London Restaurants - East London

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.

52 Wilton Way , London E8 1BG

Setting up shop in a Hackney backstreet, Pidgin saw supperclub host James Ramsden team up with Sam Herlihy to create the kind of place that won plaudits from critics and locals alike. Pidgin has a weekly changing set menu that is about as seasonal as it gets. A perfect neighbourhood restaurant, in that you could come back week after week and never have the same dish twice, it's also worth crossing town for. 

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 a team up between chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins and, as the name suggests, it's all about cooking over fire on an impressive grill. 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.

129A Pritchard’s Road, London E2 9AP

Sune (pronounced "soon-er") comes from hospitality power couple Honey Spencer and Charlie Sims, with ex-Pidgin Head Chef Michael Robins in the kitchen. Set within a sunlit-filled space near Broadway Market, the seasonal all-day menu is big on inventive comfort food while the wine list, curated by Honey Spencer, evolves with the seasons, offering selections from her extensive producer network.

Unit 3, 143 Mare Street, London E8 3RH

Former chef at renowned spots like Brat and Scully and popular supperclub chef after those, Whyte Rushen has gone permanent in Hackney. Here you can expect a menu that's as eclectic as his pop-up offerings and if his smashed burger is on the menu, that's a must-have.

221 Well St, London E9 6RG

Shankey's is a great neighbourhood restaurant serving up a particularly interesting mix of Irish and Indian-influenced dishes and drinks. Irish-born Eoghan is the cocktail genius behind the Celtic-infused cocktail list while chef Sacha Henry is responsible for a mix of small and sharing plates of Indian food.

177 Morning Ln, London E9 6LH

Head to Morning Lane if you want to see what the lovechild of a Japanese izakaya and British seasonal restaurant looks like. With a charcoal grill being the focus of the kitchen here, there's plenty of great produce being served on sticks. Tables are communal so you'll probably leave having made new friends.

211a Victoria Park Road, London E9 7JN

Bruno comes from Michael Sager, best known for Sager + Wilde, and it's a small neighbourhood wine bar in Victoria Park. With a supply of wines largely sourced from his own collection, there are over 200 to choose from and they're available to take away too. If you're stopping in, the food includes filled pretzels alongside baked Vacherin . Look out for chef residencies as well.

Unit 14, Canada Square, London E14 5AX

Karapincha is a Sri Lankan restaurant with a focus on street food-style dishes by twin sisters Vasanthini and Dharshini Perumal. Known for their street food pop-ups, this is their first permanent location, a homecoming after their initial stall in Canary Wharf. The menu features signature dishes like Devilled Chicken and Kothu Roti alongside a breakfast menu with options like ham-and-cheese-stuffed rotis.

12 Park Drive, London E14 9ZW

Mallow is from the people behind Mildreds, and this restaurant has a 100% plant-based brasserie-style menu. That menu features dishes like Spinach Dahi Puri and Aubergine Muhamammara Borek. The second Mallow, it's a much larger restaurant than the original and also features a big terrace. An all-day restaurant, it's handy for plant-based breakfasts too.

5 Frobisher Passage, London, E14 4PA

Blacklock's Canary Wharf restaurant continues to do what the group does best. So you can expect a great selection of chops (have them on top of grilled bread, ideally) alongside steak, snacks and great cocktails. Keep room for their white chocolate cheesecake dessert and there's a great Sunday lunch on offer here too.

Unit 2, Reuters Plaza, London E14 5AJ

This is the Canary Wharf outpost for the all-day dining restaurant and bar group and - as you'd expect - they do a particularly great breakfast and brunch (unsurprising when they roast their own coffee at their North London roastery).

120 Morning Ln, London E9 6LH

Dalla took over from Peg on Morning Lane and is a collaboration among three Italian friends with diverse backgrounds. Gennaro Leone, focusing on design, joins forces with Mitchell Damota, ex-head chef at P Franco, and chef Gianmarco Leone, formerly at Claridge's. Together, they aim to offer homestyle Italian cuisine, rediscovering old recipes in a contemporary setting.

Netil House, 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL

James Dye, co-owner of Frank’s Café and The Camberwell Arms, took over the old Bright space in Netil House, creating a music-centric wine bar and restaurant. Alongside the food, there's a vintage sound system, record shelves, and a DJ booth. it all transitions from coffee and sandwiches during the day to a wine-focused restaurant in the evenings.

107 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0NP

This is essentially the wine bar formerly known as P Franco, saved after once feared to be closing for good. The name may have changed but the management and ethos remain the same. Expect a focus on natural wines that are paired with some of London's more interesting chef residencies, all creating wonders from induction hobs at the back of the bar.