The Best Fried Chicken Restaurants in London - Tried and Tested
Fried chicken, with its crispy exterior and succulent interior, is a beloved dish that has captured the hearts of food enthusiasts around the globe.
Its origins can be traced back to various cultures, in particular, Scottish and West African (what a combination), however, it was in the American South that fried chicken truly found its identity, evolving into a comfort food staple cherished at family gatherings and Sunday dinners.
Over time, fried chicken spread its wings, becoming a global phenomenon and adapting to local tastes and ingredients.
Join us as we go on a tour of the best-fried chicken joints in London
Fowl ★★★ | ££££
Thunderbird ★★★ | ££££
Butchies ★★★ | ££££
Meat Liquor ★★★ | ££££
Other Side Fried ★★★ | ££££
Patty and Bun ★★★ | ££££
Dixy Chicken ★★★ | ££££
Morley’s ★★★ | ££££
Fowl
Haymarket
We are massive fans of the Fallow team (Jack Croft and Will Murray) and their “beak-to-feet” chicken restaurant does not disappoint! It’s around the corner from their main restaurant but its primary focus, as the name would suggest is the chicken! They also collaborate with a rotating list of celebrities to bring new items to the menu (think Professor Green and James Blunt).
@FallowLondon (YouTube)
Thunderbird
Canary Wharf | Charring Cross | Clapham Junction | Wimbledon
Halal
The greatest chicken wings in London, hands down!
We’ve been to Thunderbird in various locations and it never misses a beat. Their chicken wings are always meaty and crisp. The Chippufalo sauce is tangy with a nice kick and you always get a great meal.
Another thing we love about Thunderbird is … they show you how they make fried chicken, no secrets. Thanks, Matt!
Butchies
Clapham | Ealing | Earls Court | Shoreditch | Victoria | Canary Wahrf (coming soon)
Halal
Butchies started off in East London in 2013 and has since grown into a chicken powerhouse. They do all the usual fried chicken goods but we particularly love their cheesy rider for an oozy buffalo flavoured burger!
Meat Liquor
Dartmouth Arms | Oxford Circuis | Shoreditch | Queensway | Northcoat Road | East Dulwich | Angel
Halal
While not exclusively a fried chicken spot, Meat Liquor deserves a special mention for its sinfully delicious fried chicken offerings. Known for its bold, unapologetic flavours and dark, edgy ambience, Meat Liquor offers a fried chicken experience that's as memorable for its atmosphere as it is for its food.
Beware, it can get very loud in there!
Other Side Fried
Brixton
Halal
‘DIRTY DONE PROPER’ is what they call it and we can testify that’s exactly what it is.
Other Side Fried started off as a chicken cart made from an old ambulance and now has a permanent space in Brixton with a fast-food vibe.
Patty and Bun
White City | Notting Hill | Bond St | Oxford Circus | Leicester Sq | Liverpool St | Hackney | London Bridge | Clapham Junction
Halal
Not strictly a chicken place but Patty and Bun keeps a large part of our hearts as one of the best burger spots in London so we have to feature its Hot Chich burger on this list.
The genius of the Hot Chic Burger lies in its balance - the heat from the mayo is perfectly offset by the coolness of the lettuce and the tanginess of the pickles, making each bite an adventure.
Dixy Chicken
Many locations
Halal
Dixy chicken is an old love for us at Hungry Soles. We’ve spent many late nights munching down hot wings and mega mix burgers in one of their takeaways. It’s not always pretty but the spice of Dixy chicken is second to none!
Morley’s
Many locations
Halal
Forget KFC, Dixy or any other chicken shop if you’re in South London, Morley’s reigns supreme this side of the river. The chicken wings have a zingy taste similar to that of the Colenel’s and you’ll never be too far away from one.
Morley’s has a cult following in South London and for good reason too. So much so that you’ll also find it heavily featured in Stormzy’s “Big For Your Boots” music video.
Funky Fry
Clapham South
Another late-night delight. Funky Fry in Clapham south has the most amazing spiced wings which are perfect for grabbing on yoru way home after a night out in London.
Fried Chicken Map of London
How to use our maps
Click on the menu icon on the top left to show a list of all places on the map. You’ll find our notes by clicking on each place.
Click on the fullscreen icon on the top right to open the map in Google Maps.
The ones that missed the cut…
The list above only includes our absolute favourite fried chicken places, and we have high standards. Below are the popular restaurants that we have tried but just don’t make the cut for us. But do feel free to visit and tell us that we’re wrong.
Coqfighter
We were very excited to eat at Coqfighter but overall just thought that our meal was lacking. The chicken lacked seasoning and the sauces were all pretty plain (we all know how important sauces are). One thing we hate about any restaurant is when the ‘hot sauce’ isn’t hot, and we found that to be the case at Coqfighters.
Chick ‘n’ Sours
Haggerston | Seven Dials
We had the same issue at Chick n Sours … non hot, hot sauce and we just can not look past that!
The menu looked very interesting with a lot of options on it and the chicken toast was incredible but the rest of our meal was pretty average.
Chick n Sours is an extremely popular recommendation so we were a bit let down, however, we are planning on going back and pre-ordering the ‘whole fry’ (yes an entire fried chicken which you need to order 24 hours before hand) to give it another chance.