Andrew Sidford (1970)

I have been a fan of the mother and son team behind Gujarati Rasoi since I discovered their stall on Broadway Market and had one of their perfect samosas. It was a revelation. None of the greasiness and/or blandness that often comes with a samosa. It was a revelation. Honestly, I went back and picked up four more to have at home with a nice cuppa.

The stall still exists (as do their other stalls at Exmouth Market and the food mecca that is Borough Market) but now they have opened a small vegetarian restaurant in Dalston and it manages to keep up the standards.

I had the Ringan Burthu (baked aubergine with coriander that comes with a paratha) followed by the Palak Paneer (paneer with spinach served with a fantastic dhal and cumin rice) with the Thelpa (fenugreek flat bread) as a side. It was all great. Spicy rather than hot. Full of flavour rather than just heat. Sadly, there was no samosa on the menu but then too much of a good thing isn’t always what you need. 

If you go I would recommend popping next door to the Servant Jazz Quarters either before or after (or both). It’s part speakeasy, part Art Deco cocktail lounge, part jazz venue (don’t worry, they do play other types of music too) and part Dalston hipster venue. It’s great and these two seating next door to each other sums up everything you need to know about Dalston at the moment.

A few years ago Hoxton was simply the best place to go out in London. It was a thriving, bustling area full of interesting pubs, bars and clubs, but unfortunately now Friday and Saturday night in Hoxton is much more like a night in the West End with stag and hen parties littering the pavements. Luckily there a still a few good places to be found, and one of them is the almost perfect basement bar Happiness Forgets.

Honestly, Happiness Forgets is a great little find. It’s small and needs to be ‘discovered’ compared to what else is on option close by but trust me, it’s worth it. I went in thinking it might be nice to stay for one or two but… a few hours pass… and I suddenly realise I have spent the night there! Luckily, the bar shuts at 23:00!

There is a ‘no wallies’ door policy (their phrase is ‘great cocktails, no wallies’). The music is good (no DJs) and the bottled beers include a personal favourite of mine Meantime Pale Ale.

The cocktails themselves are very good (good enough to have been voted one of the best 25 bars in Europe by Cocktail Spirits) especially the Perfect Storm, which went down far too easily last time I went!

It’s small (umm… that might be an understatement!) and can get too busy at the weekends, but it is a lovely place to spend a few hours possibly pre- or post-dinner at the nearby Clove Club. 

Hackney is well-known for being one of the greenest Boroughs in London, in fact there are over sixty parks, gardens and open spaces in Hackney. The range is as impressive as the quantity; from the largest concentration of football pitches in Europe at Hackney Marshes to the beautiful and historic settings of Springfield and Clissold parks; from the wonderfully hip and happening London Fields to the sedate walled garden and the Hackney City Farm within Haggerston Park.

However, there is now a new green space in Hackney and it is a little bit special. Tucked away on what used to be an old railway line is the little oasis that is the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden. 

I realise that describing it really doesn’t do it justice – It’s small, there are birch and hazel trees, butterfly bushes, herbs and fruit and veg  and little sculptures and odd bits of art here and there and a beautiful glasshouse called the ‘Pineapple House’ – but it is so much more than just that. Dalston itself is incredibly busy at all hours of the day and wandering into the Garden feels like you have entered another land. The noise of the traffic disappears and for a little while your cares and worries have left too.

There are regular events and workshops (for both adults and children) if you want to join in or you can just sit, enjoy a coffee and relax. But, be quick as the developers have their greedy eye on it.

Chatsworth Road in particular (and Clapton in general) is going through a transformation and it has, slightly surprisingly, become one of the great London roads for coffee lovers.

In recent years we have had the trail blazing Venetia’s, followed quickly by L’Epicerie, then the ever-popular Creperie Du Monde, Cakey Muto and the gorgeous little 46b Espresso Hut. All have their own merits and all serve very good coffee.

Now, however, they have been joined by the excellent Cooper & Wolf which serves great Caravan coffee and home made Scandinavian inspired dishes. It looks great and tastes just as good. I had the homemade Swedish meatballs and beetroot salad on sourdough bread recently and it was lovely… and actually, enormous. Almost too big for a lunch, but then that really isn’t ever a criticism, is it? 

The Swedish take on a fry-up is almost highly recommended. The pickled beetroot really helps with the hangover! But, weekends get busy so arrive early, grab a table and watch the world go by. 

Cooper & Wolf looks out onto a small park and is an ideal starting point if you come to visit the weekly Sunday market that Chatsworth Road now has. The market has vintage, homewares, food and drink and, of course, take-away coffee! In fact, starting at one end of the road on a Sunday and taking in the coffee haunts along the way could become a new pastime – the Chatsworth caffeine crawl. 

To keep up with the ever-expanding cafe market in Clapton check the Wily Badger.

Violet has had a stall on Broadway Market for along as I have known it and the stall invariably sells out every week. Luckily, that success has meant that alongside the weekly stall Violet now has a permanent home just around the corner from the market on Wilton Way. (By the way, go to Broadway Market if you get the chance, it’s great!)

Wilton Way is itself an interesting place. The sort of non-high street that usually and unfortunately ends up with as a row of closed shops. Not here though. Wilton Way is now home to a thriving little community thanks to The Wilton Way Cafe (go and try the fabulous avocado on sourdough toast with lemon and chilli), Borough Wines, Toppers of Hackney, the other side of the pillow and, of course, Violet itself. 

Violet are famous for their cupcakes – and rightly so, they are delicious – but the new home has meant there is time to sit, relax and watch the world go by as you have a coffee or tea and indulge in a piece of chocolate cake or the sticky treat that is the fresh ginger and molasses cake. My favourite however, has to be the gorgeous cinnamon buns, but the quiches are great too. Mmmmmm, quiche…

The cafe is small – very small – small enough to watch the bakers go about their business, but there are seats out front, in the courtyard garden and, thankfully, upstairs.