Nest

Nest’s co-founders are Luke Wasserman, Toby Neill and Johnnie Crowe. A former chef at The Harwood Arms and Anglo, Crowe oversees kitchen operations, while Wasserman runs the front-of-house. The three have since gone on to open the acclaimed restaurant Fenn in Fulham.

Similarly to Fenn, Nest is all about ultra-seasonal British produce sourced from a small cabal of producers the trio knows well, including Flying Fish in Cornwall and St Brides Chicken. The restaurant always puts suppliers front of mind, and moves its focus according to what’s in season. The food is available as a set menu of six or so courses, priced under £50 – great value for cooking at this level – and an optional drinks pairing will set you back another £44.

The restaurant’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it frontage is located on a quiet side street just off Morning Lane, about half-way between Hackney and Homerton. Inside it’s all East London chick – close-knit, small wooden tables, the menu written on chalkboards, and earthenware plates, rather than white china on white tablecloths.