London’s most dynamic and artistic neighbourhood, Shoreditch is perhaps best known for its bars, street food, and vintage markets. However, the area now plays host to upscale restaurants and dining experiences rivalling those in the affluent west of the city. Spanning Asian, Italian and modern British cuisine, this guide draws together the best places to eat in Shoreditch.
The Clove Club
The Grade II-listed Shoreditch Town Hall provides an apt setting for The Clove Club. Helmed by chef patron Issac McHale, the restaurant offers an inventive omakase menu and a wine flight to match. Ingredients that are often overlooked take a starring role. Expect an open kitchen, attentive service, and British produce like wild Scottish salmon, Aynhoe Park venison and sheep’s milk yoghurt. With two Michelin stars, The Clove Club regularly appears on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Blacklock
Located on colourful Rivington Street, Blacklock comprises a passionate team of meat aficionados. As one of the earlier Blacklock chophouses, it has built quite a reputation since opening in 2018. They employ a nose-to-tail approach to “make something of everything”. Menu items include lamb cutlets, porterhouse chops, and the Blacklock fillet. The steaks are aged for up to 55 days and the indulgent Sunday lunch is also very popular. The menu even features their take on the first-ever hamburger, served at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven in 1895.
Cycene
Cycene is to Shoreditch what Dorian is to Notting Hill. This recently accredited Michelin-star hotspot is led by head chef Taz Sarhane (formerly of Claude Bosi at Bibendum). “Cycene” means “kitchen” in old English and, fittingly, there is a focus on seasonal British produce. Enjoyed in a tactile, uncomplicated setting, the nine-course tasting menu features items like foie gras, Scottish cep, and John Dory. Meanwhile, their broad selection of wines favours niche winemakers with a mindful approach to the terroir.
Sticks’n’Sushi
The concept of fusion food is fast disappearing as brands favour a more nuanced approach. However, Sticks’n’Sushi doesn’t shy away from the duality of their menu. Danish flame-grilled meat skewers (sticks) and Japanese raw bar classics (sushi) are, as it turns out, a match made in food heaven. Expect sticks of miso-cured pork, wagyu beef, and chicken meatballs as well as sushi spanning salmon nigiri, red shrimp maki, and spicy tuna uramaki. While it may seem an unorthodox combination to some, the Japanese ambassador is said to frequent Sticks’n’Sushi – which they see as a sign of “forgiveness”. The brand now has 14 locations in London, with one on Shoreditch High Street.
Smoking Goat
A stone’s throw from Shoreditch House, Smoking Goat is a mainstay of East London’s burgeoning food scene. This restaurant is famed for its rustic yet refined approach to traditional Thai cuisine. Allow the staff to explain the somewhat esoteric menu, populated with laab, liver, and celeriac som tam. There’s an open kitchen and a focus on flame-cooked fare, so expect intermittent fire and theatrics.
Brat
Smoking Goat’s upstairs neighbour, renowned restaurant Brat is widely considered one of the best places to eat in Shoreditch. Spanish small plates are elevated by refined cookery in this Michelin-starred bar and grill. A variety of options sees fresh chorizo and beef tartare followed by sweets of burnt cheesecake and olive oil ice cream. The tapas-style menu is complemented by an expansive wine list with a focus on Galician vineyards and single winemakers.
Tonkotsu
Tonkotsu is a brand that has begun to spread beyond the capital. However, one of their longest-standing locations sits just off Shoreditch High Street. As a ramen bar, its name refers to the pork marrow broth. Options include chilli chicken, chilli tiger prawns, and their namesake bestseller – a pork broth with thin-cut noodles, roast pork belly, and half an egg. Tonkotsu pride themselves on making their noodles. As their slogan says, “lf you don't make your own noodles, you're just a soup shop.”
Manteca
Another proponent of nose-to-tail dining, Manteca is located just off Great Eastern Street. This Italian-inspired restaurant offers hand-rolled pasta, sharing cuts cooked over fire, and choice riservas. The space is designed with rustic influences in mind: terracotta tiles, textural brick, and banquette seating. A considered menu, meanwhile, sees antipasti of cured duck and ‘nduja while the secondo section features Aberdeen Angus beef, slow-cooked pork blade and wood-roasted plaice. But one can’t truly indulge without dolce. Desserts include hazelnut tart, citrus pavlova and forced rhubarb sorbet.
Lyle’s
Also sharing the Tea Building with Brat and Smoking Goat is Lyle’s. This industrial chic restaurant has a no-nonsense approach to refined food. A daily menu features items like Carlingford rock oysters, pheasant broth, and chocolate mousse, all enjoyed in a relaxed setting. Think subway tiles and potted plants. Head chef James Lowe (formerly of La Trompette and St John Bread & Wine) initially resisted its Michelin-star accreditation and aimed to make the restaurant as relaxed as possible. Nonetheless, it has held onto the accolade for a decade.
Dishoom
Dishoom’s culinary creativity has earned them a seat at the table of restaurant Gods. Modelled on the traditional Iranian cafes of Bombay, this brand is also spreading beyond the capital. Following its initial launch in Carnaby, Dishoom’s second restaurant is located on Shoreditch’s Boundary Street. It offers top-notch Indian small plates with a focus on flavour. Expect flaky paratha, jackfruit biryani, and their signature “Chicken Ruby”, a reference to the Cockney rhyming slang term “Ruby Murray” to mean “curry”. They are also famed for their breakfast bacon naan.
Lahpet
One of very few Burmese restaurants in the UK, Lahpet transports guests to the shores of Myanmar via considered flavour profiles and unexpected textures. This award-winning restaurant offers small plates such as Jungle fried chicken and the zesty, crunchy pickled ginger salad. Main meals span braised beef curry, hake masala, and shan noodles. If you happen to be early or fancy hanging around after your meal, pull up a stool at the copper-clad horseshoe bar and enjoy a Lahpet Margarita or a Smokey Monkey (ingredients include whiskey, citrus, chilli jam and smoke essence).
Smokestak
A short walk from Shoreditch High Street Station, Smokestak is a brisket restaurant known for its pared-back menu of wood-smoked meats. A nondescript, speakeasy-style entrance is given away by the hum of activity. Inside, dark, moody interiors pair with smoked pastrami, crispy ox cheek, and gochujang wings. Mains of beef brisket and 30-day dry aged beef rib deftly define the brand. While the thought of a smokehouse may conjure images of piles of meat, there is a focus on quality over quantity. To finish off the meal, the sticky toffee pudding with clotted ice cream is a must.
Shoreditch has a magnetic pull for Londoners and visitors alike. A kaleidoscopic backdrop for an evening meal or quick lunch, the level of choice is almost unmatched. Something of a testing ground for casual yet refined eateries, many restaurants that have roots here have since gone on to conquer the capital and open locations beyond it. From independent restaurants to favoured franchises, upscale eateries to casual diners, Shoreditch is undoubtedly home to some of the best restaurants in the city.
