Date spot in Shoreditch and Hackney
Sông Quê Café
Share bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup and grilled dishes at the busiest canteen on Kingsland Road's run of Vietnamese restaurants.
Kingsland Road, Shoreditch
Address: Sông Quê Café, 134 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DY- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Why it's a good date: It's no-frills and always buzzing, and the cooking is the reason people have kept coming back for years. Go early in the evening at weekends, as tables fill fast.
More from our Shoreditch and Hackney guide
Mien Tay
Kingsland Road, Shoreditch
Address: Mien Tay, 106-108 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DP- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Order a spread of southern Vietnamese grilled meats, noodles and herby salads to share at a family-run spot on Kingsland Road.
Why it's a good date: It's casual and friendly, with a long menu that's made for sharing between two. A good, easy dinner before a drink in Shoreditch or Hoxton.
Upmarket Brick Lane Food Hall
Brick Lane, Spitalfields
Address: Upmarket, 83 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round dozens of street food stalls in the old Truman Brewery, picking something different each and swapping halfway.
Why it's a good date: It's a fun, low-stakes date with food from all over the world under one roof, and it's dry when the weather isn't. Weekends are the liveliest, when craft and vintage stalls join the food.
Old Spitalfields Market
Commercial Street, Spitalfields
Address: Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, London E1 6EW- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Wander the covered Victorian market and share plates from its street food kitchens, then browse the stalls together.
Why it's a good date: There's a huge choice of cuisines under a glass roof, so it works in any weather and suits fussy and adventurous eaters alike. Most traders are card only.