316 Queensbridge Road, Hackney, London E8 3NH
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 but it's generally worth trying as much of the menu as you can. They are also giving back by acting as a soup kitchen for the local area.
20 Sidworth Street, London E8 3SD
Andy Beynon's London Fields restaurant is all about opening up the kitchen experience. That starts with a huge counter that you gather around for a truly unique tasting menu experience (with a focus on seafood).
158 Sandringham Rd, Clapton, London E8 2HS
Casa Fofo saw ex-Pidgin chef Adolfo De Cecco opening his own place in Clapton, carrying on the same approach of a single tasting menu that makes the most of seasonal and local ingredients. He and his team are clearly doing something right as they've been given a star by Michelin.
23 Ezra St, London E2 7RH
Campania & Jones serves up Southern Italian food in Hackney, with pasta made fresh daily in its beautiful rustic-looking restaurant. The food is authentic Italian, the portions are generous and it's one of the most popular restaurant near Columbia Road. There's a daily changing menu, so you can always find something new to try.
60 Broadway Market, London E8 4QJ
Hill and Szrok are one of the most respected butchers in Hackney, on bustling Broadway market. But in the evening, when the meat is all put away, the place transforms into a neighbourhood restaurant with a menu dictated by the produce available. As you can imagine, their meat, sourced from smaller independent farmers, is front and centre.
68 Dalston Ln, London E8 3AH
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.
197 Richmond Rd, London E8 3NJ
While the original Pophams is mainly a bakery and cafe, this, their second, also functions as a restaurant. So while you can still buy their bread and pastries here, there's the added draw of the pasta restaurant, with all the pasta made fresh in-house. It should go without saying that the desserts are pretty great as well.
374-378 Old St, London EC1V 9LT
Nest offers a set, regularly changing menu of small plates with a strong focus on provenance and local, British suppliers. Sustainability is also a big thing here and the wine list concentrates on low/no intervention.
134 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DY
Song Que is an excellent Vietnamese restaurant on Kingsland Road's strong Vietnamese food scene. Expect authentic cuisine with excellent pho and banh mi, which underlines its longstanding great reputation. If you're looking for the best Vietnamese food in London, this should be on your list.
47 Hereford Rd, London W2 5AH
Ben Tish is now in charge of the menus at all Cubitt House pubs, although the Princess Royal was their first brand-new pub in the group in years. An immediate local hit (the huge garden and terrace certainly helps) it has a Mediterranean-led menu focusing on seasonal fish and shellfish all set inside a gorgeous-looking gastropub.
22 Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6DX
If you're searching for old school French cuisine, then look no further than this longstanding restaurant. It's a great spot for a long, liquid lunch but even better for a romantic dinner with all that warm brick and candlelight.
11-13 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QD
This is the original Caravan, where they built a reputation of creating some of the finest brunches in town. Having their own coffee roastery means the coffees here are second to none.
Bleeding Heart Yard, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SJ
Bleeding Heart is a London institution. Come here for classic French food with a modern touch and a vast amount of wine supplied by their wine cellar. There's also a wine bar and grill off this historic courtyard for more casual fare.
12 Jerusalem Passage, London EC1V 4JP
The tiny Sushi Tetsu is both one of the best sushi restaurants in town and also one of the hardest to get into. With only half a dozen seats inside, each item served to you will be almost a work of art. This may well ruin other sushi restaurants for you. Note that bookings open on the first and third Monday of every month and go very fast.
30 St Cross Street, London EC1N 8UH
This fine dining restaurant in the heart of Farringdon serves up seasonal, inventive food from a pared-back dining room. As the name suggests, it focuses on British seasonal produce and dishes, created by chef Anthony Raffo. With a focus on low waste too, it deservedly won critic plaudits from the get-go.
82 Goswell Rd, London EC1V 7DB
This was street traders-turned restaurateurs Breddos first restaurant. It serves up excellent tacos, tostadas, tortilla-based Mexican pizza tlayudas and more. Don't forget to give their mezcal list a try as well.
29 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1R 0DU
In a quiet part of Clerkenwell, The Green comes from the same people who also run The Culpeper in Shoreditch. Either take it easy in the pub downstairs or head up to the first floor restaurant and you'll find the pub serving modern British food from an ever changing menu. Also look out for a Sunday lunch where they concentrate on Beef Wellington and one key roast dish.
46 Exmouth Market, Farringdon, London EC1R 4QE
This is an offshoot of Josh Katz's Berber & Q, and is something of a cut-down version of the main restaurant. Here you can find a combination of mezze, hummus and plenty from the grill - including the lamb shawarme of course - as well as rotisserie chicken. Make sure to stick around for their desserts.
38-40 Exmouth Market, Farringdon, London EC1R 4QE
Macellaio RC have a few sites across London where the main event is the steak, and you'll see plenty of this hanging in the restaurant. It's all Italian-style steak from a female Fassona breed. There is some pasta available too - but you'll really need to be trying as much from the grill as possible to do the place justice.
27 - 31 Clerkenwell Close, Farringdon, London EC1R 0AT
This neighbourhood cafe in Clerkenwell is blessed with a hidden courtyard terrace which is a good-to-know alfresco option in this area. As for the food, they serve up ethically-sourced organic produce taking inspiration from both European and Californian cafes with a small regularly changing menu.
55 Great Portland Street, London W1W 7LQ
This is the main restaurant upstairs at The George pub in Fitzrovia. It comes from JKS (the people behind Gymkhana) and Kitchen Table's James Knappett, who is behind the menu. Expect a much more elevated approach to a traditional pub menu.
4-6 Islington Green, London N1 2XA
This restaurant brings fresh pasta to Islington from chef Louis Korovilas (who created the original menu at Bancone). Expect pasta dishes that evolve with the season alongside plenty of fritti action (including fritto misto, of course).
34-35 Southampton St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HG
This is Adam Handling's main restaurant where you'll be able to get some of his signature dishes (not to mention the amazing chicken butter). It's worth also heading to the Eve Bar here for some world class cocktails.
21 Slingsby Pl, London WC2E 9AB
This is the second restaurant for Lahpet, originally finding fame in Shoreditch. It sees them bringing their unique take on Burmese cuisine to the west end, with noodle soups and their famed tea leaf salad all on the menu, along with a great cocktail list. There's a huge heated terrace on the first floor too.
16a Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HE
This is the fourth Blacklock restaurant and one of their biggest. Here you can expect everything they're best known for - great value chops, big steaks and lots and lots of gravy. There are also some amazing pies and ordering something from the cocktail trolley is a must.
The Dorchester, Park Lane, London W1K 1QA
Alain Ducasse is one of France's most celebrated chefs and he's done pretty well over here too. This restaurant at The Dorchester hotel, serving up fine French food, is one of a few restaurants in London to be awarded three Michelin stars.
20 Queen Street, London, W1J 5PR
There are a few Cafe Muranos across town - but this is the main Michelin-starred flagship restaurant of Angela Hartnett. It's high-end Italian dining but with a relaxed vibe.
The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
One of the main restaurants at prestigious London hotel The Connaught, this is run by French Chef Hélène Darroze. Expect high-end French dining that has won the restaurant three Michelin stars. After a recenti-ish major refurbishment, it now has an impressive chef's table. Make sure to finish with the signature rum baba.
20 Mount Street, London W1K 2HE
This seafood restaurant in Mayfair is also one of its most famous, and the flagship restaurant for Richard Caring's Caprice group. And if you can grab one of the tables outside (weather permitting), it's one of THE places to be seen in town.
53-54 Brook's Mews, London W1K 4EG
Part of an international group of restaurants, eating here - particularly if you've scored an outside table - should be like eating somewhere very luxe on the Cote d’Azur. The food is light French Mediterranean and Niçoise cuisine. A recent addition has been a new oyster bar.
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