Neil Littman visits one of the borough’s oldest surviving restaurants

Before I get into my visit to a Chinese gem in Southgate – which may lay claim to being one of the oldest surviving restaurants in the borough – I want to take the chance to look back over the year.

A few long-established restaurants have gone that I think will be missed. Although I cannot say exactly why some places have pulled their shutters down, given the (still) uncertain economic climate, rising costs, and inflation that has affected the hospitality sector, I believe these factors have all contributed to the current situation.

So far, I’ve noted nine closures during the year, including the long-established Highland Angus in Southgate and several restaurants in Palmers Green. Some have closed due to owner retirement or lack of business, but others have reopened on the same locations after changing hands, including new Korean restaurant Ahra-Ne in Palmers Green. L’Arte in Cockfosters is also opening a new branch on the site occupied by Giovanni’s in Winchmore Hill since 1991.

Hopefully all this change will bode well, but I think we could still do with more variety. Good additions during 2025 included Roti and Spice in Winchmore Hill and Shere Khan in Ponders End (both pan-Asian), plus Stan’s Kitchen, a food court in Enfield Town offering Thai, Korean and Italian cuisine. Meanwhile, Stage reopened at a new site in Palmers Green while also expanding with a separate Austrian restaurant at its original location, across the road in Green Lanes.

For this month’s review, I visited one of the few Chinese restaurants in Enfield where you can dine in. Honeymoon is located behind Southgate Station, in Crown Lane. The present owners, originally from Hong Kong, have been working there for over 50 years.

Their extensive menu, with over a dozen starters, is mainly Cantonese with a lot of familiar dishes, plus a few surprises such as ho fun flat noodles (not to be confused with chow mein!) served in different combinations with meat, seafood or vegetarian.

There are also Peking-style dishes such as kung po. They don’t serve dim-sum, however, which I think would be a good addition to their menu. The windowless exterior initially seemed a bit off-putting but, once inside, the dining area is welcoming and service is friendly. I visited twice midweek and both times they were busy. My impression was that most of the diners were regulars.

We ordered sesame prawn toast and spring rolls to start, which looked and tasted homemade. However, the lack of any dipping sauces was disappointing. There is at least a section on the menu for special sauces for an extra cost.

For mains, we had chicken ho fun (‘wet fried’, but missing out on its signature savoury flavour), beef in black bean sauce, salt and pepper deep-fried tofu (which was crunchy though not as spicy as I would have liked) plus egg fried rice. Portions are generous and better value for two or more people to share.
I returned a week later on my own and ordered two of my favourite dishes, salt and pepper fried squid (which I would have preferred with more chilli) and duck ‘Chinese style’, which was one of my highlights, plus rice.

There is enough variety on the menu to ensure repeat visits. The price per person, not including drinks, is about £30 – unless you order crab, lobster or other exotic fish dishes. What I like about Honeymoon is its extensive menu, authenticity, and flavours.

I’d like to say a big thank you to Dispatch readers for your tips and feedback during the past year and I wish everyone happy dining in 2026!

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Enfield to review or feedback on the places Neil has already reviewed? He would love to hear from Dispatch readers:
Email [email protected]

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.