"The owner of this upscale Caribbean spot is Chef Roger Shakes, who was a head chef for 19 years at Mango Rooms before taking over this venue," says Mclarty. "It's white-tablecloth, but not pretentious. The ingredients are high quality, without the major price tag. The vibe is very chill—you come out feeling very relaxed." Top dishes: curry goat, ebony wings, mango and banana crème brûlée.

"Located in Buck Street Market, this place sells juice in a fruit, like a pineapple, dragonfruit, or watermelon. They blend it right in front of you and add their homemade syrups. They also sell 100-percent vegan waffles!" Top dishes: pineapple topped with strawberry and mint homemade syrup.

"Papi's is owned by a Nigerian guy named Femi (which is why the signature dish is called Femi's fish). It's not strictly Nigerian, though; it takes inspiration from across West Africa, and it's a bit fancier than your typical West African restaurant. It's mostly seafood dishes, and there are great cocktails, so it's a good place for a bottomless brunch or a celebration." Top dishes: Femi's fish, asun, sautéed prawns, Chapman cocktail.

"The kitchen here is inside a shipping container, facing a courtyard with wooden benches, plenty of plants, and fairy lights dangling above: It's a very picturesque setting. The portion sizes here are ridiculously huge. Their main item is the jerk fried chicken burger, which is marinated in jerk seasoning, breaded, and fried—and you can top that with plantains, or halloumi, or chili jam, or (if you're me) all of the above." Top dishes: jerk fried burger, jerk halloumi, fried plantains.

"The jerk chicken at this West Indian spot is some of the best I've tried in London. It's mostly a takeaway, but there is a small dining area. They serve seafood as well as jerk chicken; you can buy platter boxes, which contain multiple sides in one tray. It's a super-good value for the money, everything is made fresh to order, and the customer service is great." Top dishes: jerk chicken, fried prawns, pepper prawns.

"This Ethiopian restaurant has a nice setting, with plants hanging from the ceiling and East African ornaments and decorations. They serve vegan food as well as meat. I went for the vegan dishes, like the we't, which has caramelized onions, chickpeas, and green peppers. That's a really tasty dish that doesn't leave you feeling like you need to eat meat (coming from a meat-eater!)." Top dishes: shiro we't, vegan platter with gluten-free injera.