Bar in London, United Kingdom
Perilla
100Pearl PointsBook ahead. The tables fill fast.
About Perilla
Perilla on Newington Green is a North London neighbourhood restaurant with a following that rewards deliberate planning over impulse bookings. It works well for groups of four who want a relaxed, unhurried dinner in a room that prioritises the food over the scene. Book two to three weeks ahead and go in the evening for the best experience.
Perilla, Newington Green: Worth a Return Visit?
If you've been to Perilla once, the question isn't whether it's worth going back — it's whether you're booking early enough to actually get a table. Perilla sits at 1-3 Green Lanes on the edge of Newington Green, and it has built a following in North London that punches well above its neighbourhood profile. The room is the first thing you'll register on a return visit: relatively modest in scale, with the kind of considered, unfussy visual restraint that signals the kitchen is where the ambition lives. It doesn't change much — and that's the point. The consistency is the product.
For groups of four or more, Perilla works better than many comparable spots in this tier, but you need to plan ahead. Booking difficulty is rated easy relative to the wider London dining scene, which means you're not fighting a lottery system, but that doesn't mean you can leave it to the week before, especially for a group. If you're coordinating four people, aim to book at least two to three weeks out to get a time that suits everyone, not just the 6pm slot nobody wants. The room's scale means larger parties should confirm at the time of booking whether the table configuration works for their group.
On a second visit, the practical calculus shifts. You already know the room reads better in the evening than at lunch, when the natural light from Green Lanes flattens the atmosphere a little. You know where to sit. You know that Perilla rewards the kind of dinner where the group is in no rush, this is not the place for a fast pre-theatre turnaround. For a group occasion where conversation and the table itself are the event, it holds up well. For a quick in-and-out group dinner, it's the wrong fit.
Newington Green isn't Soho or Fitzrovia, and getting to Perilla requires a bit of intent, it's not a venue you stumble into. That slight remove from the central London circuit is part of what keeps the crowd local and self-selecting: people who are there because they chose to be, not because it was convenient. For a group dinner, that atmosphere is an asset. The room doesn't feel like a tourist destination, and on a busy evening the energy is genuinely warm without tipping into loud.
For wider London context, browse our full London restaurants guide. If you're planning the full evening, our full London bars guide covers pre- and post-dinner options nearby, and our full London hotels guide has options for visitors staying in the area.
Quick reference: Book 2-3 weeks ahead for groups of 4+; evening preferred; easy booking difficulty; Newington Green, N16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Perilla have outdoor seating?
Perilla is on Green Lanes in Newington Green, a residential stretch without obvious forecourt space. Outdoor seating is not confirmed for this venue, so if a terrace table is non-negotiable for your visit, call ahead before booking. For guaranteed outdoor dining in North London, check options along the canal in De Beauvoir or Stoke Newington's Church Street.
Is Perilla good for a date?
Yes — Perilla at Newington Green has built a following precisely because it fits a date format well: neighbourhood-scale, not cavernous, with food that gives you something to talk about. It's a better pick for a second or third date than a first — the setting rewards people who already know they want to spend a few hours together. Book a mid-week slot if you want a quieter room; weekend sittings at 1-3 Green Lanes fill quickly.
What's the crowd like at Perilla?
Perilla draws a local-leaning, food-literate crowd from Newington Green, Stoke Newington, and Islington. Expect people who live nearby and return regularly rather than destination diners making a one-off trek. The atmosphere is relaxed without being casual-to-the-point-of-noisy — closer to the crowd you'd find at Quo Vadis than at a Shoreditch bar-restaurant.
What's the signature drink at Perilla?
Specific cocktail or wine programme details are not confirmed in the current record for Perilla. What is consistent with its Newington Green positioning is a concise, considered drinks list that complements the food rather than competing with it. For a venue where the bar programme is the main draw, Happiness Forgets or Bar Termini give you more to work with on that front.
Is the food good at Perilla?
Perilla has held a strong local reputation in Newington Green long enough to sustain a repeat-visitor base — which is a more reliable signal than a single press cycle. The body of coverage around the restaurant points to cooking that is precise and ingredient-led without being overthought. If you're weighing it against Quo Vadis for a similar spend, Perilla is the pick when you want a lower-key room with the same level of kitchen attention.
Location
1-3 Green Lanes, Newington Green, London N16 9BS, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Compare Perilla
| Venue | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Perilla | Easy |
| Bar Termini | Unknown |
| Callooh Callay | Unknown |
| Happiness Forgets | Unknown |
| Nightjar | Unknown |
| Quo Vadis | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Also Consider
- Bar Termini, Notable alternative
- Callooh Callay, Notable alternative
- Happiness Forgets, Notable alternative
- Nightjar, Notable alternative
- Quo Vadis, Notable alternative
How Perilla Compares
Comparing Perilla directly against Bar Termini, Callooh Callay, Happiness Forgets, Nightjar, and Quo Vadis requires acknowledging they serve different purposes. Perilla is a sit-down dinner destination in North London; the bars on that list are Central London cocktail venues. If your group is deciding between a full dinner and a bar-led evening, that's the first decision to make before the comparison becomes useful.
For groups who want a full dinner and are weighing Perilla against a place like Quo Vadis in Soho, the trade-off is location versus atmosphere. Quo Vadis sits in a more central, easier-to-reach position and has a longer track record of handling groups with polish. Perilla offers a quieter, more neighbourhood-oriented room for roughly comparable effort on the booking front. If your group is coming from different parts of London, Quo Vadis wins on logistics. If everyone is already in North or East London, Perilla makes more sense.
For pre- or post-dinner drinks, the cocktail bar options in Central London, Nightjar for theatre and live music, Happiness Forgets for a lower-key basement session, Bar Termini for aperitivo precision, or Callooh Callay for a more playful crowd, are all worth considering as part of a wider evening rather than direct alternatives to Perilla itself. See also 69 Colebrooke Row, A Bar with Shapes For a Name, Academy, and Amaro for more London bar options. Further afield, Bramble in Edinburgh, Bar Kismet in Halifax, and Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu represent the same thoughtful, neighbourhood-rooted approach if you're travelling beyond London. Round out your planning with our full London wineries guide and our full London experiences guide.
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