London Dalston Restaurant Guide

“A wide variety of techniques” is behind food of “scrumptious flavour” and “rare visual beauty” at this “top-class experience”: a stylish neighbourhood haunt with large, leafy pavement terrace discovered “off the beaten track” in Dalston. The cooking is usually described as ‘fusion’, which in effect means broadly Italian dishes presented Japanese kaiseki-style, with multiple small courses chosen each day by the chef, in response to the best available produce.

“They succeed in making vegan food interesting!” at this successful chain, founded in Soho in 1988 and which is no longer merely veggie but since 2021 fully plant-based. “While packed and buzzy in set-up, it’s nevertheless a good destination for a healthy stopover” according to the many who commented on it in this year’s annual diners’ poll: “as a meat-eater, I was taken under sufferance but impressed!”. In May 2024, they added a new branch near Victoria coach station.

Outstanding and creative sandwiches, “fresh pastries” and “delicious brews” make this social-enterprise (it supports at-risk young East Londoners) one of the capital’s highest-rated café-bakeries. The “wonderful brunches” mean “it can get very busy round midday”, both at HQ in Dalston Junction and at the Green Lanes, Harringay offshoot. At the former, its street cred is enhanced by a grungy location down a side street from off the main drag. The latter is more civilised, with evening service, pizza and wine.

“Busy at times, but still with a great vibe” – this converted Victorian factory in Dalston (opened in 2013) will be familiar to some as the location for the 2021 hit film ‘Boiling Point’; and wins acclaim for its grills and other modern British dishes. In June 2024, they launched a new two-floor spin-off in South Woodford: this time in a fine-looking Georgian building – a large site with 150 covers and a 50-seat outside terrace. It has a similarly flexible menu, with options for snacks, brunch, and Sunday lunch.

“Excellent fried chicken with a Korean twist” and “good cocktails” earn a “hallelujah” for this upbeat duo, whose original Haggerston branch celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2025; the Covent Garden branch came later. Although their punchy cocktails are a big part of the attraction, it’s also “great for kids, with a special offer every half term”, and the “beef dripping chips” go down well.

“Favourite restaurant of all time!” – “Stunning flavours and textures, offered by the fixed-price, no-choice, but ever-changing taster menu” inspire adulation for Adolfo de Cecco’s “unpretentious” shop-conversion in Dalston. It may be one of East London’s true culinary heavyweights, but the style is “totally informal and allows the food to be the star”. “Service is impeccable and the food is brought to your table by the chefs themselves”. And “how does he do it for the price?” – £122 for the eight courses plus wine pairing (a meal might run – roasted beetroot tart; bread and butter; monkfish with bergamot sauce; pig skin congee with XO sauce; Jerusalem artichoke with umeboshi sauce and tahini; cheese with onion ice cream; yuzu granita; dried mushroom and frozen tofu). One report in particular typifies the love the places generates: “we eat out in proper restaurants twice most weeks, so we don’t stint ourselves, and from the receipts can count a full 50 visits to Casa Fofó since the beginning of 2023, and we never seem to be offered the same dish twice!”

This 10-year-old group with six sites offers a “good-value and tasty” take on the Middle Eastern kebab, served with a “modern twist” alongside “noteworthy cocktails”. “A seat at the counter is fun” at the original Kingly Court branch in Carnaby Street, which has a ‘fine dining’ option downstairs, Kebab Queen (see also).

“Exceptionally curated, mouthwatering Turkish cuisine” – “I DREAM of the food!” – has won fooderati fame for this 30-year-old Dalston fixture, which Ferhat and Sertaç Dirik took over from their father Ali in 2020 to relaunch in a contemporary idiom. Their efforts were recognised by the publication of their first cookbook by prestige publisher Phaidon in October 2024.

A live-fire restaurant at 40FT Brewery in Dalston, from Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins, where the BBQ offers “an emphasis on veg (although meat is also available)”, and where beer by-products are used to make ferments and hot sauces. It’s a “fun” and “innovative” place, but not always a consistent one. Top Menu Tip – “Coal Roast Leeks and Pistachio Romesco were amazing. Marmite/Pecorino on Sourdough a must”.

As Pidgin, these well-known Hackney premises sometimes struggled to inspire a level of diner excitement to match the level of hype generated by the fooderati, perhaps explaining the decision to close in summer 2024. It’s a case of ‘plus ça change’, though, with an immediate re-opening by the current head chef Drew Snaith in partnership with former manager Hannah Kowalski. Initial reports on the menu speak of main dishes (so despite being in E8 it won’t just be small plates), and some emphasis on meat and live-fire cooking.