Guidebook for Greater London
Food Scene
This seriously hip Japanese-influenced joint is part restaurant, part bar and part music venue. The theme shines through in the menu, which is inspired by Japanese izakayas – pubs serving cooked snacks. They offer an impressive range of sushi, sashimi and tempura (plus select dishes like beef teppanyaki and tuna katsu), alongside zingy salads and sides. Inside it’s low-lit, with regular live jazz (of course: the place is named after a Thelonius Monk album) and DJ sets adding to the atmosphere.
109 locals raden deze aan
Brilliant Corners
470 Kingsland RdThis seriously hip Japanese-influenced joint is part restaurant, part bar and part music venue. The theme shines through in the menu, which is inspired by Japanese izakayas – pubs serving cooked snacks. They offer an impressive range of sushi, sashimi and tempura (plus select dishes like beef teppanyaki and tuna katsu), alongside zingy salads and sides. Inside it’s low-lit, with regular live jazz (of course: the place is named after a Thelonius Monk album) and DJ sets adding to the atmosphere.
Serving high-end fried chicken and sour cocktails in a party-ready dive bar setting was only ever going to go well. It went off the chart, as Chick ’n’ Sours proves. Jazzy wings and drumsticks are available, but the stars of the show are the towering sandwiches, including a buttermilk-marinated option and one with a Korean twist – plus those killer cocktails.
64 locals raden deze aan
Chick 'n' Sours
390 Kingsland RdServing high-end fried chicken and sour cocktails in a party-ready dive bar setting was only ever going to go well. It went off the chart, as Chick ’n’ Sours proves. Jazzy wings and drumsticks are available, but the stars of the show are the towering sandwiches, including a buttermilk-marinated option and one with a Korean twist – plus those killer cocktails.
Authentic yakitori has come to East London in the form of Jidori, which boasts a custom-made Kama-Asa grill imported from Tokyo. As the restaurant is named after a special breed of chicken, it’s no surprise that the meat is the star here, with virtually every part of the animal appearing in the yakitori. Don’t fill up on the skewers, though; the katsu curry scotch egg is a great Japanese twist on the English classic, and the sole dessert – ginger ice cream, miso caramel, sweet potato crisps and black sesame praline – is a moreish blend of sweet and savoury.
30 locals raden deze aan
Jidori
89 Kingsland High StAuthentic yakitori has come to East London in the form of Jidori, which boasts a custom-made Kama-Asa grill imported from Tokyo. As the restaurant is named after a special breed of chicken, it’s no surprise that the meat is the star here, with virtually every part of the animal appearing in the yakitori. Don’t fill up on the skewers, though; the katsu curry scotch egg is a great Japanese twist on the English classic, and the sole dessert – ginger ice cream, miso caramel, sweet potato crisps and black sesame praline – is a moreish blend of sweet and savoury.
Drinks & Nightlife
Pamela is a laid back bar dedicated to cool cocktails and the great Pams of the world, with the likes of Anderson and Grier up on the wall. The booze menu is based around infused spirits, so beetroot gin joins lemon and elderflower in the Beetdown; jalapeño vodka is teamed with kiwi and coconut in the Des Barres; and peanut rye makes up the heart of their Peanut Split Old Fashioned. Pamela is no slouch when it comes to food, either, recruiting top-notch residents to take over their kitchen. Last year it was NOLA-inspired grub from Decateur, and currently there is vegan Mexican food courtesy of Club Mexicana.
26 locals raden deze aan
Pamela
428 Kingsland RdPamela is a laid back bar dedicated to cool cocktails and the great Pams of the world, with the likes of Anderson and Grier up on the wall. The booze menu is based around infused spirits, so beetroot gin joins lemon and elderflower in the Beetdown; jalapeño vodka is teamed with kiwi and coconut in the Des Barres; and peanut rye makes up the heart of their Peanut Split Old Fashioned. Pamela is no slouch when it comes to food, either, recruiting top-notch residents to take over their kitchen. Last year it was NOLA-inspired grub from Decateur, and currently there is vegan Mexican food courtesy of Club Mexicana.
Three Compasses is a charming pub on Dalston Lane that doesn't conform to what you'd typically expect from a popular bar in zone two. It isn't a super-chic hipster parade with a microbrewery and a room for stroking cats; it takes a much more simple approach - focusing on serving up some of the best burgers in London, pouring the finest ales, offering a plethora of board games, and boasts some of the friendliest bar folk around.
57 locals raden deze aan
The Three Compasses
99 Dalston LnThree Compasses is a charming pub on Dalston Lane that doesn't conform to what you'd typically expect from a popular bar in zone two. It isn't a super-chic hipster parade with a microbrewery and a room for stroking cats; it takes a much more simple approach - focusing on serving up some of the best burgers in London, pouring the finest ales, offering a plethora of board games, and boasts some of the friendliest bar folk around.
Little sister to Dalston Superstore and Voodoo Ray's, come to this camp paradise for the ultimate kitsch night out. Drag queens lead the night as you take to the stage, belting amazing songs and aided by special effects, all while sipping cocktails.
The Karaoke Hole
95 Kingsland High StLittle sister to Dalston Superstore and Voodoo Ray's, come to this camp paradise for the ultimate kitsch night out. Drag queens lead the night as you take to the stage, belting amazing songs and aided by special effects, all while sipping cocktails.