If you’re a meat eater, it’s hard to dislike rotisserie chicken; eating a juicy bird straight off the spit is a simple pleasure that makes for a quick and tasty meal. Add on sides like fries, crispy roast potatoes and fresh salads, and you have a delicious and hearty spread. In London, there has been a recent proliferation of dining experiences based around this classic comfort food, from Parisian-inspired rotisseries to pubs adopting it as a quick and crowdpleasing lunch option. With that in mind, here’s a guide to where to eat rotisserie chicken in the capital, when only a freshly roasted bird will do.
Bébé Bob
This spin-off of the ever popular Bob Bob Ricard (which sits across the road in Golden Square) is focused on two things: chicken and caviar. That means, alongside the French rotisserie chicken (served with a truffle sauce and fresh shaved truffle if the season), you’ll find schnitzels (topped with caviar, if you so wish), burgers and salads, and caviar bumps. It’s luxurious and fun, and also a perfect pit stop for a quick and tasty lunch, with express lunch deals like half a roast chicken and fries for a little over 20 quid.
Café François
This more casual offshoot of the very good Maison Francois, situated in Borough Market, is an all-day affair, serving up French brasserie hits like moules marinière, steak frites and of course, rotisserie chicken. Here you can choose between a quarter, half or whole chicken, served with a delicious herby jus – we like to enjoy our chicken with fries and a crisp Caesar salad on the side. Look out for lunch deals too, like a quarter chicken and fries for just £15 at time of writing.
Photo by Steven Joyce
Norbert's
Norbert’s in East Dulwich is a small, no-reservations restaurant and takeaway serving rotisserie chicken and... well, that’s about it, apart from a handful of small plates, a dessert and some cheese. Oh and wine and cocktails like pina coladas to wash it down with. Chicken is available halved and whole, with a choice of two sauces (or more if you want to pay) – a gravy, a pepper butter, an aioli and a hot sauce – and sides as add-ons. Like many rotisserie restaurants, there’s a lunchtime special, in this case a sandwich or a chicken Caesar salad.
Photo by Anton Rodriguez
Panzer's Deli
An iconic Jewish deli, this wonderland of food in St John’s Wood has plenty to delight – a place to lose hours in, browsing the aisles. You can also enjoy a fresh rotisserie chicken to takeaway or to eat in at their counter or on the terrace. The deliciously crisp Galician free-range chicken is accompanied by glorious roast potatoes (optional but essential) that spend their final moments in the oven roasting in confit garlic oil, and a gravy made from 12 different pre-brined vegetables. These birds are only served whole, so bring a friend or come hungry.
Story Cellar
The Covent Garden sister restaurant to two-Michelin-starred Story, Story Cellar is chef Tom Sellers’ London take on Paris’ rotisserie restaurants. Thus, alongside a half or whole French chicken served with French fries, salad and a rich chicken jus, steak frites and a double-baked Gruyere soufflé, you’ll also find a bread and butter pudding with tonka bean and orange custard on the menu, described by one critic as “one of the best puddings in London.”
The Knave of Clubs
The rotisserie is the heart of this restored boozer in Shoreditch headed up by chef Patrick Powell, formerly of the much missed Allegra. The Suffolk and Yorkshire-reared small farm chickens come half or whole with the option of a classic glaze or herby rub, and are served with chicken fat roast potatoes, baguette for double carbs, aioli and a slither of salad, the only green on what is essentially a plate of comforting brown food – not a bad thing. There’s also rotisserie porchetta with salsa verde if you fancy mixing it up a bit. This being a pub, we recommend a pint of something cold on the side.
The Waterman's Arms
This Michelin-recommended, Thameside pub in Barnes has a whole spit-roast piri-piri chicken for two on the menu from Fridays to Sundays – yet another reason to visit one of London’s best gastropubs. Cosy with a fun vibe and all-round great food, we recommend settling in for the long haul at the Waterman’s and exploring the rest of the European-inspired menu too – maybe complementing your coal-roasted chicken with housemade merguez sausage. Walk it off with a stroll along the nearby Thames Path.
Photo by Matt Hague
Toum
The counter is the place to be at this buzzy Lebanese rotisserie in Mayfair. From there, you can watch your chicken slowly spinning and dripping its juices onto the row below, while the chefs prepare your sides and portion the chicken in front of you. We recommend ordering the very good chicken jus and the toum (the Lebanese garlic sauce that gives the restaurant its name) to dip your roasted bird into. Sides-wise, don’t miss the aubergine layered with yoghurt and pomegranate seeds, a great hummus and the samboussek (spiced beef and lamb-filled pastries).
