Smoking Goat
Thai barbecue on Denmark Street that changed what people expected from London Thai food. The smoked fish sauce wings are a religious experience.
Order this: Smoked fish sauce wings, pad thai, larb
Lyle's
James Lowe's Michelin-starred restaurant in Tea Building. Short daily menu, exceptional ingredients, zero pretension. The kind of place that makes you proud of British cooking.
Order this: Daily set menu
Brawn
Columbia Road wine bar and restaurant that does natural wine and nose-to-tail cooking better than almost anywhere. Sunday lunch here is one of London's finest rituals.
Order this: Sunday roast, charcuterie, natural wine
Padella
The Shoreditch outpost of the Borough Market favourite. Fresh pasta made daily, queues that move fast, prices that make you question every other pasta restaurant you have ever visited.
Order this: Pici cacio e pepe, pappardelle ragù
St. JOHN Bread and Wine
The more accessible sibling of the Smithfield original. Bone marrow on toast remains one of London's defining dishes.
Order this: Bone marrow on toast, Eccles cake with Lancashire cheese