Where to eat and drink in east London this Valentine’s Day
Our alternative guide to Valentine’s Day restaurants recommends some overlooked spots for a romantic meal in Tower Hamlets.
If you’re looking for a fancy restaurant this Valentine’s Day, you’ll find a decent selection in Tower Hamlets nowadays. Stands-outs include Sager and Wilde and Moro on Hackney Road; Bistrotech on Wadeson Street, and Michelin-starred restaurants, The Clove Club in Shoreditch Town Hall and Da Terra at Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Newer arrivals include Hackney Wick’s British-Irish eatery, Inis, and Aldgate’s oyster bar and seafood restaurant, Pearly Queen.
But if you’re looking for something a bit different, dare we say more affordable, and perhaps a little easier to nab a last-minute reservation, read our recommendations including neighbourhood bistros, intimate bars, and cosy corners below stairs and in back rooms.
People’s Wine Roman Road
People’s Wine brings classic romance to The Roman with a carefully curated selection of organic and natural wines. Just a step away from the bustle of the market, it offers an intimate sanctuary of red-brick walls, candlelight and bottle-stacked shelves. Sink into the leather couch in the back corner or people-watch with your date from window bar stools. The French-inspired menu features olives, oysters, cheese, and charcuterie, all prepared in a semi-open kitchen.
512 Roman Rd, Bow, London E3 5ES
Renegade Wine Bar
Stepping off the Central line onto a busy Cambridge Heath Road, you might not expect wine to be being bottled just a few minutes away. Set back from the noisy main road and tucked into one of the Bethnal Green railway arches, this urban winery makes around a dozen of its own wines right here in east London.
The vibe inside this hidden treasure is brewery-esque, with wine barrels stacked on the back wall of the transformed tunnel. There are relaxed benches and tables under cosy fairy lights plus outdoor seats for those who prefer to sip al fresco. Cheese and charcuterie platters are available to complement off-beat reds, whites and roses with cocktails on offer too.
Find Renegade at Arch 12 Gales Gardens, London E2 0EJ
Top Cuvee
Top Cuvee, a hit in Highbury, is now making waves on Bethnal Green Road. The top floor is a narrow, bustling retail space with funky wooden and orange decor. With elusive chatter flowing upstairs, you’ll soon spot a narrow staircase leading down to a cosy basement where seating and small plates await. The space feels private and tucked-away feel, perfect for a date with a more personal atmosphere. You might just fall in love under the disco ball ceiling.
Top Cuvee, 250A Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AA
Palmers restaurant
Unassuming from the outside you will soon feel the warmth of this family-run and unpretentiously styled restaurant and the quality of their food is sure to quickly put it on your radar as a top spot for dinner in the area.
Their modern European menu is served using ingredients fresh from UK meat and fish markets, which are prepared in the open brasserie-style kitchen you can see from the street through its huge windows which curve around the outside of the building by Victoria Park.
Expect seasonal options like roast Cornish cod with fennel and anchovies, five-spice Margret duck with pomegranate or Gorgonzola risotto. The sophisticated menu in a homely but bright space makes it perfect for a date where both your taste buds and mood will be satisfied.
363 Roman Road E3 5QR
Silo restaurant
Silo Restaurant Hackney Wick is renowned as the world’s first zero-waste fine dining. Led by chef Douglas McMaster it operates with a closed-loop system, ensuring that nearly all food waste is used, composted, or upcycled. The restaurant embraces its industrial setting, with open-plan kitchens and upcycled decor, including lampshades made from seaweed.
The dining experience is both technically sophisticated and relaxed, with staff providing a welcoming atmosphere despite the high-end pricing. An ever-changing seasonal tasting menu experiments with fermented and smoked foods to minimise waste. Signature dishes include vegetable skin crisps glazed with vegetable treacle and frozen goat’s cheese.
The white building, Unit 7 1st Floor, c/o CRATE Bar, Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, London E9 5EN
Barge East
Where could be more romantic than spending the day dedicated to love on a 125-year-old Dutch barge, bedecked with twinkling star-like lights, moored on the canal? If this sounds up your street (or canal) then head to Barge East for its Valentine’s Evening special.
For £65pp, you and your plus one can indulge in a six-course tasting menu with wine pairings, created with seasonal ingredients. Now that’s amore.
River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Lane E9 5EN
The Bourbon
If you’re a whiskey drinker in the mood for something with a little grit, The Bourbon on Roman Road is the place to be. With blacked-out doors and windows, there’s a sense of mystery as you approach but take the plunge and you’ll soon sink into the dimly lit, dive-bar atmosphere which could place you right in the deep south.
Jazz and blues greet you before a welcoming barman pours you a glass from the bar’s impressive selection. Come for the whiskey and stay and a night of easy drinking in good company with couples huddling over warming glasses and solo drinkers propping up the bar on smooth velvet seats.
The menu offers classic smokehouse bites like burgers, wings, and Philly cheesesteaks for a full American experience.
387 Roman Rd, London, E3 5QR
Symposium
Symposium on Roman Road offers a restaurant, cafe and deli blending neighbourhood warmth with true Italian culinary passion and style. As you enter, pass the café and deli area, where artisan wood-roasted coffee is blended. The restaurant is at the back so you can escape into a sleek and intimate space with dark walls lined with bottles of carefully selected organic Italian wines.
Peer in through the service window to the professional kitchen where the chef will be preparing a special Valentine’s Day menu like tuna tartare, heart-shaped sweet potato and leek ravioli, Mediterranean-style bream, and a decadent chocolate tart with red berries coulis.
363 Roman Road E3 5QR
Mehmet Efendi
Mehmet Efendi on Whitechapel Road is hard to miss, with its bright yellow awning and beautifully tiled interior. Offering a touch of decadence, it’s the perfect alternative to a wine bar and exudes elegance, with jars of rosebud tea and gold-accented décor all around. Try the Sweetheart’s Lips Baklava—a delicate, flaky pastry filled with nutty syrup—or try the rose petal Lokum, a traditional soft sweet dusted with icing sugar. There are also savoury pastries on offer, all best paired with Turkish tea or coffee, served by the friendly and knowledgeable staff.
71 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7PL. Open Monday to Sunday, 8 am til midnnight
If you liked this article, then check out our list of best places to have lunch around Roman Road.
