Where to Eat in East London

By day, this breezy bakery and café in London Fields is known for superb coffee and some of the best pastries in London. By night, it transforms into a pasta restaurant with few peers, boasting frequently changing menus of light, seasonal pastas handrolled before each service at an open counter that overlooks the buzzing dining room. Stuffed pastas like doppio ravioli (an October signature dish, stuffed with luscious beetroot, Gorgonzola, rocket and poppy seed) are a speciality, while impeccable starters burst with flavour. Pro tip: save space for dessert, where nods to the restaurant’s daytime persona – perhaps with a syrup sponge croissant pudding with lashings of vanilla custard – complete the experience.

Kirk Haworth’s plant-based fine dining experience has found a home at Untitled Bar in Dalston, with a high-end menu that celebrate the finest produce available. Expect five stunning courses that showcase the chef’s experience at some of the world’s best restaurants (The French Laundry, Quay), like a crisp potato and pea fritter with an ‘ajo blanco’ tartare, or a playful tiramisu spiked with sour cherries and amaretto. Even better: the entire menu happens to be entirely plant-based and free from gluten and sugar. The suitably minimal space is a perfect one to take it all in, with some of London’s most cutting-edge cocktails and a garden for pre- or post-dinner drinks.

This coolly casual modern Middle Eastern restaurant in Spitalfields is packed throughout the week with locals who arrive for humble ingredients transformed by chef Helen Graham’s deft touch; confit potato latkes are a must-order, while the labour-intensive chickpea ful with lovage pesto is a revelation. Cocktails are superb, while a ‘leave it to us’ set menu offers a dazzling array of plates. Oh, and the restaurant happens to be entirely vegetarian.

Follow the aroma of refried beans on Kingsland Road, down to this subterranean gem beneath beloved neighbourhood bar Ruby’s. Corrochio’s is a labour of love by founder Daniel Corrochio – a late night Mexican hangout with a short list of dishes (excellent vampiros, tacos, and lesser-seen dishes like lengua and huarache) plus a strong spirits lineup (mezcal and tequila, yes, but also sotol and raicilla) offered neat or as cocktails. Pay them a visit for Saturday brunch and a standout plate of chilaquiles, or visit for a nightcap and strong cocktails. For October, a signature dish of octopus tostada ‘a la diabla’ offers another reason to go.

Since opening in a corner of Bethnal Green over 15 years ago, this classic East London restaurant has become a cherished part of the city’s restaurant culture. The chic, French-leaning menu of dishes like twice-baked souffle and delicate crab with celeriac remoulade consistently draws a loyal crowd of creatives, while the weekend piano brunch is something every Londoner should strive to experience for themselves — hearing Rocket Man in the restaurant’s vast, tastefully attired dining room is well worth the trip East. The prix-fixe set menu is one of the best in town.

Nestled in the Grade II-listed Whitechapel Gallery, the Modern British menu at this all-day dining room is overseen by a former Petersham Nurseries head chef, with the kind of seasonal British cooking we’d happily eat every day – plates like roast haunch of venison and curried sweetbreads are can’t-miss favourites, while stellar puddings make dessert unmissable. Set menus offer some of the best value in the city – lunch, at £19 and £24 for two and three courses respectively, could yield a seasonal salad of radicchio, orange and fennel or comforting potato and squash dumplings with Graceburn cheese, while the £32 evening menu brings celeriac, wild mushrooms and egg yolk and poached pears with chocolate sauce. A signature dish of Portland crab, fennel, apple and fermented chilli graces the menu for October and the festival.

Pairing traditional Thai dishes and flavours with British produce, this Spitalfields establishment has a reputation for uncompromising takes on classic Isaan (northern Thai and Lao) fare. Dinners can be lavish, drawn-out affairs – though it’s also convenient enough to visit for lunch during the week. Don’t know where to start? A fleet of set menus offer a balanced (and traditional) spread of dishes to share; first timers are advised not to miss the whole deep-fried seabass, which remains a signature dish.

Having won critical acclaim with its faithful renditions of regional Indian dishes with a playful twist, Gunpowder continues to stake its claim as one of central London’s best regional Indian restaurants. The rasam ‘shot’ is an essential way to kick off proceedings, while sizzling lamb chops, mustard malai broccoli, and a crispy venison doughnut make for a fun and delicious evening. An intimate dining room and sweet service make for a memorable experience.

The Chick ‘n’ Sours experience brought sour cocktails, upbeat dining rooms, and perfectly crisp fried chicken to many Londoners years ago. This original restaurant on the Kingsland Road still feels like a snug neighbourhood gem, with sweet service and outstanding fried chicken in the form of fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, and wings; meanwhile, perfect sides (try the Thai-ish watermelon salad or smacked cucumbers) are about as consistent as it gets.

Picture the archetypal London brunch spot, and chances are that the aesthetic – diner-style décor, whitewashed brick walls, and neon signage – was defined by this tiny all-day café in Shoreditch. Brunches – from pancakes to eggs, and everything in between – are spot-on, while espresso martinis are justifiably renowned. Later in the week, it turns into a bar with cocktails and a moody late-night vibe, with menus and a crowd to match. The location in the thick of the action, by Old Street roundabout, makes it perfect for people watching.

What to choose at Ombra, the widely adored east London Italian? Chef Mitshel Ibrahim’s magnificent seasonal menus make decision-making difficult. The solution: book in for the Thursday to Saturday evening sessions when a £45 set menu is served. Pillowy gnocco fritto with wild boar mortadella, winter tomatoes with bottarga, and monk’s beard, and ravioli with sausage and chanterelles – Ibrahim’s fresh pasta is legendary – are just some of the reasons to visit. A heated terrace overlooking the canal and a legendary tiramisu seal the deal.

At this Clapton favourite, you’ll sit elbow-to-elbow on communal benches to feast on hand-crimped Chinese dumplings and small plates, including a dish of dressed lamb and fennel wontons with kale crisps and crushed peanut, especially for October (a vegan option will be available). While indoors is cosy, a pretty garden decked out in hanging lanterns and ceramics is the place to be in pleasant weather. Afterwards, head down to Matilda’s, the restaurant’s subterranean cocktail bar, for a nightcap.

Popolo epitomises everything great about dining in Shoreditch — the buzz and informality, the excellent food and natural wine — without any of the fuss. Talented chef Jon Lawson trained under pasta maestro Theo Randall, and the results at this intimate Italian speak for themselves; the menu might include silky taglierini embellished with bottarga and clams, or for October, comforting agnolotti with pigs cheek and porcini butter. Drop in for lunch or dinner — sitting at the open kitchen downstairs is a blast, while the upstairs is better for small groups.

An idyllic spot by the River Lea, plenty of benches, and crisp thin-crust pizzas have made this brewery one of east London’s most overwhelmingly popular spots — and a quintessential Hackney Wick experience that’s hard to beat on a warm day. Post up earlier in the evening to grab a spot and maximise the late afternoon sunshine, while enjoying freshly poured pale ales and watching paddle boarders drift by on the canal. For October, expect rotating special pizzas through the month, with DJs spinning at the weekend.

Colourful silk lanterns, carved screens and candles stuck in bottles set the scene at this Victoria Park dumpling house. The dumplings are made in-house, among them perennial favourites like pork potstickers, all crispy and lacy, and steamed har gau, the prawns curled in wrappers as snug as a bug. Larger hot plates include braised mapo tofu with shiitake mushrooms and chicken, and rice with three cup glaze, while those visiting through October can expect a special of dressed wontons stuffed with fennel and lamb, served with kale crisps and crushed peanuts.