Our favourites, by area, all in one place.
These are the restaurants that we’d tell our mates to visit. Click on the links for more in-depth info…
If there’s no link, we’re either still writing the review, never got round to writing a review (sometimes we have a night off!) or have heard great things from those in the know.
£ = Cheap as Chips
££ = Mid-range, but won’t break the bank.
£££ = Bit more of a special occasion
Shoreditch / Hoxton / Old Street / The City / Bethnal Green
£ |
££ |
£££ |
| Blacklock City – The City
British chops & cocktails |
The Clove Club
No. 26 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants, One Michelin Star |
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| Bleecker – Spitalfields
Best burgers in town |
Black Rock – The City
Late night, basement whisky bar. |
Duck & Waffle – Liverpool St
Open 24/7, on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower. Awesome views & cocktails. |
| CLAW – Broadgate Circus
Sustainable seafood |
Ceviche – Old Street
Peruvian |
HKK – The City
Impeccable service, modern Chinese. One Michelin Star |
| Flat Iron – Curtain Road
£10 Steak |
Cub Restaurant – Hoxton
Zero-waste set menu. |
Lyle’s – Shoreditch
One Michelin Star. |
| Pizza East – Shoreditch
Pizza, duh |
The Gibson – Old St
Inventive Cocktails, No. 21 in World’s 50 Best Bars |
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| Radio Alice – Hoxton Sq
Organic Pizza |
Gunpowder – Spitalfields
Indian small plates |
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| Shoreditch Grind – Old St
Espresso Martinis |
Hawksmoor – Spitalfields
A sexy meat den |
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| Hoi Polloi – Shoreditch
Brunch with live music |
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| Hot Box – Spitalfields
BBQ |
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| James Cochran EC3 – The City
British |
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| The Jones Family Project – Shoreditch
Steak and Sunday Roasts |
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| Madame D’s – Spitalfields
Himalayan small plates (from the team behind Gunpowder) |
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| Palatino – Old Street
Pasta of dreams |
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| Petit Pois – Hoxton Sq
Romantic French bistro. |
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| Rok Smokehouse – Shoreditch
Nordic smokehouse & bar |
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| Rochelle Canteen – Shoreditch
Café/restaurant institution. |
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| Sager + Wilde Paradise Row – Bethnal Green
Wine, pasta and cocktails. |
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| Smokestak – Shoreditch
BBQ |
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| Som Saa – Spitalfields
Best Thai in London |
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| Strut & Cluck
Middle Eastern |
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Clapton / Dalston / Haggerston / Hackney / London Fields / Stoke Newington
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| 46b Espresso Hut – Chatsworth Rd
Cheese toasties so good we used a photo of one for our business cards. |
Andi’s – Stoke Newington
Joyful goodness bowls and brunch. |
Perilla – Stoke Newington
European, seasonal set menus |
| Bernsteins – Chatsworth Rd
Jewish small plates, cakes and biodynamic wine |
Del 74 – Clapton
Tacos & Tequila |
Pidgin – Hackney
£45 for four courses |
| Café Miami – Hackney Baths
Pastel palace – brunch |
Berber & Q – Haggerston
Middle eastern BBQ |
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| The Chesham – Hackney
You can’t order food in this traditional pub, but Yard Sale Pizza will deliver. |
The Good Egg – Stoke Newington
New York/Middle Eastern, great for brunch or dinner. |
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| Chick ‘n’ Sours – Haggerston
Fabulous fried chicken & banging cocktails. |
The Laughing Heart – Hackney Rd Sexy wine bar/restaurant |
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| Clapton Craft – Clapton
For all your craft beer needs. |
Legs – Hackney
Small plates and superb wine by the glass |
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| Crate Brewery – Hackney Wick
Pizza’s on the canal. |
Morito – Hackney Rd
Middle Eastern small plates, great wine. |
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| The Crooked Billet – Clapton
Our local and favourite pub – best beer garden, cheese toasties and frozen cocktails. |
P Franco – Clapton
My joint favourite wine bar. |
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| Dom’s Place – Clapton
Cheap & cheerful Turkish wraps. |
Sager + Wilde – Hackney Rd
My joint favourite wine bar. |
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| E5 Bakehouse – London Fields
Best bread in London |
Untitled ££
Crazy serious bar |
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| L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele – Stoke Newington
Cheap as chips pizza. |
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| Lion Coffee + Records – Clapton
Espresso martinis |
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| Morty & Bob’s at NT’s – London Fields
Best for brunch |
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| My Neighbour the Dumplings – Clapton
Excellent value, cocktail bar downstairs. |
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| Sodo – Clapton
Serious Sourdough Pizza |
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| Uchi – Clapton
Sushi |
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| Yard Sale Pizza – Clapton
Fun Silly Pizza to eat in or takeaway – get the TSB |
West End / Soho / Covent Garden / Mayfair
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| Blacklock – Soho
Chops, Sunday Roast, Cocktails |
10 Greek Street – Soho
Seasonal & small |
Berners Tavern – Fitzrovia.
Atherton’s upmarket Modern British. Good for Business. |
| Covent Garden Grind – Covent Garden
Espresso Martini’s & small plates |
Balthazar – Covent Garden
Busy, buzy – good for Afternoon Tea but open all day. |
Chiltern Firehouse – Marylebone
We’re saving this for when Idris Elba wants to take us out for dinner. |
| Flat Iron – multiple locations
£10 Steak |
The Barbary – Covent Garden
From the guys behind The Palomar. |
Clos Maggiore – Covent Garden
Most romantic dining room in London. |
| Barrafina – Soho
Tapas. One Michelin Star |
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Knightsbridge
Two Michelin Stars. Worth every penny. |
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| Bocca di Lupo – Soho
Italian |
Fancy Crab – Marylebone
Fancy seafood and cocktails. |
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| Ceviche Soho – Soho
Peruvian, fun, buzzy |
Fera at Claridges – Mayfair
One Michelin star but also offers a great value set menu. |
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| Cinnamon Bazaar – Covent Garden
Bib Gourmand. Indian, great cocktails. |
Gymkhana – Mayfair
Indian.One Michelin star |
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| Dean Street Townhouse – Soho
Good for brunch. |
The Ninth – Fitzrovia
Romantic, French/ Mediterranean. One Michelin Star. |
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| Dishoom – Multiple Locations
Popular Indian. |
Pied a Terre – Fitzrovia
French, Two Michelin stars. |
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| El Pirata – Mayfair
Great value, authentic tapas. |
Spring – The Strand
Stunning dining room in Somerset House. |
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| Hawksmoor Seven Dials – Covent Garden
Favourite steak. |
The Wolseley – St James’s
Afternoon Tea |
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| Hoppers – Soho
Sri Lankan – expect to queue. |
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| The Ivy Soho – Soho
Cocktails & brunch |
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| Kiln – Soho
Burmese small plates. |
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| Lobos Meat & Tapas – Soho
Tapas |
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| Noble Rot – Bloomsbury
Sexy wine bar/restaurant. |
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| The Palomar – Soho
Modern day Jerusalem – one of our all-time faves. |
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| Tandoor Chop House – Covent Garden
Fab, fun Indian, from the guys behind The Hoxton. |
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| Temper – Soho
Tacos & BBQ |
Clerkenwell
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£ |
££ |
£££ |
| Exmouth Grind
Really fun, small plates and cocktails. |
Breddos Tacos
Tacos & Tequila! |
St John
Nose to Tail Dining – good for business lunches. |
| Foxlow
Great value fried chicken or steak. |
Granger & Co
Australian, beautiful décor |
Luca
Super romantic Italian. |
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The Zetter Bar & Townhouse
Cocktails & snacks |
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Kings Cross
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£ |
££ |
£££ |
| Caravan King’s Cross
Great for brunch. |
Granger + Co
Australian, beautiful décor |
The Gilbert Scott
Impressive |
| Plum + Spilt Milk
Elegant, Modern British. |
South Bank/London Bridge
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| Padella
Best pasta, so cheap |
El Pastor
Tacos, expect to queue. |
Dandelyan/Mondrian
Best Bar, so sexy. LOVE. |
| London Grind
For when you need one more espresso martini for the road. |
Angel/Highbury & Islington
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| Brewery Below
Hosts guest chefs – check who’s on |
Trullo
Romantic Italian. |
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| Galley
Seafood. |
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| Oldroyd
Tiny, seasonal, great. |
Brixton/Peckham
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| Naughty Piglets – Brixton
Seasonal, natural wines. |
Begging Bowl – Peckham
Thai ‘street food’ |
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| Mr Bao – Peckham
Neighbourhood Bao. |
Pedler – Peckham
Seasonal, neighbourly, good cocktails. |
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| Smoke & Salt – Brixton
Excellent small plates at Pop Brixton |
| £ | ££ | £££ |
| The Ledbury
2 Michelin Star, No 27 in World’s 50 Best |
