Where to Eat Near Cartwright Gardens and Around Bloomsbury

Best places to eat in Bloomsbury London

One of the most common questions we’re asked by guests staying here at the Mentone hotel is where to eat in Bloomsbury London.

If you zoom in on Cartwright Gardens on Google Maps, you’ll see a fair few knife and fork icons dotted around the area. You’ll also spot many of the top restaurants near Cartwright Gardens that our guests have come to love. It’s safe to say there is pretty much something for everyone in terms of places to eat near Cartwright Gardens London. But as our guests always say, it’s nice to have a personal recommendation.

As a family-run hotel, we love nothing more than a local, family-run restaurant, especially one with an interesting history behind it. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you some of the local eateries that have become our family’s personal favourites over the years, and which we’re happy to recommend to our guests.

Where to eat near Cartwright Gardens London – our personal recommendations

These are the restaurants that our family regularly recommend to our guests:

North Sea Fish Restaurant

Restaurant / Takeaway
Visit website
View the menus
7-8 Leigh Street WC1H 9EW
Bookings: 0207 387 5892 / info@northseafishrestaurant.co.uk
Open: Monday – Saturday (Monday for dinner only)

This takeaway and restaurant is literally a one minute walk from the Mentone. It’s been run by the same family since the late 1970s when I was a child and my mum and dad ran the hotel.

It originally started life as just a small takeaway fish and chip shop with very few seats. But in 1977, it was bought out by businessman Edward Beauchamp who grew it into the thriving eatery it is today. Mr Beauchamp sadly passed away suddenly in 1989, but his widow, a first rate cook, took over running the restaurant alongside their two sons.

Nowadays, The North Sea Fish Restaurant is run by one of the sons and his partner as a family business. I’d definitely call it an institution around here – it’s even one of the landmarks on the London Taxi Drivers Knowledge – and we’ve heard that American visitors call ahead when visiting to make sure they get their table.

For us, it’s definitely one of the best places to eat in Bloomsbury. The menu is varied – naturally you’ve got your cod, haddock, skate, plaice and rock eel – but North Sea ups the ante, offering the likes of Dover sole, Scotch salmon, halibut, sea bass and lemon sole.

There are also homemade fishcakes (try cod and haddock or salmon and leek), pan fried jumbo prawns with garlic and chilli or battered with curry mayo, and Cornish hand-dived scallops in a shallot and white wine sauce.

Children are catered for with a dedicated menu, and there’s also a selection of starters and desserts as well as an extensive wine menu.

In our opinion North Sea is definitely worth a visit for dinner or lunch in Bloomsbury – but we highly recommend booking ahead. It also makes a great dinner stop if you’re out enjoying the nightlife in Bloomsbury.

The Lord John Russell

Pub restaurant
Visit website
91-93 Marchmont Street WC1N 1AL
Bookings: 0207 388 0500
Open: Saturday 12-11pm, Sunday 12-10.30pm, Monday to Friday 11.30am – 11pm

For anyone looking for places to eat near Bloomsbury, the Lord John Russell Pub is, in our opinion, one of the top choices. It’s just around the corner from the hotel and well known for its cask ales.

Whilst from a food point of view they only do lunch, it’s traditional English fare and the Sunday roast – served till 7pm – is fantastic – especially the dessert.

There’s seating outside where you can watch the world go by, and the service is friendly and helpful.

If you’re looking for suggestions on where to eat near Cartwright Gardens London, I have to say – and my family will back me up – if you like traditional English food, give the Lord John Russell a try.

Pitted Olive

Restaurant / Takeaway
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3 Leigh Street WC1H 9EW
Bookings: 07507 307482
Open: Monday – Saturday 9am-5pm

Another restaurant that’s just a minute’s walk from the Mentone, the Pitted Olive always has people queuing out of the door, especially at lunchtime.

This small and friendly Turkish eatery is all about the fresh, tasty home-cooked cuisine and friendly service with a smile.

Just be warned there isn’t a lot of seating, so if you’re visiting at a busy time, be prepared to wait because it’s a favourite amongst the local student population (and their teachers!). Of course you could just grab a takeaway and sit yourself in Cartwright Gardens and watch the world go by. It’s a great way to do lunch in Bloomsbury like a local — and if you fancy something sweet or a good cup of coffee after, there are some great cafés and coffee shops in Bloomsbury just around the corner.

We like the Pitted Olive because the owner is passionate about the food he serves. It’s predominantly Turkish mezze, and you can expect big portions for a very reasonable price. Lots of people refer to this place as a ‘hidden gem’, and I can go along with that.

A bit of insider info… the owner of the Pitted Olive is not far off re-opening the Balfour Restaurant on the corner of Marchmont Street and Tavistock Place. He’ll be doing what he does best and sticking with Turkish mezze. So watch this space and I’ll update this post as soon as we have the opening date and more information.

Hare & Tortoise Bloomsbury

Restaurant / Takeaway
Visit website
View the menus
11-13 The Brunswick WC1N 1AF
Bookings: 0207 278 9799 / bloomsbury@hareandtortoise.co.uk
Open: Monday – Sunday 12 noon – 9.30pm

Sounds like the name of a pub – but it’s actually a noodle bar – and my family are once-a-week regulars here.

Five minutes’ walk from the Mentone and situated within the Brunswick Centre, this is another local eatery where you’ll regularly see people queuing out of the door.

The owners – Ding Chu and his business manager wife Yvonne – have a total of five restaurants and a further two delivery outlets in various locations across London.

Bloomsbury was their flagship branch, opened in 1996 by Ding Chu who’d been in the traditional Chinese cuisine game for 25 years. His vision was to create a casual dining restaurant serving – as they put it – ‘authentic fresh Asian dishes for hungry Londoners on the go’.

We can definitely vouch for the freshness and amazing flavour of the food, and considering we’re in the heart of London, it’s really not a bad price either.

Menus include a variety of tempura dishes, sashimi, nigiri, maki, sushi boxes, donburi, noodles, ramen dishes and rice dishes. You’ll also find a host of extras, side dishes and salads. It’s for sure a firm favourite for Mentone Hotel guests looking for places to eat near Bloomsbury.

Pasta Sophia

Italian Restaurant
Visit website
47 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AP
Bookings: 020 783 77718 / info@pastasophia.com
Open: Monday – Saturday 5pm-10.30pm

My daughter Gabriella and I attended the opening of Pasta Sophia in June 2025. It’s just around the corner from the hotel – and it was fantastic.

We began our meal with typical Italian appetisers – arancini (rice balls) and fritto misto – both were wonderful. Then for the main course, we went for the seafood pasta and parmigiana – again, top quality.

For dessert, we opted for tiramisu and Basque cheesecake. Gabriella absolutely loved the cheesecake – she said it was ‘out of this world’.

Mark, the owner, has a wide knowledge of wines – and even though I can’t recall which one I didn’t try, they were all very moreish!

Considering what you usually pay to eat out in London – and especially bearing in mind the fantastic quality here – I must say that Pasta Sophia is extremely reasonable.

Visiting London? We’d love to welcome you at the Mentone Hotel.

If you’d like to make a booking at The Mentone, please get in touch. All direct bookings benefit from a 10% discount and complimentary breakfast. And we’ll be happy to direct you to the best places to eat in Bloomsbury London for lunch and dinner during your stay – just ask!

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