Five Restaurants to Try This Weekend

Crate Brewery

Go for the beer and stay for the pizza at Crate, a brewery, taproom and pizzeria on the Hackney Wick canal. There’s a beer for every weather: a refreshing session IPA with just a touch of bitterness for lazy warm afternoons; deep, velvety stout for chilly days inside the converted warehouse and a pale ale made for Spring days when the sunshine carries a nip of cold. Despite the building’s origins as a brewery, the pizzas almost steal the show. Thin, crisp bases are smothered with interesting toppings: try the Kashmiri dahl with mango chutney and sliced banana (sceptics, prepare to be converted) or the sweet potato, stilton and walnut. —Daisy Meager
Unit 7, Queen’s Yard, E9 5EN

Tetote Factory

Resident in Ealing since 2011, Tetote can stake a claim to being both the best Japanese bakery in the capital and the best French bakery in the capital. Anpan (adzuki bean buns), kare pan (curry bread) and hot dog buns stuffed with ketchup, mustard and onions are all treated with the same level of care and respect; beautiful without being prissy and consistently delicious. The same pillow-textured bread is repurposed to make fresh fruit brioche, while the baguettes are on a par with some of Paris’ best (a fact quietly noted by west London’s significant French population). It’s takeaway only, so make sure to grab at least one custard bun, warm from the oven and bursting with vanilla-flecked creme patissiere, just waiting to be devoured shamelessly along South Ealing Road. —Jonathan Nunn
12 South Ealing Road, W5 4QA

Haru Sushi and Ramen House

Staying in Ealing as the Uxbridge Road runs through to Hanwell, this little sushi and ramen house — sandwiched between two Salvation Army institutions — is beloved by the local Japanese community. Fish is high-grade, making sashimi served up on ice an essential order, whether it’s apologetically subtle sea bass or the fatty bounce of yellowtail. House-made pickles and kimchi bristle with snapping astringency, especially the moreish red ginger, while nori is fresh and correctly crispy, making for fine temaki (sushi cones, rather than rolls) filled with shattering salmon skin or eel and cucumber. The other speciality is ramen — shock — with proper tonkotsu, an incandescent kimchi broth and a vampire-worrying Mayu ramen with char siu pork and more of that irresistible ginger. Of the starters, gyoza and tempura come off well, but it’s best to follow the clues in the name for a truly superlative dinner. —James Hansen
7 Leeland Road, W13 9HH

Lizzie’s On The Green

Newington Green is a little pocket of London that’s had some attention of late — the fruit and veg shop is insta-famous, The green is situated at the bottom of Green Lanes and is a hub of community activities — dog shows, fetes, and a proud feminist history in Mary Wollstonecraft’s Dissenting Academies. Lizzie’s cafe, in the middle of the green, is a perfect late Saturday morning spot to people watch, drink great coffee and eat the best bacon bap in London; if the sun comes out to play, the delicious homemade cakes and ice creams are fine choices to while away the afternoon. There’s a generous terrace that’s covered (for protection from sun as well as rain) and wonderful service. After the sad demise of Dandy across the way, Lizzie’s is the go-to for a balmy afternoon. —Anna Sulan Masing
Newington Green, N16 9PX

The Crystal Palace Market

Trumpeted once before, The Crystal Palace Market is a local favourite. The concept is charming in its simplicity: a working market by day opens itself up as a restaurant for lunch and dinner, cooking the fish, meat and vegetables sourced by the kitchen. The market leans towards British produce — Cornish scallops, for example — but makes no apology for using Canadian lobster or Icelandic salmon. The cooking of the market’s food is pleasing, too: the scallops simply paired with parsnip puree and pomegranate; fish usually comes whole and on the bone and dressed with anchovy and parsley butter. Plump and tender steaks glisten as they should, and, like the oysters are keenly priced, perhaps reflecting their locale. The same can just about be said of the wine. Oh, and order the chips, which might actually be described as felled potato logs. —Josh Barrie
3-7 Church Road, SE19 2TF