Perilla

In the ground floor of a distinctive triangular building at one corner of Newington Green, between Canonbury and Dalston, is where you’ll find this breezy dining room. With its big windows looking out onto its pretty corner of North East London, Perilla offers a welcoming atmosphere.

Food comes from Ben Marks, who teamed up with Matt Emmerson to open the restaurant. Marks had cut his teeth at restaurants including Noma and The Square, while Emmerson brought experience in front-of-house operations and was at Polpo before the two teamed up for the first Perilla pop-ups. The permanent space opened in 2016 and was a hit.

Perilla’s food carries influences from all over – it could be described as bistronomy, or possibly as one of the London restaurants that continues aspects of the New Nordic movement, where foraged ingredients, minimalist plating and complex flavours result in refined and exciting dishes. Four courses and bread at £49 offers good value for one of the area’s best and most ambitious neighbourhood restaurants.