as they just opened. Since the chicken restaurant a bit further down across the road had closed down some time ago, perhaps they simply got here at the right time. The place is bigger than it looks at first. I was given the option and decided to sit in the front room facing the window, not the area at the back nearer to the kitchen. The design is modern and the dark wood creates a nice and warm setting. The music is kind of loud, but as this still is a fast food place, I think it is acceptable and I did not really get too annoyed by it. Ordering is simple, because chicken shop does not have an extensive menu. You can basically only choose between different sizes of chicken from the spit. To leave space for the dessert - recommended by my lovely waitress - I ordered a quarter chicken. When asked for my preference, I opted for breast meat. I did not have to wait long until my pile of juicy, tasty chicken arrived together with golden, crispy crinkle-cut fries. While the chicken on the bone was delightful with a good crust, the fries were even better. They could only have been improved with more interesting seasoning, but as far as frying goes, those chips are perfect. When I asked for the deep-filled apple pie for dessert, I was surprised when this guy turned up at my table with a whole, hot apple pie. He cut out a good-sized piece for me and I greatly enjoyed it with a jug of cream. It was piping hot and full of apple flavours. Chicken Shop in St. John's Wood is now most likely the best place for a piece of chicken in NW8. The staff are very friendly and the restaurant is clean with a modern yet warm atmosphere. Yes, the chicken is delicious, but the chips alone are worth a visit.

OK food but terrible service. If you are hungry definitely don't come here, the food will take a…read morelong time and the service is cordial but very slow. Management seems to be completely unaware of its own operational problem. The only redeeming factor is that the food is okay but is expensive because of the neighbourhood. Highly recommend against coming here unless you are not hungry which really defeats the point of going to a restaurant.

The food is delicious, and the lady who runs it is wonderful! Try the chicken and spinach stew. A…read morelittle spicy, very tasty.

I got the first thing on the menu, chicken in a tomato sauce with rice. The tomato sauce was very…read morebasic, spicy (in a hot way) and too salty. Overall it was eatable because I was starving but I won't try it again.

This is a 2 star review rating this branch against other branches of Nando's…read more I guess everyone knows what Nando's is by now but for those who don't, it's an 'upmarket' version of KFC, so chicken basically. Spicy chicken. But they also have a few vegetarian options for those who don't like chicken. Nando's is normally ace. There are many good reasons why it's popular so I won't cover that here and just talk about the reasons why it doesn't get 5 stars. 1. There was nobody to greet us at the door when we walked in. This is crucially important at Nando's because you need them to seat you so you know your table number and you can order. 2. They didn't clean the table they sat us at. 3. MY CHICKEN WASN'T COOKED PROPERLY! But really there wasn't much point in complaining because 4. They had already come and asked if everything was ok while I had a mouthful of corn so they would have just asked me why I didn't say anything when they asked. This has happened at other branches of Nando's before. 5. Nobody came and asked if we wanted dessert, and I really wanted a cheesecake. Nando's cheesecake would have rescued them from this review. Pretty poor experience overall. Sorry West Hampstead Nando's. You must try harder.

Get to the Chase: (have tried the one at O2 Finchley Road,…read moreso gave this one another shot) Pros: 1) As always spicey sauces are DELICIOUS!, Unique, tangy and spicey (with all levels, I like medium the best since it goes well with both fries and chicken burger) 2) MMMmmm chicken never tasted so good, quick service, chargrilled flava flav, it most def hits the spot Cons: 1) WAY too pricey for a piece of chicken or a chicken burger (for such a cheap protein, they definitely have worked out a high price margin) 2) Again like Finchley Road, they are consistently ambiguous on how to get served...are you supposed to wait for the host, are u sposed to serve yourself, are you supposed to sit down and wait to order??? WA WA WAAaa I derno

A little difficult to find in Camden Market, but definitely worth it!…read more I had the chicken sandwich smothered in cheese sauce and it was tops! The chicken was juicy and crispy at the same time. Also, the fries on the side were pretty dang good. If you're visiting the market, this is a must visit.

I saw this post on Instagram about this place and had to try when coming to London. We walked all…read moreover London to get here and it was so worth the walk! I didn't try the milkshakes because I saw it wasn't real ice cream but that chicken sandwich baby was amazing! The "hot shake" fries were bomb too. You must try if you like chicken sandwiches!!

Loved the wings. There weren't any plates that weren't cleaned in minutes. Surprisingly good drinks…read moreas well. There's also a challenge to have as many wings as you can eat which I wouldn't recommend if you plan on walking afterward. The set up is pretty spacious too and very clean. MUST GO for locals and tourists alike.

Loved the chicken. Tried five different ones, favourites being Bang Coq , Shanghai Orineual and…read moreSweet & Smokey BBQ

Great atmosphere. Great food. Great service. What more do you need to know??? Just go to London…read moreand have a great time.

Amazingly hot, spicy, and flavorful food. Authentic Nigerian cuisine, down to the spices, oils, and…read morecooking styles. Restaurant is clean and chic. A bit loud because of music videos playing in the background. Service was decent, didn't explain much about the dishes, just find all the info in the menu itself

Oregano Pizzeria Hampstead (that's its actual full name) is, as its name suggests, a pizzeria in…read moreHampstead (it's actually off Finchley road). I haven't physically been to the restaurant, but we ordered from them the other evening when a group of friends came over unannounced. We were all very impressed. Pizzerias are a dime a dozen in London. What (we collectively felt) separated Oregano from the boys was the depth of flavour they pack into their pizzas, the thin, light crust of their pizzas and the speed of delivery. FYI, there's a dedicated app for even faster ordering / delivery. We ordered the Quattro Stagioni (four seasons pizza), Pepperoni, Vegetarian, Chicken Pesto, American and Tuna. All were fantastic but I personally liked the Tuna most, having never had a pizza with tuna before, or any kind of fish for that matter (anchovies don't count). Unless there was a hardcore, non-dairy vegetarian in our group, I would probably replace the Vegetarian with a Quattro Formaggi next time. The leftovers passed the morning after tests with flying colours too. Oregano is well worth a visit, take away or home delivery. Hey! Now read this - Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on Instagram @ravenousxerxes or email me on xerxes@dellara.com.

I liked that they make the pizza in a wood fired oven, however I didn't think the sauce or cheese…read morehad much flavor. The crust was decent and the toppings were nice. It just wasn't a perfect marriage of molten goodness. Also note it's more of a takeaway/delivery place, with just one 4-seat table if you want to eat there.