Bonoo brings the street-food energy of Mumbai and Delhi to Hampstead High Streetone beautifully spiced small plate at a time.
The wine list has been put together by someone who actually drinks wine with spiced food: it runs to lighter redsorange winesAlsatian whitesand Georgian natural wines that complement rather than fight with the flavours. Ask the staff to match a glass to your order; the recommendations are reliable.
The Best Dishes
Venison Keema Naan
The signature dish and the reason many regulars return. Minced venisondeeply spiced with cuminchilliand warming spicesis folded into tandoor-cooked naan bread and served with a cooling yoghurt dip and green coriander chutney. The combination of charred breadrich game meatand bright chutney is one of the best single plates in North London.
Tandoori Halloumi
A vegetarian option that competes with the meat dishes on flavour. Halloumi (Cypriot firm cheese) is marinated in a yoghurt and spice mixturecooked in the tandoorand served with a date and tamarind sauce that provides sweetness against the cheese's salt and the smokiness from the oven. Non-meat-eaters should not feel this is a compromise plate.
Lamb Chops
Small cutlet-sized lamb chops marinated overnight in a dry spice blendcooked in the tandoorand served with a herb chutney and lemon. If you have eaten lamb chops at a Punjabi grill in Whitechapelthese will read differentlygentler in spicemore precise in the charringbut they are excellent and one of the better versions in London above the grill-restaurant price point.
Butter Chicken Dumplings
An invention rather than a tradition: steamed dumplings filled with butter chicken masalaserved in the remaining butter chicken sauce with fresh herbs. This dish reads as silly on the menu and lands as one of the evening's strongest. It is the clearest expression of Bonoo's propositiontake an Indian classicapply an unexpected formatretain the flavour integrity.
Seasonal Specials
The kitchen changes the menu section of seasonal specials every 4-6 weeks. Recent seasons have included: a crab and coconut curry in summera slow-braised Herefordshire ox cheek with black cardamom and star anise in winterand an asparagus and paneer preparation in spring that justifies a visit in its own right during the brief asparagus season (late April to mid-June).
If you visit once per seasonyou will encounter a meaningfully different menu each time. This is unusual for North London's Indian restaurantsmost of which operate from a fixed menu all year.
Alicia Parka food writer based in Kentish Townreviewed Bonoo for a London food publication in 2024. "The venison keema naan is a plate I think about when I'm eating elsewhere," she said. "That's the test I apply to restaurant foodwhether it occupies space in your memory when you're not there. Bonoo occupies a lot of space. The confidence of the cooking is rare; the kitchen clearly knows what it wants to do and does it without apology."
The Room
Bonoo occupies a single room on Hampstead High Street: approximately 45 coverswooden floorspendant lightingwalls hung with a rotating selection of work by local artists. The room is warm without being loudconversation is possible at normal volume even when fullwhich is not always guaranteed in London's restaurant scene.
The open kitchen is visible from most tables; you can watch the tandoor being used throughout service. This transparency is appropriate for a kitchen whose technique is its argument.
The table spacing is reasonable for Hampstead's relatively high average cover size; two-person tables have enough room for six or seven small plates without the arrangement becoming cramped.
Wine and Drinks
The wine list changes seasonally and is shorter than many comparable restaurantsapproximately 25 bottlesbut curated carefully. The by-the-glass selection covers the key pairings: a dry Alsatian riesling for seafood and lighter vegetable plates; a gamay (Beaujolais or Loire Valleydepending on the season) for the lamb and venison; a white Burgundy for the richer cream-sauce preparations.
Cocktails are few but well-executed: a tamarind margarita and a cardamom Old Fashioned are the most ordered. The mocktail listincreasingly important in a North London dining scene where a significant proportion of the population does not drinkuses the same flavour logic as the cocktails and is not an afterthought.
Booking and When to Go
Tuesday to Thursday: Lunch (noon-3pm) is the quietest periodand walk-in availability is high. Dinner midweek is comfortable without booking if you arrive before 7pm.
Friday and Saturday: Dinner is fully booked most evenings by Thursday. Book 10-14 days ahead for weekend evenings; 4-5 days ahead for weekday evenings.
Sunday: Bonoo does a Sunday lunch menu with a slight change in emphasislarger portionsa few slower-cooked dishes not available midweekthat is particularly good for groups. Book the same week.
Walk-ins: Possible at the bar (5 seats) for smaller groups midweek. Not reliable at weekends.
Online booking via the Bonoo website. Phone bookings available; staff answer during service hours.
The Neighbourhood Context
Bonoo sits in the most competitive restaurant block of Hampstead High Streetbetween Flask Walk and Heath Street. The immediate neighbours include a Carluccio'sa Côte Brasserieand a pizza chain. The fact that Bonoo is consistently the most discussed restaurant on this stretch says something about the kitchen's confidence.
For visitors to Hampsteadthe natural sequencing is: a walk on Hampstead Heath in the afternoonending near the South End Green entrancea 10-minute walk brings you into the High Street and to Bonoo's door at a reasonable dinner time. This route also passes the Spaniards Inn at the Heath's northern fringe if a pre-dinner drink in a 500-year-old pub is the right mood.
Practical Information
Address: Hampstead High StreetNW3 (full address on website)
Nearest Tube: Hampstead (Northern lineCharing Cross branch)3-minute walk
Hours: Tuesday to Sundaynoon-3pm and 6pm-10:30pm. Closed Monday.
Average spend: £35-£45 per person including drinks
Dietary requirements: Extensive vegetarian and vegan options; halal chicken and lamb available on request; gluten-free options throughout the menu (confirm with staff)
Children: Welcome; the sharing format works well for families. A shorter-format "kids menu" available at weekend lunch.
Dogs: Not permitted inside; the neighbouring pavement is dog-friendly if you are taking away.
Bonoo represents the kind of restaurant that Hampsteadwith its educatedwell-travelled clientele and expectation of qualitysupports well. The kitchen has a clear idea of what it wants to do and has been doing it with consistent skill since opening. For North London Indian foodit is the current standard.
