East End Riviera: the best riverside restaurants in East London

With a clutch of new restaurants overlooking Regent's Canal and the Thames, there's no better place to dine this summer than East London's riverside
Eshani Bhatt16 April 2015

DOCK FACTOR: AMARU

A new daytime restaurant (it’s open 11.30am to 9pm) from the team behind the nearby Bravas Tapas, Amaru specialises in Nikkei cuisine: Japanese classics with a Peruvian twist (cold green tea noodles, below, £5). There are salads, ceviches and tiraditos (similar to ceviche, except the fish is totally raw) on offer, as well as fresh carrot, cucumber, coconut and beetroot juices (it’s a booze-free zone). The intimate, pine-clad space offers views of yachts anchored in the marina. But be prepared to queue, as reservations aren’t taken (nobody tell our Grace Dent). The fish is largely locally sourced and everything is presented beautifully, with chopsticks made from filed and varnished twigs.

Go for A leisurely weekend lunch.

Order Try the smoked mussel ceviche with beetroot, red onion, chives and rocoto pepper (£6). For pudding, the white miso and apple cheesecake with green apple sorbet and miso caramel (£4) is an exotic treat.

Find it: Ivory House, St Katharine Docks, E1W 1AT; twitter.com/amaru_skd

The Proud Archivist

BARGING IN: THE PROUD ARCHIVIST

Find it: 2-10 Hertford Road, N1 5ET; theproudarchivist.co.uk

This glass-fronted gallery/restaurant/bar looks out on to a quiet stretch of Regent’s Canal, where you can watch local kids splashing around in canoes. The space has a library-like aesthetic (think desk lamps and bench tables), while the gallery is currently hosting the East End Print Fair, featuring work from up-and-coming graphic artists. The menu changes regularly, but you can count on simple dishes done well, with plenty of veggie-friendly salads and quirky takes on classics, such as English Summer Eggs — muffins topped with asparagus, poached eggs and hollandaise (£7.50). There are also delicious cocktails (The Rights of Man, with Cognac and honey, right, £8).

Go for Sunday brunch with the papers.

Order House granola with hazelnuts, almonds, dried berries, Greek yoghurt and maple syrup (£4.50) and an espresso (£2.20) brewed using beans from the Caravan Coffee Roastery.

Craft London

GREENWICH MEAL TIME: CRAFT LONDON

The newest venture from Stevie Parle — the brains behind Dock Kitchen and Rotorino — opens on 27 April and promises wraparound views of the Thames Barrier and The O2 Arena. The menu celebrates underused British ingredients (such as cured meat made using English Lop pigs), and the kitchen garden has its own bee hives, which supply the honey for warm rye cakes with cream (£7). Craft London continues Parle’s collaboration with designer Tom Dixon, so soak up the sleek interiors while you eat.

Go for A bite before a gig at The O2.

Order The 60-minute set menu (£35) features ash-roasted squash with goat’s curd, and Galloway onglet with bone-marrow bread sauce.

Find it: Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 0SQ; craft-london.co.uk

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