The 5 hippest places to eat in East London in London

Housed in a ramshackle former dairy building, and located on a cobbled side street off Columbia Road, this cafe-style Italian restaurant enjoys a charming and atmospheric setting. The short daily menus feature homemade pastas – tortelli, pappardelle, gnudi – and incredibly tasty dishes of authentic, domestic Italian cooking.

Named after A Guy Called Gerald’s UK acid house anthem, Voodoo Ray’s is the place to come if you’re on a night out in Dalston and its many bars and clubs. 22” NY-style pizzas are served by the slice, with dance music-referencing names such as the Hot Mix 5 and Giorgio Moroder. Open until 3 am, frozen margaritas are mixed in a slush machine and the Full Moon Slice only comes out after midnight. Fun.

This revamped Victorian boozer in Hackney manages to retain its old-school charm despite the makeover. The food here is seriously good and worth a trip, but The Marksman still functions as a proper drinking pub, attracting a hip younger crowd as well as the older locals. Try the braised beef and barley bun with horseradish.

Located on a quiet Hackney backstreet, Pidgin is the next project from James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy after the success of their Secret Larder supper club. Almost as convivial, this space is intimate with minimal décor other than twigs and branches on the walls. The cooking is vibrant modern British with an Asian twist.

This London Fields wine bar and restaurant excels with its superb list of natural, low-intervention wines and simple-yet-surprising and subtly complex dishes. The menu is short, seasonal and ever-changing; a deliciously innovative mix of small plates, shellfish, pasta, and grilled fish and meats. The airy, stripped-back semi-industrial interior, walk-in seats at the bar and the relaxed service and atmosphere make for a convivial dining experience.