Celebrated table

The Parakeet

Name: The Parakeet
Address: 256 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2AA, London, GB
Telephone: 020 4599 6302

A reinvented Victorian landmark in Kentish Town, The Parakeet serves seasonal British dishes cooked over flame, earning a Good Food Guide award for its approachable kitchen and warm atmosphere.

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The story

The Parakeet in London: Modern British Dining with Fire-Cooked Flair

Ben Allen and the Kitchen

The Parakeet in London brings a refined yet grounded approach to modern British cooking, transforming a historic Kentish Town venue into a destination where seasonal produce meets open-fire technique. Chef Ben Allen leads a kitchen dedicated to ingredients harvested at their peak, ensuring every plate reflects the rhythm of the year while maintaining an unmistakably local spirit.

The team operates from an open-to-view kitchen where a custom grill dominates the heat, delivering rich flavour through direct flame rather than relying on heavy sauces. This focus on fire-cooked execution pairs with a menu that shifts constantly alongside the harvest, allowing the kitchen to highlight the best of British farming rather than adhering to rigid classics. Service mirrors this relaxed philosophy, offering positive hospitality that keeps the dining experience comfortable and unpretentious.

Dishes and Flavours

Standout plates showcase the range of the British pantry through precise combinations, such as leek and spider crab croquettes finished with meticulous attention, or a rabbit pie that grounds the menu in wholesome tradition. Vegetable-forward options like homemade smoked ricotta served with petits pois, quinoa, and pickled Tropea onions demonstrate how the kitchen balances richness with bright acidity. Desserts lean into the fire narrative too, featuring strawberries softened over wood and marinated in Grand Marnier, then layered with caramelised fruit, milk ice cream, elderflower, and sweet cicely.

The Room and Atmosphere

Housed within a landmark Victorian building, the space is divided into two distinct zones to suit different paces of visit. The front bar retains the warmth of a classic North London boozer with wood panelling and an affable crowd, perfect for grabbing a pint of Guinness or a cocktail. Guests seeking dinner move to a smaller rear dining area illuminated by impressive stained-glass windows, where a scrawled blackboard menu reinforces the informality of the setting. A private room is available for groups, extending the venue's capacity for gatherings up to thirty guests.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026

The Good Food Guide

Good

Details

At a glance

The Good Food Guide 2026 — Good

Cuisines Modern British

Services Bar, Dinner, Gastropub, Lunch, Outdoor Seating, Private Parties, Private Room, Table Service, Vegan, Vegetarian

History

On the record

2026

The Good Food Guide — Good

‘Kentish Town has been crying out for something like this for years,’ volunteered one reporter who whole-heartedly approves of this relaxed neighbourhood hostelry. Reinvented, resurrected and reconstituted, the landmark Victorian building is split into two halves – the front bar keeps things affable for drinkers, while those after a bite to eat head to the smaller dining area at the back, where the team have got it right from the start with positive, approachable service. Dominated by impressive stained-glass windows, a scrawled blackboard menu and an open-to-view kitchen, there’s an informality about the room that suits the feel-good contemporary menu. Dishes cooked over fire using a custom grill are the high points of Ben Allen’s repertoire, which creates an impression of sophistication and flair (‘impeccable’ leek and spider crab croquettes), while remaining down-to-earth and wholesome (rabbit pie, for example). Combos such as homemade smoked ricotta with petits pois, quinoa and pickled Tropea onions or lamb with cabbage, fermented green tomatoes, oyster sauce and shiso leaf are typical of the seasonally aware, to-the-point approach – as are strawberries softened in the wood fire and marinated in Grand Marnier, topped with caramelised strawberries, a swirl of milk ice cream and a sprinkling of elderflower and sweet cicely. There’s good drinking too, from cocktails and draught beer to a confident, modern wine list including more than a dozen by the glass or carafe.

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Established

Location

Find us

256 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2AA
London, United Kingdom
020 4599 6302
bookings@theparakeetpub.com
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