Perilla in Islington

Beautiful venue with a nice atmosphere, efficient and friendly service, and tasty food prepared with seasonal ingredients. Another great neighbourhood restaurant in this area

Wat een leuke vondst was dit fijne restaurantje! Perilla zit in een mooi pandje op een hoek met ramen rondom. De ruimte heeft een mooie lichte, maar ook warme sfeer. Er is veel aandacht aan het interieur besteed met mooi gemaakte houten meubels en leuke details zoals het besteklaatje (dat vinden wij als interieurfotograaf en stylist leuk om te zien). De sfeer is 's avonds heel ontspannen en gezellig met kaarsjes aan en iedereen die geanimeerd aan het praten is. De bediening is vriendelijk en beweegt zich soepel langs alle tafeltjes heen. Het eten was heerlijk en vooral ook verrassend. Het perzikgerechtje (mmmm) en de coquilles waren onze favorieten. Alle smaken en texturen komen voorbij, bij elk gerechtje werden we weer opnieuw verrast. En oh ja, het warme zuurdesem brood met brown butter is zo lekker knapperig en de boter zo romig, die moet je zeker ook bestellen. De porties zijn klein en verfijnd, waardoor het leuk is om meerdere gerechtjes te bestellen en met elkaar te delen, zodat je alles kan proeven. Perilla is wel wat prijziger maar absoluut de moeite waard en ons favoriete restaurant tijdens onze week in Londen. (Enige puntje wat wij nog op te merken hebben is dat het met een vol restaurant en de muziek aan wel iets rumoeriger kan worden. Het zou dan prettig zijn als de muziek qua volume wat meer op de achtergrond is).

Chef has just changed the tasting menu and we loved it. The peach dish was refreshing and the chicken on its nest of petit pois light and great for a hot night. Melissa guided us wonderfully on the exciting wine choices they have here and the El Mentridano Spanish light minerally red was a winner but the slightly zingy desert wine she paired with the elderflower and strawberry custard pudding was wonderful. We had warm service - the atmosphere was convivial and this is incredible value for the inventive dishes.

Such an incredible vibe, the food was immaculate. A great middle ground between fine dining and regular good food. The food was amazing, I’m a vegetarian and constantly get let down by good food places but this was amazing! Get the set menu 10/10 recommend. The little touches are great, staff are super friendly, they even have a little printed list to give you of all the bars they recommend after. Insane food, will be back!

First visit back here in a few years and the food was still as good as I remembered. Every dish was a revelation. Wonderful, warm & friendly service. Can’t recommend highly enough. It’s often booked up, so plan ahead; it’s well worth it.

Wonderful tasting menu. The dishes were beautifully thought out, complex flavour combinations and artistically presented. The bread is divine! The staff were excellent, attentive and efficient as well as friendly and helpful. Best meal we've had since leaving France in March. Please dont go if you're looking for big portions of average food. Find a chain restaurant for that.This restaurant is for those who love good food that has been lovingly created.

Date night delight - lovely romantic venue. Bar person was great and our maitre-de for the night evening. Food was exquisite with a mushroom feast with beef for the mains. Will we be going back - for sure!

What a Glorious night of wining and dining. Went for the full blow out - tasting menu and drinks pairing and it was delicious. Food wise the Scallops and Hen of the Woods dishes were extraordinary. While the drink stars just kept adding up. First time a pairing had really excelled, the sommelier rocked, charming and knowledgeable and she introduced us to Utopia an iced dessert cider that was a mouth orgasm. Each drink truly made the food shine. All the staff were great, making you feel instantly welcome, friendly and engaging creating a laid back atmosphere where you relax and savour every morsel and swig. They made my lovers Birthday a great night and following an accident with her necklace, they promised to seek out the missing earl for her and returned it the following day. Stirling work. Perilla is not cheap but for a special occasion it is worth every penny. Thanks for a Gorgeous Night.

What a great experience, we went to Perllla to celebrate a Birthday and we had a lovely night. We opted for the tasting menu and drinks pairing option and it was a delicious combination. The staff where utterly charming and knowledgeable, the food was a delight especially the scallops and hen of the wood mushroom, delectable. THe drinks pairing made the meal sing, the best we've had, in terms of complimenting the food, and bringing out the full flavour of the meal. ⁵So top Sommelier, fab chefs, great waiters and a lovely convivial atmosphere. Thanks everyone for a great night of wining and dining

Overall, the dining experience fell disappointingly short of expectations. The seemingly haphazard presentation of dishes left much to be desired in terms of coherence and timing. Beginning with an overpowering chorizo plate, it felt as though the chef disregarded any consideration for the subtleties of our palates. Each subsequent dish weighed heavily on the senses, with the radicchio pie serving as a lackluster finale that failed to inspire. Adding to the disappointment was the lack of engagement from the supposed "wine expert." Despite being offered a tasting, the departed without explanation or follow-up left much to be desired in terms of service and expertise. With a final bill over £200, the evening's dismal culinary journey left a bitter taste. The ambiance, marked by a chilly pace and glaring illumination, coupled with an ill-suited soundtrack of blaring pop music, failed to salvage what could have been a more enjoyable dining experience. In summary, an evening fraught with disappointment and missed opportunities.

Perilla might be OK if you want only to look at and admire food. The experience was more like “food sampling” than eating a generous meal. Portions are very small and expensive - main courses are akin to starters. Drinks too are expensive. We were hoping for a relaxed and long “catch up” with friends who were staying from the USA, but the meal was over very quickly, and we left feeling hungry and resentful. We found a bar and ate crisps.

The food tastes great. The set menu with the wine pairing is lovely. Only reason it gets one star is because I ended up with food poisoning after our meal. Spending the night crouched over the toilet seeing it I’m reverse sort of ruins the experience.

From the moment we walked in and we’re greeted by a friendly waiter behind the bar - Perilla oozed understated ‘non showy’ calm, confidence and elegance. The Sunday set menu was outstanding value (£37 for two courses; £45 for three) - with service change thoughtfully included in the prices. We started with roast celeriac, truffles and mushroom sauce which had a wonderful heady, smoky umami flavour - the vegetarian pie for main was superb - and the beef casserole pie with crispy pastry served with bubble and squeak was simply divine. For desert we had a amazing mixture of flavours; seaweed scone, clotted cream, blackcurrant and caramel sauce - every mouthful a delightful surprise. A special evening - where everything was simply perfect - Thank you!

Incredible restaurant, inventive cuisine. Friendly and professional service with a great funky wine pairing. Incredible experience for the price.

Had a late booking so lots of things on the menu were not available . However, the skate was nice. £14 for a mediocre doughnut for dessert seemed excessive. Service was good but overall experience rather average which was disappointing given how long it had taken me to reserve a table.

Some sublime food in a lovely setting. A lot of effort goes into the food and the service is matched. Would recommend to all.

Fantastic food. Relaxed atmosphere. Super cocktails. A really terrific restaurant. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Excellent food and wine. Very interesting dishes with lots of creative use of seasonal herbs and vegetables. Favourite dish was grilled mackerel with octopus and a strawberry sauce vierge. My husband and I were practically fighting for the last of the dressing. Very interesting wine list - lots of wine by the glass.

What food we had was very good, but small portions (as mentioned in an earlier review, light on carbs) and given size of portions pricing quite rich. Similarly wine good but expensive. Nice setting, but a bit tired - plant boxes outside would do with a bit of TLC and sprucing up. Service good and knowledgeable.

I absolutely adored dining at this restaurant. The food is incredible, the staff is hilarious and very accommodating. Thank you!

The cooking here is excellent. Don’t go if you’re hungry, though, you won’t get a proper feed, even if you eat three courses. The dishes are unbalanced and need more carbs. I had the steak and mussels. It could have passed for a starter. For a main course, there wasn’t enough of anything but the potato was especially lacking. The staff are cheerful and helpful, but rude with it in that they butted in to our conversation like it wasn’t happening. This happened every time they had to speak to us. Go to the Yeni Adana instead. It’ll cost you a fraction of the price, you’ll get an actual meal and the staff are unfailingly courteous.

Honestly this place is special, the staff are friendly and authentic in their approach. You are made to feel at home immediately. The food was just elite, we had the sourdough with brown butter, mushroom croquettes and roast duck for 2 with a bottle of house white between two (sensational)! Total came to be less than £120 and given the service and ambience this is a great price.

Nice restaurant with great service and interesting food. The choices were pretty limited, but all we got was tasteful.

5 stars is just not enough for Perilla! I can’t even begin to explain how insanely incredible the food is. The culmination of flavours and use of seasonal ingredients is what makes every dish sublime. Every time we’ve gone we’ve had a different menu and every time we go I’m certain that the next set menu cannot top the last but boy do they exceed all expectations. The dishes are far better than most restaurants I’ve been to in London and Perilla is an easy top 3 for any foodie

The ambience was nice - my type of music, free water and welcoming. We chose the Al-a-carte. Chose 5 sharing dishes. The tasting menu was just a shortened version but we were able to mix match. Wine started at nearly £36 but the £50 wine was fab. Sour dough Bread was portioned well .. after that it was a bit meagre. We chose greens with poached egg - ok, cauliflower mushroom (not expected - could’ve been explained), celeriac - ok . Coronation Chicken was the major disappointment - only two thin slices to share over an Asian curry sauce for £24. We complained .. the waiter couldn’t justify the price and agreed to remove it from the bill. He also gave us complimentary desserts. Throughout the waiter was understanding but the chicken was the overriding memory. Hopefully they’ve acted on our feedback and they will remember the birthday occasion stated

Visited This restaurant with a friend for a birthday. The food was really tasty and wine pairing was also really interesting. The atmosphere was lively and the service good, however it all felt a bit rushed and we would have liked longer between courses to make more of an evening of it. My main criticism is the cost/ value for money. We had the tasting menu and wine pairing so it was about £110 each, which is a lot of money for not a lot of food or wine. Cheapest bottle of white wine was £43. Although I enjoyed it I won’t be returning for this reason.

Only live around the corner- so long overdue a visit....and WOW The food is amazing- not your typical local. Inventive, delicious and great quality produce. Sat at the bar- perfect for a date. Very reasonable prices considering the food quality

Perilla is just the best restaurant in the area including Upper Street within the concept of "area". Food is excellent, wine is excellent.. all in a relaxing setting. The menu changes frequently according to ingredients availability and season.

My birthday lunch out with family, smoked Mackerel, Bream with Moules Marinere, Ragu of Cumbrian Beef and a seaweed doughnut all perfectly cooked and served by the attentive not over attentive staff. A delight. Thank you Matt & Ben & Staff

Not enough adjectives to describe how incredible our experience at Perilla was. Food was out of this world. Each course in the 5 course taster was presented beautifully and tasted delicious. The celeriac and braised green starter was a particular highlight just for how unexpected...

One of my favourite London neighbourhood experiences. We had a lovely night with friends and loved everything from the decor and ambiance (including the unusual cutlery tables) to the great service and fabulous flavours. Really decently priced for the fixed menu - this is one...

They are already amazing in normal times, but are now clearly our favourite for take home dinners during Corona lockdown times. Like no other restaurant we tried, they manage to offer really tasteful and sophisticated dishes to warm-up at home. Real masters in combining ingredients...

I've been coming to perilla for a little while now, and have always loved the food and service. However this evening things have changed. Some restaurants seem somehow to have lost something post covid. Lost what made them special. I'm happy to say that Ben...

Just had an awful experience there. The manager reminded me of a middle class school boy, smug and arrogant. Honestly spend your money somewhere else. Not a nice vibe at all.

Innovative interesting restaurant in newington green. Fascinating tasting menu. Unusual and delicious wine options Would definitely return!

Fantastic meal with family on a busy Saturday night. Food and service exceptional, wine paring excellent, had a fantastic evening at Perilla, cannot recommend highly enough, will be back.

One of my favourites! Delicious, creative food- great atmosphere and lovely staff. The onion soup is something else..

Mushroom Tart was fantastic. The interior is minimal and relaxing. Customer service was also very good. Definitely I will repeat visiting there.

Did I mention how delicious Perilla was? We ordered the set menu, which was around £50 a head. Boy, was it something special. So many different flavours, colours and textures that all compliment each other very well. The portion sizes are misleading at first, but...

They’re really trying to make great food here. Most of it works. Atmos nice. Really enjoyed the evening.

Excellent food, don't need to say much about it just Excellent. Service is good too. The price is more than average in the neighbourhood.

Another fantastic evening spent at Perilla the flavours burst in the mouth, just perfect Ben and Matt have a lovely team to help make your perfect evening many thanks again

Saw Neil Rankins review of this restaurant in December and just had to go. The battered fish with chip shop curry sauce was out of this world! The batter was the lightest and crispiest i have ever tasted. The onion soup in the middle of...

I’ve been a couple of times in the last two months and I love it. It has become one of my fav restaurants in London. Love the environment, the decoration the amazing service and obviously the food. On the first time we didn’t choose the...

Love the setting, the room feels spacious and somewhat timeless. The tables are not crammed in but leave room for people and staff to manoeuvre easily. The list of cocktails was short but excellent. The wine list brief but excellent. The only downside of the...

Périlla is the kind of restaurant you wish there were more of in London. The concept seems simple- talented chef, excellent food, cosy local venue, professional staff, innovative wine list and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the type of dinning experience that has replaced the silver...

I’m amazed to see this place so positively reviewed, because it’s a pretty niche experience! I’m never mad on these try-hard small plates places so I’m probably not the target audience, but I was taken here as part of a group. My experiences of similar...

We had a wonderful lunch here a few weeks ago, food was cooked to perfection and the kitchen is innovative, modern and just really really good. We had the tasting menu and it was a great selection of items, my favourtie was yesterdays bread soaked...

My last visit was possibly 2 years ago. We chose the shared saddle of hare which came with mushroom gratin dauphinoise so were advised one starter each would be enough. The Greek salad was a fantastic surprise (which I won’t spoil), and the olive dressing...

Great service, super nice and friendly staff/chefs, great and interesting food! A night which stays in mind as a great experience and memory. I had a fantastic evening in this beautiful restaurant. And I will definitely be back! Greetings, Anne

This is an amazing restaurant. I have no idea why they don’t have a Michelin star! Every dish was cooked to bring out the best flavours in the ingredients. The hake fried in beef fat, the mussel bread and the mushroom tart tasted unlike anything...

Had the set menu, which was absolutely delicious. Unusual, well balanced flavours, really fantastic. Service just seemed quite bored and indifferent, and without humour. We took the wine pairings which were delicious but the servings were parsimonious, especially when one was nursing what was 3...

Simply excellent. Every course was exquisite, the wine was superb and service was charming. We loved it. We particularly liked the Greek salad.

This food is incredible, and absolutely superb service. I particularly loved the seaweed puttanesca and onion soup - to DIE for!

service impeccable - perfectly informal and highly informed staff, no interruptions but equally up for explaining the dishes delicious plates - melt in the mouth moules amouse bouche and when you think it can't get any better, the puddings are totally divine good spot, great...

This restaurant is a really foodies heaven. The restaurant it’s self is very quirky and the staff are very welcoming. They give the most beautiful home made bread to start with and a gorgeous fish in a peanut curry starter. The best bit was the...

Booked on a whim based on my girlfriend visiting a friend in the area. Seated at the bar and was not prepared for one of the best dining experiences of my year so far! Inventive, delicious dishes, with an onion soup served in an onion,...

Service - Attentive, friendly although took 2.5 hours for tasting menu to be completed. Food - Great skill and concepts but many dishes lacked flavor i.e Deep fried Hake topped with salsa and served with Curry sauce. Salsa needed more acidity and/or the punchy salty...

We had my birthday dinner last night! Fabulous food! Fabulous service! Thanks for looking after us!!

This restaurant came highly recommended and didn't disappoint! In fact, I would say it's now one of the best restaurants in London. The staff are charming, humorous and incredibly efficient. And as for the food...wow wow wow. We had the tasting menu and were blown...

This is by far the best restaurant we’ve been to in a very long time. We had the tasting menu and every mouthful was sensational. The presentation, flavours and quality were top notch. The ambience was as warm as it was cool - great lighting...

The staff are all extremely friendly and efficient. The food was delicious though a few more vegetarian options would have been good. Having said that, the greens salad was stunning and tasted delicious. The bread was fantastic too. And the chocolate dessert was one of...

I can well see why people give it 5 stars. Really quirky and interesting menu. Great flavours and lovely staff. Why 4 stars ? when I go for a meal I like some sort of a theme ….Italian , French, Greek etc etc MasterChef chefs...

It’s quite rare I feel the need to review a restaurant online. Perilla is a fantastic restaurant. The service is the best I’ve had dining in London. Unintrusive, fun, relaxed and prompt. The menu gave me a beaming smile. Fantastic takes on comfort classics. Menus...

Great place, great vibe. Super friendly foh and chefs. They always go to extra lengths to make sure you have a great time. Absolutely delicious food. Cannot go wrong. Don’t miss! Special thanks to Maz on the bar ;)

I hate to write a slightly negative review as I know how hard these guys are working and we did have a good evening out. Some dishes were outstanding including the Onion Soup and the Mussel Bread. The puds were a bit hit and miss....

This is very local to where I live, and have passed it many times. With its full length glass windows onto a busy corner of Newington Green it presents a lively bistro-type atmosphere. Finally a friend and I visited, and found the menu delightful. The...

We went after seeing Ben on “ Great British Menu” and he didn’t disappoint, we chose the tasting menu with wine pairings, loved all of it and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, in fact we are still talking about it 24 hours later.......see you again...

We sampled the tasting menu with wine flight at this hip north London hangout. The interior appears effortlessly chic with tables apparently made out of large pieces of driftwood. The appetisers were a delight, particularly yesterday’s bread soaked in moules mariniere; a great way to...

We had a Friday evening meal here and left a little disappointed. The welcome was lovely, the staff friendly, the atmosphere absolutely buzzing and we felt sure we were in for a lovely evening. But the food was a little ordinary and fell short (in...

Have wanted to visit for a while and so happy when I booked for my anniversary. We opted for the set menu which I would recommend to anyone going as you get to try a bit of everything. The “snacks” starters were incredible. Small plates...

Spent lovely afternoon enjoying lunch. Top class produce, cooked with finesse and creatively presented. Atmosphere relaxed . Environment and service perfectly understated . Nothing too much trouble. Can not over recommend!

We tried the tasting menu with accompanying wines. The food was beautifully presented and delicious. Although the menu kicked off really well some attention grabbing starters, the subsequent dishes and wines struggled to maintain these very high standards. That's not to say they weren't delicious,...

We ate here this week to celebrate our Sons 25th Birthday; he lives in Stoke Newington so had picked it out. Modern decor, I felt like I was in a restaurant in Berlin, all quite rough, but comfortable. On a Wednesday night, the restaurant was...

No wonder this was rated in the top 100 of London restaurants! I live really nearby and it is busy every night of the week and it's easy to see why. They've absolutely nailed it with a great balance between being friendly and cozy but...

I struggled here. I was very much looking forward to trying this place out. Its a very cool room, the staff were lovely and faultlessly professional but the food ultimately disappointed. The chefs obviously know what they're doing, I just think maybe I don't like...

I had met up with two friends and the waiter could not have been more helpful in guiding us through what to order, and in which order to have the various dishes, We ordered 2 each of 4 savouries to get a good range of...

Why can’t all restaurants be like this? Ben Marks and all the talented team deserve an award for getting it right. A trendy simple space with large Windows. A great welcome and pleasant and knowledgeable servers greeted us and gave us a lovely table. The...

Great little restaurant. Small enough to be intimate, big enough to have a buzz. Just right. Service is impeccable, yet informal and friendly. Staff know the food and the wine, which is always a blessing. Food is great, a good fusion of skilled cooking yet...

Dinner was two sharing plates each and a shared bread with a caraf of wine Imaginatively presented you have to enjoy small dishes....and not be starving. Quality is unquestionably good but overly priced. Busy and buzzy and full of successful thirty somethings. We wouldn’t return...

Pleasant small restaurant with nice atmosphere. Opted for the set meal which was perhaps too quickly served. The bread soaked in mussel juice was tasty. The cod in pea was a little overpowered. The final course was lamb which was good but possibly would have...

I really like the food and wine! Unique combinations which tasted amazing. Would definitively recommend if you have a taste for gourmet type of things. Only thing I will say is that the portions are not very big and it is very expensive. Getting the...

The 2 of us chose to eat 6 sharing dishes. Really full of flavour - outstanding Petit Pois a la Francaise & Braised Pearl Barley - others very good. Wine menu made me laugh - you don’t often see ‘orange’ wine on the wine list...

Totally blown away by the whole evening. We had the tasting menu: every dish was outstanding, not overly fussy or pretentious but simply delicious. Wonderful service from friendly and attentive staff, lovely bottle of interesting wine and the whole place had a real buzz and...

I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to try this restaurant. Firstly, the location is coozy like the kitchen of a house. Secondly, the food is made of simple ingredients but the results of the mixer is absolutely originally perfectly balanced. The mushroom was...

For the prices charged I thought the food would be great - quite the opposite was true. My first course was inedible (just bones and fat) and my main was tiny- not even the size of a normal side. Having spent £40 on 2 courses...

My husband and I visited Perilla for our anniversary and were blown away by the standard of the restaurant. The decor of the restaurant is warm and inviting with a great playlist to complement the mood. The service was also impeccable as our particular waiter...

Very disappointing and awful food combinations. Onion soup comes in an onion but that's where the onion content ends! A green liquid with nuts in it! Chowder is a do it yourself effort. Corn still in its casing to be scouped out and added to...

Everything about this place is 5 stars. The food was outstanding, really fairly priced for exceptional quality, in a really relaxed atmosphere. I just wish it was closer to my house!

We visited for a Saturday lunch, and the restaurant was so warm and inviting with candles already lit and tables beautifully laid. The food was reasonable and delicious, the butter - incredible. Everyone at the table adored their dishes and had the best time -...

Despite living within 100m of Perilla, this was only my second visit since it opened. Both times, the food, service and wine have been fantastic. Have really enjoyed the inventive tasting menus and paired wines. It is certainly not cheap, but it is one of...

Great dinner spot in Newington Green: cool vibes with an open kitchen/bar, great menu that changes daily and according to the season, and not too crowded even on a Friday evening (although I'd advise making a booking). We shared 5 dishes for two, which seemed...

Four of us had dinner and we were very lucky that they managed to get us a table as they were busy. There were obviously tables who were celebrating and the place had a very pleasant buzz without being noisy. AS I have come to...

I had dinner at Perilla f in early June and was seriously impressed. The welcome is very warm, the service is helpful, assured and friendly, the ambience relaxed and enjoyable. Most importantly the food is outstanding, this is a kitchen producing plates of innovative, exciting...

This place was an amazing experience full of taste and emotions. You can’t find This star food in another place. The athmosfere and the location is lovely as well and romantic . They changed menu every week so Just go and enjoy it will amazing...

Went along here on a recommendation, someone at work who likes the finer things in life shall we say...and makes their own almond butter. Anyway I digress. So the venue itself is bright and well laid out. The wine list is a good size, but...

Had a really nice dinner here with my wife and daughter. The menu is fairly brief and the smallish dishes are ideal for sharing. We may well have sampled around half the entire menu, plus we had drinks to start followed by a very nice...

Went to Perilla last night for my birthday and also my sister in law’s birthday. Such a lovely place with a really nice atmosphere. Food was outstanding, I have no idea how they create such incredible tastes, really really delicious! The staff have an amazing...

We came to Perilla very soon after it opened, had the tasting menu which seemed to consist mostly of cabbage in various ways. I believe I spotted a slice or two of lamb. Frankly the meal was very disappointing and we won't return but I...

The food was actually very tasty however we found the pricing to be sky high given the portions are on the light side. The staff we felt were a little aloof to boot. Avoid unless you enjoy being fleeced.