If you’ve ever eaten at a roadside stall on the Thai-Myanmar border and wondered why no major city has bottled that energy, the answer in London is Kiln. This is a case where something is seemingly low-brow, but so brilliant it becomes high-brow. On its appearance, Kiln looks like an old-school diner, with just a counter for meals on the first floor. It’s tucked into a sliver of a space on Brewer Street in Soho. If you don’t know about it specifically, you’d probably bypass it completely. Inside though, Kiln creates some of the most progressive and creative food in London today. Where posh is the minimum standard for London nowadays, enter Kiln — which is in its own category.
Atmosphere
When I walked into Kiln, I knew I was either in for the meal of my trip or a greasy spoon. It reminded me of a famed 24/7 Chicago diner, Standee’s, which was a beloved staple for over 60 years. So, my thought was: this was going to be a special experience. In fact, Kiln’s gritty diner vibe with its long counter seating is part of what makes it so unique.
Upstairs is a single run of stainless-steel counter, wrapped around an open kitchen, dominated by a wood-fired grill and a wall of clay pots. This is as close to dining in the kitchen as it gets, as you essentially are dining inside the kitchen. It’s loud, often hot from the fire, and there’s usually a vinyl record rounding out the vibe on the sound system. The whole experience feels closer to a very good night-market stall than a restaurant. For foodies, this is the type of hidden gem you live for when you travel.
Downstairs is the more traditionally civilized option for those with larger groups. It’s a small dining room that takes bookings for tables of four or more. While it’s more conducive to conversations, you do miss the theater, which is a big part of the experience of Kiln.
Food + Beverage
The food distinguishes Kiln from a raucous Soho night out and a legit culinary destination. Kiln doesn’t do standard issue green curry or pad Thai. Instead, this is Northern Thai borderland cooking, filtered through Burmese and Yunnan spicing. The chefs cook the whole meal over live fire in a brigade setup, where everyone has their wheelhouse of responsibility. You see how every dish is made of creative combinations. I only wish I was more than a party of one on my visit, as I would have torn through the entire menu.
What to Order
Like those roadside markets, the menu of the day is really what’s harvested out of the ground and caught off the shores by local fisherman. I started with a leaf stuffed with crab and local Burmese spices. I could have eaten 8 of those.
As it was lunch, for mains I opted for a lighter meal of the radish and zucchini salad and sour cherry mussels. I really wanted the claypot crab glass noodles (sans the pork), but couldn’t take it down as a party of one. My neighbors, though, vouched that it was a highlight of the menu. From what I did have, the radish and zucchini salad was the star, besides that first bite of crab. The veggies were cut as thin, long matchsticks, mixed with peanuts. I couldn’t stop eating this dish, and was part of the clean plate club at the end.
The sour cherry mussels with bitter melon and the sticky rice were unique, in a good way. It was one of those clean dishes that gives you protein and greens, and makes you feel like a better person eating it. With that said, I appreciated the creativity, but would order something else on a future visit. Two of the maybe eight-or-so mussels didn’t open. It was busy, but that detail should not have been overlooked by the chefs. It wasn’t a big deal though, as I thoroughly enjoyed my food.
My overall comment is: I would come back to Kiln in a heartbeat. However, they’re just missing a few tiers up on execution and a little more complexity to the dishes from achieving a Michelin star.
Service
Londoners are generally polite, but at Kiln they take that and add on a sincerity that vibes with what they’re shipping. Team members are focused on making the space and the food work for you as a guest. Your host may also be the same person to take your order and fluently make the recommendations of the day. The waitstaff steered me right, to make sure I had enough variety, but not too much food. I pretty much put myself in their hands for recommendations.
The service behind the counter making the food is concentrating hard on their specific tasks, but not at the sacrifice of creating a nice atmosphere. Dishes tend to land in whatever order the grill finishes them, but clearly by design, they arrive where it does make sense. This isn’t a polished, minded kind of room, and it isn’t trying to be — which is what makes it special.
Overall: 8.3/10
Kiln isn’t going to be for the first-timer to London, or for those looking for Mayfair posh. However, it is for those who are looking for a foodie experience. If you’re looking to get to know London beyond something surface-level or touristy, Kiln is the place to be.
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FAQs
Q: Where is Kiln restaurant in London located?
A: Kiln restaurant in London is at 58 Brewer Street, in Soho, London, W1F 9TL.
Q: What are the hours of operation at Kiln restaurant in London?
A: Kiln is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Sunday, with slightly shorter hours on weekends. Check ahead, as hours shift seasonally. Currently, the hours of operation at Kiln restaurant in London are as follows:
| Monday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Tuesday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Wednesday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00–23:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00–21:00 |
Q: What is Kiln restaurant in London known for?
A: Kiln restaurant in London is known for its live-fire, Northern Thai-inspired cooking, with dishes drawing on Burmese and Yunnan influences. It’s especially known for its dry-aged lamb skewers and claypot glass noodles with Tamworth pork belly and crab.
Q: Do I need a reservation at Kiln restaurant in London?
A: Not upstairs — it’s walk-in only, and they’ll text you when your seat at the counter is ready. Downstairs takes bookings for parties of four or more.
Q: Is Kiln restaurant in London good for a special occasion?
A: Kiln is better suited to a lively, informal celebration than a quiet, formal one. It’s built for people who want the open-kitchen theater as much as the food.
Q: Is Kiln restaurant in London good for groups?
A: Larger groups should book the downstairs dining room, which is calmer and takes reservations. The upstairs counter is better suited to two or three people.
