Islington has a HUGE amount of restaurants, with the majority of them along Upper Street. But which are the ones you should be paying attention to - here's our list of the best in the area...

Burgers and cocktails in Islington

If you've been up and down Islington's Upper Street recently, you'll have seen a new addition (taking over the space only recently vacated by Porchetta). Called Sichuan House, that's exactly what it is - Sichuan cuisine in Islington. 

Top pizza on Holloway Road

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If you prefer dessert over any other course - then a pop-up coming to Islington will be right up your street. The Whisk Dessert Bar features a three-course dessert tasting menu, swapping out all the savoury dishes for sweet. Chef Simon Jenkins was Executive Pastry Chef at Marcus Wareing and before that worked at both the Waterside Inn and Le Manoir. Oh, and he was also named Craft Guild of Chefs Pastry Chef of the Year for

One of Islington's longest running (and recently refurbed) pubs is getting a new crew in the kitchen. This time it's the turn of Four Legs, made up of Jamie Allan (formerly Hill & Szrok) and Ed McIlroy (formerly Bao Fitzrovia and who also oversees the menu at sister pub The Gun). They're bringing a menu of

The City may be on the quiet side at the weekends, but there are some cracking restaurants there - not least at Bloomberg Arcade which houses a few on our list. All of these places will be at their buzziest during the week - and that's the best time to visit them.

A new Italian cafe on Islington's Essex Road comes from a seasoned restaurateur and promises an all-day menu based on the cafes of Milan. 

The Scotch Egg Challenge has become one of the highlights of London's food calendar. If you've somehow been unaware of it until now, let us educate you. Essentially, it sees some of London's top chefs descend on a pub for one night to produce what can be argued are the very best scotch eggs in London. These are all put to a jury who decide upon who to give one of London's most sought-afterawards. 

Previous winners have

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If you think there's truth in the phrase that good things come in small packages, then a delight awaits you at a new bar on Islington's Essex Road. On the face of it, Homeboy is a modern Irish cocktail bar. But, if you head through to the back of the bar, you'll find a diminutive treat - what's being billed as London's Smallest Irish Pub. The speakeasy-style pub is hidden in a tiny room at the

The stretch of St Paul's Road from Highbury Corner already has the likes of Trullo, Prawn on the Lawn and St Paul to attract folk in the evening. Now, there's another space to spend your time and money.

Rick Toogood tells us that Prawn on the Lawn is taking over the space at next door coffee shop Sawyer & Gray in the evenings turning it into a cocktail and oyster bar for Sawyer & Gray Lates. They'll be serving up food and drink at night from 6pm

We'd heard recently about the sad news of the closure of Islington's Rok - but things move fast on Upper Street and there's already a replacement.

Taking over is plant-based restaurant Slaw. They had a series of successful supperclubs and now they're going to the next level - with a residency in the old Rok space. They say "Our ethos is to produce deliciously healthy food in a sustainable and

A new restaurant that's specialising in just the one thing is opening in Islington. X-Upper is all about gourmet sausages and they've rustled up some impressive chefs to create them. 

Expect Irish food, drink and hospitality at this Islington bar which is serving up everything from cocktails featuring Barry's Tea to curry chips and Tayto crisps.

One of Islington's most popular cafés is Maison d'Etre, just on the opposite side of Highbury Corner from the station (right next to another Islington fave, Black Axe Mangal). They've been doing storming business there for the past few years in a tiny space and now they've expanded with a second cafe, Maison Bleue.

The second spot is a mere 5 minutes walk away, so if you've ever