East London, known as the home to hipsters and the birthplace of Cockney rhyming slang. It spans from Hackney to Havering with an array of landmarks and hotspots dotted throughout. You won’t be short of options when it comes to things to do and finding places to eat in East London.
You’ll find renowned street markets in East London, offering food on the go or a light snack. Broadway Market is home to the haggis toastie from Deeney’s, and Old Spitalfields Market offers Humble Crumble for that sweet treat. Not to mention that it’s just a stone’s throw from the famous Brick Lane if you fancy a salt beef bagel.
For those looking to enjoy a picnic or takeaway instead of a restaurant in East London, there are a range of spots you can visit. Picnics can be enjoyed in Victoria Park, known to locals as Vicky Park, and Queen Elizabeth Park, home to the London 2012 Olympics, each offering plenty of green space for you and your foodie friends.
Now that we’ve whet your appetite, let’s get ready to tuck in to the main course and share with you Folio’s best places to eat in East London.
Hackney Church Brewing Company is the perfect spot for friends to enjoy a catch-up – after all, they are believers in good company and good beer bringing people together. If you’re partial to a pub quiz or you and your team are looking for a new spot, it’s a venue worth considering.
When it comes to food at Hackney Church Brewing Co. you will find the home of Lagom, the product of Brit/Scandi chef Elliot Cunningham. In a buzzy tap-room environment with outdoor seating available, dishes are prepared through wood-fire cooking and presentation is considered with an artistic touch.
Lagom has become famous for its House Burger after numerous recommendations on social media from other chefs across London. It’s also famous for its Sunday Roasts that you can order to share, or opt for an individual portion of Elliot’s “Hang Over Bowls” – be sure to book at least one month in advance as it’s one of the best places to eat in East London for a Sunday Roast.
Located in Victoria Park and London Fields, Pophams is East London’s home for artisan pastries and pasta made using traditional methods and seasonal ingredients. Founder Ollie Gold has taken his years of touring the world with Formula One catering teams and taken all he learned from different cooking cultures to make his dream come true and open his own bakery – one that’s become a must for brunch spots in East London.
During the day you can enjoy an array of viennoiserie pastries with a cup of coffee that’s been developed under the mentorship of the renowned Ozone. By night, four days a week, their pasta dishes are ideal to pair with a glass of wine from their independent producer partners.
Popham’s speciality may be food and their signature, maple bacon croissant, is worthy of a recommendation alongside its pasta dishes. However, you can also treat yourself to some Scandi chic to go home with. Pophams Home is a collection of locally made artisan homewares including ceramics, linens, and glassware.
Found in the heart of Dalston and Harringay, hidden away in a back alley that’s worth exploring, this purpose-driven bakery & café puts love into its craft and community, providing job training and mentorship to at-risk youths in the local area.
Known for its soft and fluffy potato sourdough and big ol’ sandwiches made with focaccia, The Dusty Knuckle has been labelled by many as the best bakery in London and even been crowned as bread royalty by a select few. You can also find their bread served at Crispin in Spitalfields.
Its Dalston HQ is the perfect spot for a lunchtime sandwich with friends and offers the opportunity to enjoy a cold beer from the brewery next door. You can even book yourself into one of their all-day weekend classes through their very own bakery school to learn how to make your own bread. If you prefer pizza over sandwiches, be sure to check out the Harringay location that transforms from a café & bakery by day, to a pizza and wine spot by night.
This rustic-chic Japanese restaurant in Lower Clapton is a cosy hidden gem located on a peaceful residential street that is a must for sushi lovers to enjoy.
Uchi means home in Japanese, and the experience of taking your shoes off from the moment you step inside, mixed with its intimate ambience, will truly help you feel like you’re dining at home.
The menu may be small; however, this is a rustic-chic restaurant where it’s recommended to pay attention to the specials, including the Wagyu Nigiri and Chicken Kara. Don’t miss out on the Sushi Platter choices either. For dessert, we highly recommend the matcha and chocolate pudding – it’s a light and fluffy cheesecake with a surprise chocolate mousse at the bottom.
Clapton is home to two of the best eats in East London. Just a 2-minute walk from Uchi Hackney, you can find a neighbouring restaurant, My Neighbours the Dumplings – a Chinese dumpling and sake bar. What started off as a weekly pop-up above a grocery store, very quickly became an established restaurant on the same street in Lower Clapton. There’s now also a second restaurant in Victoria Park Village.
Offering three different seating areas, each with its own authentic vibe, this restaurant specialises in handmade dumplings and follows Dim Sum style of eating, meaning you’ll enjoy small dishes to share with your table.
Those who know this spot will agree that the potato truffle dumplings are a must-try, along with the Chicken & Prawn Siu Mai. We’ll let you in on our additional favourite to these, the Buttermilk Chicken Wings.
Should the experience leave you craving more, be sure to head to their website, where you can purchase some frozen dumplings, sake and cocktails to enjoy at home. You may even find yourself stumbling upon one of their supper club or sake tasting events to attend.
Head on over to Rhythm Kitchen in Walthamstow, a family-run Caribbean restaurant prepping traditional food and marinades to give their cuisine authenticity. The menu caters to every taste bud, whether you prefer light and fresh, or hot and fiery. This is also East London’s home to the largest selection of rum.
Initially set up as a concession in 2011 at Westfield Stratford, their very own Jerkfather, Delroy Dixon, later opened the doors to the Walthamstow location in 2018. Delroy has been able to bring fun, tasty and healthy Caribbean Jerk cooking after being introduced to old family recipes by his mother, which helped him discover his passion for food.
Standout menu items that you won’t want to miss are the acclaimed saltfish fritters, lauded as among the finest available, paired with a main course of either jerk chicken or classic curry goat.
Hidden behind its branded wooden walls spread across exposed brick arches next to Cambridge Heath overground station, you will find Lock Shack. Known mostly as a cocktail bar and vegan restaurant in the heart of East London, it’s also an events space and music venue “for all manner of weird & wonderful events” – be prepared to arrive for an hour and likely stay all day.
Love Shack serves a wide range of plant-based food, and with gluten-free choices you can be sure to discover many delicious options. Among the top picks of the food menu are the mighty kebab and their 11-mushroom risotto, whilst their unique smoothies and mushroom drinks are the stars of the drinks menu.
With its plant-based approach and truly plastic-free restaurant, Love Shack is on a mission to “to take over the world (in a very nice way) by becoming a global space for positive disruption, social action & universal love”.
The list of places to eat in East London has no limits. From brunch to dinner, you’ll find quality authentic food down every street.
Give us a shout if you feel we’ve missed any gems.
If you’ve had a taste of East London and just can’t get enough, Folio London has an array of homes to rent in East London. E15 is home to Stratford Halo and New Garden Quarter, with Royal Wharf, Gallions Point and Royal Albert Wharf in the neighbouring E16.
