With the Jewish high holidays in full swing – Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, began at sundown – it seems as good a time as any to talk kosher. So if you're looking for somewhere to break the fast tomorrow, or are just a fan of food prepared to strict standards, we suggest you consider these kosher spots from our recently released 2009 New York Restaurants guide:
4 Heneage Ln., EC3; 020-7283 2220
Nestled “in a courtyard next to [a historic] synagogue”, this City “kosher oasis” “fills a need” with its “enjoyable” Modern British fare, along with “Jewish penicillin” (aka chicken soup) and other classics; the service and setting are equally “stylish.”
148A Golders Green Rd., NW11; 020-8455 2121
Fire swept this Golders Green stalwart in September 2007, leaving shawarma-savouring surveyors “as gutted as the top floor”; but now it’s back, and “Israelis tell us it’s as good as it gets” for a “quick bite” of “kosher Middle Eastern food”; though it’s obviously redecorated, some still say “the best option is takeaway.”
130 Golders Green Rd., NW11; 020-8455 1338
This “old-fashioned, family-run” Golders Green deli remains “the only place in town for a kosher salt beef on rye”, plus other “hearty” Jewish classics; whilst most take the “grumpy servers” in stride – at least “they hustle the food out” – the belicose believe the bloom’s off: “well below par for what’s now in the area.”
79 Baker St., W1; 020-7486 0035
“Tastes like home cooking in the best possible way” are the kudos that kosher diners give the “loads of food” served at this Jewish deli in Marylebone; if sceptics snarl about the “service (or lack thereof)” and “high cost”, at least “it’s cheaper than a trip to Israel.”
134 Golders Green Rd., NW11; 020-8458 8088
“Filling a kosher Asian food niche” for “the Golders Green crowd”, this venue “keeps its Jewish customer base coming back for more”, even if it’s “costly for what you get”; whether Japanese or Chinese, “the taste is authentic – sans shrimp or pork”, of course.
19 Wigmore St., W1; 020-7629 6133
“You don’t leave feeling hungry” after sampling the Eclectic menu running the gamut from sushi to steaks at this kosher venue (hence, no dairy products) in Marylebone; despite a “nice” olive-and-tan, art deco-ish setting, it is “too expensive” for some wallets.
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