London Restaurants - Shoreditch, Clerkenwell

Russell Norman, the man behind Polpo, is back with this Farringdon restaurants (where Hix used to be). It takes its influences primarily from Northern Italy with a particular focus on Florence. So you'll find Italian snacks and pasta alongside huge T-Bone steaks. It's also part-bar, with an extensive list of cocktail classics, so will be very handy if you're looking for a decent bar in the area.

This restaurant taking old over an old Grade II courthouse in Clerkenwell sees the return of Florence Knight to the London restaurant scene, with a menu that is a mix of British, French and Italian cooking. As befitting its protected status, it's also in one of the most beautiful dining rooms in London and it's also a wine bar and art gallery space.

Bibo sees Dani Garcia, a top Spanish chef with Michelin stars to his name, take his Bibo restaurant group to the new Mondrian hotel in Shoreditch. While rollouits can sometimes be hit or miss - this is definitely in hit territory, with an excellent tapas menu and vibe to match.

This is the Old Street restaurant for Richard Corrigan, the top Irish chef who's also behind Bentley's in Mayfair. Expect a menu that has a modern European base mixed in with various Irish influences. There's an excellent pub downstairs too, in the shape of Gibney's.

The original Padella is a London sensation, with its affordable fresh pasta winning friends far and wild. It's hugely popular, which led to this second outpost in Shoreditch. Expect the same great value, high quality pasta and more.

The Big Mamma group in Paris have had huge hits with their trattorias and Gloria was their first London opening, in a big space in Shoreditch. It serves up Italian food in a classic looking space (as well as a hidden 80s-set dining room) and a buzzy vibe.

Small plates, sharers and snacks are on the menu here, at this venture from the team who ran Michelin-starred Hackney restaurant Ellory. Now they're Shoreditch-based with a more laid back venture that features their own Vermouth and wines.

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.

This Shoreditch restaurants was conceived by James Brown & former Viajante chef Nuno Mendes and now has Executive Chef Edoardo Pellicano at the helm. It's best described as a hidden, permanent supperclub. There's one sitting each evening, with an inventive menu that is never the same.

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 and a small regularly changing menu.

This Clerkenwell pub has a long history in Clerkenwell and may only be second in line to The Eagle when it comes to pubs that went "gastro". Settle in downstairs for more traditional pub fare, or head to the upstairs restaurant if you're after something a little more fancy.

The Eagle in Clerkenwell is often credited as the first modern gastropub - with restaurant-quality food being served inside a pub. Many years down the line, it's still a reliable spot for a good meal, serving up a seasonal menu in a faintly ramshackle pub. The steak sandwiches are some of the best in town.

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. And make sure to hang around for their desserts.

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.

Previously Burger and Beyond were at street food markets all over town before they settled down in Shoreditch. Their best burgers are on offer here, all covered in excellent toppings like marrownaise and more. Their small plates action is pretty good and the truffled tater tots are some of the best in town.

The team responsible for The Culpeper in Aldgate have a new project - they've opened this pub and hotel on Brick Lane which has a residents-only rooftop terrace.

If you're a fan of Flat Iron's steak great value steak, then you'll be very pleased to hear they're opening a new branch in Spitalfields - which will be very handy for city-folk.

Chef Tomos Parry's solo venture was an instant hit after opening (and there's an offshoot alfresco version too). It features a mix of cooking on fire, Welsh and Basque cuisine, and a big focus on wine. It doesn't hurt that the dining room is quite lovely too.

Forget your greasy local frier - Clerkenwell’s fish and chip restaurant United Chip’s all about the millennial pink, Bangkok prawn burgers and complimentary aioli. But there's fisn and chips too - with traditional or Belgian fries.

This is the original Rochelle Canteen, from chef Margot Henderson and business partner Melanie Arnold, and has been held up by almost every chef in London as one of the best places to eat at in town. Henderson serves up classic, seasonal cooking. It's a little on the hard side to find - but well worth it.

This is the Shoreditch outpost of the Blacklock group - which has become famous for its piles of chops, cooked over fire. It's also great value for money - and that includes the cocktails. This East London branch also has a large bar area.

The team behind Foleys and the Rum Kitchen have come to Old Street with a pretty sizeable new restaurant, serving Italian-via-LA cuisine from 7am to midnight all week long.

Award-winning chicken street food trader made its move from street food to bricks and mortar with the opening of this, their first place, in Shoreditch. Their fried buttermilk chicken sandwiches are the bomb.

We're not sure which bit of Rascals to tell you about first. There's the waterproof room, the bottomless pizza, or the Wheel of Misfortune with wooden stocks for the "losers"... plus creative cocktails, a mad menu and more for all your tableside flamb-ing needs.

?We want to keep pushing boundaries,? said Mr Lyan about his concept bar and restaurant. No problem there then - his new restaurant uses very (and we do mean *very*) creative ingredients in a special all-in-one kitchen and bar, reducing waste and keeping guests on their toes. Expect ambergris, Japanese knotweed and smoked compost carrot on the weekly changing menu.

Sister restaurant to Kiln, this is the second version of Smoking Goat and a huge hit. Whether you're sitting up at the counter or enjoying a group meal with friends, enjoy a range of Thai dishes that change depending on produce and a lot of Thai BBQ too.

This is the latest Camino, offering up a mix of Spanish tapas, a bar and more.

Part shop/part restaurant, Shoreditch’s Burro e Salvia makes incredible pasta on site every day. You can take it away to cook yourself at home or take a seat up at the pasta counter and let them do the work for you. There’s a small menu of fresh pasta and antipasti that changes regularly, and if you fancy learning the secrets of great pasta making for yourself, they also run regular workshops.

Just off Kingsland Road, in an area with some excellent Vietnamese cooking, Cay Tre is held out to be one of the very best in London. Their pho is an obvious attraction here, but there's a broad menu of authentic Vietnamese cooking. (And you can pop across the street to try their Banh Mi shop Keu too.)

The Shoreditch outpost of the St John empire is almost like a finishing school for London chefs. This restaurant is the beating heart of seasonal British cooking in London and has spread that influence all over the UK. A cracking place for a weekend breakfast too.