Whitechapel Restaurant Guide

“Simple pasta done very well” lives up to the billing at this straightforward chain, which added a branch on Baker Street complete with outside terrace to its other three locations at the start of 2024. They are “nothing amazing, but the food is good, the service friendly, and it is a very easy option” when out and about or “when cooking just feels like a chore”.

“Still 10x French” – this cute ‘bistroquet’ has flown the Tricolore in Brick Lane curry territory for a dozen years, and remains a “great local”, with a “minimal menu, but the food is good and the service very friendly”.

This “beautiful, restored Victorian pub” on a corner in Spitalfields is a useful meeting place for a meal, especially in summer when the “fabulous rooftop bar” comes into its own. The food in the first-floor restaurant is a step up from gastropub fare, and there’s a private dining space in the rooftop greenhouse seating 10 guests.

“Stunning Thai food (some dishes will blow your pants off!)” inspires plenty of superlatives for this “vibrant” destination near Spitalfields Market, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. “An early innovator in London’s Thai food world” when it opened, its menu is “truly authentic and constantly changing”, delivering “unusual flavours that make it a standout from the herd” (and “the highly knowledgeable team guides new guests on how to choose their dishes”). Top Menu Tip – “the signature deep-fried sea bass is a wonderful beast, curled up on the plate and staring up at you like an angry horror-film monster”.

Hand-pulled ‘biang biang’ or ‘belt’ noodles in a choice of “nice and spicy” soups are the signature “pot-stickers” at this Spitalfields canteen from chef Guirong Wei (who made her name with the tiny Xi’an Impression opposite the Emirates stadium and has done much to popularise the distinctive cuisine of China’s Shaanxi province in London).

2023 Review: Nowadays just in Spitalfields (with Soho, Shoreditch and Notting Hill branches opening and closing over the years), this Peruvian-inspired haunt received mixed reviews this year, linked with one or two incidents of “awful” service. Feedback on its Latino fare, which majors in ceviches and salads (but which is also accompanied by a selection of larger and mostly meaty ‘classic dishes’) is more consistent, though, and fans say it’s “still a cracking place, even after relocating”.

“You’re hard-pressed to spend more than 30-odd pounds per head, and the lamb chops are legendary” at this long-running Punjabi institution in Whitechapel, whose BYOB policy helps the wallet (“still the best value among all restaurants – not just South Asian – in London”). And it’s not just about the “filthy-good grilled meats” – “the aubergine and other vegetarian dishes really shine”. It does get “too busy”, though, and even some fans feel “you do now get hustled in and out” – so “don’t expect good service and you won’t be disappointed”.

2022 Review: East London’s oldest Indian (established 1939 in Whitechapel) briefly found fame in late August 2020, when it was reviewed by Marina O’Loughlin for The Sunday Times. Run by four generations of the same family – and with somewhat antediluvian decor – it’s not the place to uncover the latest in food fads; or as Marina eloquently put it: “it tastes like the past, deliciously”. Reports please!

“I dream about the hummus and flatbread…!”; “Believe the hype: even the meat-eaters don’t complain” and visit “these vibrant (often heaving!)” venues whose “completely brilliant” meat-free dishes (“such variety, with great combinations of flavours”) provide “taste explosions” of “fill-yer-face food”. But even fans concede you get “squashed in” and that “the bare walls and decor make it noisy” – “then again a more comfortable ambience would just push up the reasonable prices” and the net outcome is “jolly”. From its Soho base, expansion has come to Shoreditch and – from April 2025 – also now to King’s Cross. Top Tip – avoid W1’s “cramped basement”.

2022 Review: Originally a stall on Brick Lane (which started in 2009), this 20-seater, a short walk north of Aldgate, is the first permanent home of this experienced Bangkok-style street food vendor. Enjoy dishes (with lots of choice for vegans) on a bed of rice, wrapped tight in a tortilla, or accompanied with salad.

“A simple but very effective formula” that “really works and long may it continue!” – “When you hear the word ‘chain’ you may think of other steak chains best described as ‘bleugh’. Flat Iron isn’t one of them! Each branch has a cool, independent feel, and most importantly, their steak is actually really good”. Now with 15 branches in London (as well as Brighton, Cambridge, Manchester and Leeds), they provide a curt “well priced” menu of “excellent steak and sides”, plus the odd burger, and “the free ice cream cone at the end is a tasty topping to a very good offering”. “A great example of one getting what it says on the tin” and “impressive how they have kept the quality and friendly service going so well”.

Harneet Baweja’s 10-year-old Indian street-food outfit “just gets better and better”, with “innovative, authentic and well-spiced sharing plates” and “warm service”. The Spitalfields branch is “the original and best”; while the Soho and Tower Bridge follow-ups also win praise. Top Tip – look out for the ‘India Club’ events: one-off celebrations of a particular city, region or festival.

“A real staple of the East End curry fraternity” – this legendary no-frills Pakistani canteen is now in its fourth decade and “always a joy” – “the place keeps getting bigger but the food is always spot-on” with “authentic and ultra-tasty dishes” that “never fail”. Top Tip – “don’t forget to bring your own bottle!”.

2023 Review: This “tiny place near Truman’s old brewery” serves an “excellent and authentic take on Sichuan cuisine, in a calm atmosphere, away from the agitation of Brick Lane”. Top Tip – “‘numb and spicy’ dumplings live up to their name”.

“Legend!” – East Ender Mark Gevaux has earned cult status for the BBQ ribs and pork rolls he sells at Brick Lane’s Sunday market, along with his signature ‘Holy Fuck’ and ‘Christ On A Bike’ hot sauces to spice them up. The queues are long and he sells out quickly – but these days you can buy his cooked ribs (and the sauces) online.

2023 Review: You can “travel back in time” at this trio of deliberately retro chippies, with their “Formica tables and period posters creating a great atmosphere” – “the fish ’n’ chips are excellent, too”. Founder Pat ‘Pops’ Newland, an East Ender who started working at the age 11, was still a hands-on owner in his 80s when he died in April 2022.

“A perennial favourite” – this engagingly stark Spitalfields canteen provides a “more accessible entry point to the great St John” cuisine of Fergus Henderson, and “always has something original to tempt you on its classic menu” of simple punchy British dishes twinned with interesting wines. Top Menu Tips – “tasty brown shrimp with capers and smoked eel; devilled kidneys (always superb)”; “ox tongue and pigeon pie” – “leave room for pudding” (“Eccles cakes are probably best shared although they are the best you’ll ever eat”).

“You will want to lick the plate” if you brunch (the highpoint) at one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s inspired deli-cafés, whose creation in 2002 helped created the TV fame of the owner, and started to popularise the Middle Eastern-influenced cuisine that’s swept London and even now is seen as fashionable. The formula is little changed: “tasty, healthy and yummy dishes” that are “beautifully flavoured” but “a bit on the pricey side”. “Ottolenghi is the master of flavoursome veg (with more veg choices than at most non-veg restaurants)” and, in particular “the cakes are wonderful!”. (Also, “they’re great on allergens.”). On the downside, “space is tight” and the “ambience could be more relaxed”. There’s also a feeling in some quarters that “Yotam has become a brand and it shows”, with food that is “good but after a while same-y”.

“Just simple and exceptional!” – Zan Kaufman’s fast-expanding chain still remains widely hailed for offering “the best burger in London”: a winning formula that’s bringing an eighth site in Soho in 2025 alongside recent additions in Seven Dials, London Bridge and – the biggest one yet (28 covers) – on Baker Street. All of the many reports we receive acclaim its “amazing burgers and amazing fries”. One caveat – “expect delays if you want to eat in the evening at the Bloomberg building outlet as they can be too busy fulfilling the constant Deliveroo orders for the starving investment bankers who are all still working until midnight!”