Elliot’s: best for hungry shoppers
12 Stoney Street, SE1 (020 7403 7436; elliotscafe.com)
Most of the dishes in this bustling restaurant in Borough Market are made with seasonal ingredients from the market. The menu changes daily but expect salads such as cabbage, pear and chervil; carrot, clementine and cumin; or beetroot and boiled egg (from £5). Pair with the gurnard cassoulet or ox cheek and onion pie.
Trullo: best for cosy lunches
300-302 St Paul’s Road, N1 (020 7226 2733; trullorestaurant.com)
With its cosy trattoria feel, Trullo is a neighbourhood restaurant to love. Winter salads are hearty and inventive: anything from chicory with dandelion, salted ricotta, blood orange and pomegranate, to bitter leaves with lentils and taleggio cheese (from £7.50). Team with something from the all-Italian wine list.
The Shed: best for countryphiles
122 Palace Gardens Terrace, W8 (020 7229 4024; theshed-restaurant.com)
Run by two brothers from West Sussex, many of the ingredients come from their younger brother’s farm. Look out for unusual flavours such as chard, golden beetroot and butternut squash, as well as labneh and dukkah from the Middle East. Small plates from £6; ‘mouthfuls’ from £1.50.
