Shoreditch & East London Food & Drink Restaurants

The 10 Best Restaurants in Shoreditch & East London (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best restaurants in East London in 2026 are Brat in Shoreditch for wood-fired fish, The Clove Club for a tasting-menu splurge, Smoking Goat for Thai-inspired grill food, Tayyabs in Whitechapel for Punjabi lamb chops, and Rochelle Canteen for a long, relaxed lunch.

East London is where much of the city's most exciting cooking happens, from Shoreditch's chef-led dining rooms to the Punjabi grills of Whitechapel and the Turkish ocakbaşı of Dalston. Many places are small and popular, so book where you can. Shoreditch and Spitalfields are a short walk from Liverpool Street station; Dalston and Hackney are on the Overground.

1. Brat — Shoreditch

Wood-fired fish and Basque-inspired cooking in a beamed room above Redchurch Street.

$$$ Upmarket

Brat cooks over a wood-fired grill, and its whole turbot, slow-grilled and shared at the table, is one of the most famous dishes in London. The menu is short and seasonal, with excellent bread, simple vegetables and a strong wine list.

It suits a special dinner with friends who love their food without fuss.

Good to know: Order the whole turbot to share, and book well ahead.

First Floor, 4 Redchurch Street, London E1 6JL

Google Maps Website

2. The Clove Club — Shoreditch

A celebrated tasting menu in the old Shoreditch Town Hall.

$$$$ Splurge

The Clove Club serves a seasonal British tasting menu in a blue-tiled dining room in Shoreditch Town Hall, and has long been one of London's most acclaimed restaurants.

It is a destination meal; the bar and lighter options are a way in on a smaller budget.

Good to know: Book as soon as bookings open for your date.

Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT

Google Maps Website

3. Smoking Goat — Shoreditch

Thai-inspired bar and grill food with big, smoky, fiery flavours.

$$ Mid-range

Smoking Goat on Shoreditch High Street serves Thai-inspired grilled and smoked dishes, noodles and curries, in a loud, dark room built for sharing plates and drinking.

It suits groups and anyone who likes real chilli heat.

Good to know: Order more dishes than you think; they are made for sharing.

64 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ

Google Maps Website

4. Tayyabs — Whitechapel

A Whitechapel legend for sizzling Punjabi lamb chops and grills.

$ Budget

Tayyabs on Fieldgate Street is famous for its sizzling lamb chops, seekh kebabs and karahi dishes, served in a huge, bustling dining room at very fair prices.

It is loud, fast and great value, and a rite of passage for East London eaters.

Good to know: Book or expect a queue at weekends, and order the lamb chops first.

83–89 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1JU

Google Maps Website

5. Rochelle Canteen — Shoreditch

A hidden canteen in an old school bike shed, for long British lunches.

$$$ Upmarket

Rochelle Canteen is tucked behind a wall in the grounds of a former school by Arnold Circus. Its short, seasonal British menu of pies, roasts, fish and puddings is the essence of good, simple cooking.

It suits a long, relaxed lunch; the walled garden is lovely in summer.

Good to know: Ring the bell on the gate to get in.

16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA

Google Maps Website

6. Dishoom Shoreditch — Shoreditch

Bombay café food and the famous bacon naan roll, by Boxpark.

$$ Mid-range

Dishoom's Shoreditch branch recreates an old Irani café of Bombay, serving black daal, biryanis, grills and its cult breakfast bacon naan rolls in a large room with a veranda.

It is reliably good and works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Good to know: Go for breakfast to avoid the evening queue.

7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE

Google Maps Website

7. Gloria — Shoreditch

A maximalist 1970s Capri-style trattoria from the Big Mamma group.

$$ Mid-range

Gloria is a riotously decorated Italian trattoria on Great Eastern Street, serving pizza, pasta and a famous giant lemon meringue pie in a room full of plants, mirrors and vintage photos.

It is loud and fun, ideal for groups and birthdays.

Good to know: Save room for the towering lemon meringue pie.

54–56 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3QR

Google Maps Website

8. Brawn — Columbia Road

A neighbourhood restaurant on Columbia Road, best on flower-market Sundays.

$$$ Upmarket

Brawn is a relaxed, wine-led neighbourhood restaurant on Columbia Road with a seasonal European menu of small and larger plates.

Sunday lunch after the flower market is the classic way to visit.

Good to know: Book Sunday lunch and visit the flower market beforehand.

49 Columbia Road, London E2 7RG

Google Maps Website

9. Bistrotheque — Bethnal Green

A converted warehouse bistro, an East End fixture since 2004.

$$ Mid-range

Bistrotheque has served a French and British bistro menu in a whitewashed former warehouse off Cambridge Heath Road since 2004. Its weekend brunch, with a pianist, is a local institution.

It suits brunch with friends or a relaxed dinner.

Good to know: Book weekend brunch; it is the busiest service.

23–27 Wadeson Street, London E2 9DR

Google Maps Website

10. Mangal 2 — Dalston

A Dalston Turkish restaurant reinvented with modern cooking by the founder's sons.

$$ Mid-range

Mangal 2 on Stoke Newington Road was a classic Dalston ocakbaşı for decades before the founder's sons reinvented it with a more modern, seasonal Turkish menu, while keeping the charcoal grill at its heart.

It suits food lovers who want something more interesting than a standard kebab.

Good to know: Dalston Kingsland Overground station is a few minutes' walk away.

4 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XN

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best restaurant in Shoreditch?

Brat, for wood-fired turbot and Basque-inspired cooking, and The Clove Club, for a celebrated tasting menu in Shoreditch Town Hall. Smoking Goat and Dishoom Shoreditch are more casual favourites.

Where can I eat cheaply in East London?

Tayyabs in Whitechapel for Punjabi grills, Mangal 2 in Dalston for Turkish grills, and Brick Lane's bagel shops. See our London bagels guide.

Can I bring my own wine to Tayyabs?

Tayyabs is famous for letting diners bring their own alcohol. Check the current policy and any corkage before you go.

Do East London restaurants take walk-ins?

Some, such as Smoking Goat and Dishoom, keep space for walk-ins, but expect a wait at peak times. Brat, The Clove Club and Rochelle Canteen should be booked.

What are the best areas to eat in East London?

Shoreditch and Spitalfields for chef-led restaurants, Whitechapel and Brick Lane for South Asian food, Columbia Road and Bethnal Green for neighbourhood bistros, and Dalston for Turkish grills.

1. Brat — Shoreditch

2. The Clove Club — Shoreditch

3. Smoking Goat — Shoreditch

4. Tayyabs — Whitechapel

5. Rochelle Canteen — Shoreditch

6. Dishoom Shoreditch — Shoreditch

7. Gloria — Shoreditch

8. Brawn — Columbia Road

9. Bistrotheque — Bethnal Green

10. Mangal 2 — Dalston

Frequently asked questions

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