Trinity House Hotel

‘Malaysian Heat + Juicy Wines’ is the strapline of Vanessa Fernandes and Abby Lee’s restaurant – that means exhilarating dishes inspired by Abby's family recipes, alongside natural wines. Start with the terrific '100+ Sour' cocktail and then order plenty of the delicious food to share. While the menu changes frequently, expect eminently satisfying dishes like Otak-Otak prawn toast or squid stuffed with pork belly mince – and don’t ignore the Kerabu section. There's a great atmosphere around the room and there are also a few seats on a semi-covered terrace at the back.

A trip back to Korea inspired Chef-Owner Joo Won to return to the cooking of his childhood and subsequently open this casual, friendly little bistro in the middle of Stoke Newington. His time as Head Chef of Galvin at Windows hasn’t gone to waste though, as his appealingly priced blackboard menu is a great mix of European cuisine with subtle Korean flavours. "Joo’s Fried Chicken" has understandably been on the menu since Day One, while dishes like Cornish pollock with mooli jorim pack an invigorating punch.

‘A little piece of France in Wanstead’ is the tagline at this busy and welcoming neighbourhood bistro – and it certainly delivers on the promise. The extensive menu is a roll-call of classic French dishes from escargots and soupe à l’oignon to coq au vin and steak frites. They prove to be impressively executed too, providing satisfying flavours at fair prices. A startlingly good value 'prix fixe' is available throughout the day Tuesday to Thursday and for lunch only on Friday and Saturday.

The appealing, Eastern Mediterranean-influenced menu at Chef-Owner Oded Oren’s bustling little bistro is made up of enticing sharing plates, with many ingredients cooked over charcoal, such as lamb loin, succulent chicken skewer and hispi cabbage with muhammara. Start with the delicious stone-baked flatbread and then around five dishes between two should suffice. The prices are kept fair and that includes the well-made cocktails, while the service team are delightful. There’s lots of fun to be had here.

There's something so appealing about the simplicity of a restaurant like Primeur. A proper neighbourhood operation, it comes with stripped-back décor, a handwritten blackboard menu and a relaxed, bustling atmosphere. Diners can sit around large communal tables or up at the counters around the edges of the room. The cooking, for its part, avoids overcomplication and puts the ingredients first, as evidenced by grilled pork chop with roquefort butter. Ensure you save room for dessert, too, especially if the textbook custard tart is on the menu.

The brainchild of wine importers and a charcutier, Cadet is a compact bar and shop selling, unsurprisingly, wine and charcuterie. During the week, you can just enjoy some simple bar snacks alongside the wonderful selection of largely French wines. Yet from Thursday to Sunday, a blackboard appears, listing a treasure trove of well-priced and generously flavoured dishes. Expect the likes of pâté en croûte, excellently seasoned rillettes and slip sole with Café de Paris butter. The chatty team will help guide you through the array of enticing wines.

A classic Victorian-era London pub, The Clarence Tavern comes with a real characterful charm, courtesy of its 19th-century architecture fused with more contemporary details. Head past the bar to the part-panelled, part-brick dining area, where the doors open out onto a courtyard terrace. Many of the boldly flavoured dishes come from the pub classics school – like chicken, leek and bacon pie to share – and arrive in pleasingly gutsy portions. Try one of the natural wines and be sure to visit the deli before you leave.