Riot of flavours: Smoking Goat
(Picture: Handout)Shoreditch has just about been London’s capital of cool for most of this century — not bad for somewhere that 25 years ago only had a cluster of bars around Hoxton Square to its name. While its reputation as hipster HQ dimmed a while ago as the chains moved in — shout out to Dishoom, Pizza Pilgrims and the Prêt opposite Shoreditch House — there’s still a refreshingly independent spirit to eating around the chunk of London north-east of the Square Mile and either side of the Overground.
Only Soho rivals Shoreditch for the variety of its restaurants. Not only is there somewhere for every budget but exploring E1 offers the opportunity to sniff out the next big thing in London dining and sample the cooking of the biggest names in cheffing. From Michelin-starred experimentalism to nose-to-tail Italian, modern Burmese to trad Vietnamese, kickboxing pasta chefs and kick-ass British barbecue, here are the best places to eat in Shoreditch. Just remember to leave your suit and tie at home.
