Dining
The 7 Best Pho in London
London's best pho comes from Kingsland Road veterans, a Soho institution and a plain room out past Rotherhithe that regulars swear beats them all.
In short: our top picks are Song Que Cafe, Cay Tre and Cafe East. 7 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Pho is simple on paper, beef or chicken broth, rice noodles, herbs, but a good bowl takes hours of bones and charred aromatics to get right, and a bad one tastes like stock cubes with noodles added. London’s Vietnamese community has been running pho kitchens on Kingsland Road since the 1980s, well before pho turned into a nationwide chain concept. The restaurants below range from no frills cafes with laminated menus to slicker rooms doing bone marrow pho topped with a grilled marrowbone. Price rarely reflects quality here, some of the cheapest bowls on this list beat the more expensive ones on flavour alone. Order the specials rather than the safe option, that is usually where the kitchen is putting its effort.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Song Que Cafe | Shoreditch | ££ |
| Cay Tre | Shoreditch | ££ |
| Cafe East | Rotherhithe | ££ |
| Viet Grill | Shoreditch | ££ |
| Mien Tay | Shoreditch | ££ |
| Sen Viet | ||
| Pho, Clerkenwell | Clerkenwell | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
Song Que Cafe
Why we pick itSong Que has run out of the same Kingsland Road address for decades and still gets called London's best Vietnamese kitchen by people who have eaten everywhere else on the street. The broth is clear rather than cloudy, and the noodles are blanched fresh rather than sitting in hot water.
Veteran Vietnamese kitchen on Kingsland Road
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Cay Tre
Why we pick itCay Tre's Dean Street branch runs ten variations of pho, including a bone marrow version topped with a grilled marrowbone finished under a robata grill. It was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants to open in London and it still sets the standard others get compared to.
Soho Vietnamese restaurant famed for bone marrow pho
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Cafe East
Why we pick itCafe East, out past Rotherhithe, is worth the trip on the Overground for a broth that regulars argue is the best in the city. It is a plain room with a short menu, and pho is clearly the only thing that matters here.
Worth knowingA deliberate trip out to Surrey Quays rather than a passing visit, with no atmosphere to speak of; check opening days before travelling.
No frills Vietnamese cafe in Rotherhithe
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Viet Grill
Why we pick itViet Grill sits on what is known as London's Pho Mile, and its version pairs classic broth with Vietnamese barbecue plates if you want more than soup on the table. Portions are large enough that ordering a starter as well is optional rather than expected.
Vietnamese restaurant on London's Pho Mile
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Mien Tay
Why we pick itMien Tay's Kingsland Road site has been a family run fixture for years, with siblings running sister branches in Fulham and Battersea. The clay pot dishes are worth ordering alongside the pho if there is more than one of you at the table.
Family run Vietnamese restaurant
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Sen Viet
Why we pick itSen Viet is a small, easy to miss room on King's Cross Road that does proper pho alongside summer rolls and banh mi. It is a useful stop before or after a train at King's Cross or St Pancras rather than a destination in its own right.
Small Vietnamese restaurant near King's Cross
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Pho, Clerkenwell
Why we pick itThe original Pho restaurant opened on St John Street in Clerkenwell in 2005 and started the chain that now has dozens of branches across the country. The Clerkenwell site still has the same simple format, a handful of pho options, spring rolls and quick service that made the concept work in the first place.
Original branch of London's Vietnamese chain
Before you book
A bowl of pho typically runs from 9 to 14 pounds depending on the cut of meat and the restaurant. Kingsland Road spots like Song Que and Viet Grill do not need advance booking for one or two people but fill up on weekend evenings, larger groups should call ahead. Lunchtime on a weekday is the quietest and fastest time to eat, most of these places turn tables quickly rather than encouraging a long stay.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Song Que Cafe is our editor's choice: Song Que has run out of the same Kingsland Road address for decades and still gets called London's best Vietnamese kitchen by people who have eaten everywhere else on the street. The broth is clear rather than cloudy, and the noodles are blanched fresh rather than sitting in hot water. Song Que Cafe, Cay Tre and Cafe East lead the guide, with 7 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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