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Bacon naan at Dishoom Carnaby Street in Soho — the popular Indian cafe chain will launch its first cookbook with Bloomsbury UK this year Dishoom Official

15 London Hangover Cures That Are Also Restaurants

Deal with the wrath of grapes here

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Flat Coke and hair of the dog are all well and good — but sometimes, what a hangover really needs is feeding. Stodge is key, obviously, as is salt and a bit of heat — but there’s a fine line between blowing away the cobwebs and ending up having to call in sick a full 36 hours after the last shot. Without further ado, here’s a list of the best places to crawl to the morning (or afternoon) after the night before. Please drink responsibly.

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Some hangovers are so spirit-crushing that they render even the act of picking up cutlery nigh-on impossible. Step forwards the sabich at Temple Fortune legend Balady: an extremely sizeable pitta pocket loaded up with freshly fried aubergine, hard boiled eggs, hummus, chilli sauce and mango pickle. No knife or fork required, just a lot of napkins.

London’s best sandwiches: sabich at Balady Micaela Filippo/Instagram

Xi'an Impression London

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There’s never a bad time to visit Xi’an Impression — but the peak of a booze-induced existential crisis is an especially good one. And however crashing the headache, it’s always worth fighting through the match-day hordes in Holloway for generous, restorative plates including ‘skin cold’ noodles, pulled pork burger and Biangbiang noodles in an assortment of hot, sweet, piquant guises.

Qishan noodles in a sour broth at Xi’an Impression, a Xi’an Chinese restaurant in north London Emma Hughes/Eater London

Black Axe Mangal

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Loud music, massive flavours and an awful lot of offal: it’s kill or cure here. This isn’t the place to ease oneself gently back into the land of the living, but the hash browns, famous flatbreads and deep fried cherry pie were tailor made for absorbing the excesses of a big night (bonus: they do brunch too). Just don’t spend too long looking at the floor.

A flatbread topped with meat and vegetables, alongside curls of crackling, on a colorful tablecloth. Ola Smit

Delhi Grill

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A stalwart across multiple editions of Eater London’s essential 38 restaurants, Delhi Grill knocks out affordable, (largely) Northern Indian plates in which the flavours are every bit as arresting as the dining room plastered in pastels and Bollywood posters. Anything from the tandoor is sure to be a success — sheekh kebabs and tandoori paneer are especially strong — while dhaba (roadside food stall) classics like railway lamb and butter chicken are just the ticket for anyone in need of traditional soothing.

Butter chicken, chicken fry and chutneys at Delhi Grill in Chapel Market, one of the best restaurants in Islington Ola Smit

Roti King

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London’s favourite Malaysian Tamil restaurant’s phenomenal, flaky, fat-enriched roti canai, lentil curry and spicy noodle assemblies are all perfect for settling the stomach and the spirit. They’re now available in Victoria’s Market Hall too — good news for hangovers that began in south-east London, Brighton, or Kent.

Roti canai at Roti King, reopened in Euston Ola Smit/Eater London

Smokestak

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The low lighting and soothing Nordic stylings at this Islington favourite are just the thing. Smokestak excels at meaty marvels: brisket buns with pickled chilli, pork belly rib and 30-day-dry-aged beef rib. The jacket potato with mustard rarebit and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream ice cream feel like sympathy on a plate.

Holborn Dining Room

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When only triple carbs will do, make haste for the Holborn Dining Room. Pair one of Callum Franklin’s legendary pies — the potato, Comté and caramelised onion one suggests itself — with chips and champ for a never-fail remedy. Roll home afterwards and get straight back into bed.

Holborn Dining Room Official

Blacklock Soho

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There are surprisingly few restaurants that better a home-cooked Sunday roast on a hangover. The sourcing of meat from one of Britain’s best butchers — Warren’s in Cornwall — together with enthusiastic portioning and solid trimmings make Blacklock’s one worth getting dressed for. During the week it’s central London’s finest chop house, too.

London’s best Sunday roasts: Blacklock steakhouse’s spread of steaks, lamb chops and pork chops Blacklock Official

Head to one of Ealing’s finest restaurants for a deeply restorative bowls of miso butter corn ramen, or atsu-atsu udon, winningly accessorised with greaseless, generous tempura of prawn. Kiraku’s enduring popularity means it’s not one for a spontaneous hangover visit — plan for a sore head in advance and make a booking.

Instagram/@kirakulondon

Dishoom Kensington

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The bacon sandwich, a tried-and-true hangover cure, finds its fullest and most effective expression in Dishoom’s feted bacon naan. Also recommended: kejriwal (fried eggs on chilli-cheese toast), the double-carb vada pau and all of the biryanis.

Dishoom Official

Monty's Deli

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Its Hoxton Street site may sadly have closed its doors, but Monty’s reuben (officially one of London’s best sandwiches) can still be enjoyed in Spitalfields and over in Victoria’s Market Hall by those suffering from a severe case of wine flu. Packed with pastrami, salt beef, cheese, mustard and pickles, there isn’t much it can’t fix.

A Montys Deli reuben sandwich, white bread stuffed with pastrami, cheese, sauerkraut and pickles Joe Woodhouse/Monty’s Deli

Cold pizza may be the traditional hangover fixer, but one fresh out of the oven is far less punitive. Theo’s is one of the few places in Camberwell (along with Silk Road) that command a wait for a table at the weekend. It’s well worth the queue, even with a sore head and bleary eyes — especially for the Camberwell scotch bonnet ‘nduja or the wood oven aubergine.

Nandine

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The exemplary Kurdish mezze platters that thrilled Jay Rayner when he visited Nandine are also one of south London’s finest hangover cures, should said malady persist into the evening. Choose from a meaty version featuring tamarind meatballs, a vegetarian one with toothsome grilled halloumi or a vegan plate with baba ghanoush, all of which come plentifully supplemented with pillowy-fresh bread. 

A mezze platter with various dishes surrounding a mound of rice. Nandine [Official Photo]

Sweat it out and soak it up at this purveyor of Japanese soul food that makes clear the debt it owes to Brixton Village and Market Row. Look out for The Leopard, a rich chilli-sesame pork broth, burnt garlic oil, pork belly, Parmesan, and Scotch bonnet bamboo shoot, jerk pork katsu sandos and a hearty plantain katsu curry.

Meatliquor

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The cure for a south-west London sesh can be be found in the same spot where it almost certainly began: Northcote Road. The new Meatliquor SW11 serves all the standard soaker-uppers, including the mustard-fried Dead Hippie and an excellent vegan number, the Burgaloo, made with a spiced potato, beetroot and black bean patty. The green chilli cheese fries do the job in exemplary fashion.

Ola Smit/Eater London

Balady

Some hangovers are so spirit-crushing that they render even the act of picking up cutlery nigh-on impossible. Step forwards the sabich at Temple Fortune legend Balady: an extremely sizeable pitta pocket loaded up with freshly fried aubergine, hard boiled eggs, hummus, chilli sauce and mango pickle. No knife or fork required, just a lot of napkins.

London’s best sandwiches: sabich at Balady Micaela Filippo/Instagram

Xi'an Impression London

There’s never a bad time to visit Xi’an Impression — but the peak of a booze-induced existential crisis is an especially good one. And however crashing the headache, it’s always worth fighting through the match-day hordes in Holloway for generous, restorative plates including ‘skin cold’ noodles, pulled pork burger and Biangbiang noodles in an assortment of hot, sweet, piquant guises.

Qishan noodles in a sour broth at Xi’an Impression, a Xi’an Chinese restaurant in north London Emma Hughes/Eater London

Black Axe Mangal

Loud music, massive flavours and an awful lot of offal: it’s kill or cure here. This isn’t the place to ease oneself gently back into the land of the living, but the hash browns, famous flatbreads and deep fried cherry pie were tailor made for absorbing the excesses of a big night (bonus: they do brunch too). Just don’t spend too long looking at the floor.

A flatbread topped with meat and vegetables, alongside curls of crackling, on a colorful tablecloth. Ola Smit

Delhi Grill

A stalwart across multiple editions of Eater London’s essential 38 restaurants, Delhi Grill knocks out affordable, (largely) Northern Indian plates in which the flavours are every bit as arresting as the dining room plastered in pastels and Bollywood posters. Anything from the tandoor is sure to be a success — sheekh kebabs and tandoori paneer are especially strong — while dhaba (roadside food stall) classics like railway lamb and butter chicken are just the ticket for anyone in need of traditional soothing.

Butter chicken, chicken fry and chutneys at Delhi Grill in Chapel Market, one of the best restaurants in Islington Ola Smit

Roti King

London’s favourite Malaysian Tamil restaurant’s phenomenal, flaky, fat-enriched roti canai, lentil curry and spicy noodle assemblies are all perfect for settling the stomach and the spirit. They’re now available in Victoria’s Market Hall too — good news for hangovers that began in south-east London, Brighton, or Kent.

Roti canai at Roti King, reopened in Euston Ola Smit/Eater London

Smokestak

The low lighting and soothing Nordic stylings at this Islington favourite are just the thing. Smokestak excels at meaty marvels: brisket buns with pickled chilli, pork belly rib and 30-day-dry-aged beef rib. The jacket potato with mustard rarebit and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream ice cream feel like sympathy on a plate.

Holborn Dining Room

When only triple carbs will do, make haste for the Holborn Dining Room. Pair one of Callum Franklin’s legendary pies — the potato, Comté and caramelised onion one suggests itself — with chips and champ for a never-fail remedy. Roll home afterwards and get straight back into bed.

Holborn Dining Room Official

Blacklock Soho

There are surprisingly few restaurants that better a home-cooked Sunday roast on a hangover. The sourcing of meat from one of Britain’s best butchers — Warren’s in Cornwall — together with enthusiastic portioning and solid trimmings make Blacklock’s one worth getting dressed for. During the week it’s central London’s finest chop house, too.

London’s best Sunday roasts: Blacklock steakhouse’s spread of steaks, lamb chops and pork chops Blacklock Official

Kiraku

Head to one of Ealing’s finest restaurants for a deeply restorative bowls of miso butter corn ramen, or atsu-atsu udon, winningly accessorised with greaseless, generous tempura of prawn. Kiraku’s enduring popularity means it’s not one for a spontaneous hangover visit — plan for a sore head in advance and make a booking.

Instagram/@kirakulondon

Dishoom Kensington

The bacon sandwich, a tried-and-true hangover cure, finds its fullest and most effective expression in Dishoom’s feted bacon naan. Also recommended: kejriwal (fried eggs on chilli-cheese toast), the double-carb vada pau and all of the biryanis.

Dishoom Official

Monty's Deli

Its Hoxton Street site may sadly have closed its doors, but Monty’s reuben (officially one of London’s best sandwiches) can still be enjoyed in Spitalfields and over in Victoria’s Market Hall by those suffering from a severe case of wine flu. Packed with pastrami, salt beef, cheese, mustard and pickles, there isn’t much it can’t fix.

A Montys Deli reuben sandwich, white bread stuffed with pastrami, cheese, sauerkraut and pickles Joe Woodhouse/Monty’s Deli

Theo's

Cold pizza may be the traditional hangover fixer, but one fresh out of the oven is far less punitive. Theo’s is one of the few places in Camberwell (along with Silk Road) that command a wait for a table at the weekend. It’s well worth the queue, even with a sore head and bleary eyes — especially for the Camberwell scotch bonnet ‘nduja or the wood oven aubergine.

Nandine

The exemplary Kurdish mezze platters that thrilled Jay Rayner when he visited Nandine are also one of south London’s finest hangover cures, should said malady persist into the evening. Choose from a meaty version featuring tamarind meatballs, a vegetarian one with toothsome grilled halloumi or a vegan plate with baba ghanoush, all of which come plentifully supplemented with pillowy-fresh bread. 

A mezze platter with various dishes surrounding a mound of rice. Nandine [Official Photo]

Nanban

Sweat it out and soak it up at this purveyor of Japanese soul food that makes clear the debt it owes to Brixton Village and Market Row. Look out for The Leopard, a rich chilli-sesame pork broth, burnt garlic oil, pork belly, Parmesan, and Scotch bonnet bamboo shoot, jerk pork katsu sandos and a hearty plantain katsu curry.

Meatliquor

The cure for a south-west London sesh can be be found in the same spot where it almost certainly began: Northcote Road. The new Meatliquor SW11 serves all the standard soaker-uppers, including the mustard-fried Dead Hippie and an excellent vegan number, the Burgaloo, made with a spiced potato, beetroot and black bean patty. The green chilli cheese fries do the job in exemplary fashion.

Ola Smit/Eater London