London Restaurants - East London

255 Paradise Row, London E2 9LE

The people behind bars Dram and Oranj have teamed up for this Bethnal Green opening, which is part cocktail bar, part residency. On the drinks side, you'll find great cocktails and a wine list which celebrates female winemakers. On the food side, that comes from long-term residency Tasca which combines both Spanish and Portuguese influences from an ex Sager & Wild chef. Expect dishes like shellfish escabeche on the menu.

1 Rufus St, London N1 6PE

Italian restaurant Senza Fondo has one key selling point - its bottomless lasagna. That comes in traditional or artichoke varieties (and even in a sandwich) but there is more to the restaurant than layered pasta. You'll also find pizzette, pasta and snacks like deep-fried mozzarella sticks, as well as tiramisu for dessert. All that's assuming you don't overdo it on the lasagna, of course.

5 Dalston Ln, London E8 3DF

One of the earliest interesting wine bars to hit this part of East London, Newcomer Wines started life as a wine shop and bar focusing solely on Austrian wines. They've now expanded to feature natural wines from further afield in Europe. Come the summer, their hidden walled garden is a superb place to enjoy a glass or two.

2-4 Tottenham Rd, London N1 4BZ

Supported by its own natural wine-importing business, Dan’s is one of those wine bars that’s always packed with East Londoners working their way through the impressive catalogue. There’s plenty on by the glass too and it’s always worth seeing what’s on the board that day.

480 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE

The team behind Bar Lotus also run several award-winning bars in Shanghai and Chengdu. Here in London, they've gone ultra minimalist with their space. Drinks have a distinct Asian bent - there might be a yuzu margarita or salted plum and shiso highball on offer.

510b Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AB

They now have bars in Crouch End and Soho, but this was the original opening for the Three Sheets team, bringing their eclectic take on cocktail-making to Dalston. Riffing off the name, the drinks list is divided into one, two and three sheets moving from light to strong in terms of alcoholic content. Regardless of the ABV, whatever you end up ordering is going to taste great.

23A Englefield Rd, London N1 4JX

A couple of interesting chefs (ex-Big Jo and Noble Rot) are behind this self-styled cafe with 'quite good grub' on the Dalston/De Beauvoir borders. It may look like a cafe from the outside but the quality of the food and wine offering here is definitely a cut above the usual neighbourhood space. Expect a tight menu, singing from the season's songsheet.

Stamford Works, 3 Gillett St, London N16 8JH

Seasonality and provenance are the foundation of the menu at Jones & Sons. So you know they'll have the best day boat fish, amazing English meat and a strong vegetarian offering. Set in a former factory, they're probably best known for the weekend brunches and Sunday roasts. If you're getting a sense of deja vu when you come, it's probably because this is where the Stephen Graham movie Boiling Point was filmed.

Unit 8 Gillett St, London N16 8AZ

Head off Kingsland Road into buzzy Gillett Square and let your nose lead you to Ewart Drysdale's amazing jerk bbq spot. The big oil drum barbecues show you that this place means business - your only dilemma will be whether to opt for the jerk pork or chicken. Barbecue isn't the only thing on the menu here - if you fancy an ackee and saltfish patty or macaroni pie, that's on offer as well.

470 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE

Anywhere that survives in Dalston for more than a decade has to be celebrated and Brilliant Corners' winning mix of Japanese-inspired dishes and DJ sessions continues to draw people in. For the food, think izakaya-style drinking food, so sushi and sashimi take centre stage with a wider than expected plant-forward selection of dishes too. The cocktail list is similarly Japanese-inspired with a short classics offering.

89 Shacklewell Ln, London E8 2EB

Chef-owner Oded Oren's Shacklewell Lane restaurant features a menu of Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, served with an eye to seasonality and great local produce. So there might be West Country mussels with Moroccan chraime and pumpkin salad given a Tunisian twist. The hummus is unmissable.

10 Arcola St, London E8 2DN

The OG of the many Mangal spin-offs in Dalston, this ocakbasi started life as a teeny spot with a handful of tables and a charcoal grill. It's now expanded but the classic offering remains the same. Owner Ercan Cuce and his team serve up amazing kebabs and the best bread in an unassuming dining room that to this day doesn't have a booze licence, so bring your own.

70-74 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB

Former basement dive turned fully fledged restaurant and bar, Corrochio's is named after Guadalajara-born chef Daniel Corrochio who serves up an authentic day into night menu channelling Mexico's city's best taquerias. They also do a very popular Mexican take on brunch at the weekends and if you're just popping in for a drink, there's a separate CINCO agave bar downstairs.

52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG

Once home to Pidgin, Sesta is a Neighbourhood-focused restaurant in Hackney from an ex-Pidgin duo - chef Drew Snaith and GM Hannah Kowalski. Here, the emphasis is on a seasonal menu but one that has a focus on comfort food that should attract both locals and people who loved Pidgin. Expect a strong natural wine list here too.

Wood Wharf, 10 Water St, London E14 5GX

Taking a big floating space just beside the Canary Wharf Hawksmoor, Maeceline is a grand French brasserie which also happens to be very good value. Dishes run from the very French (escargots) to the more standard (steak frites) with standout dishes like their uncut sheets of ravioli. That good spread on the menu means it's a great place to take the more fussy of eaters but still get a great meal out. Plus - there's unlimited bread.

1 Mare St, London E8 4RP

Miga is a "modern Korean kitchen" and it's a family affair coming from two brothers and their chef father. Originally starting in New Malden, their mother currently has a takeaway in Morden while their father runs the kitchen at this restaurant in Hackney, with a modern approach to Korean cooking.

13 Rookwood Way, Fish Island, London E3 2XT

Neighbourhood restaurant Inis is part of Fish Island's The Trampery campus and its menu focuses both on British and Irish cuisine. Expect produce and dishes from both sides of the Irish Sea with dishes like whiskey smoked salmon as well as a proper Irish breakfast (which means both black and white pudding).

Five Park Drive, Wood Wharf, London E14 9GG

After success in St James, the Fallow team have gone much bigger with this huge restaurant in Canary Wharf's Wood Wharf. It sticks to the seasonal, local and no-waste ethos that they started with Fallow, which adding completely different dishes to the menu. Here, skewers and mixed grills are the signatures and there's a much larger outdoor space as well as multiple private hire spaces.

374 Helmsley Pl, London E8 3SB

This is the second space for Tomos Parry's hit restaurant Brat, taking over the (covered) courtyard of the Climpson's Arch roastery. Expect a similar menu to the Shoreditch original - plenty of Galician steaks, grilled fish and lots of Basque influence throughout.

1 Water Street, London E14

Hawksmoor really made a splash with their Canary Wharf restaurant - it is actually floating on the river and looks amazing as a result. The same excellent steaks and cocktails that you've come to expect from them are here, as well as their biggest bar yet, The Lowback. 

254 Hackney Road, London, E2 7SJ

This is a revamped pub from two St John veterans, Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram is both one of Hackney's best pub and best restaurants. Downstairs in the pub, make sure to get one of their excellent beef and barley buns, while upstairs it's an actual crime to leave without trying their brown butter & honey tart, one of London's best desserts. Their Sunday roasts are exceptional too.

13 Water Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5GX

Dishoom is based on Bombay cafe culture and their restaurants are always incredibly popular (so be prepared to queue at busy times). Their Canary Wharf restaurant has a standalone bar if you're popping in for a drink and a terrace overlooking the water too. As for the menu, all the hits are in place, including their amazing bacon naans.

6 Chancellor Passage, London E14 5EA

It’s all in the name with this restaurant, which features a six course tasting menu that changes every six weeks - so you're always sure of getting something completely new on a return visit. There's a special theme each time (Fish & Chip Shop and Hollywood have been past themes). It's run by Scottish chef Nico Simeone and this outpost has a separate bar and a terrace too.

195 Hackney Road, London E2 8JL

This is the East London expansion from the same people behind Moro (and the original Clerkenwell Morito). The restaurant draws influence from Southern Spain, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean in a regularly changing small plates menu. The same approach can be seen in the wine list, which also roams the Med.

3 S Quay Square, London E14 9RU

The small Goodman group offers up one of the best steak experiences in London, and this Canary Wharf outpost is no exception. Their steak comes from farms both grass-fed in the Lake District and across the pond in Nebraska, and are aged on-site. It's a great place for a perfectly cooked steak but also has an impressive wine list, not to mention good private dining options.

Unit 7, The white building, 1st Floor,c/o CRATE Bar, Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN

This East London restaurant from Douglas McMaster is at the forefront of no-waste cooking (and restaurants) in London. McMaster has been involved in the no-waste initiative from the early days and has created a restaurant that both embraces the movement fully and showcases the excellent food that a no waste ethos can produce.

Crossrail Place, London E14 5AR

Pergola on the Wharf comes from the same people behind Pergola Paddington, The Prince and more. The decor is super floral, and although the focus is on drinks the menu features plenty of small bites such as truffle arancini and Peruvian chilli chicken skewers.

Canal Place, 32 Andrews Rd, London E8 4RL

This is Max Rocha's solo restaurant by the canal in Hackney. The chef came from The River Cafe and like many of London's best chefs has also spent time at St John Bread & Wine. The bright dining room overlooking the canal is a great place to sit and try some of their weekly specials alongside what are now signature dishes like the deep-fried bread and butter pudding.

Abbot Street Car Park, London, E8 3DP

Acme Food Cult is from chef Andrew Clarke and, as the name suggests, it's all about cooking over fire on an impressive grill with a big, but not sole, focus on vegetables. You'll find it right next to 40FT Brewery, so expect to spot beer as an ingredient in dishes as well as on the drinks list.

56 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AH

This Dalston restaurant has a modern take on Japanese and Italian food - resulting in a creative fusion menu that's inspired by both cuisines, while also pushing the envelope. There are omakase tasting menus alongside a la carte, and it also sports a tiny Tokyo-style cocktail bar.