Donia: Where Elevated Filipino Cooking Meets the Warmest Hospitality
A warm, confident Filipino restaurant tucked high above Carnaby’s chaos, Donia delivers soulful cooking, thoughtful service and a sense of home that lingers long after the last bite.
3 min read
Review at a glance: ★★★★☆
Tucked away on the third floor on Kingly Court, walking into Donia feels like being lifted out of Carnaby’s main food hub entirely. A back wall of cocktails and glassware glows softly on one side of the room, while a long, narrow serving hatch frames the kitchen on the other. If you’ve ever played with the aspect ratio settings on a TV, you will know exactly the shape I mean.
Just shy of dimly lit, the room carried a buzz from Friday night dates and small groups sharing plates and cocktails. The restaurant’s rapid rise in popularity, helped by social media, meant we had managed to squeeze into one of the final bookings of the evening.
For many, a restaurant without good service is nothing, and Donia is certainly not short on warmth. From the start, our server Allister was attentive and thorough. My partner, who is Filipino, was beaming with pride at the hospitality, remarking that this is exactly the standard restaurants should be setting.
Naturally, I let her choose the dishes. Truth be told, I barely glanced at the menu.
We began with the pandesal, a Filipino sweet bread served warm and soft with whipped garlic butter. Not the standout of the evening, but comforting and nostalgic if you grew up with it.
Next came the prawn and pork dumplings topped with white crab. The soy calamansi pooling at the bottom acted almost like a small broth, zesty and bright, and the crab brought more flavour than expected. A strong, confident dish.
The Chicken Inasal arrived looking like a summer painting. Charred skin, marinated in lemongrass, calamansi and annatto oil, presented as a more refined version of the traditional Filipino classic. Donia has clearly found a rhythm in elevating traditional flavours without losing their soul.
Then came the lechon, the dish that lingered with me long after. Thick slices of crackling, fat and pork layered together, each bite offering something different. The sauce, a take on Mang Tomas, was less vinegary than the traditional version. The liver peppercorn base added depth and would pair beautifully with almost anything on the menu.
Despite being full, dessert was non-negotiable. The Ube Choux, a Filipino twist on a classic French pastry, was sized just right and ended the meal on a gentle, sweet high.
I cannot speak highly enough of Donia. The food was excellent, but it was the homely hospitality that left the deepest impression. Donia feels like the work of a team who genuinely care, and for me, it is one of the most memorable restaurants in London right now.
Donia – ★★★★☆
2.14, Top Floor, Kingly Ct, Carnaby St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday,12:00 – 15:00 | 17:00- 22:00, Sunday, 12:00 – 15:00 | 17:00- 20:00, Monday, CLOSED
Our Rating Guide
★☆☆☆☆ – Poor / Satisfactory
★★☆☆☆ – Good
★★★☆☆ – Very Good
★★★★☆ – Excellent
★★★★★ – Extraordinary
