Janna Cafe
Lamb shoulder haniid, cooked down until a fork shreds it, with the kitchen's own green bisbas over rice.1
Why go
Paula Akpan put it eighth in Time Out's twenty east African rooms and called it a small but mighty Somali eatery with a viral TikTok presence and regulars who describe it as serving the best Somali dishes in London.
1
The menu is short and the lamb is why. Her description: slow-cooked, tender meat that slips off the bone or shreds with ease with a fork. Served with Janna's own bisbas, a classic green Somali hot sauce, fragrant rice and salad, Janna sticks to the basics.
1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the lamb shank or the lamb shoulder haniid.1
- Order: the milk cake afterwards. Akpan's own reason:
You might need help cooling down after the bisbas.
1 - Avoid: a sharing platter for two. They run from £30 to £64.1
What locals & experts say
- Paula Akpan, Time Out London, December 2025:
The real crowdpleaser on Janna's minimalist menu is the lamb shank or lamb shoulder haniid.
1 - On the room's standing: regulars quoted in the same piece call it the best Somali food in London.1
Good to know
- Where: 48 Fieldgate Street E1 1ES, a few doors from Tayyabs at 83-89.
- Hours: daily 13:30 to 23:00.1
- Price: £5-6 starters and dessert, £12-18 mains, £30-64 sharing platters.1
- Sites: two, Whitechapel and Aldgate. This is the Whitechapel one.1
Verdict
should-visit — Lamb shoulder haniid, slow-cooked until a fork shreds it, served with the kitchen's own bisbas over fragrant rice and salad. Paula Akpan put it eighth in Time Out's east African twenty and described the menu as minimalist, which is the compliment it sounds like when the kitchen is doing one thing properly. The bisbas is hot enough that her own tip is to save room for the milk cake, which is a better reason to order dessert than any menu ever gives. Mains run £12-18 and the doors open at half one and stay open until eleven, so this is a late Whitechapel dinner rather than a lunch. It is one rung off the top because a single bylined source carries the whole page.