The 11 Essential Restaurants in London Fields

There is a lot to love about London Fields. Besides the sprawling historic park – with its resident acrobats, dog-walkers and tinny-drinkers – the neighbourhood plays host to some of the best culinary talent the city has to offer.

You’ll find many of the neighbourhood’s best restaurants on Broadway Market, the area’s spiritual core, which connects the park to Regent’s Canal. But, venture down side streets and under moody railway arches and you’ll discover even more gems. London Fields is home to everything from home-style Korean classics and Japanese snacks to flame-licked flatbreads and long-lost British dishes – plus listening bar-adjacent restaurants that turn into dancefloors on weekends.

There is plenty to choose from, so if you’re feeling hungry, here’s our pick of the best of the best.

For great live-spun music and big worldly flavours, you can’t beat Bambi. Earlier this year, the sleek mid-century-inspired restaurant expanded, cementing its place as a vinyl listening-bar and late-night dance destination. On the menu, head chef Will Faris’s punchy plates promise a succession of flavour bombs, with highlights including fried feta with quince and pickled chilli; trout tostadas with miso dressing; and gochujang hispi cabbage with red miso and smoked tofu. Tables are pushed aside after dinner on Friday and Saturday to turn the space into a dancefloor until 1am.

After years of anticipation, one of the city’s most decorated hospitality couples – sommelier Honey Spencer and front-of-house aficionado Charlie Sims – opened their own spot, Sune, in 2024. The wine-focused restaurant celebrates Spencer’s hard-earned connections with lesser-known low-intervention and biodynamic wine makers all over the world, and boasts a collection to cater to any palate. It’s accompanied by head chef Fabien Spagnolo’s menu of broadly Mediterranean-inspired comfort food, which often includes fluffy charred flatbread with devilled crab butter and Tamworth pork chops with apple mustard. Brunch service on Sundays is a particularly good time, especially with a fried fish sandwich and breakfast Martini in hand. The tables on the pavement are always fun for Broadway Market people watching, too.

Forget about London Fields – Elliot’s Hackney is one of the best neighbourhood restaurants in the entire city. Founded in 2021 by couple Sam Lim and Brett Redman, the space on the corner of Mare Street and Westgate Street has become something of a local institution. Alongside the friendly service, its bare brick and yellow-slicked walls, pale unvarnished wood furniture and cobalt blue banquettes channel a stylish yet warm and unpretentious atmosphere. On the menu, the airy, decadent Isle of Mull cheese puffs, chunky chips with aioli and anchovy-and-butter-curl bites are a must. Otherwise, delicately cooked Mediterranean-inspired dishes chop and change with the seasons. It also serves a very good Sunday roast.

For a hearty, speedy bowl of udon or pile of donburi, it’s got to be Koya, tucked off Broadway Market. The dependable menu offers up deep bowls of noodles and rice with a vast array of toppings, including sweet tofu and spring onion, cumin-spiced lamb mince and smoked mackerel with leafy greens. The gigantic tempura prawn always feels like bang for your buck, and is especially delicious washed down with an ice-cold Asahi.

Earlier this year, Sally Abé’s hotly anticipated debut restaurant, Teal, took over the snug spot that once played host to Sesta and Pidgin. The chef dubs the teeny jewel box dining room on Wilton Way a “British bistro” serving forgotten gems refined and made modern using techniques she honed while working at fine-dining spots like The Ledbury and Elystan Street earlier in her career. Warm, friendly and approachable, the experience is a treat through and through. Abé is always playing with the menu, but the angels on horseback, chunky slabs of “knife and fork bacon”, juicy Fosse Meadow chicken and the marmalade ice-cream sandwich are regular crowd-pleasers. That and the carefully curated champagne list.

Yuki Bar, by former Noma-sommelier Yukiyasu Kaneko, is arguably more of a wine bar than a restaurant. Still, if you’re in the mood for an excellent glass of something low-intervention and a selection of delicious Japanese small plates, this arch near the north side of the park is an excellent choice. The chalkboard menu rarely repeats itself dish-for-dish, but you can expect to pick and choose from snacky plates such as soft-boiled eggs with sesame mayo, fried pork belly with miso, beef tataki, sake-steamed mussels and claypot-baked fish. Start with a fizzy glass of Pedecastello via the Dolomites, then ask Bar to recommend something based on your order.

Charming, reliable and laid-back, Brat at Climpson’s Arch is always a good time. Here, at the sister restaurant to Brat in Shoreditch, Tomos Parry and his team serve up a daily-changing array of seasonal, woodfired fare. This usually includes generously stacked flatbreads, meaty skewers, flame-licked chops and carefully tended whole fish. Don’t be put off by the marquee-style set-up; if you’re looking for a cosier experience there is a more polished section in the arch out back.

What to expect from Cafe Cecilia? Just know that chef-patron Max Rocha cut his teeth at The River Cafe, St John Bread & Wine and Spring. Now, within his own stripped-back, airy dining room, he specialises in beautifully prepared modern-European style fare which celebrates the finest seasonal ingredients. Comforting staples include Guinness soda bread, sage and anchovy fritti and deep-fried bread and butter pudding, while his bright salads, onglet and chips, and freshly made pastas never go amiss.

Step into this arch on Mentmore Terrace for modern Cantonese food and big Wes Anderson vibes. The kitchen is headed up by former Great British Menu contestant, chef Budgie Montoya, who dishes up punchy, invigorating takes on Hong Kong classics to share. There are light, fresh zingers including Porthilly oysters with calamansi; fun, indulgent takes on classics such as crispy head prawn toast; and decadent signatures like beef short rib with Hong Kong curry sauce. Don’t leave without trying the quirky Ovaltine mousse with milk ice-cream, coffee caramel and a biscuity crumb.

This understated modern Korean restaurant scooped up a Michelin Bib Gourmand within eight months of opening – and for very good reason. Run by two brothers and their father, chef Hyun Sang Ko, they specialise in serving home-style dishes with an extra sprinkle of finesse. Go with as many people as possible to try a maximum amount of the menu. Our favourites? The beef tartare with Korean pear, mung bean pancake and soy-braised short ribs. Bookings are difficult to come by, so plan far in advance.

Yes, The Spurstowe Arms is a pub, but it just so happens to be a pub with some of the best pizza in the city: Dough Hands. Kneaded, stretched and baked by Hannah Drye and co, these thin, crisp, featherlight slices feature staggeringly delicious concoctions of toppings. Think soy roasted mushrooms with taleggio cheese, tuna with chilli tuna with mozzarella and nduja, hot honey and stracciatella. Conveniently, the pub serves molto buono spritzes, too.