Top Ten Restaurants in Havering, East London

*Updated January 2026.

Being a resident of Havering for a whopping 32 (now 36 actually!) years means I’ve certainly eaten my fair share of meals in the local restaurants, so I thought it’s a good time to share with you my favourites around the area from a few different cuisines to help you pick your new favourite or try something new.

GOAT

How it took me this long to visit Goat Upminster is beyond me. After being let down elsewhere on a busy Friday night, they kindly shuffled things around and found us a table at 8pm, and from that moment on, everything was spot on. The welcome was warm, the service genuinely impeccable: attentive without hovering, friendly without feeling forced. We tucked into poppadoms with house chutney, the GOAT curry, a dark bhuna (country style), roasted Bombay potatoes, saag paneer and a cheese naan, all washed down with Kingfisher and a 5 Walla chai and every single dish was outstanding. B

old flavours, beautifully cooked, generous portions and the kind of meal that leaves you happily, completely full. An absolute gem, and one we’ll be returning to again and again.

8 Station Rd, Upminster RM14 2UB

Scotts’ Brasserie

Chef Scott Pinson is a well-known chef in the area, mainly for owning Parkside Brasserie and being the Head Chef at Stay, but now he is Chef Patron as his very own establishment once again, and gosh, we’re glad. His menu this time around, is a lot ‘Scott’, so there’s some wonderful dishes with a little French influence that make it just that next level. Decor is lovely, and the wine menu has been given a well needed revamp too!

Yes, this is the very chef and restaurant that we hosted our Wedding Breakfast (despite it being at 7pm) at back in November 2024!

53 Butts Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11

Jobbers Rest

When the Jobber’s Rest, the dingy pub version, closed down and gave way to this Raymond Blanc restaurant version, I think the whole of Upminster and Cranham cheered! The beautiful airy bar that gives off country pub vibes, the spacious brasserie with every changing menu and th gorgeous covered terrace for summer drinking dining, makes the Jobber’s Rest a great spot for all the family.

They serve a seasonal menu of home-cooked dishes with a French twist, and, of course, on Sunday, there are roasts too!

St. Marys Ln, Upminster, Havering, RM14 3LT

Reina Meze Grill

A group of us ended up in Reina Meze Grill by pure chance and we were far from disappointed! The service was second to none with our waitress having a good laugh with us, which we think makes such a difference to your overall experience.

We opted for two sharing platters made up from Lamb shish, Chicken shish, Adana kofte, 2 lamb chops, 4 lamb ribs, and 4 chicken wings complete with bread, rice and couscous! Not forgetting the salads and dips too! These were incredibly good value for money and I highly recommend there for any group outing!

3-7 Billet Ln, Hornchurch, Havering, RM11 1TS

Ginger Spice

Ginger Spice is a wonderfully opulent restaurant that uses the freshest ingredients and finest spice combinations to create divine dishes. It’s a little more expensive than your usual curry house but the quality of the food is so worth every penny! We’ve never had a meal that we didn’t enjoy at Ginger Spice!

I’d highly recommend the Chicken Tikka Karahi or the Vegetable Biryani as both are ones we order whenever we visit. Both so filled with flavour and leave you feeling really content, not bloated or greasy as you can after some curries.

395-397 Brentwood Rd, Gidea Park, Romford, Havering, RM2 5TH
Also note, Spice of India – Broadway, Front Lane, Upminster, RM14 1XJ and Ginger Lounge – 121-123 Corbets Tey Rd, Upminster, RM14 2AA have similar ownership so same high quality!

Chariots Fish & Chips

I need to start this one with a little disclaimer; I am not usually a fish and chips kinda gal, I usually order a saveloy and chips as I’m really not a fan of batter at all. It’s usually too thick and stodgy but at Chariots, I was spying on the food as it was being freshly cooked in the kitchen and bought out to tables. The batter looked light and fluffy so I ordered fish and chips!

I was far from disappointed; the batter was exactly how I wanted it to be and I think that’s a good enough reason to visit for sure. The service was also really attentive which added to the overall experience too.

Upper Brentwood Rd, Romford, Havering, RM2 6HS

Tandoori Lounge

Honey and her husband, Sukh, set up Tandoori Lounge with the aim of bringing a taste of authentic Punjabi cuisine to the streets of Havering. They have really focused on the depth of flavour, and dishes that are slightly spicier, and less sweet than what we are used to, and my god, it’s so bloody tasty!

We’ve only been once, and we have both wondered why we’ve not been sooner as there was so much on the menu that we wanted to try. As a first visit, we tried the Saag Paneer, the Punjabi Chicken Karahi with sides of Mitha Naan and some Pilau Rice; everything was delicious. Our favourite part of the evening was chatting with Honey and finding out you can pick your level of spice which reasures you that your meals are cooked fresh, to order.

185 High St, Hornchurch, Havering, RM11 3XS

Fete Lounge

I’d say this is less of a restaurant in the respect that you wouldn’t go there for dinner, but the Fete Lounge do offer a really awesome bottomless brunch and afternoon tea that is sure to please any girl gang!

For brunch, you get bottomless cocktails for 90 minutes, with a choice of one big plate and two small plates. You can see from above that the food arrives beautifully presented and it also arrives in its abundance. The Afternoon Tea also offers bottomless cocktails for 90 minutes alongside a sandwich selection, scones, cakes and tarts! At £30pp, it’s obscenely good value!

6 Station Rd, Upminster, Havering, RM14 2UB

Kervan Kitchen

Kervan Kitchen is a classic Turkish restaurant, a stone’s throw from Gidea Park station, that always serves fresh ingredients and just makes you feel good after eating there! The food is clean, not at all fatty and the menu has plenty on there for everyone.

The food is created from top quality seasonal produce, and I’d highly recommend checking out the house specials on the menu as they offer some really great dishes, including the Kleftico which literally falls off the bone so you won’t be disappointed. The service has always been great too!

160A Balgores Ln, Gidea Park, Romford, Havering, RM2 6BS

Raphael’s by CREM Kitchen

A new opener has made it onto the list; Raphel’s has been around for quite some time, but it has recently been taken over by CREM Kitchen. Megha, the chef, trained at Cordon Bleu, Paris and learnt from the best Chefs in the industry whilst working at Michelin star restaurants like The Ledbury and Gymkhana in London.

The new menu offers Charcoal Korean Wings, 72 Hour Slow Cooked Pork Belly, 30 Day Dry Aged Beef Short Ribeye Steak and Chicken Biryani which are all stuffed to the brim with flavours.

The price does reflect the quality of the food but don’t let this put you off, pop this in the diary for that special occasion.

43 Main Rd, Romford, Havering, RM2 5EB