Don’t Tell Dad is more than just London’s latest trendy restaurant. It’s a space dedicated to community, friendship and family. At the helm is Daniel Land, the chef and entrepreneur known for co-founding Coco di Mama, now channelling his energy into an all-day dining spot in Queen’s Park that’s as playful as it is polished. Here, he talks oxtail crumpets, culinary mentors and the power of nostalgia.

Tell us about Don’t Tell Dad. What was the vision behind the restaurant?

I’ve loved restaurants since childhood – the kind of love where you remember what you ate, who served it, how it felt. After selling Coco di Mama, I travelled and noticed a few places that truly served their neighbourhoods all day long – not just over dinner, but from early morning to late night. That stuck with me.

Don’t Tell Dad was born out of that idea: a place full of life from morning coffee to evening candlelight. We’re a bakery and a restaurant, so the atmosphere shifts through the day. Mornings are relaxed, weekends are buzzing, lunch is calm and confident and by night, we turn the volume up. Everything’s made from scratch in open kitchens – great quality, delivered casually. That’s the sweet spot.

The name has a very personal meaning – can you share the story behind it?

“Don’t tell Dad” was the phrase my sister Lesley and I would whisper when we were up to no good. It sums up indulgence, mischief and love – and those are exactly the values at the heart of the restaurant. Lesley died suddenly two years ago. This place is a tribute to her – and an attempt to create something good out of something tragic.

How would you describe the menu?

We serve seasonal, modern British and French cooking – thoughtful dishes rooted in flavour and craft. Our head chef, Luke Frankie, is in his prime, and it shows. Jay Rayner summed it up nicely for us in just two words: “cosmopolitan English”.

Are there any standout dishes you’d recommend ordering on a first visit? 

The oxtail crumpet is fast becoming our signature – intensely savoury and completely moreish. The crab tart is delicate and rich at the same time, and the skate wing is a perfect example of understated excellence.

The concept embraces fun and mischief. What’s the most playful dish on the menu? 

Definitely the oxtail crumpets. It’s a nostalgic food – the humble crumpet – paired unexpectedly with slow-braised oxtail and finished with a beef dripping crumb. It’s playful, yes, but also properly crafted. That balance – comfort and elevation – is what we’re always aiming for.

You’ve worked all across the London food scene. Are there any particular visionaries who have shaped your approach?

Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie was a huge early influence. She was championing seasonality, craft, variety and joy before any of it was fashionable. Her deep relationships with producers, and her refusal to compromise, still shape the way I think about hospitality. She’s a proper visionary.

You’re a Queens Park local! What are some of your other favourite spots in the area?

Carmel. It’s grown-up without being stuffy and the team elevates the excellent Middle Eastern menu to the perfect level. The mixed mezze is the stuff of dreams, and I always order it the moment I sit down so I can make relaxed menu decisions while snacking. The flatbreads are famous, particularly the za’atar one, and you can’t go wrong with any of the big stuff on the grill – the whole bream or the urfa chilli chicken. It’s a proper neighbourhood restaurant that is incredibly popular with the locals. 

You wouldn’t know if you walked past, but Michiko Sushino is that rarest of things; a great-value sushi restaurant in London. It’s an extremely low-key setting, and not the most comfortable, but it works for all levels of sushi purism. They serve a ridiculously good-value lunch set for £14.95 – the dressing on the veggie donburi is dreamy – and I always double-up on the seaweed salad.  

A lot gets written about Ida, but it is a gem. As high streets get taken over by bland chains, I think it’s so important to celebrate (and frequent) places like Ida, a genuinely family-run neighbourhood Italian restaurant. The service is warm and friendly, the room is delightful and homely and the food is generous and tasty. It’s impossible to order badly there, particularly if you go for pasta. I love it so much I had my 40th there last year!

Wolfpack is another great Queen’s Park stalwart, started by two great local guys, Al and Chris. It perfectly serves the people who live here who are looking for great beer, delivered in an incredibly casual way. It’s a great place to watch sport, have a quiet pint in the afternoon, an occasionally free bloody mary after the farmer’s market on a Sunday, and definitely some rowdy drinks and shots on a Friday night. The best compliment I can pay it is that I can’t imagine Queen’s Park without Wolfpack. I hope that people will say that about Don’t Tell Dad soon too.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not in the kitchen? 

My young kids are still in that golden window where Mum and Dad are their favourite people. I want to savour that for as long as I can. Although they’ve already spent plenty of time in the kitchen at Don’t Tell Dad.

Outside of family life, I’m a devoted golfer – the quiet, contemplative hours on the course are the perfect counterpoint to the intensity of the restaurant.

And my wife’s a talented DJ. We’re always chasing new electronic artists and going out dancing when we can. It’s good for the soul.

What’s one ingredient you can’t live without?

Tahini. I use it almost daily – it lifts any seasonal veg into something substantial, clean and satisfying.

What’s next for Daniel Land and Don’t Tell Dad?

We’ve only been open six months, and it’s already been a wild ride. I’m not in a rush to open more spots, though we’ve had plenty of offers. Right now, the focus is making this place something Queen’s Park is proud of having in their neighbourhood – and that visitors wish they had in theirs. If we get that right, then we’ll see what the future holds.

Don’t Tell Dad, 10-14 Lonsdale Road, London NW6 6RD; donttelldad.co.uk