LDNERS

Is the potato sourdough at Dusty Knuckle the best loaf of bread in London? It’s definitely up there. A great bakery and a great company that really cares about what they do and about looking after people. The products are all really top notch, alongside the aforementioned loaf, a special shout out to the breakfast roll, and the chilli cheese focaccia with bacon.

A relatively new underground cocktail bar with a DJ and a nice buzz. Although we miss the Nest nightclub that was there a few years back, this is really the venue for the modern Dalston-goer. Great tunes and affordable drinks.

Right at the end of the market, just by St Mark's Rise is a stalwart of Dalston. The guys there allude to the fact it is a mix of Pakistani and Turkish heritage. What I do know is that a fresh naan from here is as good as you’ll get in London. For a hangover I go for the cheese bread to take the edge off.

Two great venues rolled into one, this is as eclectic a mix of music as you’ll find anywhere. Venture upstairs for a brilliant venue that feels like it’s from another era, and downstairs for a more clubby vibe. I’d also pop into Mersin Tantuni next door for a delish Turkish snack on my way home.

Obviously I’m biased, we share the space with these guys to do our prep in Dalston. The coffee is great and the vibes are even better. Matcha is not really my jam but they do great matcha based drinks, and an amazing Croque in a Croissant. You can grab a seat and watch the guys prepare the cocktails for the week ahead.

Long the hangout for the fashion crowd and now a mix of this, plus the families that have moved to the area. Always busy, always fun and with the added addition of Dough Hands, the best London pizza I’ve had so far. People sometimes say the service is a bit slow, but in reality they’re a lovely crew.

Well documented, and rightly so. The best in the area especially if you’re looking for some more interesting dishes, although the classics are also great. Chicken kofte and lamb shish is my order, and if we’re with a group, probably we’d add the lamb’s liver on hummus too. You can still twist their arm for decent corkage, and the food fits so well with a great bottle of red.

Jimmy made his name over at Hill & Szrok when it was maybe the coolest restaurant in East London, and then a few years ago he brought his brilliant palate over to Dalston and opened Hectors. As is thankfully becoming more commonplace, he really pioneered Natural wines that don't taste like a farmyard. Championing conscious winemakers that produce wines with finesse and nuance. Go early, it's rightly popular.

Believe the hype, as good a bagel as you'll get in London. They just moved to Hackney Downs but I’m keeping that in the Dalston conurbation area. In the summer you have to go for Georgia’s Heirloom “IYKYK”, especially when there’s wild garlic about.

Korean food and a busy vibe. They do table barbecues, but I’m more into the starters and the fried chicken with yangnyeom Sauce. The topokki is amazing alongside some ice cold Hite beers and soju. The owners are always kicking about and are great fun.

Perfect blend of mid-century sunken living room and Japanese listening bar. An audiophile’s heaven.

Arthouse cinema and reference library - as a massive Kiarostami fan this place blew my mind.

Tiny and unassuming, delicious mezcal, get the cochinita pibil.

Dynamic seasonal menu - modern European influences and some exquisite natural wines.

A hidden gem for a rainy, uninspired Sunday afternoon. A truly staggering creative archive.

Very special queer bar run by one of my best friends. Perfect patio for a glass of lambrusco, a dish of olives and a chat.

Hole in the wall Japanese spot, the owners are sweethearts. The plum wine hits.

A true shapeshifter of a space, a place for the outsiders, the lovers and the curious.

Ultra secret spot, yummiest shakshuka I’ve ever had and a great poetry selection.

Favourite spot for some tasteful vinyl and a late night Old Fashioned.

The best thing we’ve ever done is get matching tattoos and there’s no better place than The London Social.

As Clapham girlies, we’ve tried all of the best coffee spots, but this takes first place for a coffee/pastry/yap/walk.

We don’t love many activity dates, but this tips the lot, it’s like Aladdin’s cave, if Aladdin was a girl who liked jewellery.

We’re always after the best matcha and by best, we mean most obscure with the most interesting flavours.

If you’re in town and you need somewhere equal parts easy and delicious - this is Ally Mac approved for ramen and noodles.

Nothing better than a fresh blow dry and there’s nowhere else we’d rather be than Larry King.

No market stall is safe when we’re around and this is one of our favourites for finding things you don’t need but can’t be without.

Pre-brunch, post-night out, middle of the working day, our go-to exercise class that we can both get into is spin - make sure you book your bikes side by side!

We love their Sunday lunch club. It’s hands down the best roast in London!

Who doesn’t love karaoke?! If you need to blow off steam, or you just need to laugh at your friend's rendition of ‘Hopelessly Devoted’, this is for you.

Tiny bar, big heart. The £8 martinis are the headline act (and they’re properly made), but it’s the lovely, welcoming team and easy, good-time atmosphere that keep people coming back. Now a proper neighbourhood gem that reminds you why Dalston does bars so well. Must try: Vodka Martini

Hidden in plain sight on Kingsland Road, this sultry little speakeasy trades big bar chaos for velvet draped intimacy. Expect sharp, spirit-forward cocktails, candlelight, and a crowd where all are welcome. Ask the bartender and they create to your taste.

From the A Bar with Shapes for a Name team, this Dalston spot feels more like a creative studio than a typical cocktail bar. Expect playful prebatched serves, experimental flavours and a crowd that is here to try something new. Casual, social and quietly cool. Must try: the Dulce De Leche Espresso Martini

A Dalston classic for people who care about what’s in their glass. Seasonal menus, proper technique and flavours that feel thought-through rather than showy. Small, intimate, and dangerously easy to settle into for the night. Must try: Lil Green Olive.

A listening bar first, cocktail spot second but the drinks still hold their own. Japanese-influenced serves, vinyl-only sound system and a crowd that appreciates both. Start mellow, end dancing. Must try: White Negroni.

Just reopened with more space, this is a wine bar-meets-cocktail hangout-meets DJ-led hotspot. Natural wines, clever mixed drinks and a soundtrack that keeps the room buzzing. Come for one, stay for the whole night. Must try: the Blackberry Clover Club or the Pickle Martini

Jazz bar, cocktail den and late-night sanctuary rolled into one. Expect elegant drinks, low lighting and live music that turns a casual drink into the perfect date spot. Must try: the Rampai

Agave lovers, this one’s yours. Tequila and mezcal take centre stage, from punchy margaritas to smoky sips. Lively energy, neon glow, and always a good choice. Must try: Mirror Margarita

This wonderfully gaudy and glitzy decor in this swish Anglo-Russian restaurant is an easy conversation starter. The ‘press for champagne’ button on every table will come in handy if your date starts talking about their own home improvement projects, or politics. Just drink through it, darling.

Excellent food in any of the capital’s three outposts, the kind of place someone who can recognise a cheese when wearing a blindfold would love. It’s low-lit in case your skincare routine isn’t coming up with the goods that evening, and intimate enough that you can probably do all that appalling hand-holding over the table without anyone noticing. (But please don’t do this.)

Airy, sophisticated and chic, the NPG is the perfect place for a slow wander arm-in-arm through some of the world’s most famous mugshots. Good conversation starter too – ascribing ‘would bonk’ and ‘wouldn’t bonk’ status on various celebs or long-dead ministers for the Department of Agriculture.

Romantic, atmospheric, and a chance to appreciate the beauty of classical music in muted lighting and celestial surroundings. And with a bit of luck you might get a smidge of Vivaldi or something you recognise off an advert.

If your thirst for one another can survive being kettled by Instagrammers photographing giant strawberries while you’re choking on a cloud of raclette steam, maybe it’s meant to be. And there’ll be oysters – nature’s phlegmy, gritty Viagra.

A bracing walk in Parliament Hill Fields and then the chance to stare out at the London skyline in all its bleak and haunting beauty. And if you get bored, you can always venture farther into the Heath to visit the infamous F•ck Tree, favoured by George Michael in his cruising days.

It has to be done, really. I know. As imaginative a date locale as ham is a sandwich filling, the south side of the river does at least host a couple of date-friendly bars, in the National Theatre and the BFI. Perfect for staring out at the glimmering, murky river and questioning your life choices as you resolve to delete Hinge as soon as you get home.

Flashy, a little cheesy maybe, and the vista of a distant Lewisham isn’t for everyone, but the surroundings are luxe enough to keep things romantic. Plus, you would be surprised how strong a bond can be forged over dainty sandwiches and scones the size of a thumbnail.

The monarch of bookshops is a theme park for literary nerds. Gauge your date’s long term potential with a sneak preview of their bedtime reading – scurry off in different directions and pick out a book for one another. If they come back with something spicy like ‘Heated Rivalry’, buckle up, baby; if they hand you a copy of ‘The Gonorrhoea Cookbook’, perhaps fake a stomach ache.

Nothing says commitment like wandering several hectares of polite and tasteful ‘small c’ home furnishings. Feel your heart burst with love as you imagine the lovely things in a flat you don’t yet share – and get a good idea just how rabid and ugly a cushion habit your date may cultivate in the future. Then go for a scone in the top floor café and check whether anyone has favourited you on Tinder in the last 24 hours.

I love spicy food, so Singburi is an obvious favourite. I’m thrilled they’ve found a new home in Shoreditch. Fingers crossed they have the grilled pork neck or moo krob on the menu.

The best Neapolitan pizza in London, and the polar opposite of our own style. It works perfectly as a kind of pizza palate cleanser for me.

Just across the street. Perfect when I’m craving a burger, and the wait is usually much shorter than you’d expect.

Just down the road from the shop. Great Guinness and excellent chicken and chips. If you’re lucky, you might even snag a last-minute table at One Club Row upstairs.

Brilliant for discovering brands you might not know yet. A go-to for a great piece for yourself or an easy present for a friend.

Excellent pies for sharing, arguably the best steak tartare in London, and a great wine list.

A place I have a great relationship with. I love their restaurant concepts, the location is spot on, and the rooms are always excellent.

The best cocktails in the city. It’s the perfect spot to unwind after a shift.

The energy and the breakfast are unmatched, in my opinion. Always worth the queue.

Consistently the tastiest coffee around. I drink mine black, so you really notice the balance and depth.