Restaurant Reviews

8 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DU

Tamila is a casual Indian restaurant from the team behind The Tamil Prince (a nearby pub). The food is inspired by executive chef Prince Durairaj’s South Indian heritage and the menu focuses on made-to-order rotis and curries like Thanjavur chicken curry. There's also a Sunday feast available here and a small basement bar (only available if you're dining).

470 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE

Anywhere that survives in Dalston for more than a decade has to be celebrated and Brilliant Corners' winning mix of Japanese-inspired dishes and DJ sessions continues to draw people in. For the food, think izakaya-style drinking food, so sushi and sashimi take centre stage with a wider than expected plant-forward selection of dishes too. The cocktail list is similarly Japanese-inspired with a short classics offering.

89 Shacklewell Ln, London E8 2EB

Chef-owner Oded Oren's Shacklewell Lane restaurant features a menu of Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, served with an eye to seasonality and great local produce. So there might be West Country mussels with Moroccan chraime and pumpkin salad given a Tunisian twist. The hummus is unmissable.

10 Arcola St, London E8 2DN

The OG of the many Mangal spin-offs in Dalston, this ocakbasi started life as a teeny spot with a handful of tables and a charcoal grill. It's now expanded but the classic offering remains the same. Owner Ercan Cuce and his team serve up amazing kebabs and the best bread in an unassuming dining room that to this day doesn't have a booze licence, so bring your own.