Papi in London Fields is a lively spot dishing up creative European small plates, buzzing bar vibes, and an eclectic wine list.
"Papi, in the ground floor of a London Fields apartment block, brings big house party energy and creative, European-leaning small plates. The menu is full of fun and nostalgic dishes, like the cheeseburger-inspired tartare with a red plastic bowl of hot fries, but also elegant plates of smoked rabbit kielbasa. This is where to go for disco balls, Polaroid photos in the loo, and an extensive wine list. " - jake missing, sinead cranna, daisy meager
"Fans of Twin Peaks and biodynamic wines, look no further. Papi’s bathroom, complete with red chaise lounge, is a truly magnificent facility. But that’s not the only thing to love about this European-leaning small plates spot in London Fields. This restaurant feels like the bubbly pre-drinks before a night out. The disco ball twirls, oysters with strawberry vinegar glide around, and the reassuring thunk of bottles being popped reverberates around the room. While Ganni enthusiasts sit at tables to pull at gooey wild garlic bread, chancers head straight down to the basement bar for a cocktail with a side of smoked eel chicken wings." - Jake Oliver, Daisy Meager, Sinead Cranna, Rianne Shlebak
"Papi calls the ground floor of a shiny apartment block home, but this restaurant brings big house party energy and creative, European-leaning small plates. The walls are bare but the disco ball is hung, and there’s a red chaise lounge in the loo. Staff are excellent hosts, flitting around and pouring tasters from the extensive wine list. Fun and nostalgia runs through dishes like the cheeseburger-inspired tartare with a red plastic bowl of hot fries. But there’s also elegance in tender pollock with leeks and a piquant apple sabayon. The best place to be is at the bar by the chefs at work." - Jake Oliver, Daisy Meager, Sinead Cranna
"Girls just wanna have fun and so do diners. In Papi, London has a much-needed restaurant that understands that. The small plates spot is as eclectic as a restaurant in a box-fresh apartment block in London Fields can be. The disco ball twinkles, the playlist pumps everything from Drake to jungle, and there’s a waffle topped with cheese ice cream. Charming, sometimes chaotic service is fuelled by a funky wine list and for all the shiny Shoreditchification of Hackney, Papi has personality. So much so the vibrations of this room are even better than the food. There’s no lack of fine restaurants in this area, but Papi feels a little less serious. The downstairs bar fills up fast and the red pleather chaise lounge in the toilets tells you that people are here for a long time, as well as a good one. Sit at the counter and you’ll feel the bubbling heat of the kitchen first-hand. Only no one seems to care because tasters from that far-reaching wine list are being poured all over the room. Dates are giggling and staff are swooping in with a light-as-a-feather, ricotta-smothered garlic bread when the moment is right. The menu is similarly fun-loving, lawless, whatever you want to call it. Brilliant, dinky marinated cuttlefish summer rolls, so-so prawn toast wings. Creative inconsistency is just part of Papi’s nature. Excitement and experimentation aren’t top of mind for everyone. So if you’re looking for a dependable meal, you’re better off going elsewhere. But if twists and turns get you going, then Papi is a restaurant worth sticking with. The menu changes more often than your coloured-lense sunglasses, and t here will be dishes that triumph and those that need to try less. What’s guaranteed is knowing service and a good time. Which goes to show that Papi isn’t performative, it’s just finding its place. " - Jake Missing
George Harvey
Philippa Cooke
Élise Letendre
Francesca Roggero
Donald Morrison
Andrew Ross-Sheeran
Lisa C
David Robinson
