This is the third restaurant from chef owners Sam and Sam Clark, who already run two very successful venues in Exmouth, Moro and Morito. Their Hackney premises, which offers the same style of innovative tapas referencing Southern Spain, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean,
Hotspots in London: Food for thought
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The Greenwich Market, London. Photo / 123RF

Down a nondescript street in Bethnal Green you'll find Bistrotheque, an uber-chic French restaurant in a former warehouse. Think stark white decor and a big open oval bar (Manchichi) serving superb cocktails (we recommend the Cucumber and Strawberry Flip: Gin, cucumber, strawberry and lemon, 9).
Broadway and Greenwich Markets
Hackney is also home to Broadway Market, a shopping and food street that has operated as a marketplace since the 1890s. Open every Saturday from 9am-5pm, you'll find a wide array of street food as well as fresh produce.
A fun day trip is to catch the Thames Clipper to Greenwich for its market, on every day from 10.30am-5.30pm. Set within a World Heritage site, this market has been running since 1737.
The Towpath Cafe
The days of bad coffee in London are long gone, with scores of cafes now offering flat whites on a par with any good New Zealand cafe. The Towpath Cafe, on Regent's Canal at Haggerston is one of the best in the area. Set in four narrow units that formerly housed boats, this is a prime spot for people-watching. And check out the range of chutneys, they'll blow your mind.