Donia

The pork belly comes lechon-style with a liver and peppercorn sauce, which Harden's respondents call "mind-bendingly good."

Why go

Florence Mae Maglanoc runs the food, with Omar Shah, under their Maginhawa group, and she builds the menu out of childhood Filipino dishes given European finishing (Hot Dinners). The technique that carries it is acid rather than heat: sea bream kinilaw is cured in vinegar and citrus, which firms the flesh the way a low poach would while keeping the flavor raw and sharp. Chicken inasal goes the other way, marinated and grilled hard. Tim Hayward reviewed it for the Financial Times and called the cooking "fantastic, new to me," taking Harden's review of the week for it in April 2024. The site is 2.14 Kingly Court, the top floor of a Carnaby Street courtyard, and the restaurant displays a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026. It seats small, takes bookings 42 days ahead, and caps a table at eight.

Order this / avoid

Order: the pork belly lechon-style at £22, for the liver and peppercorn sauce. Then the prawn and pork dumplings at £14, which Hot Dinners called "comfort food in a bowl," and the ube choux at £11. ref
Avoid: booking it for a conversation you need to hear. Harden's 2026 rates the ambience 2 out of 5, and Hayward called the acoustics "challenging."

What locals & experts say

Financial Times (Tim Hayward), via Harden's, week ending 2 April 2024: the cooking was "fantastic, new to me," in a room where the acoustics felt like "living inside Gregg Wallace's head." ref
Harden's (2026 guide): "something different and very well done" and "well worth searching out," food 3, service 3, ambience 2, £82 a head. ref
Hot Dinners (19 December 2023): "food made with heart and thoughtfully executed and a definite jewel in Kingly Court's crown." The ube choux took Best Dessert at the Hot Dinners Awards 2023. ref
Jeff's list: saved on the strength of The Standard calling it a contender for best new restaurant. REAL.

Good to know

Timing: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm. Sunday noon to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm. Closed Monday.
Booking: real-time availability on the venue's site, up to 42 days ahead, maximum eight people per booking. No dogs except guide dogs.
Price: £82 a head per the 2026 Harden's survey. Plates start at £11.
Dietary: no allergen, gluten-free, celiac or vegan statement could be found on the venue's site, and the menu is a PDF download. Ask when you book, especially given how much pork is on the menu.
Location: top floor of Kingly Court, off Carnaby Street, nearest tube Oxford Circus.

Jeff's take (his words)

Note: "Labeled a contender for best new restaurant by The Standard. Filipino food." REAL.

Verdict (Chef Jeff ladder)

should-visit — Worth the detour, and worth the ugly walk through Kingly Court to get there. Florence Mae Maglanoc is rebuilding Filipino home dishes on British produce, and the specific thing to eat is lechon pork with a liver and peppercorn sauce that Harden's respondents call 'mind-bendingly good'. Tim Hayward in the FT called the cooking 'fantastic, new to me' and took Harden's review of the week for it, and the venue displays a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026. It is not a must-visit because the room works against the food: ambience rates 2 out of 5 and the acoustics are a documented problem.