The Best Restaurants In Dalston | Only the good stuff
Now that Shoreditch is the new Soho and Hackney is the new Shoreditch, Dalston has taken its rightful place in line as the new Hackney.
What does that mean? Well, in short, a whole lot of very good, very creative, envelope-pushing restaurants. You’ll find everything from an energetic ’70s-styled taqueria (with a disco ball in the toilet) to a fusion spot serving Italo-Japanese tasting menus. And they’re just the beginning.
Find our list of the best restaurants in Dalston below…
–
ACME FIRE CULT | CREATIVE LIVE FIRE-COOKING
Acme Fire Cult – brought to you by fire-cooking heavy weights Andrew Clarke (St Leonards) and Daniel Watkins (er, St Leonards) – is a smokey den of deliciousness, conveniently housed next one of our favourite craft breweries in London, 40FT. Turn up with a group of mates and you can sit on the (heated) terrace to feast on everything from BBQ’d bavette (perfectly balanced with ancho koji and pickles) to coal roasted leeks with pistachio and romesco, washed down by a cold, keg-fresh beer. Or three.
Details: Abbot Street Car Park, Dalston, E8 3DP | Book here
–
OREN | FOR LAID BACK ROMANCE
Oren is the debut restaurant from expert Israeli chef Oded Oren; a stripped-back, effortlessly cool kind of place where everything from the food to the playlist is on point. Dishes include the likes of smoked aubergine with barrel aged feta, octopus salad with sweet Romano peppers and fish koftas in a spicy Chraime sauce. All of which you can wash down with a short but carefully considered wine list curated by aficionado Zeren Wilson (who’s advised some of London’s top eateries including Kiln and Smoking Goat).
Address: 89 Shacklewell Lane, Hackney, E8 2EB | Book here
–
ANGELINA | AN UNLIKELY CULINARY CROSSOVER
Angelina’s head chef Daniele Cefore (previously of Bocca di Lupo and Café Murano) is a big fan of Japan – so much so that he’s torn up the rule book and blended Japanese cooking with his native Italian cuisine here at his debut restaurant in Dalston. The outcome is sushi pizza a thirteen-dish kaiseki (seasonal set menu, plus an optional Italian wine pairing) that includes cross-cultural creations like wagyu and cuttlefish ragù; potato mocha with crab & sesame; and rosemary & nori focaccia – all served in a sleek monochrome setting that pays homage to both countries.
Address: 56 Dalston Lane, E8 3AH | Book here
–
ALBERS | ALL DAY CAFE CULTURE
Albers is Dalston’s chameleon-like neighbourhood nook, morphing effortlessly from morning pitstop (the pastries are excellent) to breezy lunch hangout and trendy little small plates spot come the evening. And while sometimes that might ring ‘jack of all trades’ alarm bells, it genuinely delivers on every point, thanks to the super-talented team running the show. Head chef Izzy Wallace (ex-Jolene) and sous chef Alistair Walling (ex-Noble Rot) have put together a menu that sings with seasonality, from butterflied mackerel with cucumber & kohlrabi, to what is possibly the platonic ideal of ham, egg & chips. And the £5 negronis go down very easily, too…
Details: 23A Englefield Rd, London N1 4JX | Book a table at Albers
–
MANGAL 2 | A REJUVENATED CLASSIC
The old Mangal 2 – as in the pre-2020 one – may have been arguably the most popular Turkish restaurant in London. It had enjoyed that status for nigh on 20 years when founder Ali Dirik passed the baton on to his sons Ferhat and Sertaç. Still, that didn’t stop the duo from completely modernising the menu. Any pitchforks from the original loyalists have been firmly put back in the tool shed though, considering the likes of line-caught Cornish mackerel (with green tomato ezme), lame kofte and sourdough pide are now coming hot off their signature ocakbasi grill.
Details: 4 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XN | Book here
–
CORROCHIO’S | AUTHENTIC MEXICAN
Corrochio’s, Dalston’s wonderful little regional Mexican spot hidden within a subterranean cocktail bar, has just gotten bigger. Four times bigger.
And no, they haven’t upgraded from a single barstool to a whole kitchen table, they’ve moved right up to the street level and taken over a massive space with room for over 120 taco-addicts – and even more on the terrace outside. On the menu you’ll find Mexican regional specialities, weekend brunches and plenty of cocktails, and it’s all deliciously on point.
Details: 70-74 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB | Book here
–
THE PRINCE ARTHUR | STELLAR PUB GRUB
Yes, elegant sage butter ravioli counts as pub grub when you’ve got a chef like Joe Couldridge in tow. The Prince Arthur’s becoming legendary for its resident chefs – it’s where Hot4U cut its teeth before becoming Papi, and now they’ve got a former Leroy and Hawksmoor chef on the pans.
Joe’s menu is a roll-call of grown up gastro fare: bavette steak with gentleman’s relish, calf sweetbread tagliatelle, fermented scotch bonnet with butter corn bread, and chocolate cremeux with brandied cherries. If you’re looking for a good Sunday roast in Dalston, make a beeline for his heaving platters of chicken, beef or pork collar (with a lovely squash filo pie for the veggies) served with otherworldly rarebit cauliflower cheese.
Details: 95 Forest Road, London E8 3BH | Book here
–
THE DUSTY KNUCKLE | KILLER SARNIES
Slip down Dalston’s Abbot Street and you’ll find yourself at the Dusty Knuckle, a shipping container bakery turning out some of the best sandwiches in London. These bad boys are thick, crusty crowd-pleasers stuffed full of everything from marinated chicken thighs and nduja charred corn to glazed cauliflower, kimchi, and fried egg. And that’s before you spot the freshly baked cakes and pasties, loaves of sourdough; and wood-fired pizzas, all of which are also very much worth your dough.
Address: Abbot Street, Dalston, E8 3DP | No bookings
–
TOWPATH CAFE | WATERSIDE DINING
Tables at Towpath Café are like gold dust in the summer, and if you’re lucky enough to get one you’ll see why. This little canal-side café spills out from shuttered arches onto the towpath itself and serves everything from spectacular brunch dishes to delicious, loosely modern British small plates come the evening.
Address: 42 De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB | No bookings
–
LITTLE DUCK THE PICKLERY | NATURAL WINES AND A FERMENT FOCUS
Little Duck The Picklery: a fermenting room, wine bar and restaurant in Dalston brought to you by the same folks behind the delightful Ducksoup in Soho, and now Camille in Borough. Upon entering you’ll be warmly welcomed into what feels like a well-stocked country kitchen, to feast on a daily-changing menu of seasonal small plates, all of which have been designed around house-made pickles and ferments.
The restaurant is open from breakfast through to dinner, so dishes move from the likes of poached peaches and ricotta on sourdough to charred mackerel, pickled nectarine and dill, all of which you can enjoy alongside either one of their drinking vinegars, or, if you’re in the mood for something a little stronger, one of their many bottles of interesting natural wines.
Address: 68 Dalston Lane, E8 3AH | Book here
–
SNACKBAR | FUN BRUNCH
Image credit: Sam Harris
Time to break up with avo & poached eggs. Pickling whizz and comfort food queen Freddie Janssen devotes her brunch menu at Snackbar to mouthwatering plates from across the globe – try the Singaporean version of dippy soldiers with kaya toast and onsen egg; or bust a hangover with the kimcheese croissant, oozing with melted Montgomery cheddar. Ready to hit the sauce again? Get it with an Irish coffee slushy.
Address: 20 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AZ | Book here
–
CASA FOFÒ | GOOD-VALUE MICHELIN DINING
Casa Fofò wasn’t exactly chasing a Michelin star. After all, it’s on a long, residential road linking Dalston with Hackney Central. There’s nary a crisp tablecloth to be seen. And it’s absolutely tiny. But chef & founder Adolfo De Cecco has adopted the approach of his alma mater, Pidgin, and his daily-changing tasting menus rapidly caught the attention of the Michelin man. Come here for dishes that surprise and delight, weaving together globe-trotting influences, unexpected ingredients, and a host of supplies made directly in-house. It’s a rare combination of fine dining and homely atmosphere, and easily one of the best-value Michelin-starred restaurants in London.
Details: 158 Sandringham Road, E8 2HS | Book here
–
BRILLIANT CORNERS | LIVE MUSIC & IZAKAYA DINING
A low-lit nook on the Kingsland Road, with buckets of atmosphere courtesy of the live music, vinyl DJ sets, and the small constellation of illuminated moons suspended from the ceiling. BC is a great place to come on a night out for a little jazz and a sake gin smash, but it’s also one of Dalston’s finest restaurants. The menu is inspired by Japanese izakaya (pubs are our closest equivalent), which serve plate after plate of hot snacks like karaage chicken, skewers and tempura. Pick and choose from the wide-ranging menu – you’ll find top-quality sushi here too – or settle in for the set menu, where they’ll deliver a stream of dishes to the table, omakase-style.
Details: 470 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE | Book here
–
VOODOO RAYS | LATE-NIGHT PIZZA SLICES
Dalston is jam-packed full of great places to go out: The Karaoke Hole, Ridley Road Market Bar, and Servant Jazz Quarters to name a few. So it’s only right that it also has this late-night spot serving huge NYC-style pizza slices until the early hours. Stroll into Rays any day of the week – until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays – and you’ll find everything from their Hot Mix 5 (pepperoni, jalapeños, red peppers, mozzarella, and tomato) to the Queen Vegan (artichoke hearts, green olives, red onion, sun-blush tomatoes, and both red and green sauce). If you’re in the market for booze they’ve also got plenty that too – beer, wine, and a handful of classic cocktails, including their signature frozen margaritas. Alternatively, you can keep it PG with a soft and a couple of scoops of gelato for dessert.
Address: 95 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, London E8 2PB | No bookings
–
DEL 74 | TEQUILA-FUELLED FUN
Del 74 is the kind of place that has a disco ball in the toilet – where the tacos are cheap (and delicious) and margaritas are served by the jug. There’s the option to go bottomless on Saturdays with all-you-can-eat tacos and free-flowing margs, and it’s not unusual to find the wacky owners pouring complimentary mezcal shots directly into the mouths of enthusiastic punters. Naturally, with this being said, it’s one of the best Mexican restaurants in London. We dare you not to have a good time.
Address: 129 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, E8 2PB | Book here
Looking to make an evening of it? Swing by the best pubs in Dalston