Guide to the best restaurants in Stoke Newington

If you've ever strolled down Church Street on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you probably would've seen the queue for the luminous orange Spence Bakery that serpentines down the street. They're most likely queuing to get their mitts on a freshly-baked bun filled with a changing assortment of fillings, like egg and bacon, fish fingers and a classic cheese salad. They also make and bake homemade cakes, including a hard-to-beat carrot cake and a Guinness cake, best enjoyed alongside a frothy cappuccino. Trust us; it's worth the queue.

It would be tricky to stroll past Rasa since its luminous pink façade is rather in your face. This well-known Stoke Newington spot specialises in fragrant Keralan vegetarian cuisine. The best way to try a bit of everything is by opting for chef-owner Das Sreedharan's vegetarian or vegan feasting menu, synonymous with the cuisine he enjoyed in his childhood in southwest India. It's won many accolades over the years, including AA Rosettes, highly commended by Zagat, Evening Standard awards, and Time Out awards, to name a few.

The Good Egg is inspired by New York and Montreal's Jewish delis, sprinkled with a helping of Middle Eastern influence. It's an excellent spot to enjoy brunch, with a menu brimming with delicious dishes like challah French toast with blood orange syrup and house-cured salt-beef brisket bagels with smoked cheddar and Russian dressing.

Snack on Sardinian classics at Trattoria Da Luigi on Stoke Newington's Church Street. This unassuming Italian restaurant will transport you straight to the shores of Sardinia with its menu of fresh dishes paired with the background sound of waltz and polka. From wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta dishes to salads and a range of antipasti.

This stylish N16 gastropub serves an epic Sunday roast alongside classics like an indulgent chicken, leek and bacon pie. There's a sheltered beer garden for al fresco dinners and drinks and a fireplace for the chillier months. Its sibling is the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo, so you know you're in good hands here.

Cirrik 19 Numara Bos II is another Turkish restaurant in Stoke Newington serving no-frills fare in a laid-back space. This old-school ocakbasi specialises in meat grilled on an open grill, crispy flatbreads and flavour-filled salads. They have two branches on Stoke Newington High Street, and it won't cost an arm and a leg to dine here, either.

This casual Vietnamese is the place to go if you want something quick, easy and cheap. There's everything from bành mì and steamy pho to fried chicken wings and shrimp spring rolls, all of which is packed with flavour and taste. You can sit in-house at any of their four-seater tables or take a seat at the counter that overlooks the high street.

It's all about the brunch at Acoustic Brasserie on Church Street in Stoke Newington, though they serve food from morning 'til evening. Their menu is predominantly Mediterranean, crafted using healthy ingredients like Turkish eggs with halloumi and Scottish smoked salmon eggs Benedict. It's a stylish spot perched on a corner in N16, with a handful of street-side seats for dining outside in the warmer months.

Escocesa literally means Scottish in Spanish, which, as you can imagine, is a big hint as to what you might find on the menu. This seafood spot offers fresh specials and tapas plates, like Shetland mussels, garlic prawns and seabass ceviche, alongside a selection of less familiar dishes, such as courgette flowers and highland venison. It oozes class, with a curved steel counter and bar stools surrounding the open kitchen.

Vicoli di Napoli was established by two sisters in Stoke Newington in 2017 as an homage to the delicious flavours and cuisine of Naples. Their menu is crafted based on their Napoli roots, meaning it's chock full of traditional Neapolitan dishes, like the prosciutto and mushroom and spicy salami. Each pizza is named after the alleyways commonly found in the epicentre of Naples (Vicolo).

Comforting, homemade Mediterranean food is what it's all about at The Blue Legume in Stoke Newington. This stylish spot has huge windows drenching the space in plenty of natural light and a menu chock full of internationally-inspired dishes. Expect things like pasta, risotto and freshly-made salads, best enjoyed at one of their live music events.

AUN is an independent, low-key Japanese tapas restaurant in Stoke Newington, that brings the concept of 'wakon yosai' to N16. They perfectly showcase the variety and eclecticism of Japanese food by serving it in an izakaya style, including dishes like aubergine with smoky mustard miso sauce.

Chow down on traditional Spanish tapas plates at Black Pig with White Pearls in Stoke Newington. Head chef David was born in Spain and grew up surrounded by delicious Spanish food in his hometown of Extremadura. The restaurant specialises in Ibérico, made with pork sourced from dehesa farms in Spain. You can expect a totally immersive Spanish experience here, with flamenco music and candlelight.

Quite frankly, outside of Vienna, we think schnitzels don't get the airtime they deserve. But that's where Schnitzel Forever comes to the rescue. These guys are bringing together schnitzel-style specialities from around the world, like katsu or Italian-style schnitzels. They also serve a range of gourmet burgers and plenty of veggie and vegan options.

Sardinia awaits at Il Bacio in Stoke Newington, an atmospheric Italian cafe serving a menu of Italian delicacies in a chilled-out setting. It's particularly charming throughout the summer, as they open up the high floor-to-ceiling windows so diners can spill out onto the streets for proper al fresco dining, London-style.

This garage-turned-modern European restaurant serves a menu of small plates and wines ideal for sharing amongst the table. It holds one of the 33 Michelin Bib Gourmands in London, thanks to its simple approach to cooking that really lets the ingredients shine through. There are fold-back doors and communal tables that really add to the social, family-style feel.

This family-run pizzeria and restaurant in N16 serves sourdough pizza baked in stone ovens with delicious, high-quality ingredients. It might be tricky to pick which pizza you want since there are so many to choose from, including a separate menu for vegetarian options. Though pizza is one of their main draws, they also serve fresh pasta, like homemade tagliatelle with beef ragu and ricotta and spinach tortellini, alongside a range of starters and desserts (hello, tiramisu). It's a casual spot set in the heart of Stoke Newington, so you can enjoy a pint at a nearby pub post-pizza.

The beautiful Grade II listed Georgian building that Thai Restaurant YumYum is set in is enough reason to visit, but luckily, the food is just as impressive. They've been plating up classic and contemporary dishes in Stokey for over 30 years and won the 'best Thai restaurant in the UK' award in the Euro Asia Curry Awards 2022. There are plenty of aromatic dishes, like spicy jungle curry, zesty prawn salad and a comforting tom yum seafood soup.

Testi is the sort of place you go to when you're craving a top-quality kebab; it even won the British Kebab Awards in 2019. It's all about freshly grilled meat served with zingy green salad, onion, and rice inside a homemade fluffy bread, but they also serve seafood, mezze, veggie and plenty of salad options. It's also super chill, so you can rock up in any attire.

Tranga is a restaurant and bar specialising in Spanish tapas made with ethical, high-quality ingredients. The menu is inspired by northern Spanish cooking with a seasonal focus. It's chock with Galician dishes; think chorizo picante, boquerones and tortillas alongside seafood dishes and meat plates. There's also an accompanying wine list filled with delicious Spanish wines. It's a small but trendy spot, with chalkboards scrawled with the menu, dim lighting by night and rustic wooden furniture and floorboards.

Jolene is the sort of place you want to take your auntie when she visits you from a cute English countryside village. This restaurant and bakery has a wholesome feel and is a firm neighbourhood favourite. The branding is cute and stripped-back, which matches the interior perfectly; think exposed concrete, shelves lined with fancy-looking bottles of wine and simple oak tables and chairs. You can enjoy a sweet treat from their bakery or opt for a sit-down meal to sample their seasonal dishes, like bread smothered in lashings of creamy butter and smoked mackerel with pickles and horse radish.

This Newington Green restaurant is stylish, modern and ingredient-led, with a menu brimming with classical European dishes. It's all about the produce they use to craft the menu here, which includes dishes like burnt cauliflower Cacio e Pepe and French onion soup toasties (omg, really). There's also a banging Sunday set menu with hearty homemade dishes, which are perfect for sharing amongst the table.