Where To Eat & Drink In Clapton
FOR MALAYSIAN DISHES:
Mambow
Ask any foodie for the best restaurant in the neighbourhood and most will mention Abby Lee’s Mambow. After relocating from Peckham market to Clapton, Lee’s permanent outpost has gone from strength to strength and was recently named London's best local restaurant by The Good Food Guide. Here, it’s all about ‘Malaysian heat and juicy wines’, with dishes inspired by Abby’s heritage and family recipes. The monthly-changing menu could include plates like red curry and kaffir lime leaf prawns; Nyonya-style chicken wings with mustard, lime and anchovy dipping sauce; and yellow jackfruit curry. Save space for dessert – think Pandan crepes or caramelised cassava cake.
78 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN
Visit MAMBOW.CO.UK
FOR SARDINIAN CLASSICS:
Leo's Restaurant & Bar
One of the coolest options on this list is Leo's, an all-day restaurant and bar that serves black Italian coffee, pastries and frittata until the afternoon, followed by a Sardinian-inspired menu from 6pm. It’s an aesthetic spot on Clapton’s trendy Chatsworth Road, with terrazzo flooring, retro furniture and a stack of newspapers clipped to the wall for morning diners. The dinner menu includes elegantly presented dishes like grilled turbot, buffalo mozzarella with peperonata, and spaghetti with lemon and bottarga. There’s a reasonably-priced set menu on Sundays, as well bar snacks for those looking to settle in with a bottle.
59 Chatsworth Road, E5 0LH
Visit LEOSRESTAURANT.BAR
FOR CHINESE FOOD:
Lucky & Joy
This playful Chinese restaurant lives up to its name with its joyful and flavoursome dishes inspired by Camberwell’s Silk Road restaurant. Chef Ellen Parr and friend Pete Kelly have done something totally different here – offering a modern take on Chinese food that’s also inspired by their travels. Diners can tuck into dishes like smacked cucumber, sesame noodles, smoked eel and pork belly skewers, hand-pulled biang biang noodles in sizzling oil, and cumin lamb chops with tiger salad. There’s a short list of cocktails, as well as beers from local breweries and natural and orange wines.
95 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0NP
Visit LUCKYANDJOY.CO.UK
FOR SMALL PLATES & WINE:
107 Wine Shop & Bar
This natural wine bar and restaurant opened the doors to its first permanent home in Clapton last year. Unlike other small plates spots – which can add up quickly and leave you feeling hungry – 107 makes sure diners leave satisfied with generous portions from the rotating list of resident chefs. Until March 2025, guests can enjoy dishes cooked by Sydney-born chef Julie Heytei. Current highlights include squash, radicchio and hazelnut salad; roast pigeon with celeriac; and bergamot ice-cream. If you’re only after a glass or two, let the team guide you through its selection of natural wines, best paired with a plate of comté.
107 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0NP
Visit 107WINE.CO.UK
FOR BRUNCH:
Bake Street
Bake Street, in a word, is fun. From its lively atmosphere to its playful menu, full of crowd-pleasing, Instagrammable dishes and desserts. Weekend brunch is all about Nashville-inspired fried chicken sandwiches, held together with fluffy brioche buns and sweet and sticky sauces. The restaurant is also known for its simple but delicious smashed burgers (one of the best you’ll find in the capital) crème brûlée cookies – prepare to queue at the weekend – and soft serve flavours during the summer months.
58 Evering Road, N16 7SR
Follow @BAKESTREETLDN
FOR JAPANESE FOOD:
Uchi
This Japanese restaurant puts modern twists on traditional, home-cooked dishes. The menu features all the usual suspects – think melt-in-the-mouth sashimi; piping-hot karage (fried chicken); and succulent charred pork skewers – alongside inventive salads and their own unique sushi roll creations. Interiors-wise, it’s like a Pinterest board come to life, with brushed gold countertops, untreated wooden stools and delicate foliage atop the tables.
144 Clarence Road, E5 8EA
Visit UCHIHACKNEY.COM
FOR A SLICE:
Sodo Pizza
If your idea of a great Saturday involves a long lunch with the girls, book a table at Sodo, which has six locations across the capital. The set-up is simple: drinks flow all day and the team take their pizza making seriously. The dough is fermented for 48 hours then baked at super-hot temperatures so it’s light, airy and slightly tangy. We like the ‘Dirty Boy’ topped with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, onions and pancetta. Order cheesy garlic bread and burrata for the table.
126 Upper Clapton Road, E5 9JY
Visit SODOPIZZA.CO.UK
FOR GREAT DIM SUM:
My Neighbours the Dumplings
Serving up dim sum dishes in a fun, informal atmosphere, this dumpling house and sake bar was the first of its kind in the area when it opened in 2016. The décor is rustic but glamorous come night-time with its glowing multi-coloured lightboxes and lanterns. Classic siu mai and har gau are steamed to perfection, and team well with the menu’s fresh and spicy salad selection. There are also plenty of veggie-friendly options, and an impressively extensive sake list which can also be enjoyed in the dedicated dive bar downstairs.
165 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EQ
FOR YOUR MORNING BREW:
Millfields Coffee
For a great flat white or black coffee, visit Millfields. This independent café serves coffee made with beans from local roasters Dark Arts Coffee alongside freshly baked pastries, cakes from nearby Charles Bakery, and classic brunch dishes. Think shakshuka, Turkish eggs and waffles – as well as more interesting dishes like breakfast bao buns and soba noodles with tahini and ginger dressing. There’s also a good kids’ menu.
145 Chatsworth Road, E5 0LA
Visit MILLFIELDSCOFFEE.CO.UK
FOR A PINT:
Clapton Hart
Dating back to the 18th century, this cavernous pub reopened as the Clapton Hart back in 2012 after months of renovation. Many of the building’s original features remain, and it has a sort of haunting beauty inside – arched doorways lead to room after room; secret cubbies are hidden away for enjoying a cosy drink in; some walls and wooden furniture are stripped, others are painted jewel tones and reupholstered in velvet; and it’s filled with taxidermy, old telephones and vintage books. There’s also a decent-sized beer garden outside, with plenty of picnic benches.
231 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EG
Visit CLAPTONHART.COM
FOR LIVE MUSIC:
Blondies
The coolest cocktail spot in the neighbourhood, Blondies’ name appears to have been inspired by its owners – stylish sisters and Verity, Sharmaine and Rochelle Cox. There’s a real dive bar feel here (you'll likely see East London creatives outside, smoking in the early hours), and the music is eclectic, spanning live metal bands to heavy techno DJs. The drinks list is short and simple, with classic cocktails alongside their own creations (try the grapefruit margarita) plus a rotating range of craft beers and Borough Wines.
205A Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EG
Visit BLONDIESBAR.CO.UK
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