Green Papaya

East London has two main concentrations of Vietnamese restaurant: the well-known Kingsland Road drag & Green Papaya’s stretch of Mare Street. Neither the haircuts nor the cheekbones are quite so chiselled out here, & it’s a quieter, more family-friendly scene, with a broader age range of customers. Green Papaya scores over its canteen-style competitors by virtue of its cheerful bistro vibe: pretty paper lampshades, brick red walls, simple wooden furniture & a lovely bamboo-planted terrace cosy it up nicely. The standard of food is respectable, with tried & tested favourites dominating – think spicy prawn salad, stir-fried beef with tomato & purple basil, rice noodles with belly pork & grilled tilapia with ginger & spring onion. This isn’t a place to expect the unexpected, but lovely service wins the locals’ vote.