London Spitalfields Restaurant Guide

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”.

“East London is where you get the best pork rolls in town” – courtesy of Mark Gevaux, a former butcher who has perfected the art of BBQ baby-back ribs, from pigs reared outdoors in Norfolk and Suffolk, and his own famous ‘Holy Fuck’ sauces. Available only in Brick Lane Market on Sundays (they sell out early) and at West Ham home games.

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.

“What they do – a limited repertoire – they certainly do well” at this “no-nonsense” steakhouse chain (which serves no starters or puds, just five or six mains and sides, plus “a tiny key they give you at beginning of meal to exchange for a delicious ice cream cornet to take with you as you go!”). It amounts to “amazing value for a good (ish) steak” – “tasty, not mind-blowing, but dependable and fairly priced, and elevated by the sides and sauces”. On the site of a former Byron, the 10th branch opens in Waterloo in 2022.

“Move away from the ordinary and enjoy something special” at this “cracking venue” – an über-functional, white-walled Spitalfields canteen whose “great, innovative menu” of offbeat British dishes (such as chitterlings) is a stripped-down version of Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson’s world-famous Smithfield original. To some, it is even better: “I now prefer B&W to the mothership – it’s more lively and wears the ‘nose-to-tail’ cloak a little more lightly”.

This “reliably good Gallic bistro” stands out from the crowd in Brick Lane, perhaps the last address you’d expect to find something “so French” in London.

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”.

“Tops for combining punchy tastes and value”: this Indian street-food trio – in Spitalfields, near Tower Bridge, and – since late 2021 – now in Soho too – offers a “distinct” and “modern spin” on Indian cuisine. Although the plates are small, “it’s amazing how they deliver such big flavours”.

“Bloody good, succulent steaks”, with “epic cocktails and wines”, all served in “rather clubby”, “classy” surroundings is a formula that’s won fame and fortune for Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse phenomenon. “Many happy afternoons have been lost in these places!”, which continue to be voted as London’s “best steak chain by far”, and “a go-to for business”. “Everything is top-notch: the quality and cookery of the beef; the exemplary seafood (be it Salcombe crab on toast or their lobster); even down to their excellent sides of mac ’n’ cheese, bone marrow or Caesar salad”. However, a visit “is not exactly easy on the wallet”. “It’s verrrrry expensive” (and “if you go with mates who like to chug back the wine, the bill will be massive!”). And ratings are coming under ever-more pressure due to “staff who seem unable to cope”, or meals with “too many misses at too heavy a price to be a reliable bet”. Last year, the team expanded to Manhattan and also opened a “stunning floating boat/barge” in the docks at Canary Wharf. Later in 2022, the group will also add a Liverpool branch to rival Manchester’s; and a few months later make a Dublin debut on College Green too. “Are they losing some of their je-ne-sais-quoi as they get bigger and badder? There’s a sneaking suspicion the lustre is being slightly lost.”

“Prepare to be blown away by the flavours at this tiny spot in Spitalfields” – its “absolutely brilliant vegetarian and vegan”, Middle Eastern-inspired dishes “truly sing”, delivering “a taste explosion” such that “carnivores will not miss the meat” (“the charred oyster mushroom skewers are stunning… thinking about the labneh, hummus and laffa bread makes me salivate!”). Having opened it in 2019, Marc Summers launched a 50-cover sibling in Soho in July 2022 on the former site of Vasco & Piero’s Pavilion (see also), complete with open kitchen and counter-style dining. The chef is rising star Helen Graham.

“The best burgers in town” – “the juiciest, the most flavourful” – are a credible claim for this quartet in Spitalfields, Victoria, the City’s Bloomberg Arcade and Westfield White City, the highest-rated of the non-mainstream burger chains in our survey this year. New Yorker Zan Kaufman named them after the Greenwich Village street where she ate the burger that inspired her to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and start flipping patties on the back of a London truck, 11 years ago.

“Better than any Thai food I had in Thailand… and with a cool Shoreditch vibe” – this former factory near Spitalfields Market offers dishes with an “intensity and complexity of flavours that’s second to none” – the “real Thai tastes (spicy, hot, sour, sweet and sharp) are tongue tingling!” “The front of the restaurant is more light and airy. The back gives a kitchen view but is dark”; “the team are relaxed, friendly and informative about the dishes (an essential point, as many options do require explanation for those not ‘au fait’ with Thai cuisine)”.

“Exceptional Middle Eastern food” and “lovely staff” tick all the boxes at this modern duo in Shoreditch and Marylebone, from Tel Aviv-born cook Limor Chen and husband Amir. “It’s hard to find interesting and well-priced venues in Marylebone, but Delamina manages both”. It’s a “small-plates, sharing concept and every dish is delicious”, with a “beautiful combination of flavours” – “great with allergies too”.

This “upscale gastropub” in Spitalfields is a “beautifully refurbished” old boozer, now incorporating bedrooms and a roof garden. The “industrial chic” first-floor dining room may have a “simple menu, but the dishes are far from simple, packed full of flavour and balanced superbly – fine-dining food at gastroboozer prices”.

Still “a gold standard”, with their “lovely, beautifully displayed food” – this small group of deli-cafés has expanded slowly since the first one opened in Notting Hill 21 years ago; the latest arrived in Pavilion Road, Chelsea, in January 2022. Hugely influential Israeli-born chef and writer Yotam Ottolenghi has transformed the way much of the world sees Middle Eastern cuisine – and vegetables. “I’m not a vegetarian, but I love eating the veg dishes here and I find I don’t need to order any meat”. (See also the chef’s two grander restaurants, Nopi and Rovi).

“One of the most pretty and impressive dining rooms in London” – an “amazing and beautifully lit” space often mistaken for a church, but in fact originally a late-Victorian girls’ school – helps underpin the appeal of the Galvin Brothers’ long-established destination, near Spitalfields Market. Although its ratings have come under pressure since Covid struck due to some uneven reports, this remains an “all-round treat”, much nominated for both important business and romantic occasions thanks to its “well-spaced” interior; service that is “spot-on”; and “fantastic French cuisine”, with numerous diners voting for it in our poll as their top gastronomic experience of the year.

These “quirky, popular and lively venues” (nine in London; four more out of town) serve “British and American comfort foods” in “good portions” – think pancakes, full English fry-ups, French toast, plus cocktails later in the day. It’s all “deeply unhealthy – but soooo delicious with good-quality ingredients”. Top Tip – “benefits for over-65s” (in the shape of half-price dishes).

This “very reliable and enjoyable old-style bistrot” in Spitalfields is from “the same team as La Chapelle” (the Galvin brothers’ deluxe flagship next door). Fans say that “means the food is top-notch for a bar” with a “well-prepared set menu that’s great value”, but ratings are capped by a minority of critics who feel it has “lost its magic since the revamp”. Top Tip – “worth visiting for the Pilsner alone” – fresh unpasteurised Urquell delivered weekly and stored in copper tanks above the bar.