London

Myth 2 ‘It’s a gastronomic desert’
Green & Red
Just a year in and this cool local hangout has already nailed its culinary colours to the mast with an admirable commitment to fine tequila and great Mexican drinking food. The ground floor’s spaghetti-western wooden tables are nearly always full, while the dark bar downstairs needs a lot of encouragement to empty out after last orders, although the charming staff don’t seem to mind too much.
51 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 (020 7749 9670/www.greenred.co.uk) Shoreditch tube.

LMNT
You have pared-down gastropubs with stripped wooden floors. Then you have LMNT. The mostly French menu may be budget but the decor’s definitely OTT – Egypt meets neo-classical Italy with a table in a giant urn, sphinxes or, in the loos, pornographic drawings. Flushing has never been so much fun.
316 Queensbridge Rd, E8 (020 7249 6727) Dalston Kingsland rail. Feature continues

Le Trois Garçons & Loungelover
‘Edwardian camp’ pretty much sums up the outrageous interior of Les Trois Garçons, accessorised by stuffed animals wearing tiaras, chandeliers and idiosyncratic touches such as a display of jewelled evening bags. The place is run with warmth and verve, and – despite appearances – absolute seriousness in the kitchen. Around the corner is Loungelover, the equally over-the-top cocktail-bar version.
1 Club Row, E1 (020 7613 1924/www.lestroisgarcons.com) Shoreditch tube.

Narrow Street Pub and Dining Room
Gordon Ramsay will chalk up his tenth property in London when The Narrow Street Pub and Dining Room opens in the Limehouse Basin next March. The site has great views of the Thames, and will be his very first foray into the world d of gastropubs. Organic sausage and f*@!ing mash anyone?
44 Narrow St, E14 (020 7265 8931) Limehouse DLR.

The Reindeer
A pop-up restaurant that’s just for Christmas will see a piano and oyster bar, cabaret theatre, a festive forest and private dining log cabins. Among other things the à la carte menu will feature guinea fowl, wild trout and goose breast.
The Old Truman Brewery, off Brick Lane, E1 (www.thereindeer.co.uk) Shoreditch tube. Open Dec 1-23 .

Sông Quê
No shortage of Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road, but impress your West End pals by making a beeline for Sông Quê: among the fake ivy and plastic lobsters you’ll find the real deal and, despite rave reviews that mean it’s jam-packed every night of the week, prices remain low. The bowls of pho are a speciality and a favourite with local Vietnamese. A hint: that means they’re good.
134 Kingsland Rd, E2 (020 7613 3222) Old St tube/rail.