124 King's Cross Rd, London WC1X 9DS

Everyone’s raving about Dim Sum Duck, a tiny gem in Kings Cross. It's run by a dim sum chef with more than 30 years in the business and specialises in hand-made dim sum and in-house roasted duck. Critic Fay Maschler said it was the best Cantonese cooking in London.

156 Canonbury Road, London N1 2UP

Lee Tiernan's Black Axe Mangal (or F.K.A.B.A.M as it's now known) has made a small site on Highbury Corner into one of the best restaurants in London. With metal and rock music blaring out on the speakers, it's certainly unlike much else in town. It's described as 'an unauthentic, bastardised take of Turkish Mangal and Ocakbasi, with global influences.' It has a set menu that changes regularly while still featuring some of the classics like their squid ink bread.

172 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JL

Caravel is a restaurant on a barge, floating on the canal in Hoxton. In charge are brothers Lorcan and Fin Spiteri who are in charge of the food and drink respectively. Expect the kind of food from Lorcan "that he and Fin enjoyed growing up". There's also now a sister barge moored alongside which is a floating bar.

44 Barnsbury St, Islington, London N1 1ER

This Islington pub is tucked down a quiet side street and remains one of the prettiest pubs in the borough. Run by Nick Gibson, the menu is a modern take on British pub grub. Grab a table in the garden if the weather's behaving itself.