Dining
The 6 Best Chicken Wings in London
Six spots serving London's best chicken wings, from a Here East bar with twenty rotating flavours to a Thai grill known for sticky fish sauce wings.
In short: our top picks are Randy's Wing Bar, Wingmans and Thunderbird Fried Chicken. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Wings became their own category of London dining once specialists stopped treating them as a side order and started building whole menus around them. Randy’s Wing Bar alone keeps more than twenty flavours in rotation, which tells you how far the format has come. The six places below range from dedicated wing bars to restaurants where wings are just one dish among many but happen to be the one everyone orders. Both approaches can work, provided the kitchen actually cares about the fry.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Randy's Wing Bar | Hackney Wick | ££ |
| Wingmans | Soho | ££ |
| Thunderbird Fried Chicken | Charing Cross | ££ |
| Smoking Goat | Shoreditch | ££ |
| MEATliquor | Marylebone | ££ |
| FOWL | Piccadilly Circus | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Randy's Wing Bar
Why we pick itRandy's Wing Bar won Wingfest and has kept more than twenty flavours in rotation since, running from a classic buffalo to jerk and truffle parmesan. The Here East branch sits right on the canal, which makes it a good stop after a walk around the Olympic Park.
Wing bar with rotating flavours
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Wingmans
Why we pick itWingmans built a following through pop ups before settling into a permanent room on Old Compton Street, and the wings come tossed in sauces that change with the seasons alongside a fixed core range. It gets busy fast on a Friday night, so go early if you want a table.
Worth knowingSmall and loud once evening service picks up, and without a booking a wait for a table is common; go earlier or on a weekday for a calmer meal.
Chicken wing specialist
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Thunderbird Fried Chicken
Why we pick itThunderbird has sat between Charing Cross and Embankment since 2017 and its halal wings, in flavours from Korean BBQ to habanero hot, have made it one of the most awarded independent chicken spots in London. It is fast, cheap and reliably good.
Halal fried chicken and wings
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Smoking Goat
Why we pick itSmoking Goat is a Thai grill rather than a wing specialist, but its chicken wings, marinated and finished with a tangy chilli fish sauce glaze, have become one of the dishes regulars order without fail. The Shoreditch High Street room gets loud and the tables sit close together, which suits the food.
Worth knowingSkip it if you want subtlety or a quiet table
Thai bar and grill
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MEATliquor
Why we pick itMEATliquor made its name on smash burgers, but the wings, tossed in a hot sauce and blue cheese dip, are just as much a reason people queue outside the Margaret Street branch. The dark, dive bar room is part of the appeal.
Worth knowingReliably good rather than exceptional now London is full of burger joints, and no bookings for small groups on weekend evenings.
Dive bar burgers and wings
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FOWL
Why we pick itFOWL uses the whole bird, and its signature wings, tossed in a black garlic buffalo sauce and served with a bonito buttermilk dip, show a more refined approach than most wing specialists attempt. It sits just around the corner from its sister restaurant Fallow.
Worth knowingPortions are inconsistent: the smaller starters read thin for the price given the premium positioning.
Whole bird chicken restaurant
Before you book
Wing portions vary a lot between these six, so check with staff if the order is priced by the piece or by weight before you commit to a large order. Randy’s and Thunderbird both run limited time flavours, so it is worth asking what is currently on rotation rather than sticking to the printed menu.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Randy's Wing Bar is our editor's choice: Randy's Wing Bar won Wingfest and has kept more than twenty flavours in rotation since, running from a classic buffalo to jerk and truffle parmesan. The Here East branch sits right on the canal, which makes it a good stop after a walk around the Olympic Park. Randy's Wing Bar, Wingmans and Thunderbird Fried Chicken lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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