Hoxton, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Daniel Willis, Isaac McHale & Johnny Smith helped establish the East End as a credible culinary destination, with the launch over a decade ago of this trailblazing venue (est. 2013) in Shoreditch Town Hall. “It is one of those tasting menu restaurants” – a no-frills (fairly uneventful) chamber whose cuisine on launch seemed dazzlingly weird and wonderful, and which is nowadays a key pillar of London’s foodie hall-of-fame, with two Michelin stars and – until this year – the UK’s leading position on the World’s 50 best ranking. However, the verdict of our annual diners’ poll has for some years been more cautious than the general critical consensus, and this uneven pattern continues this year. The main event is an eight-course tasting menu for £195 (with wine pairing at £175), which is hailed as “faultlessly executed” in upbeat feedback but seen in sceptical commentary as merely tolerable-to-disappointing. But most striking this year was a general lack of interest full stop: feedback was notably scant compared with the venue’s stratospheric media profile. Perhaps this good-but-no-longer-great view is beginning to become more widely held? The venue lost its World’s 50 Best ranking this year (slipping to 80th position).

Just off Great Eastern Street, this characterful boozer has been a waxing and waning star of the Shoreditch culinary scene since the get-go; with a mezzanine dining room – up a spiral staircase from the main bar area – that’s been a springboard for numerous well-known chefs. Though only inspiring middling praise in recent times, in August 2024, one of only two female winners of MasterChef: The Professionals – Nikita Pathakji – arrived at the stoves, promising an uptick in performance, with dishes such as cured sea bream with coal-smoked aubergine, harissa and preserved lemon.

This “buzzy pub” near the Regent’s canal in Islington has a “brilliant” culinary reputation since it relaunched two years ago. “They take great care to offer seasonal, fresh food cooked with real imagination and flair, but always reassuringly familiar” (“so good, I actually laughed!”). “Well-chosen wines”, a “superb Sunday lunch”, “no-frills good service” and a “dog-friendly approach, too” complete the deal.

“A wonderful curation of British produce and informative service” – Joe Laker’s 16-seat two-year-old in Smithfield offers “some of the best counter dining in London” according to its small but passionate fan club. In the nondescript streets north of Old Street roundabout, an old corner pub has been transformed with a big open kitchen behind a marble counter. “Faultless course after course are all served with the care and attention they deserve, with thoughtful wine pairings that further elevate the experience” (the nine-course tasting menu is currently £120 per person). More than one reporter tips it as “a restaurant to watch” that’s “heading for a Michelin star”.

Open on July 3 on Old Street in Shoreditch (well after our annual diners’ poll had concluded), a high-end vegan restaurant from Great British Menu 2024 winner Kirk Haworth and his sister Keeley, offering a tasting menu format at £75 per person, plus drinks. Bookings may be hard to secure: the first batch sold out within hours of becoming available, three months ahead of launch! (As of July 2024, they are now fully booked until 16th February 2025 for tables of 2 or more…)

“Creative, seasonal menus focusing on one core ingredient at a time make Nest a unique proposition” – and there’s been “no let-up in quality” following the 2023 move from Hackney to “an improved and more spacious location” by Shoreditch Town Hall. “Execution and warm personal service are still bang-on” and there’s an “improved wine list with some real rarities (fairly marked-up too!)” – all of which makes this “a place to return to again and again”.