Towpath Cafe

A quick heads up for the summer months - there's a hole-in-the-wall cafe just off the Dalston entrance to the Regent's Canal. It might look makesfift but they churn out gourmet coffees, fancy cheese platters and homemade carrot cakes. And if you're lucky they'll have fired up the barbecue for grilled sardines.



Towpath (between Whitmore Bridge and Kingsland Road Bridge)
Open 8am-dark Tue-Fri; 9am-dark Sat; 10am-dark Sun

Spuntino

My defences are down. I went to Spuntino last night and I have woken up with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. So, I’ll be honest - I plan on saying nothing bad about this new eating spot in the depths of seediest Soho. There’s something about Spuntino’s low lighting, bar-loud Americano music and comfort food that make it so hard not to love.

Spuntino comes from the crew who brought Polpetto and Polpo. London's new-found love of small plate dining shows no sign of losing pace. Spuntino follows on a similar theme, whilst opting for a New York, rather than Italian-inspired, menu. It sits on Rupert Street, a rusted and unassuming exterior nestled between sex book shops and flashing neon signs. What lies beneath is a tiny space buzzing with energy – a long bar offers space for 28 people and this is the sum-total of the seating in Spuntino.

You can’t book at Spuntino, so you will have to wait (on my Thursday evening visit I waited for about an hour). But this is all part of the fun – you can queue around the back of the bar and order drinks and bar snacks while you wait. Everything about Spuntino lends itself to hardcore cocktail drinking before dinner – lean, listen to Johnny Cash and knock back Dirty Martinis.

Once you are finally seated you can settle in to an evening of grazing. The hot bar staff will relish talking you through their personal menu favourites. Try the sliders – mini burgers in brioche buns, bone marrow included. The truffle egg toast is an unashamed crowd pleaser – thick white bread, melted Fontina cheese and a well filled with a soft boiled egg yolk and white truffle oil. A little metal dish of multi-coloured house pickles might just make your night. Other hits included deep fried soft shell crab and tabasco, cheesy grits (remember ‘My Cousin Vinny’?!) and mac n cheese.

Even if you think you’re spent, order the peanut butter and jelly sandwich dessert - two wedges of lusciously salty peanut butter ice cream hold a sweet and gooey cherry compote ‘jelly’. When the friendly waiter twists your arm to try another cocktail, just go with it – as the place slowly empties you can slump on the bar and order another round of shoestring fries.

Spuntino

The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason

Tucked away on the first floor of London's haughtiest of epicurean institutions is a surprisingly playful little ice cream parlour. 'The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason' is a sherbert-dipped pastel playground for lovers of all things sweet. And never has a pudding purveyor catered so whole-heartedly to a grown-up palet. These are ice cream sundaes with Amadei dark chocolate, stem ginger, Borage honey and 12 year aged balsamic vinegar.

If chocolate floats your boat, try the Rota Plausti sundae. It comes with a little silver jug of melted chocolate on the side that you will remember forever, ruing most other confectionary expereinces. Oh, and before your trip, head to WAH nails for a Neapolitan themed manicure - this place deserves nothing less.

The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason 0845 602 5694

Tayyabs

Don’t waste Tayyabs on a date or meeting the in-laws. Go with old friends who can handle seeing you grabby, hot and going at a lamb chop bone like Fred Flintstone. The mixed grill at this Pakistani institution will sizzle its way into your hungry heart forever. There’s lamb chops, masala fish, koftas and chicken piled high on a Rihanna-hot platter. Each treat has been marinated and chargrilled to gnarly, smoky, punchy perfection.

Granted, the grills are the star of the show but leave space for the curries, dahls and breads. Sauces are rich, parathas are pillowy and warm and the dahls are nutty and fresh. And if that's not enough, it’s bring your own. What with the free corkage and the affordable prices you can come with a tenner in your pocket and leave satisfied.

And there’s another thing to love about Tayyabs. It is seriously nang. There’s multi coloured bubble walls, neon blue strip lighting and own-branded after dinner mints. Yeah.

Make sure you book. Really. There’s a queue every night. And when the guy with the clip board tells you it’s gonna be five minutes he means an hour. You need to book the day before and even after booking you may have to wait a while when you arrive. If you’re too hungry/angry for Alton Towers style queuing head round the corner to Lahore (Tayyabs style food minus the bling).

Tayyabs 0207 247 6400

Albion at The Boundary

Albion calls itself a ‘caff’. Anywhere that has a website on which to call itself a ‘caff’ is clearly not a ‘caff’. Albion Café is, in fact, part of The Boundary Hotel - Terence Conran’s artsy East London project. The café is light and bright with shared tables (expect to overhear Mummy/ Daughter conversations on how to keep the nanny in check). There are painstakingly ‘down to earth’ touches like sauce pots on the tables and cutlery in Golden Syrup tins.

It is all achingly tasteful. That being said, the food at Albion is refreshingly simple and honest. The menu’s crammed with British classics like devilled kidneys, coronation chicken and sausage rolls. And you’ll get exactly what you ordered. Skirt and chips is just that. No side salad, no sauces, no deconstructions. Simple white plates arrive piled with generous portions of quality ingredients.

And the breads are off the scale. An open kitchen allows you to see the chefs and bakers busy at work. The pass is cluttered with freshly baked loaves and buns cooling on trays.

Mr Conran may have had a bit of neck air dropping a high end eatery into the heart of Tower Hamlets and calling it a caff. But once you’ve tasted the white bloomer you might just decide to let him off.

Albion 0207 729 1051