Banner's Restaurant

Really, really lovely restaurant, with a very cool vibe. The Jerk Chicken is pretty legendary here, and rightfully so, it was the best jerk I've tasted. The service was extremely friendly and charming and the prices were quite reasonable. Unfortunately, it might close in September, so please go if you get the chance. It will be a real loss to Crouch End if it does.

Popular local restaurant in North London, staff and extremely welcoming and accommodating made that our large party was comfortable whislt attending to other. All meals arrived at the same time and drinks promptly. The atmosphere was upbeat without being overbearing. The meals were well presented and cooked perfectly. We visited on a Saturday and I would definitely recommend banners restaurant in Crouch End for an evening event.

One of the best restaurants in Crouch End, cozy & welcoming, the food is great, fresh, descent size, a good selection of cocktails and dessert. The service is really good. Family friendly and also great to dine alone.

Been coming here for years. It always delivers. Came for an impromptu lunch date and it was packed, but we managed to get a decent table. Service was brilliant and the food was everything we wanted it to be. Decent portions, tasty and good ambiance.

We have to the banners on many times. This was our first one this year. Throughly enjoyed breakfast today. Just the right portion, cooked well and very tasty.

The menu was good in principle and there was choice for Gluten free (meals and bread available) and veggie. However time taken for service was just appalling even though friendly and upbeat. We saw 2 groups leave because of the time it took to seat, serve or pay. Such a shame because it could be improved by being a bit more organised or having more staff. Food was average when it came out. There was an additional charity donation that was not mentioned that just arrived on the bill, even though I would want to, it should be communicated. Generally massively overpriced for what it is. Classic London!

It is obviously a clear hit in the area. Family, friends and pets gather here. No matter how full it is, people seem to enjoy the atmosphere. Staff are well known, friendly and accommodating.

Amazing food, many veggie options, many non veggie options. Great atmosphere and nice, friendly staff. The chutney could be a bit more blended. Familiar environment.

the food used to be good and a decent veriaty however when I went there was nothing that I would pay to eat

My favourite place to eat in Crouch End, if I can get a table that is! I'm a big fan of their version of jerk chicken! It was a slight bastardisation of what I'm used to, but even though it's not quite authentic, it was bloody lovely! The addition of a pot of peanut sauce is GENIUS! I opted for a coke float, although I was hoping for a can of Ting or some Bigga Grape, but meh, the coke float was pretty great too! Mrs D had a fry-up which looked great, but couldn't compete with my chicken. It's not a cheap meal out, and some of the staff seem to cope with the constant throng of customers better than others, but I love it here anyway, and I'll definitely be back.

I LOVE this place. I visited for the first time last year and am utterly addicted to their jerk chicken. It's truly immense. I went travelling for 7 months in between now and then and can sincerely say their food is the stuff you dream about when you're stuck in the middle of a strange country without your home comforts. It was also one of my first stops upon returning to London. My only slight criticism is the amount of time you sometimes wait to be served and perhaps certain staff could be slightly more friendly, but it is a minor flaw in an otherwise great restaurant. I recommend the jerk chicken sandwich, jerk chicken salad and jerk pork chop which is often on special. If you're not a fan of 'the jerk' don't worry, you can't go far wrong with any of the dishes really. And the prices are very reasonable. And as a quick aside I have dined on a table next to Simon Pegg, held the door open for Victoria Wood as she was leaving and there's a plaque claiming Bob Dylan was there in 1993. If it's good enough for them...

We were here for lunch, but took the opportunity to have a second breakfast. We were made to feel really at home by the staff, assisted by the fact that it is a really cosy place. The service was great; I ordered a milkshake to get going, chocolate and banana, really fantastic and gone in a minute flat unfortunately. Followed by some really good coffee and a Jamaican breakfast with ackee, bacon, boiled eggs, spicy beans, hash browns and warm traditional roti. It was made really well and worth it just for finding out what ackee is and to have a roti for breakfast... The hash browns were unusual and delicious too.

Banners is a really cool, quaint little restaurant in Crouch End. It's pretty unassuming from the outside but I love the interior - an eclectic mix of art, movie posters and bits and bobs all thrown together to give it a really homely, arty vibe. The menu is pretty simple and it's not too expensive. You can order anything from fish and chips to fish cakes, salads and potato wedges. There's also coffee, tea and juice on offer. This seems like a little family run place, there are mums and kids here, young couple and groups of friends - a very friendly atmosphere indeed. This place caters for everyone, whether you're a veggie or a meaty or simply can't decide on what kind of cuisine to eat on a night out. Great for Crouch End locals but a little out of the way if you're not a north Londoner.

I've never had Carribbean food before but I will again after that! I had the goat and coconut roti and my boyfriend had the jerk chicken with rice and peas. We ordered a side of plantain. The food was absolutely incredible - we couldn't stop taking bites of each other's food because they were both so good! There was so much of it that we had it boxed up to take home for tomorrow's lunch. The restaurant is narrow and busy, so clearly popular, which is why people seem to say that it's noisy, but if it is, it's definitely in a good way. It's just a great place to eat! There is a relaxed vibe and we really enjoyed it.

Brilliant breakfasts and they always try and accomadate if you drop by without booking. So try and book! Great iin the evenings for drinks, delicious food. Buzzy sunny window seats or cosy nooks. It's BUSY, if you're looking for somewhere quiet don't go. And beware of the buggies, it can get a bit buggie hectic, no offense parents. They are great with kids - offering them crayons and the like.

Came here for a meal (quite early) so there were plenty of kids and families about. Apparently the later you come the more likely you have to wait for a table. The place is cool, a mix between a Mexican/South American and Jamaican type vibe with an eclectic mix of food. The staff are friendly and prompt, the food is packed full of flavor and the general feel is just fun. We had the Jerk chicken wings to start, these guys were spicy hot and tasty, I personally didn't like the amount of skin left on, but everyone at the table seemed to have no issue with it. For mains we had the Goan chicken curry, a mild coconut style curry with coconut rice and a roti. And we also shared the beef tacos. These were my favorite, they were full of spicy, smokey and tasty goodness. Dessert was a Belgian waffle with ice cream and Nutella. The waffle was hot, but quite hard. I feel like a dash of maple syrup under the ice cream would have gone down well on it to make it a little more moist. Overall, great night, good food!

It's all about the Jerk Chicken in this place. It's a huge hearty portion and it's a local treasure that has been around for years that is family friendly. Really really good rice and pea that comes with chicken and a great peanut sauce also. Just a fantastic reliable place to eat food at.

When looking for a place to meet a friend for breakfast/brunch, Banner's came up on yelp and it looked like a winner. My friend then suggested it at the same time I was texting her to suggest it, then my boyfriend said it was the only place you should go for breakfast in the Crouch End area. We booked a table, which I highly recommend as it was really busy. It's a really fun place with old music posters and motorcycle memorabilia too. The menus have covers drawn by children, which is really cute. My friend and I both had the meat fry up and glass of orange juice. I asked for the breakfast without mushrooms and tomatoes and my friend asked for it without beans. They were happy to make these changes and did remember...not something that happens everywhere! The orange juice was a real highlight for me. It was obviously freshly squeezed and it had a really good smooth thickness to it whist having bits still (if that makes sense!). It didn't have an acidic taste to it and it was really refreshing. The breakfast was bigger than expected and good value for money. The bacon was a little overcooked for my liking but the rest was perfect and the fried eggs were runny, just how I like them! My friend also ordered a cup of tea but had to ask again after about 40 mins as they did forget it. It was Sunday late morning/early afternoon and it was packed. The staff seemed a little flustered trying to turn the tables round between sittings but it shows how busy they are and therefore reflects on how good it is. I'll definitely go again if I'm in the area.

Great bar in Crouch End, always busy but very homely. Huge menu (maybe too many things), not very complicated. I always go back for lunch!

Banners is a great family friendly restaurant in Crouch End. The menu is vast - catering for lazy brunches/breakfasts, lunch or hearty dinner. I love the food as it's a fusion of Mediterranean with a few Caribbean dishes (friend plantain, jerk chicken) thrown in. They also cater marvellously for children with a kids menu, utensils and activities for kids. My only minor criticism would be that the service can be a bit hit and miss - sometimes they're great but sometimes quite forgetful where some of your order may not turn up or turn up late. But I can say that if there is an issue like this, they do rectify it and not charge you for the late item.

A good place for breakfast or brunch. The mix of flavours make it a popular place in north London. Some of my favourites are the waffles and bacon with maple syrup. The hash browns are also really good, thick and crunchy. You can mix and match and choose what you want and the staff are very helpful. I would recommend a juice with your breakfast.

Absolutely love this place, they never fail to please. Perfect for a hangover brunch or a chilled evening meal. If they're not too busy and there's something you fancy that's not on the menu, they usually do it. I love their selection of condiments too! Ok so it's not gourmet food but it totally hits the spot. The staff are really good crack too. Oh and the musics always good. My only criticism is that they charge an extra 50p if you want your eggs poached. Despite that, it's totally worth a visit!

Banners is a lovely little restaurant in Crouch End serving great comfort food. There's a really cosy feel about this place which is definately helped by the different music and film posters dotted around the walls. I love the face that Banners caters for everyone- I have been here for lunch with friends and because it is baby friendly I feel comfortable taking my son there too. He's already a fan of the potato wedges! Unfortunately the service I have received has been a bit hit and miss- sometimes I have waited quite a while for anyone to take my order. Not good when my son begind to get impatient and I am starving! However once the food arrives I am never disappointed. The fish and chips are really delicious and the burgers are also very tasty. If you're planning on going to Banners at the weekend I would definately booking a table.

A genuine Crouch End institution. Absolutely RAMMED at weekends. Good breakfasts, but again, painfully rude staff alot of the time. They also have a tendency of ruining meat, especially steak, with tons of sauce. Menu is a bit inpenetrable, so shoot for the specials and enjoy the chaos.

Maybe it was the fact that we was celebrating a friend's 40th and that I was ready to chew my own arm off in hunger, but I thought the place was top notch. Top be fair, I arrived late and didn't get see everyone's meals presented... I heard good things. Especially from the birthday girl. My jerk chicken was perfectly spiced and moist. The portions were so generous I ate the other half of my meal the next day. It was still brilliant. If I am fortunate enough to visit friends in N London again, I will request a visit to Banners.

Banners was a great restaurant! I love the atmosphere and there jerked chicken dishes are to die for. The service here was very kind and helped us get some nice pints of beer. Cheers

I am so sad to see this place has got such mediocre reviews :( I went all the way to Belsize Park just to test out this place after hearing it was really good. I have to say I have now learnt to book in advance because this place is really really popular on the weekends. My boyfriend got so mad when we went all the way there only to find out there was no space for us :S But after an hour (we did some shopping) they could accomodate us. The place is very greenpeace meets rock. There is a large community board in the restaurant filled with activities and groups to join. The menu mentions a few charities it sponsors and there are community safety signs everywhere. On top of that there are endless photos of old rockers all over the walls and yet the music was carribean reggae (at least that is what I think it was!) The crowd is a mix of young couples and many MANY families with small kids. The kids are entertained with many books and crayons but this place is still pretty noisy - but in a popular and not annoying sense. The breakfast looked great and had a lot more than just your average full english breakfast. Do you fancy something healthy? Some fish? Some chorizo? Three cheeses? All this and a lot more available for breakfast. The menu is a long book of international food, by the time we got there we had lunch. We tried the Jerk chicken with rice and peas (huge portion and really great marinade) as well as the calamari and halloumi salad (I never order salads at restuarants but this one was an entire meal in itself!) The smoothies were really good and they encourage you to drink tap water with a 15p optional donation to WaterAid for every glass you order. It really is a great, homely place to go. I recommend it!

I love Banners potatoes - I come here to visit a friend of mine and we always come to Banners for breakfast to have the potatoes. They are crispy and spicey and you can have them with or without bacon and fried egg. They do great milkshakes and fruit smoothies as well as citron presse. I could mark higher but the service isn't always very good and if you don't have kids then you can get a bit crowded out by the prams.

Delicious food! Especially Jerk chicken. Great free popcorn and my other half delights in the Brandy Alexanders. I would call it soul food and the portions are huge! The service is spot on. Everyone is so smiley, chatty and friendly and thank god they don't harass you like lots of other over attentive restaurants. Great buzzy atmosphere and very popular for a very good reason! Very excited about getting my hands on my Jerk Chicken and plantain tonight ;-)

Good food BUT expensive, crowded, rubbish service. Give it a miss as there are much pleasanter experiences nearby

Went in here for the first time a couple of weeks ago with my fella after hearing many good things on twitter and the like. When we went in (on a weekday lunchtime) there were no tables free, however the lady behind the bar greeted us and said one should be ready in a few minutes and take a seat at the bar. It's a bit of an obstacle course, with a lot of chairs and not much space but the decor was really nice, kind of felt like we were overseas! We eventually got a table after only a few minites of waiting and the girl seemed friendly. It did take a while to get anyones attention once the friendly girl left though, so a bit annoying when you wanted to order food and get the bill as a felt a bit of a nuisance trying to get the staffs attention.The ladys toilet is a bit shabby too and looks like it needed a bit of a clean or updating. However I ordered the jerk chicken and it was super nice and made up for it!! I'd quite like to come for dinner later on but can imagine it being very busy and rather noisy.

What a fabulous place. A restaurant with real character, that delivers a brilliant and unique breakfast experience. The Jamaican breakfast is a personal favourite of mine, but then everyone who goes there has there own favourite. I hope it stays open forever.

Big Portions for a decent price. Really tasty food. Menu is stupidly long though. Still everyone in my group walked out happy and very full.

I can't believe it - I've lived in Crouch End for years now, and I haven't ever reviewed Crouch End staple restaurant Banner's. Crouch End without Banner's, would be like the town losing it's iconic Clock Tower (yes we have one, just like Hill Valley off that film!). Beloved of North London locals, this is a no fuss cosy restaurant/diner and a great brunch place to take guests making the trek over to the "Land of no tube". The menu is massive, but maybe that's because they put adverts in it! They do all day breakfasts with eggs, as well as pancakes and a very delicious lighter yoghurt option if you need it. They also include mix of other all day food including Caribbean inspired Jerk, Latin Americanesque rice and beans, burgers, sandwiches, plantains and salads. It's not authentic, but it's a London bastardisation and it's pretty darn delicious, and there are lots of vegetarian options too. I've only had one bad food experience at Banner's. I'd probably be wary of the specials , as I am not convinced they know what they are doing if the food isn't a regular menu item. I ordered my favourite Middle Eastern breakfast dish shakshouka off the specials a few weeks back and what came did not resemble shakshouka in the slightest, but boring scrambled eggs with brioche. For information shakshouka is eggs pouched in sauce of tomato sauce with chili, peppers, onion and spices, and not the dry bland thing I was served. It wasn't terrible once I poured some hot sauce all over but just disappointing. A word of warning, just because Ottolenghi has made something fashionable doesn't mean you should do it too. Stick to all the amazing things you do best Banner's. If he jumped off a cliff would you follow? ... actually maybe I would too, after all he is so lovely and cute, and perhaps if he had some of his yummy salads with him, squeeeeeee! Of course, being yummy mummy centre Crouch End Banner's is so family friendly during the daytime that you can't shake your salt and pepper shaker without hitting a wee child in the face. They even have kids drawing pride of on the front of their menus, which makes you realise that the art work children produce are 100 times more interesting than the usual menu covers restaurants have. Yes it can be crowded - especially at brunch. And perhaps the service can be a little slow but this Crouch End institution makes up for it in good food, big portions and the jelly beans they serve you in a coconut shell when the bill comes.

One of my favourite restaurants in London. It always has a great vibe and atmosphere no matter what time of day you go. The menu is fab too, me and my boyfriend went for Christmas Eve breakfast last year and had Gingerbread pancakes. Delicious :-)

Went here on a twitter recommendation of @simonpegg... tasty comfort food and a cozy setting. I had the meat fry-up and was happy with the generous portion. My friends were raving about the fresh fruit smoothies and jerk chicken burger. Won't change your life, but solid, reliable.

Holy moley.....the spicy bean quesidilla is Out Of This World.....yummmy. i would have given 5 stars but we got 1 drink out of the 4 we ordered. It is so busy the staff seem overwhelmed. Otherwise the food is great. My wife had the jamacian breakfast and she loved it The portions are huge and the drinks (when you get them) are delicious. The smoothie of the day is pure fruit and it is fresh. Fyi the kitchen is closed between 4-5 to prep for dinner an they are a bit abrupt to get you moving. I would suggest not coming close to 4 as the waitstaff is more focused on dinner prep then you. We plan to come back for dinner, if the food is as good as the brunch it is bound to be good. We will see how the service is then. Enjoy

A relaxed cool restaurant and bar. Full of trendy liberal types that care about the environment, buy organic and travel a lot. They charge about 15p for tap water which goes to Wateraid. I guess none of the trendy liberal customers mind this. The food is usually good (though I was once served a rather pink burger which was meant to be well done). They used to have a great veggie sausage and mash on the menu but that has now disappeared although when I last went I noticed they still did a children's version. I asked the waitress if they could do me an adult's portion and they did. Unfortunately they must have changed the recipe or the chef as it wasn't the usual sausages and the gravy was different. Despite this you can still get decent food in a great atmosphere. It's a great place to come for dinner with friends in the evening and linger on into the night drinking. Apparently Bob Dylan once went there.

This restaurant is an absolute gem! The jerk chicken main is sensational (and HUGE, I would recommend sharing). The large menu is wholesome with fab quality & value. It's a fun & relaxed atmosphere. I will definitely be back to try something else (although it'll be hard to say not to the jerk chicken again).

Huge portions and very reasonably priced. Get the refried beans if you're breakfast-ing. If it's the evening, get the jerk chicken burger. Great cocktails, too.

Firstly this restaurant is not in belsize park, it's in crouch end which is a 20min drive!! But once you get here the food I great! It's piled high and really tasty. You must also book or you will not get in. Only issues I have with this place are the staff! I find them really rude. They know they are bus so they really don't care and for them it's all about get em in and get em out. It's a real shame because the setting is cool and food excellent. A few simple changes and this really could be worth a de-tour if you were travelling through.

There's always loads of specials that change constantly, the food is decently priced and always super tasty. Staff are renowned for being really fun and relaxed, sometimes they forget little things but you don't care because they're customer service is great. The venue itself is so interesting and atmospheric, during summer you feel like you're in a tiny hidden gem in Barcelona or somewhere similar. Definitely worth a few visits as each area is different and you need to catch different specials!

Last Sunday was the last time I will ever eat in Banner's. Yes, the food is pretty good. I can't fault the chef or the decor. But the STAFF. My god, so RUDE. Other reviewers have clearly had such a different experience that I can hardly believe they are talking about the same place. We had noticed the abruptness of the staff on previous visits but, on waking up with a hankering for pancakes, we gave it another go. What a mistake. Like every one of the three times I have visited, we were made to feel like we were in the way and were putting them out by daring to come in and eat. Sadly, this happens all too often when a place becomes so popular as to verge on arrogance. Eating out is not just about food, it is about being served food. The staff at Banner's don't seem to have realised this. Never again

definitely book for breakfast!! the place gets packed out! great food - the huevos rancheros and the kedgeree I've recently from the specials menu were fantastic and I would love to order those more often! Kid-friendly which can be a bad thing but the food makes up for it!!

Disappointed with my experience of eating at Banners. The food is oversized in portions and not truly authentic. I had the Jerk Chicken Salad. It was basically a chicken breast sliced in half, covered in a "jerk" sauce that was placed on top of a basic salad. Nothing special at all. The best thing about it was the relish. My daughter had fish roti, rice and coleslaw. The portion was much to large and quite cumbersome on the plate. My biggest gripe is the waiter offering us two glasses of tap water then seeing them charged on our bill under "optional" Wateraid! Though this was a very minimal amount I asked the waitress to remove the cost of the water from our bill she instead questioned my integrity and my right to make the choice what charities I support. This left me extremely disappointed in the attitude of the restaurant to their customers and we will not be returning for a meal, a drink or a glass of water again.

top notch....breakfasts are ace and the burgers yum. fab staff too....

Funky fusion-caribbean restaurant that is popular with the hip Crouch End crowd. Try the spoon bread. They serve one of my favourite beers - Canada's Sleeman Cream Ale.

Delicious food; the jerk chicken and curried goat are very tasty. The portion sizes are huge - far to large to ever finish! With tropical cocktails to wash it all down, def recommend this place.

Great vibe with lots of character

worth a visit for the Burgers alone.. nice staff and a friendly atomsphere.