The best East London restaurants you shouldn’t miss

East London’s got a serious reputation for innovative eats from posh chicken shops to seasonal street food. As well as clever new restaurants opening almost every week.

Whether you’re here for a day of meetings or a week of sightseeing, make sure to add East London’s best eats to your itinerary. Michelin starred chefs, all-day brunches and the city’s best curry houses. There’s plenty to choose from.

Here’s our tried and tested top restaurants in East London, from the newly opened to the longstanding must visits.

Italian places to eat in East London

Get the best pasta and pizza in East London at one of our favourite Italian eateries.

Zia Lucia, Piazza Walk

Best for: choose-your-own-dough pizza that’s worth the queue.

When it comes to pizza, Zia Lucia is top of the list. With locations around London you can always find a slice of the good stuff. But our fav sits just around the corner of our Aldgate aparthotel, Leman Locke.

The toppings are impressive (think parma ham and parmigiano, spicy burrata, and specials like gorgonzola and orange jam). But what brings the crowds is a choice of four doughs including vegetable charcoal and gluten free.

Emilia's Crafted Pasta, Alie Street

Best for: tucking into a big bowl of homemade pasta as you sip a Negroni on the side.

If you want good pasta at a good price, go to Emelia’s. It’s fresh, simple and so satisfying that you’ll probably be back again tomorrow. If you can get a table that is. Yes, you’ll likely need to book in advance. Or join a queue for alfresco dining on a dry day. But we promise it’s worth it.

There’s classics like carbonara and cacio e pepe. As well as side salads and antipasti to keep you going as the chefs cook the right shaped pasta to match the freshly made sauce.

Satyrio, Aldgate High Street

Best for: an elongated business lunch in a summer secret garden.

When you want a quiet glass of wine with a colleague, or to catch up with friends over charcuterie, Satyrio comes to mind. The relaxed Italian restaurant and wine bar is one of Aldgate’s best kept secrets - as is its outdoor courtyard.

Sample and shop from a list of over 1,500 wines. Perfect for pairing with Italian cured meat, handmade pasta, and high quality main courses such as braised duck leg and burnt celeriac ravioli.

East London’s top halal restaurants

From Turkish grills to Indian curries, halal food is easier to come by in London than ever before. Here’s a couple of our most visited spots.

Fora Restaurant, Houndsditch

Best for: sharing mixed meze and chargrilled meats with your besties.

Sometimes you need a good feast. And that’s why we love Fora. The Turkish restaurant serves a generous all-day menu of authentic fusion food from Central Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Choose from a wide selection of grills, casseroles, and hot or cold mezes including apricot chicken, lamb shank and fried goats cheese. Or take advantage of two set menus to try a mix of dishes from £24.90 per person.

Madina Grill, Cannon Street Road

Best for: when you can’t decide between curry or chicken wings.

This small but simple grill restaurant combines American style BBQ with Indian spice. Plus peri-peri chicken, freshly cooked curries, and spicy gourmet burgers with all the fries. There’s also signature steaks to sizzle on your very own hot stone.

Dine in for a comfy quick bite, or get your order to go and tuck in from your very own East London Locke apartment. Madina Grill also has plenty of lunch time offers to tempt you away from your desk.

The very best of vegan cuisine

Vegan food isn’t hard to find in London these days. But we still have our favourites. Don’t miss these vegan restaurants in the east.

Unity Diner, Wentworth Street

Best for: 100% vegan food that raises money for charity with every bite.

Unity Diner is one of London’s biggest and best vegan restaurants. So if you live the plant-based lifestyle, you’ll want to be seen here. Dishes are inspired by classic diner favourites from mozzarella sticks to ice cream sundaes, and what some call the best vegan burgers in London.

Whilst its menu is good on the planet, its profits are even better. Every bit of cash earned is donated to animal rights charity Surge. So there really is no excuse not to visit.

Vegan Yes, Brick Lane

Best for: creative cooking that’ll take you from Korea to Southern Italy.

London’s not afraid to experiment with food. And Vegan Yes proves it. This Shoreditch restaurant is what happens when an Italian chef marries a Korean cook. It’s a pretty unusual international fusion of flavours but the results are epic.

Kimchi and parmesan, Korean rice sticks and potato gnocchi, gluten free pasta served with seaweed. That’s just a bit of what you’ll find on the menu. The food’s as surprising as it is delicious. And we also love that service fees are replaced with an optional charitable donation.

Lunch and brunch in East London

London does brunch well. Bottomless, boozy, Asian and vegan. You can find a brunch or lunch for every occasion in the city. Here’s where we’re heading.

Rochelle Canteen, Playground Gardens

Best for: taking time out from the city to wine and dine in a hidden walled garden.

The entrance to Rochelle Canteen might be hard to find, but the experience that awaits is well worth the effort. This café and restaurant is the ultimate lunch spot during the warmer months. And a cool place to be seen among the creative crowd that comes here.

Set in an old Victorian bikeshed, the garden space serves British food to an impressive standard. The menu changes daily so there’s not much to give away. But you can expect dishes such as beef and pickled walnut pie, roast pumpkin, and custard tarts.

Crispin, Pavilion on the Corner

Best for: catching up with colleagues in an impressive East London glasshouse.

Head to Spitalfields and you’ll find Crispin, one of East London’s most elegant restaurants and wine bars. A European menu of seasonal sharing plates is curated by head chef Lewis de Haas, whose accolades include the likes of Petersham Nurseries and The Shed. So you know you’re in for something memorable.

Pop in after a mooch around the market or for a luxury business lunch. There’s plenty of fun flavour combinations to talk about (from burrata and red dandelion, to pickled autumn vegetables) plus a rotating wine list of organic and rare bottles to sip.

Our personal favourite East London restaurants

With three boutique aparthotels in East London, we know where’s best to eat out. From the top new restaurants to the classics, here’s our most recommended.

BRAT, Redchurch Street

Best for: when you want to go somewhere cool that won’t disappoint.

Tomos Parry’s BRAT was one of London’s most exciting new openings a few years back. And today its out of this world food still pulls the crowds. This Michelin starred restaurant famously uses rustic Spanish techniques to create plates designed for sharing. Particularly, the turbot that BRAT’s named after.

Cooked over an open wood fire, innovative dishes such as blackened anchovy, juicy beef chop, and savoury eclairs are packed with flavour. It’s unpretentious and somewhat simple. But we love it just as much as we did when it first opened.

Lyle’s, Shoreditch High Street

Best for: ticking off one of the world’s top restaurants from your foodie bucket list.

Name a more classically nice restaurant in East London than Lyle’s. Impossible, right? This modern British institution is a must visit for anyone who loves the city’s acclaimed foodie scene. Local or not.

With a Michelin star to its name, Lyle’s is not just one of London’s best eats, it’s also listed as one of the world’s top restaurants. So get a reservation in the diary sharpish. The simple yet sophisticated menu doesn’t come cheap, but a set lunch menu is a good option too.

Sky Garden, Sky Garden Walk

Best for: watching the sun set over the city with your choice of where to eat.

You can book a free visit to London’s highest public garden. But once you’re up there, we highly recommend sticking around for some food. With two bars and three restaurants, Sky Garden has plenty of choice, each with a view of London’s skyline.

Tuck into some classic Italian dining at Larch where breakfast slots can catch the end of sunrise. There’s also Darwin Brasserie’s all-day British menu and for some fancier fine dining, Fenchurch Restaurant lives up to expectations.

Explore East London from one of our aparthotels

Aside from many of London’s best restaurants, there’s plenty to see in the east. From edgy markets to vintage shopping. So naturally, you’re going to need a place to stay.

Enter Locke’s London aparthotels. For business travellers, family sightseers and city visitors. There’s plenty of room to sleep, work and relax.

Head to Kingsland Locke to discover Dalston’s creative vibrance. Or stay in the serene apartments of Buckle Street Studios by Locke in Aldgate. Closeby, there’s also our OG aparthotel, Leman Locke where community events bring you together with locals.

With locations across the city, you can always find a place to be with Locke.