Where Chefs Eat: James Lowe’s Guide to London

James Lowe has been championing simple British food since 2014, when he opened Lyle’s in Shoreditch. Within a year the pared-back space and its pared-back food won a Michelin star, which it maintained right up until closing this month. With Pamela Yung, he was also behind one of the best bakeries in London, Borough Market’s Flor. Now between projects, the lauded chef is enjoying the pop-up life, with recent takeover at Arkhe in Adelaide and this week at Sydney institution Ester for Vivid’s Chef Series.

How did you get into the industry?
I used to really enjoy cooking for friends at uni. I’d cook for my flatmates and I really enjoyed the feeling of providing for people. I then decided to become a chef after I ate at The Fat Duck, followed by St John two nights later, and just decided that I wanted to open my own restaurant, and work out how I’m going to do that. So off the back of that I went on to work at the restaurants that inspired me as a guest.

What are your go-to spots for a takeaway dinner and lunch on the go?
Burro e Salvia in East London is great for pasta. They make pasta in-house so you can buy it, take it home. Really good quick eats are Smoking Goat in Shoreditch, or Topa in East London.

Favourite coffee, burger and hidden gem?
Coffee is Nagare in Spitalfields. The Blue Burger at Bleecker. And Pollentina , which is in the outskirts of East London. It's a two-person operation, a small dining room built in the corner of a textile factory.

What’s your favourite date spot, and where do you go for special occasions?
I don’t typically like going to fancy restaurants, so if it’s a social occasion or a night off, I always choose places where I know the people who run it, or the chefs, and where they source. And just enjoy nice food that is great value. So places like Quality Wines in Farringdon.

Where would you go for a long lunch or a big group meal?
Dim sum is a great one for a group meal – The Royal China or Dim Sum Duck in London.

What’s your go-to late-night snack after a big night or service?
Cheese toasties. I love them with comté or gruyere.

What about your favourite ice-cream or gelato spots?
Soft and Swirly in South London. You can buy the tubs in places like Leila’s in Shoreditch or E5 Bakehouse in Hackney.

Where’s the best place to get groceries?
I wish there were more farmers markets. Or that the system supported farmers markets more. It requires a large cultural shift for farmers markets to be better because they bring a certain amount of ingredients, but so often if it’s a new one they waste so much produce that it’s hard for them to want to keep going or persevere because people don’t buy like that. Even markets like Borough Market, as soon as you start doing hot food, it completely takes away from the food market itself.

James Lowe is cooking at Ester in Chippendale May 27–29, 2025, as part of Vivid’s Chef Series. The menu is largely woodfired and features seafood and other local ingredients.