510b Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AB

They now have bars in Crouch End and Soho, but this was the original opening for the Three Sheets team, bringing their eclectic take on cocktail-making to Dalston. Riffing off the name, the drinks list is divided into one, two and three sheets moving from light to strong in terms of alcoholic content. Regardless of the ABV, whatever you end up ordering is going to taste great.

Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ

James Lowe's restaurant at the Tea Building in Shoreditch proved that a restaurant in Shoreditch could gain a Michelin star. This all-day restaurant showcases his food with a regularly changing menu. Look out for special guests popping in from time to time. And they serve a damn fine coffee throughout the day.

23A Englefield Rd, London N1 4JX

A couple of interesting chefs (ex-Big Jo and Noble Rot) are behind this self-styled cafe with 'quite good grub' on the Dalston/De Beauvoir borders. It may look like a cafe from the outside but the quality of the food and wine offering here is definitely a cut above the usual neighbourhood space. Expect a tight menu, singing from the season's songsheet.

Stamford Works, 3 Gillett St, London N16 8JH

Seasonality and provenance are the foundation of the menu at Jones & Sons. So you know they'll have the best day boat fish, amazing English meat and a strong vegetarian offering. Set in a former factory, they're probably best known for the weekend brunches and Sunday roasts. If you're getting a sense of deja vu when you come, it's probably because this is where the Stephen Graham movie Boiling Point was filmed.

Unit 8 Gillett St, London N16 8AZ

Head off Kingsland Road into buzzy Gillett Square and let your nose lead you to Ewart Drysdale's amazing jerk bbq spot. The big oil drum barbecues show you that this place means business - your only dilemma will be whether to opt for the jerk pork or chicken. Barbecue isn't the only thing on the menu here - if you fancy an ackee and saltfish patty or macaroni pie, that's on offer as well.

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.

70-74 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB

Former basement dive turned fully fledged restaurant and bar, Corrochio's is named after Guadalajara-born chef Daniel Corrochio who serves up an authentic day into night menu channelling Mexico's city's best taquerias. They also do a very popular Mexican take on brunch at the weekends and if you're just popping in for a drink, there's a separate CINCO agave bar downstairs.

70-74 City Rd, Old Street, London EC1Y 2BJ

This is the Old Street restaurant for Richard Corrigan, the top Irish chef who's also behind Bentley's in Mayfair. Expect a menu that has a modern European base mixed in with various Irish influences. There's an excellent pub downstairs too, in the shape of Gibney's.

43A Commercial Street, London E1 6BD

Serving up some of the best Thai food in London, the trio behind this is Andy Oliver, Mark Dobbie and Tom George. They originally gained a huge following at a Climpson's Arch residency before crowdfunding their own spot. "Regional Thai food with uncompromising flavours" is what they promise.

157 Commercial Street, London E1 6BJ

The original Hawksmoor, and for many the best. Known as the group that transformed steaks in British restaurants forever for the better, this is a perfect place to come to for a meat-fest. And expect some cracking cocktails too - head to the bar downstairs for those and extra snacks not on the main menu.

44 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT

Chef Tom Brown, best known for the Michelin-starred of Cornerstone, is behind this Shoreditch restaurant and oyster bar. It's a seafood-centric menu, featuring UK and Irish-sourced oysters, and you can even get crispy buffalo oysters here. A must-have dish is the cuttlefish lasagne and take note of the cocktails, which are created by Max Venning from Three Sheets.

39 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NJ

Casual Indian spot Tamila comes from the folk who brought us Indian gastopubs The Tamil Crown and Tamil Prince. Harking back to the group’s street food roots the menu puts roti and curries at the heart of its offering with a special section for dosas and snacks too. Cocktails are particularly inventive and worth trying, including a Gunpowder Margarita.

Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT

One of the best restaurants in town and one of the few to make it into the World's 50 Best list, The Clove Club is now a London institution, on the must-try lists of all good gastro tourists. Head into the main restaurant for a regularly changing set menu which is at the heart of things here.

97 St. John’s Road Battersea Rise, London SW11 1QY

Ploussard comes from the same team behind Other Side Fried but this is a very different affair. It's a neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant in Battersea with a seasonal small plates menu and a focus on natural wines. Tables are also kept back for walk-ins at the bar if you fancy popping in for wine and snacks.

Lancer Square, 28A Kensington Church Street, London W8 4EP

Krokodilos is a Greek restaurant from the restaurant group that brought us Wild, Fantomas and Pinna. Led by ex-Connaught chef Angelos Togias, the food here takes an inventive (and generous) approach to Greek cuisine with excellent breads, dips and their own takes on some Greek classic dishes. The slow-cooked goat is a must and there's a notably extensive Greek wine list here too.

92-93 Berwick St, London W1F 0QB

A sister venue to the original Battersea Breadstall, this location actually has some inside dining space. You'll still see them selling huge biga slow-fermented sourdough Neapolitan pizzas whole or by the slice, with options changing almost daily. There's also a hatch, so if you're looking for a pizza on the go in Soho, this should be your first stop.

28 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AA

Bar Valette comes from the same team behind The Clove Club, albeit with a slightly more casual vibe. They bill themselves as a European restaurant, with a menu (and drinks list) that features French and Spanish influences as well as a few Clove Club signatures.

16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA

This is the original Rochelle Canteen, from chef Margot Henderson and business partner Melanie Arnold, and has been held up by almost every chef in London as one of the best places to eat at in town. Henderson serves up classic, seasonal cooking. It's a little on the hard side to find - but well worth searching out.

74 Luke Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4PY

This is a French-style bistro in the heart of Shoreditch that comes from the same people behind Crispin and Bar Crispin. Here, they're serving up their own take on bistro-style dishes, backed up by an all-French wine list.

35 Sclater St, London E1 6LB

David Carter's smoky, steampunk room in Shoreditch shows that there is real innovation and creativity behind the macho 'cue look. There's a huge range of smoked delights like the brisket and pickled chilli bun, while there are also some gorgeous dishes for vegetarians.

1 Phipp Street, London EC2A 4PS

The original Padella is a London sensation, with its affordable fresh pasta winning friends far and wild. It's hugely popular, which led to this second outpost in Shoreditch. Expect the same great value, high quality pasta and more.

63-65 Parkway, London NW1 7PP

This small Parkway restaurant doesn't like to conform to labels. Instead, it describes its sharing plates style as a blend of Asian and European cuisines and takes its cocktails seriously, too. The menu lists its wonton dish as "Wontons? Tortellini?" noting the similarity between wonton skins and traditional pasta. It also includes other fusion dishes like the Sichuan chicken burger and dumpling skin "tacos".

64 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ

Sister restaurant to Kiln, this is the second version of Smoking Goat and a huge hit. Whether you're sitting up at the counter or enjoying a group meal with friends, enjoy a range of Thai dishes that change depending on produce and a lot of Thai BBQ as well.

57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX

Over the years at his south of France restaurant Mirazur chef Mauro Colagreco picked up a clutch of awards from three Michelin stars to topping the World's 50 Best list. Here in London it's taken a little longer to attract Michelin's attention to his restaurant at Raffles London at The OWO. This London restaurant just off Whitehall takes hyper-seasonality as its lodestone, along with close relationships with some of the UK's best producers.

9th Floor, 100 Liverpool St, London EC2M 2AT

The City branch of this Notting Hill fusion restaurant serves up a winning mix of Japanese dishes with Mexican influences. Its biggest selling point here at Liverpool Street is the late licence and capacious roof terrace with a great view of the City. There’s also a huge separate bar here as well.

151 Commercial St, London E1 6BJ

Husband and wife team Limor and Amir are behind this Shoreditch spot with a menu that celebrates Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. The menu leans towards plant-forward options with an emphasis on healthy cooking methods. Even the drinks list is similarly curated. Weekend brunches are particularly popular.

8 Melior St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3QP

Sollip is from husband and wife team Woongchul Park (formerly at The Ledbury and Koffman's) and Bomee Ki (former pastry chef at The Arts Club). They're marrying the team's European cooking style with Korean influences in a fine-dining, paired back approach.