Shoreditch, Clerkenwell

25 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6JX

The Knave of Clubs brings together James Dye (The Camberwell Arms, Franks) Benjy Leibowitz (JKS and The NoMad in NYC) and Patrick Powell (Allegra and Chiltern Firehouse) for a proper pub in Shoreditch. Walk-in only, as you'd expect from most pubs, this puts drink front and centre but that's backed up by a great menu from Powell, which centres around Rotisserie chicken, along with top-notch snacks like their prawn scotch egg.

9 Chance St, London E2 7JB

Cycene is the restaurant inside Blue Mountain School in Shoreditch, with chef Taz Sarhane (ex Brooklands and Claude Bosi at Bibendum) in charge. Here you can expect a tasting menu-only experience, with a big focus on British produce and suppliers.The meal takes place throughout the building - from the bar to the kitchen and the dining room.

4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL

Chef Tomos Parry's restaurant remains one of the hottest in the area and still manages to attract a celeb or two to the upstairs room that's a little removed from the Shoreditch masses. Up here, you'll find a menu that features a mix of cooking on fire, Welsh and Basque cuisine, and a big focus on wine. It doesn't hurt that the dining room is quite lovely.

49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT

Originally big in Soho and now David Carter (Smokestak) and Chris Leach's Manteca moved to Shoreditch. Designed around an open kitchen with plenty of open-fire cooking. The food is described as a nose-to-tail "Italian with a British accent" with both seasonality and a whole-animal approach to cooking the name of the day (alongside some great pasta).