The best restaurants, bars and cafes in Dalston

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This family-run Dalston ocakbasi was transformed into one of London's most exciting restaurants when ownership passed to the original owners' sons. Now you can expect thrilling modern Turkish food through an East London lens.

This is the original restaurant from Carl Clarke and David Wolanski and still the best. The fried chicken is among the best in London, the szechuan aubergine is one of our favourite dishes and the sours are still excellent, affordable cocktails. There's a great bar space in the basement too.

All-day Hackney restaurant Little Duck - The Picklery comes from the same people behind Rawduck and Ducksoup. It's part shop and cafe and they're proud of their fermented food and drink (as the name gives away). On the menu, expect small plates that see those pickles put into action, with a focus on sharing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is Tom Oldroyd's Hackney pub and dining room, serving up a European menu using British produce. The Cornish crab chip butty is a must, as is the Duke burger (or the veggie Duchess alternative) but it's generally worth trying as much of the menu as you can. Look out for special deals on Wednesdays and Fridays and a great Sunday lunch.