Belly

Filipino restaurant · Chalk Farm ·

Belly

Filipino restaurant · Chalk Farm ·

Wood-fired Filipino bistro with global wines, inventive dishes

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157 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8PD, United Kingdom Get directions

@infatuation

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Belly Bistro - Review - Kentish Town - London - The Infatuation

"Belly has the kind of exciting buzz that can be picked up from your peripheral vision. Whether you’re driving, cycling, or in the front seat at the top of a double decker bus going the other way, the glow of tea lights and the sound of people having fun at this Filipino bistro will pull you in. And you should let it. video credit: Rianne Shlebak photo credit: Rianne Shlebak Pause Unmute Everything on the menu sounds more tempting than the thing before it, but what you need to know is that these are the non-negotiables: tempura cod pandesal (one per person), ‘bicol express’ scallops (swimming in coconut cream), and the ube tiramisu (no notes). We’ve witnessed groups have such a good time that we’ve almost pulled up a chair to join them, sung happy birthday to strangers across the room, and wondered how we could ask the server to be our friend without being weird. Everyone is cool and every flavour is dialled up to 100. RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Cured Scallops ‘Bicol Express’ This melting scallop comes in a creamy, sweet coconut sauce and you should absolutely order it. PlayMute video credit: Rianne Shlebak Tempura Cod Pandesal Filet-O-Fish move over, this fancier, meatier McD’s-inspired snack is perfect. You may very well burn the roof of your mouth if you’re impatient, but the tangy tartare sauce makes it all so worth it. Under no circumstance should you agree to share one of these. PlayMute video credit: Rianne Shlebak Wagyu Picanha While this steak is nicely cooked, it’s the least interesting thing we ate. PlayMute video credit: Rianne Shlebak Beef Fat Fries Perfectly crispy, get these. PlayMute video credit: Rianne Shlebak Ube Tiramisu A biscuity, sweet tiramisu, surrounded by a moat of tangy blueberry compote, and tres leche poured around it. It’s got an excellent balance of sweet and tart. PlayMute video credit: Rianne Shlebak" - Rianne Shlebak

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/reviews/belly-bistro

Rianne Shlebak

Belly

Nina P.

Google

We visited Belly for dinner in February 2026, and it absolutely lived up to the social media hype. This place is popular, so definitely book in advance if you’re looking for a prime weekend spot. The atmosphere is charming—small, cozy, and very much a neighborhood gem with a cool, trendy soundtrack. A quick tip on seating: they offer both white-clothe tables and counter seating. The counter faces a wall rather than the kitchen, and it’s a bit tight, so I’d recommend requesting a traditional table when you book. We arrived for the 5:00 PM opening, which was a smart move. They have a chalkboard for steak cuts and their special cod tempura bun (limited to about 10 per service). By 6:00 PM, the cod was gone and many of the smaller steak portions were already crossed off. Keep this in mind if you have a later reservation! The food was sensational. It’s an interesting fusion where the quality of the produce and the depth of flavor really shine. The steak was easily one of the best I’ve ever had—buttery soft and perfectly cooked. We also loved the stone bass special with its bisque-like sauce, the scallops, the tartare, and the tiramisu. There is a good range of cocktails, only thing that lets this place down is too much leaning to the natural trendy wines, I prefer more classic / traditional. The service was great: friendly, attentive, and not at all pushy. Highly recommended!

Jade O.

Google

Cool Filipino inspired restaurant. The food was good but not outstanding. The overall experience was enjoyable, great service, but I will say the food was slightly overpriced for what it was. We ordered the scallops which were 6/10 in my opinion, not cold, not hot, which bothered me. The fish burger was standout, really delicious and big enough to share. The steak tartare was yummy but nothing special. The mushroom risotto-like dish was very good, lots of complex flavors. I got the ube tiramisu for dessert and I have to say it looked better than it tasted. The avocado ice cream was nice and light. Presentation on everything was great. Worth a visit but slightly overpriced for what was just a nice meal.

Alexa C.

Google

Overall great experience. Food was amazing - every dish we ordered was fantastic and I would order again. The frozen custard profiterole is so so good and is a must order. My only gripe is that the portions were a tad small (which seems to be the case in every trendy London restaurant nowadays). The restaurant is small and intimate and very good vibes. Staff were friendly but it was a bit hard to get someone’s attention every now and then. Overall I would still recommend though because the food was amazing, I will definitely be back.

Alexis H.

Google

I could not recommend this place higher. Every dish came incredibly balanced with such an intuitive use of traditional Filipino flavours on every plate. One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in London - up there with Brat! Must get the scallops, cod and steak! (Finish with the ube tiramisu - you won’t regret).

Alexandra C.

Google

Cosy Western-Filipino spot in Camden with a nice vibe, but you definitely need to know what to order, there are some clear hits and a few misses. ⭐️ Scallops - easily one of the best dishes of the night ⭐️ Wood-fired chicken - succulent, full of flavour and paired with a lovely sauce ⭐️ Cabbage ❌ Steak tartare - didn’t quite hit the spot; would work better kept more classic ❌ Seafood “Caldereta” - underwhelming, lacking spice and depth ❌ Wagyu - too lean and chewy, though this may have been down to the cut ❌ Mushroom “Arroz Caldo” - very small portion for the price Overall, it’s a bit pricey for the amount of food you get. I’d recommend going to try a few of the standout dishes, but when something misses here, it really isn’t worth ordering.

Christine K.

Google

We came for a weekend lunch and the starters were delicious but the mains were a let down. Between the two of us, we shared the scallops (nice and fresh and the sauce was great), the tempura cod pandesal (meaty fish paired with a delicious sauce), mushroom arroz (although the mushrooms themselves were good, the rice was mushy and the dish was served near cold/lukewarm), seafood caldaretta (the sauce lacked flavour) with pink fir potatoes on the side and the ube tiramisu (this didn't feel that well balanced). The service was a little inconsistent as while neighbouring tables received detailed menu explanations, our waiter, though polite, didn’t walk us through the menu or mention the specials, which we only realised afterwards.

Helen T.

Google

First of all, we truly enjoyed the vibe and the fact that they played Filipino music. The drinks were delicious, with strong flavours and bright colours. As for the meal itself, there were some highlights. The scallops were fresh and sweet, and the pandesal cod sandwich blended each ingredient beautifully. Personally, we found the notion of fusion taken rather lightly here, and perhaps we were expecting a stronger dominance of Filipino flavours (given the way it’s marketed). Obviously, we have a lot to learn about authentic Filipino cuisine, but some of the dishes felt predominantly European, with Filipino names and sprinkles of flavour. They were all delicious, but not vastly different from what you’d get at a European-focused restaurant in London.

Tonia P.

Google

Nice experience overall but isnt worth the hype and unfortunately didnt live up to the expectations. There was nothing “wrong” with it, the food was very good but nothing extraordinary and definitely not Filipino other like 2 ingredients. The atmosphere nice but tables way too close to eachother hard to have a conversation without hearing the others. Mainly way too expensive for what it was. The uber dessert is worth it though!

@infatuation

132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

Belly Bistro - Review - Kentish Town - London - The Infatuation

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/reviews/belly-bistro

Rianne Shlebak

Belly

Nina P.

Google

Jade O.

Google

Alexa C.

Google

Alexis H.

Google

Alexandra C.

Google

Christine K.

Google

Helen T.

Google

Tonia P.

Google

Belly

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Belly Bistro - Review - Kentish Town - London - The Infatuation

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Belly Bistro - Review - Kentish Town - London - The Infatuation