The best restaurants in Shoreditch

What is it? The first vegan restaurant in the UK to be blessed with a Michelin star.

Why we love it: At Plates, flesh, fish and dairy are banned, but so is the V-word, in – we assume – an attempt to dissociate itself from granola-crunching, lentil-loving hippy cliches. Like Kraftwerk never calling themselves a techno band, it works. There’s a waiting list many months-long to score a spot in this cosy, cottagecore-adjacent Old Street space. A tasting menu comprising perfectly arranged bowls of visionary veg makes this a fine-dining experience unlike any other in the city. 

Time Out tip: As with lots of these places, its cheaper if you come for lunch, rather than dinner. 

Address: 320 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9DR.

Opening hours: Wed 6-10pm, Thu-Sat 12-4pm & 6-10pm. 

Expect to pay: The tasting menu is £90 at lunch, and £108 for dinner.

What is it? Margot Henderson’s awfully well known hidden treasure.

Why we love it: This dinky, discreet restaurant is located in the bike shed of a former school. Inside, things are prettily low-key, with white walls and jugs of flowers on the tables; on warm summer days, snap up the sought-after spaces in the allotment-yard. The short daily menu deals in simple seasonal fare such as grilled sardines and tomato, braised rabbit with potato and anchovy or onglet with caponata. This is heart-and-soul dining.

Time Out tip: Puddings here are always endearingly old school. Opt for a blood orange polenta cake or apple pavlova.

Address: 16 Playground Gardens, Shoreditch, E2 7FA.

Opening hours: Tues 12-3pm, Weds-Sat 12-3pm & 5.30-7.45pm, Sun 12-3pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £8.50-13.50, mains £19-29, desserts £5-10.

What is it? The place to go for sleek Ukranian comfort food.

Why we love it: Tatar Bunar is a very nice place for a meal. Tall windows are hung with elegant white curtains and a buzzing open kitchen sits at the centre. Here, Ukrainian is given centre stage, with the likes of pickled cherry tomatoes on a bed of lemon yoghurt, and lamb and beef tartare with a tangy hit of tiny elderberry capers, pickled cucumbers and sprats mayo. There are also lamb chops, deeply smoky and tender, and cheburek, a deep-fried pastry filled with tender minced lamb. For dessert, don’t miss the texturally confusing, but wonderful crepes with cottage cheese and jam. 

Time Out tip: The lamb and beef tartare is the best thing on the menu, served in a whopping great wooden bowl with soft onion bread and sprats mayo

Address: 152 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3AT.

Opening hours: Mon 5-10pm, Tue-Fri 5-10.30pm, Sat 12-3.30pm & 5-10.30pm, Sun 12-3.30pm & 5-10pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £9-18, mains £17-31, dessert £9-11.

What is it? Simply one of the most impressive fine dining restaurants in London. 

Why we love it: The Clove Club wears its numerous accolades lightly, with none of the bluff and bluster of other highfalutin establishments. With two Michelin stars to its name (the first awarded in 2014, the second in 2022), the multi-course tasting menu spans the tastiest, prettiest and most seasonal stuff from across the British Isles. Bashing out more hits than ABBA, the food is furiously fish-heavy, with the likes of sardine sashimi, scallops in dashi, and grilled tuna belly. And don't forget to visit the memorable Victorian loo. 

Time Out tip: If a 14+ item tasting menu sounds a little too much for you, there is the option of a three course lunch (which is also far cheaper).

Address: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9LT.

Opening hours: Mon-Tue 6.30-11pm, Wed-Sat 12-4.30pm & 6.30-11pm.

Expect to pay: The full tasting menu is £225, with a shorter version available Mon-Thu for £195. Lunchtime tasting menu is £180-195, with the option of a three course lunch for £95.

What is it? A demure, French-ish bistro.

Why we love it: Bistro Freddie is a London rarity: a knowingly ‘cool’ vibehouse that doesn’t make you want to dash your brains out on the edge of an understated white table. Nothing leaves the kitchen underpowered in the wallop department, including glistening, glowing rhombuses of ‘house sausage’, served with punchy (and homemade) brown sauce. Try also snails on top of pillowy flatbread, sprinkled with nubbins of crispy chicken skin, bobbing in tarragon butter. From the same stable as the nearby – and just as lovely - Crispin. 

Time Out tip: Think snails aren’t your thing? You’ve not counted on these hunks of flavour dappled over chewy flatbread. You’ll run, not crawl back for another round. 

Address: 74 Luke Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 4PY.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-3pm & 6-11pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £10-24, mains £14-38, desserts £9-12.

What is it? A classy ‘nose-to-tail’ Italian restaurant.

Why we love it: If you know your tenderloins from your tallow, then this is church. The elevator pitch would be that Manteca is a blend of Trullo/Padella’s eye for ‘proper’, hand-rolled fresh pasta and St John’s cleaver-happy commitment to nose-to-tail minimal waste. If the cut exists, Manteca will find a way to serve it to you and their pasta is right up there with the best in London. The perfect place for a special night out for the discerning flesh-eater in your life.

Time Out tip: Order something offally. They do it very well here. Mafaldine with beef offal ragu, for example.

Address: 49-51 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PT.

Opening hours: Daily 12-3pm & 5.30-11pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £4-14, pastas around £15, mains £20-60.

What is it? A sleek Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant.

Why we love it: Because it’s absolutely, hands-down brilliant. A thoughtful rethinking of the OG comes with an entirely different menu, though the care, quality and spirit of the original outpost remain. Don’t skimp on the crudo, which is delectable and pasta-wise, you’re going to want to go for the tortellini, which was all fresh truffle and kelp. The big boys deserve a taste too; ox tongue with wasabi was gorgeously gamey, and went down a treat with a superb side of greens, suffocating in parmesan. 

Time Out tip: The chilli sorbet, served with fresh grapes and blueberries, danced on the tongue with a serious kick.

Address: 1 Nicholls & Clarke Yard, (Off Blossom St), Spitalfields,
E1 6SH.

Opening hours: Lunch Tue-Fri 12.15.2.30pm, Sat-Sun 12-3pm. Dinner Tue-Wed 5.15-9.30pm, Thu-Sat 5.15-10.30pm, Sun 5.15-9.30pm.

Expect to pay: Starters, salads and crudo £4-18, pasta £10-22, grill dishes £14-20, sharing dishes £30-90.

What is it? Smack-in-the-face Thai barbecue in a jam-packed industrial-meets-rustic setting.

Why we love it: Smoking Goat is all smoke, loud music and high-strength alcohol. The food is laced with volcanically hot chillies, and the flavours will hit you for six (try the lardo fried rice or the signature fish-sauce chicken wings) – although your wallet won’t be seriously dented, even if you go heavy on the booze. Mind you, this really is drinking food at its best. 

Time Out tip: We’re already mentioned the fish-sauce chicken wings. Consider this us imploring you to order them.

Address: 64 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, E1 6JJ.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-10pm.

Expect to pay: Snacks £4-5, starters £14-25, mains £17-28.

What is it? An unlimited lasagna restaurant.

Why we love it: An Italian-American restaurant right out of a Billy Joel song, Senza Fondo translates to ‘bottomless’ and that’s what they’re here to do - serve you lasagna until you pass out/admit defeat/call an ambulance - all for £20 a head. But for all its TikTok-friendly flair, what’s really enjoyable about Senza Fondo is the fact that everyone here is really, truly having a laugh. There’s a live piano man in the corner busting out Daydream Believer, (Sitting On) the Dock of the Bay, and Moondance, and chatter is at a level best described as ‘unbridled’. On our visit someone was even wearing a shiny pink party hat. Bottomless lasagna might not be for everyone, but a good-time vibe like this surely is.

Time Out tip: To make the most of the lasagna offering, avoid any and all starters and commit to shoveling at least three helpings of lasagna in your face.

Address: 1 Rufus Street, Shoreditch, N1 6PE.

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 5.30pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 12.30-2.30pm & 5.30pm-midnight, Sun 12-9pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £4-12, pastas £17-19, bottomless lasagna £20 per person.

What is it? A handsome, buzzy chophouse with a no-frills Basque-leaning menu.

Why we love it: Brat has a sexy speakeasy style entrance: just a nameplate by the door. A set of poky steps leads you up to a room above a former pub with glorious original features: wood panelling, arched windows, parquet floors. Expect smart service, a nice line in ‘things on toast’ and some serious signature dishes from the grill like beef chops and lobster. It's got a Michelin star to boot. 

Time Out tip: The heroic Basque-style cheesecake is a must-order.

Address: 4 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E1 6JL.

Opening hours: Daily 12-3.30pm & 5-10pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £5-20, mains £25-70. 

What is it? The first of this much-loved Middle Eastern (and vegetarian) sharing plates chain. 

Why we love it: A bijou but buzzy Spitalfields spot with only 30 seats. Order the honey-drenched half moons of halloumi, beautifully charred laffa flatbread, lavish slices of fried aubergine heaped with zhoug and incredible falafel. Also memorable: a vegan sprout salad (better than it sounds) and latkes made from layers of confit potato in the shape of giant chips.

Time Out tip: Not sure what to order? Go for the Bubala Knows Best sharing menu, which brings together all of the mini-chain’s greatest hits, including their iconic pickle plate and labneh with confit garlic and za’atar.

Address: 65 Commercial Street, E1 6BD.

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 12-3pm & 5.30-11pm, Thu-Sat 12-3pm & 5.30pm-midnight, Sun 12-9pm.

Expect to pay: Starters and small plates £3-13, bigger plates £18. Bubala Knows Best sharing menu £44 per person.

What is it? Seasonal, British tasting menus in a rustic spot.

Why we love it: Nest’s themed, and reasonably priced, tasting menus are based on the British seasons. Our last visit was all about game and a total delight. To keep things sustainable, they only ever use one meat for each menu. Executive chef Johnnie Crowe’s food is playful but polished, and on the horizon is Highland beef season, followed by lamb season. A wine bar, Nest Cellar, is just next door. 

Time Out tip: Check out the team’s Michelin-starred Restaurant St Barts in Smithfield if you fancy something even fancier.

Address: 374-378 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9LT.

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 6-10pm, Fri-Sat 12-3pm & 6-10pm.

Expect to pay: Short menu (available mid-week dinner and lunch) is £70, and signature menu is £90 a head.

What is it? A top class Mexican restaurant. 

Why we love it: Zapote serves punchy meat and elegant seafood dishes from the mind of Yahir Gonzalez, who after a decade jumped from the Spanish kitchen at Regent Street’s flash Aqua Nueva to cook the cuisine of his native Mexico. It’s something he does extremely well, serving up duck quesadillas with a gooey smoked chipotle jelly, scallop ceviche, beef tartare taco with roasted bone marrow and charred octopus.

Time Out tip: The ‘save room for dessert’ trope is total a cliche, but at Zapote you would be a fool not to, especially if the pistachio doughnut with morello cherry jam is on.

Address: 70 Leonard Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 4QX.

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 12-3pm & 5.30-10pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £9-18, mains £14-28.

What is it? A super satisfying pasta bar. 

Why we love it: Padella’s no-frills fresh pasta is affordable, speedily served and, most importantly, seriously tasty. This Shoreditch iteration of the Borough Market stalwart sticks to its winning formula of delicious, belly-filling dishes served in a spacious, shiny-topped setting. The menu is short without being restrictive, offering the usual Italian suspects – olives, bruschetta and burrata to begin with, and mains including the restaurant’s popular, slimy-yet-satisfying cacio e pepe, a rainbow-flecked tagliarini with crab, chilli and lemon and a rich beef shin parpadelle

Time Out tip: Their cacio e pepe is iconic for a reason. Get it. 

Address: 1 Phipp St, Shoreditch, EC2A 4PS.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-3.45pm & 5-10pm, Sun 12-9pm.

Expect to pay: Anti-pasti £4-14, pasta £9.50-17.50.

What is it? An intimate, chef's table tasting menu spot.

Why we love it: The first solo venture from Joe Laker – formerly of gone-but-not-forgotten Fenn and St Leonards – Counter 71 is a ‘culinary ode to the British Isles’, but it’s a loose, casual thing. Sure, Laker is celebrating homegrown ingredients, but he’s not here to make you feel like you’re stuck inside a rhapsodic Robert Macfarlane book. An opening langoustine custard with crab and buttermilk sets the scene for some seriously bold native flavours, and Montgomery cheddar was the potent star of both a cheese tartlet with beetroot, as well as a nifty cheese and onion gougere, which came on like a glammed-up Greggs bake (which, if there was any doubt, is a serious compliment). 

Time Out tip: Visit the charming Lowcountry, an American South-inspired cocktail bar underneath the restaurant, before your dinner. 

Address: 71 Nile Street, Islington, N1 7RD.

Opening hours: Tue-Thu 5.30pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 12.30-3pm & 5.30pm-midnight.

Expect to pay: Dinner menu is £145 per head, lunch is £70.

What is it? Cecconi’s has been a London favourite since the 1970s.

Why we love it: Now under the watchful eye of the Soho House Group, this Shoreditch branch is a super slick space, and prides itself on northern Italian cicchetti. Due to the Soho House link there's some lowkey star-spotting to be done alongside the punchy menu of pizza, pasta and big trad-leaning dishes such as saltimbocca alla romana, veal milanese, and whole sea bream. Equally, a few plates of zucchini fritti, beef carpaccio, tuna tartare and that warm, fluffy focaccia is a perfectly respectable order. 

Time Out tip: Unlike most Italian spots in town, it’s open all though the day. Come at 7.30am for a breakfast focaccia stuffed with mortadella, fried egg and burrata. 

Address: 58-60 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DP.

Opening hours: Sun-Thu 7.30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 7.30am-11pm.

Expect to pay: Starters £8-12, pasta £15-20, pizza around £15, mains £20-35. 

What is it? A buzzy barbecue spot. 

Why we love it: This stygian semi-industrial space feels like a medieval nightclub complete with throbbing beats and a butch, meat-loving vibe. Beef brisket is the top call on the menu, and it comes two ways – as a single hunk of flesh or shredded and snuggled inside a pillowy, slightly sweet bun with a lick of barbecue sauce and bone-marrow butter. We also rate Smokestak’s lavishly seasoned, long-smoked beef ribs very highly.  

Time Out tip: We're pretty sure this is the only restaurant in London that offers pigtails with soy molasses as a starter. 

Address: 35 Sclater St, Shoreditch, E1 6LB.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-3pm & 5.30-11pm, Fri 12-3pm & 5-11pm, Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-10pm.

Expect to pay: Starters/small plates £5-12.50, big plates £11.50-23.50.

What is it? A camp-tastic mega trattoria. 

Why we love it: It’s fun all the way at this riotous Shoreditch spot – a cross between a chintzy curio-filled emporium and your Italian nonna’s parlour. You’re here for the good times, but there’s some decent trattoria food on offer too (if you’re prepared to wait). It’s worth adding a few nibbles to start – perhaps a trio of snooker ball-sized crocchè (Italy’s answer to jamón croquetas). Oh, and just wait until you see the loos.

Time Out tip: The mafaldine al tartufo for two is a huge, rich bowlful of jollity with a creamy truffle sauce. 

Address: 54-56 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3QR.

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 12-3.30pm & 5-10.30pm, Thu-Fri 12-4.15pm & 5-11pm, Sat 11am-4.15pm & 5-11pm, Sun 11am-4.15pm & 5-10.30pm.

Expect to pay: Anti-pasti £4-19, pasta £16-27, pizza £13-21. 

What is it? One of London’s best loved chain restos.

Why we love it: You’re guaranteed a fun time at every branch of this slick Iran-via-India café, and this Shoreditch outpost is no different. The vast dining room, overseen by an army of friendly staff, has 1970s-style decor based on the post-colonial Irani cafés of Bombay. From the menu, start with exotically spiced cocktails, then move on to inventive Indian small plates, with Dishoom signatures such as the black dal and Shoreditch specials including the slow-cooked lamb raan.

Time Out tip: Every branch of Dishoom has a special dish that is only available at that location. At this one, it's the prawn pathia, with prawns marinated in ginger, garlic and lime, then cooked on the grill and served with tomato masala, onion salad and roomali roti.

Address: 7 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, E2 7JE.

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 8am-11pm, Thu-Fri 8am-midnight, Sat 9am-midnight, Sun 9am-11pm.

Expect to pay: Small plates £7-10, curries £10-19, grill dishes £10-20. 

What is it? One of London’s few Burmese restaurants.

Why we love it: You can now take the road to Mandalay without leaving the East End by visiting this Burmese star on the fringes of Shoreditch. Looking achingly stylish with its dark wood, chic upholstery and huge windows, Lahpet’s distinctive cross of Thai and Indian cuisine is very much its own – if you don’t believe us, try one of its zingy signature salads spliced with split peas, shallots, tea leaves and fish. It also does lovely plates of hake and deep bowls of coconut noodles too.

Time Out tip: We're big fans of the coconut noodles with chicken. Somewhere between a soupy red Thai curry and a laksa, it has tender meat, soft (but not too soft) noodles and half a boiled egg on top. It is absolutely enormous, too.

Address: 58 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6JW.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 5.30-10pm, Sat 12-10pm, Sun 12-8.30pm.

Expect to pay: Small plates £4.50-13, large plates £16-25.

What is it? A fun, fresh pasta specialist.

Why we love it: Burro e Salvia buzzes with activity as its pasta-makers deftly roll and fold their product behind the counter of the small, whitewashed venue. Most people buy by weight to take away, although there is a sit-down tasting area further back. The monthly changing menu offers just a handful of ‘folds’ with seasonal toppings.

Time Out tip: Their signature dish of agnolotti cavour – ravioli filled with pork, beef and spinach bathed in sage butter – is always available. 

Address: 52 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DP.

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 12-9.30pm.

Expect to pay: Snacks and antipasti £4.50-18, pasta around £20.