Rotisserie chicken is hot right now. There seems to be a new spot opening every month serving rotisserie chicken. I decided travel round London and try them all. Ranking them was incredibly difficult, especially the top ten, so I have decided to list them in order of “chicken I’m most excited about getting again”. Also 1-20 were all good and I would definitely eat all of them again.
Find a Google Map of all the spots here.
1. D&K Gambian Roast Chicken
📍 Stratford & Forest Gate. D&K Gambian Roast Chicken is a takeout only pop-up stand. You can find Dembo at Stratford Market Village Monday, Wednesday and Thursday or opposite Forest Gate station on Saturdays. He’s open 10:00-17:00 at both sites, although can sell out way before close. A whole rotisserie chicken is £9. It’s heavily seasoned with garlic powder, salt, black pepper, ginger, chilli powder, curry powder, maggi, parsley, thyme, all purpose seasoning, Cajun seasoning. The chicken is halved before it’s put in a bag and topped with some spicy oil. The chicken is ridiculously tasty and comes nicely off the bone. They also sell chicken wraps which are also popular. For sides they serve an amazing jollof rice as well as slow-cooked veg which make it an all round delicious meal. Watch the reel here.
2. Cafe Francois
📍Borough Market. Cafe Francois is the sister restaurant to Maison Francois – both of which are two of my favourite restaurants in London. Head Chef Matthew Ryle is also one of my favourite chefs on social media for his ‘French classics’ series too. The rotisserie chicken costs £65 and comes with merguez sausage, a large plate of fries and salad. It sounds pricey but you could split it between three with a couple of other dishes. It’s a high quality, corn-fed French chicken. I love the jus it’s served in and the merguez sausages make a great accompaniment. Despite the chicken being very tasty, my favourite dish here is actually the prime rib with snails. It’s a nice thick cut of beef cooked medium rare. They also serve some great sandwiches too. Watch the reel here.
3. Bebe Bob
📍Soho. Bebe Bob is the younger sister restaurant of Soho institution, Bob Bob Ricard. They’re known for their martinis, champagne, caviar bumps, and chicken. The service is impeccable and the vibe is great. It’s a perfect date spot. For the rotisserie chicken they use a French Label Rouge chicken from Vendee. It’s £24 for a half chicken (£48 for a whole). This is one of the only places on the list that manages to create a crispy skin on the chicken yet still maintaining such a soft, juicy, tender bird. Watch the reel here.
4. The Waterman’s Arms
📍Barnes. This piri piri rotisserie chicken cooked over coal at The Waterman’s Arms might be one of the best you’ll find in London but it’s also by far the most expensive. At £54 for a half British free-range chicken (£108 for a whole) withe no sides it was £48 more than the whole French free-range chicken at Cafe Francois which came with fries, salad and merguez sausage. At 1.9kg it is probably the biggest chicken on the list though. The skin was crispy and had a nice charred flavour. The meat was flavourful and coming clean off the bone. The piri piri style jous was amazing and had a great heat to it. All the other food they serve is incredible, the pub has a great vibe and service is very good. I could easily rank them first but the price is holding it back. The chicken is only served Friday-Sunday. Watch the reel here.
5. The Knave of Clubs
📍Shoreditch. East London’s answer to The Devonshire, The Knave of Clubs is a beautiful new-ish pub in Shoreditch. The pub was originally established in 1880 but the building itself (Grade II Listed) dates all the way back to 1735. It was known locally as “The Bird House” because local market traders used to sell songbirds at the pub. In 1980 the pub closed down and became occupied by squatters. In 1994 it was taken over by a French restaurant, Les Trois Garcons, followed by the mac & cheese burger guys, Dirty Bones, then empty again for a couple of years after that. The new owners have restored it back to it’s former glory with the help of photos from the 70s. The menu is simple – Rotisserie chicken, toasties and pub snacks. I’ve tried everything on the menu now and my favourite side the the prawn scotch egg. The rotisserie chicken is £38 and comes with roast potatoes, salad and bread. It’s enough food for two hungry people or three lads on the beers. The chicken is moist and flavourful. Watch the reel here.
6. Toum
📍Mayfair. Toum is a modern Lebanese rotisserie chicken restaurant on Maddox Street in Mayfair. It’s £38 for a whole chicken. The chicken is brined for hours before it’s whacked on the rotisserie, then served with some incredible sauces – I went for a mix of the chicken jus, Toum and Cafe de Paris. The chicken is super tasty and the meat comes nicely off the bone. I also recommend getting the hummus, pita and Lebanese pies. Watch the reel here.
7. Harley’s
📍Hampstead. Harley’s is a butchers and deli in Hampstead from the same people behind London’s hottest steak restaurant, Ibai, so as well as rotisserie chicken they also sell some pretty amazing looking steaks. They have an impressive looking rotisserie which I had not seen before. For chickens they use a large 1.8kg Galician chicken. It’s £25 for a whole bird. There are a couple of tables outside and they have some wooden cutler but this is more of a takeaway spot. The chicken is seasoned with the espelette which is common on the Ibai menu. It’s a delicious chicken and by far the moistest ont he list. I also recommend getting the chicken fat potatoes too. On top of that they also serve a delicous, creamy, Basque cheese cake. Watch the reel here.
8. Panzer’s Deli
📍St John’s Wood. Panzer’s Deli (est 1944) is a Jewish deli in St John’s Wood. It’s neighbourhood institution and very popular for brunch on weekends. Their best-sellers are probably their salmon and saltbeef bagels. They use the same Galician bird as Harley’s but instead of brining it they use a dry rub and cook it a little longer on the rotisserie. It’s £25 for a half chicken, or £40 for a whole and comes with potatoes, salad and gravy. It was a really flavourful delicious chicken and the meat completely slides off the bone as soon as I tried to pick it up. It was not as moist as one at Harley’s but definitely moist enough. The chicken fat potatoes were amazing. Whilst you’re here you should try some pizzas from Circus Pizza. Watch the reel here.
9. Lima Cantina
📍Covent Garden. Lima Cantina is the sister restaurant of Lima. They serve ‘pollo a la brasa’ – Peruvian charcoal rotisserie chicken. It’s £27 for a half chicken or £49 for a whole and comes with Andean potatoes, aji, amarillo and hucatay cream. It’s only a 1.1kg chicken so one of the smaller ones on the list but very tasty. The skin is crispy with a lightly smoked flavour and comes off the bone nicely. The tuna ceviche to start was really good too. Watch the reel here.
10. Al Beik
📍Acton. Al Beik is Syrian restaurant in Acton. A whole chicken will cost you £13 with flatbreads, potatoes, rice, salad and sauces. You could feed two with this easily. The chicken had a really unique flavour – I think it was brushed with preserved lemon. The breast a little dry compared to the leg and thigh but it didn’t matter as it was such a tasty bird. The people were friendly too. Watch the reel here.
11. Story Cellar
📍Covent Garden. Story Cellar is the sister restaurant to two Michelin Star, Restaurant Story. They serve a great barrel aged negroni and Rob Roy, which is a Manhattan with scotch. They have a lot of great starters but my favourite int the snail bolognese on toast. This is a funny one as the first time I went the chicken was better than the first – the meat just fell off the bone a lot easier. If it was as good the second time as it was the first then I would have definitely ranked it in the top five. A whole chicken is £57 with french fries and salad. It’s a posh french bird that’s brined for hours before being cooked on the rotisserie. The chicken is moist, and came off bone nicely (although better the first time). The jus made with mushrooms, shallots, leftover chicken and chicken feet is really delicious. They also serve a good steak and frites. Watch the reel here.
12. Poulet
📍Bermondsey. A florist turned bar/rotisserie on Maltby Street. It’s £26.50 for a whole British free range chicken. They also serve a very good chicken sandwich in a toasted French baguette. Watch the reel here.
13. Cornershop
📍Strand. Cornershop is a new restaurant/cafe/barkery/florist/bar from Nick Jones, one of the co-founders of Soho House. It’s £28 for a whole chicken or £16 for a half with shoestring fries. Or you can get two salads and a quarter chicken for £11. The chicken is from HG Walter. It has a nice charred barbcued flavour. The salads are very good too. Watch the reel here.
14. Twirly Bird
📍Old Spitalfields Market. A new rotisserie chicken vendor in Old Spitalfields market. It’s £28 for a whole chicken or £13 for the ‘Twirly Tray’ which comes with a quarter chicken and two sides. The broccoli was so good. The on the chicken isn’t crispy but it’s highly seasoned. The flavours really penetrate the meat too. Watch the reel here.
15. Amneh Grill
📍Willesden. Amneh Grill is a Syrian restaurant in Willesden. Everything on the menu is super chep here. Syrian flatbread start at only £2. A whole rotisserie chicken is £7.50 takeaway but I decided to eat in and got a half chicken with fries, salad and sauces for only £6.50. It was by far the crispiest chicken on the list. The meat was little on the dry side but came clean off bone. It went great in a flat bread with the toum. The fries were really good here too. Watch the reel here.
16. FOWL
📍St James’s. FOWL is “feet to beak” chicken restaurant from the guys behind Fallow. As well as rotisserie chicken they serve some great wings, strips and a chicken satay toast. They used to do an amazing chicken head pie but don’t anymore. Like Fallow they also serve very good cocktails. It’s £18 for half Korean style rotisserie chicken. The chicken is stuffed with rice then fried off in a skillet with Gochujang. The chicken was falling off the bone and had a great flavour but the best part for me was the fried rice which had soaked up the chicken juices and Gochujang. It was so good I could have had a whole side bowl of it. Watch the reel here.
17. Norbert’s
📍East Dulwich. Nortbert’s is a friendly neighbourhood rotisserie chicken restaurant and bar in East Dulwich. It’s £30 quid whole rare-breed Suffolk white chicken. The skin is a little darker than others on the list due to the spice rub used. You definitely get a slight heat from it. It’s a really tasty chicken and moist but it didn’t come off the bone easily. In terms of sauces they have Frank’s hot sauce, maya and gravy. For sides you can get new potatoes, fries and salad. At lunch they also serve a delcious chicken sandwich in a crusty white roll. Watch the reel here.
18. Flock
📍Hackney. Flock was a rotisserie chicken pop-up at Bar Bruno wine bar in Hackney. They may have already finished their residency by the time I post this. It was £35 for a whole corn fed chicken. It’s brind for three hours, covered in spices, then whacked on the rotisserie. The chicken was served whole which made it a little difficult to serve. The chicken was really tasty but didn’t come off the bone well like others on the list. The rich tarragon jus was the star of the show here. The sides were really delicious too like the courgette cassoulet and chicken dripping potatoes. Also the chocolate mousse too finish was a must-get too. Watch the reel here.
19. Chooks
📍Caledonian Road. Chooks is an Australian style rotisserie chicken takeaway on Roman Way Trading Estate just off Caledonian Road. The bloke who runs this place is really friendly. You can get the chicken on Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat or pick it up in person like I did. A whole chicken is £22. They cook the chicken a little longer than usual on a lower temp. The chicken was good and came off the bone really but the star of the show for me are their potato scallops. These are a thin slice of potato battered and deep fried then smothered in chicken salt. They taste amazing and go great with the garlic mayo. They also serve a very good slaw with dill. Watch the reel here.
20. Mr Gallo
📍Wallworth Road. Mr Gallo is an Ecuadorean rotisserie chicken at Mr Gallo on Walworth Road. A whole chicken is £14 but I got a half with rice, potatoes and a drink and it came to £13. Watch the reel here.
21. Goodies
📍Park Royal. Goodies is a popular Syrian-run supermarket in Park Royal. In terms of Syrian supermarkets it’s one of the biggest and best but service in the cooked food section is a little chaotic and rude. As well as rotisserie chicken they also sell a £3 chicken shawarma and £5 lamb shawarma – I actually preferred the chicken. It’s £9.99 for a whole rotisserie chicken with a flatbread and fries. The skin wasn’t crispy but it tasted amazing. The meat was moist and I was getting strong hints of cinnamon. Watch the reel here.
22. Fostok Halab
📍Acton. Fostok Halab is a new-ish Syrian supermarket in Acton across the street from the iconic Red Lion and Pineapple Pub. If you head to the back of the supermarket you’ll find the cooked food section. They do a syrian shawarma for only £3 which is in my opinion the best shawarma in London. A whole rotisserie chicken is £12 and comes with flatbread, fries pickles and toum. The chicken is moist and comes off the bone nicely. The flavour of the chicken is similar to the chicken shawarma spice mix. Watch the reel here.
23. Lebanese Food Centre
📍Park Royal. This has got to be one of the most interesting rotisseries on the list (see the reel). I think there are only two places in London with one A whole rotisserie chicken is £9 and comes with flat bread, pickles and toum. The chicken skin is salty and has a light smoky flavour from the charcoal. The meat comes clean off the bone. It’s a small chicken so if you were hungry you could easily demolish this in your car by yourself. Be sure to grab an Arabic Pepsi in a glass bottle too. Watch the reel here.
24. Chuck’s Rotisserie
📍Brixton. Hidden in Brixton Market, Chuck’s sells rotisserie chicken, pork belly and negronis, which at £7 aren’t bad at all. The chicken comes by itself, in a salad or in a sandwich. A whole high-welfare chicken is £22. It’s marinated for 24 hours before it’s cooked on the rotisserie for an hour. This results in a super tender chicken. The meat came off bone well. It comes served with mayo and Valentina hot sauce. I didn’t find the brocolli and cabbage sodes very exiting. For me the standout dish was pork belly more than the chicken – I reckon in a ciabatta roll it would be delicious. Watch the reel here.
25. Uncle Ali
📍Willesden. Uncle Ali is a Syrian-owned pizza spot in Willesden. As well as pizza, they serve Lebanese pastries and rotisserie chicken. Pizzas start at £7 and pastries only £3. A whole rotisserie chicken in £14. After the chicken is taken off the rotisserie it’s thrown in the pizza oven for a couple of minutes to crisp up. The chicken is small but tasty. The skin had a nice charred flavour and the meat came clean off the bone. It was however little on the dry-side, especially the breast. The pizza is little like Lebanese pizza just with more toppings. Watch the reel here.
26. Goda
📍Finchley. Goda is a Turkish restaurant in Finchley. A whole rotisserie chicken is £22.90 and comes with freekeh, bulgar and salad. The chicken is tasty but a little on the dry side. Really it’s all about the lamb here. Watch the reel here.
27. Chiya
📍Edmonton. Chiya is an Iraqi-Kurdish restaurant in Edmonton (not far from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium). It’s £11 for a whole chicken with two naans, garlic sauce & chilli sauce. Watch the reel here.
28. Al Bahia
📍Finsbury Park. Al Bahia is an Algerian butchers and deli on Blackstock Road. It’s £7 for a whole rotisserie chicken with no sides. The chiken is cut up before it’s put in the bag. The skin is well season and cirspy. The meat was a little on the dry-side but it was still a tasty bird. Watch the reel here.
29. Salam Butchers
📍Finsbury Park. The second of three Arabic butchers on Blackstock Road. It’s £7 for a whole chicken with no sides. They do not cut it up for you which makes it more difficult to eat if you are out and about. The chicken was slightly larger than the one at Al Bahia but a little dry, and too heavily seasoned with cumin. Watch the reel here.
30. The Ned
📍Bank. The Ned is private members club in the City of London near Bank station from the same people behind Soho House. It’s often descrbed as Soho House for City Wankers. The rooftop pool area is a lovely spot for a drink but service is always incredibly slow. It’s £48 for a whole rotisserie chicken or £24 for a half. I think they are missing a trick not having the rotisserie on show. The chicken was tasty enough but it was a little on the dry side. The ‘nduja flatbread was delicous. They have a strict no filming rule so made me delete my reel.
31. Tazah Food Centre
📍North Ealing. Tazah Food Centre is run by a Kurdish man from Iran. They have a great selection of fresh fruit and veg. A rotisserie chicken costs £8 and it’s a few quid extra for some veg. Although the veg cooks at the bottom of the rotisserie in chicken fat it was quite under-seasoned. The chicken is on the small side. The skin was crispy and salty. The meat of the chicken I tried was fairly moist but I have heard others complain about it being dry so I guess it depends how long the chicken has been left on. Overall I thought it was a solid chicken just not that exciting. Watch the reel here.
32. Shahi Naan Kebab
📍Shepherd’s Bush. Shahi Naan Kebab is a Southall institution famous for their seekh kebabs in naan. They franchised out name so I do not think this spot in Shepherd’s Bush is connected to the original owners. A whole rotisserie chicken cost £9. After it’s taken off the rotisseries it’s thrown on grill and snipped up with scissors. The chicken is served a house-made chilli sauce and mint yogurt. The chicken is probably the smallest on the list. It tasted good and the meat came clean off the bone. The grill gave it a slightly charred flavour but it did dry it out a bit. On top of that service is pretty miserable and it’s not a nice place to eat. Watch the reel here.
33. Midan Market
📍Greenford. Midan Market is a Syrian supermarket in Greenford. If you head to the back of the shop you’ll find the cooked food section. Like the other two Syrian supermarkets I have mentioned you can also get a £3 shawarma, as well as broasted chicken and Syrian flatbreads. Service can be a little chaotic, maybe even rude. It took me multiple attempts to secure a chicken because they kept selling out or were not ready. A whole rotisserie chicken is £10 and comes with fried potatoes, pickles, toum and hot sauce. Surprisingly the potatoes stayed quite crispy. Unfortunately the chicken was a little overcooked and the breast had completely dried out. On top of that it was too salty. It turned out it wasn’t worth the hastle. Watch the reel here.
James Dimitri 