London is full to the brim with chicken shops – in fact, there are over 8,000 here, so if you walk down any street you’re likely to find more than one you fancy! But with so many in town, where exactly are the best spots to go? Well fear not dear reader, as we’re here to help you find the best, crispiest and tastiest fried chicken in London. So, let’s start shall we:
1. Coqfighter
Kicking off this roundup of the best fried chicken in London is Coqfighter – a beloved establishment which started its life as a pop-up store in Boxpark Shoreditch. It’s now expanded to five different locations – King’s Cross, Finsbury Park, Soho, Croydon and the original Shoreditch spot – and there’s everything here from battered k-wings to fried chicken burgers.
Our top pick here would be the fried chicken served on the bone, which is brined overnight, steamed and fried until it’s lovely and golden. It’s then dusted in their house shake and served with miso butter gravy. We’re practically salivating at the thought.
📍You’ll find Coqfighter at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
2. Smoking Goat Chicken Shop
This may be a left-of-field entry, but just trust us for a minute. Cult Thai barbecue restaurant Smoking Goat is already rightly lauded throughout London for their addicting Fish Sauce Chicken Wings. It’s the kind of dish that is whispered about in hushed voices discussing whether or not it’s weird to order yet another plate of the funk, spicy wings. But Smoking Goat wasn’t satisfied with just one delicious fried chicken recipe on their menu.
Inspired by a recent trip to Bangkok, where they tried some of the best central Thai-style fried chicken, the team decided to transform the restaurant into the Smoking Goat Chicken Shop. Initially running through March, but extended through April due to phenomenal demand, the concept saw them serving up London’s absolute crispiest fried chicken. Served with an assortment of funky and super spicy dips, it’s fried chicken that resembles that in the cartoons – gorgeously deeply golden brown, shatteringly crispy, and drippingly juicy. The fried chicken was so successful at the restaurant takeover that they’ve now made it a permanent part of their menu. I’ll be running back to try it as soon as I can!
📍You’ll find Smoking Goat at 64 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
3. Chick ‘n’ Sours
Next up on this roundup of the best fried chicken in London is Chick ‘n’ Sours – culinary geniuses who take fried chicken and sour cocktails to another level. There’s everything here from chicken tenders and disco wings to fried chicken sandwiches, but we’d recommend going the whole hog and getting the ‘whole fry’.
‘Whole frys’ are only available for pre-order 48 hours in advance and it’s recommended that you share between two people who really love their fried chicken. It comes complete with two sides and a dressing of your choice. We’d recommend the beef dripping fries and the ‘bang bang cucumbers’ – but we’ll leave that choice up to you.
📍You’ll find Chick ‘n’ Sours at 390 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AA and at 1A Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LL.
🚇 Nearest stations are Haggerston and Covent Garden.
4. Chick and Beers
As the name suggests, this one is all about the food and drink combo. And boy what a combo it is. They claim to ‘serve the best Korean Fried Chicken in town’, and we’re not one to argue.
They’ve got two different branches based out west in K-Town, and they also offer fried chicken delivery options too. Winner, winner. We’d recommend going for their signature heart-shaped chicken wings or their whole fried chicken – I mean who are we to argue with that right!? Wash it down with an ice-cold Asahi and you’ve got yourself one hell of a good meal here.
📍You’ll find Chick and Beers at 24 Coombe Road, New Malden, KT3 4QE and 282 Burlington Road, New Malden, KT3 4NL.
🚇 Nearest stations are New Malden and Motspur Park.
5. Mother Clucker
Next up on this roundup of the best fried chicken shops in London is Mother Clucker – a legendary street food spot that was born one night by mates Ross and Brittney after a few too many beers. After doing bar residencies at Backyard Cinema and Peckham Springs, they then moved to a spot at the Truman Brewery right off Brick Lane.
They’ve got a unique Mother Clucker flour, herb and spice blend which they douse all their chicken in before they dredge and dip it with buttermilk. The result is some of the most delicious and succulent fried chicken in the whole of London. Trust us! Currently only open for delivery only, this is the one to go with if you’re looking to get some fried chicken right to your doorstep.
📍You’ll currently only find Mother Clucker online here.
6. Rooster’s Hut
If you’re knocking about in Peckham and are looking for some fried chicken, then Rooster’s Hut should be your go-to spot. A Rye Lane staple, there’s all manner of greasy goodness whipped up here – and it’s open until 3am on Friday and Saturday.
Sure, it may not exactly be Michelin-starred, but the wallet-friendly prices here are a major draw. Order the two-piece combo – featuring two chicken portions, two spicy wings, two barbecue wings and fries as well as a can of pop – which is just four quid.
📍You’ll find Rooster’s Hut at 177 Rye Lane, London, SE15 4TP.
🚇 Nearest station is Peckham Rye.
7. Morley’s Fried Chicken
Now this one needs no introduction – especially if you’re like a South Londoner like this author. Morley’s first swung open its doors in 1985, and it’s become a major institution since, expanding to over 30 stores all across London and featuring in Stormzy’s music video ‘Too Big For Your Boots’ and ‘Chicken Shop Date’ with Amelia Dimoldenberg.
They specialise here in spicy wings – which really should be your go to – and they’ve got a whole host of specific combo-deals here which won’t break the budget. They even do a chicken wrap here too – fancy!
📍You’ll find Morley’s Fried Chicken at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
8. Chick King
Open since the 1980’s, Tottenham-based takeaway Chick King has been charming fried chicken aficionados for decades now. It’s easy to see why – they serve chicken that’s succulent and seasoned to absolute perfection.
The portions here are also huge, and they’ve had their regulars here for years, so they clearly must be doing something right! If you’re looking for other options other than just pieces of fried chicken, they’ve also got spare ribs, sausages, burgers and chicken sandwiches here too.
📍You’ll find Chick King at 755 High Road, London, N17 8AH.
🚇 Nearest station is White Hart Lane.
9. La Barra
Our penultimate entry on this roundup of the best fried chicken in London is La Barra – a traditional Colombian joint which has some of the most authentic South American grub in London Town. Unpretentious and relatively hard to find, the restaurant has a relaxed and friendly feel to it, and all the food here is absolutely delicious.
While you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, we’d recommend going for the pica pollo, which includes five pieces of deep fried battered chicken served alongside crispy plantains and a chilli dipping sauce. Yum, yum.
📍You’ll find La Barra at 147, Eagle Yard Arch, London, SE1 6SP.
🚇 Nearest station is Elephant and Castle.
10. Eden’s Cottage
Rounding off this list of the best fried chicken in London is Eden’s Cottage – a tiny, low-key takeaway based in Finsbury Park. Their hot wings are legendary in this neck of the woods, and they’re cheap too – six wings and regular fries are just a fiver.
Their crunchy fries will also satisfy any fried food itch, and they’ve also got some melt-in-the-mouth jalapeno bites too.
📍You’ll find Eden’s Cottage at 264 Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 2HY.
🚇 Nearest station is Finsbury Park.
So there you have it – a roundup of eleven of the best places for fried chicken in London. So if you’re looking for some tasty fried chicken wings, a side of crispy fries and a can of pop to wash it all down with – then you know where to go!