All Island Grill is a little Caribbean restaurant in Dalston that makes jerk chicken, oxtail stew, and fried chicken worth travelling for.

Brunswick East is an all-day Australian café and coffee shop with lovely courtyard seating.

Footnote is a spacious coffee spot on Wilton Way in Hackney that makes a great option for catching up with friends.

Allpress is an excellent two-storey coffee spot with a lovely patio are.

Snackbar is a café and workspace on Dalston Lane that serves a range of unusual and excellent Asian-inspired breakfast, lunch, and brunch plates.

Ararat Bread is a tiny bakery on Ridley Road that makes delicious meat or cheese topped naan flatbreads for a couple of quid or less.

The Duke of Richmond is pub and restaurant in Dalston making burgers and bar snacks worth travelling for.

Hacha is Dalston bar that makes a dangerously delicious margarita, and other tequila and mezcal drinks, alongside a small menu of tacos and ceviche.

Newcomer Wines is an excellent wine shop and surprisingly spacious bar in Dalston, with a kind of secret back patio.

Andu Café is a cash-only, vegan spot in Dalston serving excellent option-free Ethiopian food.

The Dusty Knuckle is a Dalston bakery and café making proper sandwiches and homely dishes.

The Haggerston branch of Chick ‘n’ Sours is the original, and still the best. Come here for cocktails and disco wings, and leave happy.

The Eastern Curve Garden in Dalston is a beautiful slice of green space in the heart of Dalston. It’s the perfect spot for a big group hang.

Pizza Union in Dalston does very cheap, very fast and very decent pizza.

Little Duck The Picklery is an all-day small plates thing in Dalston.

Pizza by the slice in Dalston doesn’t get any better than at Voodoo Rays.