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For anyone that has lived in London for many years, Bethnal Green Is one of those areas of London which made the swift transition from avoid at all costs to the place to be. That transition is best captured in the best restaurants in Bethnal Green which hold their own against some of the best restaurants in the city generally.
This is an area that is more than just the Columbia Road flower market. The restaurants here will challenge your expectations of the food that you can expect to try in London. There is so much diversity in this small area that sometimes it can be it can feel like there’s no need to leave. Or, at least, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
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Dinner and a show
Bistrotheque
If there’s one restaurant that captures the impossibly cool hipster vibe that is synonymous with Bethnal Green, it’s Bistrotheque. This is a true local gem which you would not know about unless your East London friends told you to go. It’s not often that a restaurant in a white converted warehouse is the place to be. But before you even enter, you’ll see the action heaving from the windows right at the top.
But Bistrotheque isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an experience. The team behind this gorgeous space is responsible for creating more than just a dining experience. What you’ll experience at Bisthrotheque isn’t just incredible food (and there’s plenty of that, including a full vegan and vegetarian selection that is not an afterthought) but rather a whole-of-evening experience.
Your night can either start at the restaurant and bar on the roof and work down to The Cockatoo for a performance, or you can have dinner and a performance at The Cockatoo downstairs from the beginning. The performances are constantly changing, but I guarantee you’ll always experience something exciting.
What is so exciting about Bisthrotheque is that it retains that neighborhood charm yet it somehow delivers on a refined experience that you’d think you might need to be closer to central London to find. Get a group together and make a night of it because this is an establishment that never disappoints.
Fine dining
The Water House Project
What started out as one of London’s most loved and raved about pop-up supper clubs now calls an unassuming building in Bethnal Green home. The Water House Project is the natural next step for chef Gabriel Waterhouse (of Galvin La Chapelle fame, in neighboring Spitalfields) – the supper club couldn’t stay in his home forever.
Nowadays, The Water House Project regularly finds its way onto lists for the top restaurants in London, and it might have something to do with the incredibly considered cuisine that is served. This is the ethical fine dining restaurant you can only hope to find in London’s East End, and it delivers each and every time.
A meal at The Water House Project is so much more than a meal. It’s a journey through multiple courses, each of which carefully uses ethically sourced ingredients to create a meal which is satisfying both physically and mentally. The team at The Water House Project set out to create ‘social fine dining’. They binned the stuffiness of West London’s fine dining scene and created their own stripped-back, almost-no-frills open kitchen dining environment that is a true delight to spend an evening.
The space is intimate and relaxed, and that space works seamlessly with the vibe to create a wonderful dining experience at an incredibly good price for the level of quality that you’ll experience.
Da Terra
Who knew that Bethnal Green is home to so many Michelin-starred restaurants. Da Terra is indeed one of them, and yet, despite it having earned one of the highest honors in the culinary world, it remains a hidden gem that even your food connoisseur friends very likely won’t know.
All of the flavors presented on the plate are delicate in presentation, deep in flavor and harmonized with the vibe of the restaurant. The team at Da Terra has created an environment that is very enjoyable to spend an evening or a long lunch (you’ll need the time – the tasting menu is designed to be enjoyed over time).
I don’t know if it’s the fact that most people don’t expect such a high-quality meal or if the food really is that great, but Da Terra really is an exceptional dining experience. The moqueca (a Brazilian seafood stew) is a particular standout, but there is virtually nothing on the menu that won’t surprise and lift your culinary stands to the next level.
Casual
story deli
story deli is kind of everything you want out of the best restaurants in Bethnal Green. It’s raw, unassuming, and incredibly delicious. There is nothing about the restaurant which suggests it’s a restaurant. To the naked eye, the exterior looks a little bit dilapidated, almost as though it were a disused fabric store waiting to be repossessed.
What I find particularly amusing about story deli is that people will often walk by, spot the barely visible menu near the door, peak inside, and then not dare to enter. This is simply because because the space almost intentionally feels unfinished. But if you do walk in, you will experience one of London’s best hidden gems.
The owner, Lee, is an older English gentleman who is passionate about the thin and crispy pizza that he serves. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill pizza restaurant; it’s a personal project, and that means you get the artistry of a proprietor who wants to make a lasting impression each and every time.
Don’t expect the restaurant to be hustle and bustle. This is the place to go for a casual meal with one or two friends when you’re looking for a place where you want to enjoy every single moment of the dining experience.
Elis
As a local, putting Elis on the list of the best restaurants in Bethnal Green is a hard decision. And that’s for no other reason than Elis is special, and the only way to keep something special is to keep it secret. But Elis is such a wonderful experience which deserves to be shared with the world. The quality of the food is exceptional, the team is genuinely concerned to make your experience better, and the vibe is relaxing and cozy, making it perfect for a casual meal out.
Elis is just upstairs from Da Terra, and that would make sense given that Elis is the casual dining version of Da Terra’s fine dining. But that doesn’t mean Elis compromises on quality. You’re still getting an exceptional meal at what is a very reasonable price, and it’s also an exciting mix of Brazilian and Italian flavors that you can’t find elsewhere.
I can’t confirm this for sure, but I suspect some of the team from Da Terra is shared across Elis. This means you’re getting a team which knows how to deliver the highest experiences, and yet somehow you don’t need to pay the premium for it.
Campania
If ever there were a place so beautiful that just its exterior is enough to draw you in, it would be Campania. The rustic, wood-heavy, exposed brick, barn-like feel of the space is an absolutely delightful place to spend a lunch or dinner, especially if you have a moment to watch the world pass by on Sundays during the Columbia Road Flower Market.
What we love about Campania from the perspective of a local is that, strangely, it is a place you can walk into casually and actually have a chance at getting a table. This is even despite it being wedged in one of the busiest areas in Bethnal Green.
Approachable innovation
Rogues.
There is no one who has a meal at Rogues. and isn’t incredibly impressed by the value exchange: you’re paying what feels like a small amount for a stunningly good meal. Rogues. is yet again the product of talented Galvin alum who have taken their learnings and put their own spin on it to create an amazing dining experience which leaves every diner very happy – every single time.
The concept is seasonality and sharing plates, and that means no meal at Rogues. will be the same. You can fully expect the highest level of innovation in every dish you order. The team often experiments with different ingredients and flavor profiles which always leave a lasting impression.
Among locals, Rogues. is what one might say is a relatively hyped restaurant. But we’re very glad to report that it is not even slightly overhyped. This is a team which truly delivers on what they’ve set out to do: serving super innovative (and tasty, of course) dishes at an approachable price point.
Also I’m just going to say it: they get their bread and butter course so, so right. If you like good food, you’ll know that a great bread and butter course is a sign of beautiful tastes to come.
Palmers
You just can’t help but simply like Palmers. This is a simple, neighborhead restaurant that punches far above its weight. There is an emphasis on working with sustainably sourced ingredients, and you can taste the difference that makes in each dish. This is the type of restaurant that is trying to make something special out of every dish they serve. In my view, they get it right a very respectable percentage of the time.
Local tip: If you’re looking for a Sunday Roast in Bethnal Green and don’t want to go to a pub, Palmers serves an astonishingly tasty Sunday Roast.
Palmers boasts a very strong menu in a space that is not pretending to be anything more than it is on its face. You might not get exactly the vibe that you’ll find at some of the other best restaurants in Bethnal Green, but you will walk out with a much better understanding of just why the food scene in this area is so special.
Street style
Princelyn
Nigerian food is undoubtedly having a moment (a Michelin-starred Nigerian restaurant tells you all you need to know), and we’re glad to say that you don’t need to look much further than Princelyn for an amazing adventure into Nigerian cuisine. The team here has set out with the very clear aim of bringing African flavors and dining experience to London, and I might say that they’ve done a great job at that.
This isn’t your restaurant with all the bells and whistles. If you’re heading to Princelyn, you’re going for the food and the food only. The best restaurants in Bethnal Green aren’t always the best because of the food. However, we’ll admit that our inclusion of Princelyn wholeheartedly focuses on the food so don’t expect a flashy environment.
A Portuguese Love Affair
I think it’s important in life to call a spade a spade, so I’ll go ahead and call the Portuguese tart at A Portuguese Love Affair one of the best, if not, the best, Portuguese tart (pastel de nata) in London. These flaky pastries of milk custard joy are freshly baked (usually at the owner’s home). You’ll find there is absolutely no compromising on quality or standard because the local community has incredibly high standards for their Portuguese tarts following A Portuguese Love Affair opening.
Delightfully, this is an LGBT-run business, and that means it’s a bit more exciting than others – think performances and queer spaces.
This is the right place to get a small snack and sit outside on the lawn (weather permitting, of course) or grab some food to go. You can sit down in the restaurant, but this is more of a casual eatery for you to pick up something tasty and move on. That isn’t to say that A Portuguese Love Affair doesn’t serve great food. Rather, this is a favorite local summer spot – so save a bigger meal here for when you can sit outside and enjoy the sun.
I’ve probably given sufficient airtime to the pastel de nata, but if you’re unsure whether to get one, it’s absolutely worth every calorie.
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