Rochelle Canteen

The most important lunch restaurant in London, in a former school canteen

Address Arnold Circus, 16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA
Opening Hours Mon–Fri breakfast and lunch only; closed weekends
Website www.arnoldandhenderson.com

Rochelle Canteen occupies a converted bike shed in the playground of a former Shoreditch school, now an arts complex. You ring a bell to get in, which sets the tone. The food — British seasonal cooking done with total integrity — changes daily and is some of the most honest and delicious in London. Chefs from across the city eat here on their days off.

Lunch only, weekdays only, and the menu is whatever Margot Henderson and her team decided that morning. This might mean potted crab, roast lamb, a perfect trifle. No shortcuts, no frills. The best lunch in London.

eating out restaurant shoreditch