Sardine

"French Revolution in the East End Rustic French food is having a moment in London, with critics going gaga for croque madame and chocolate mousse. One of its most exciting outposts sits in an unlikely spot behind the McDonald's drive-thru on City Road. Choreographing the wood-fired cooking in the open kitchen is ex-Dock Kitchen and Rotorino chef Alex Jackson, and what he did with Italian regional dishes at the latter Dalston neighbourhood joint he is doing here with the flavours of southern France. The humming little dining room is brightened up with pastel-coloured tiles and a curious mural of winches and pulleys. FOOD A bowl of fresh peas in pods is delivered to the table straight away to crunch on while you choose from a menu of deceptively simple dishes. Yet the flavours here are huge: crunchy pink radishes with crème fraîche and umami-ish bottarga; an artichoke-sprinkled salad Niçoise with tomatoes that taste of Riviera sunshine; tender lamb (you can see the leg hanging over burning wood in the open kitchen) with garlicky, creamy-white beans; crispy-skinned sea bass with aioli and squash; apricot and brown butter tart with the thinnest, flaky-light pastry. DRINK Sit at the bar beneath the white-neon Sardine sign for cocktails, including Negroni Jaune with gin, Suze, vermouth and pear, or keep the French vibe going with a rustic carafe of crisp Jurançon Sec from the Pyrenees. But really on a woozy London heat-wave evening nothing beats an aperitif of chilled rosé to whisk you off momentarily to Provence. VERDICT A buzzy French hotspot serving up rustic dishes."