Arepa & Co Venezuelan Restaurant - Bethnal Green

You'll find yourself on Paradise Row in Bethnal Green, walking past the usual East London mix of vintage shops and coffee spots, when you clock the queue snaking out of Arepa & Co. It's worth the wait. This is Venezuelan street food done right—none of that fusion nonsense. The arepas come hot off the griddle, their exteriors blistered and golden, stuffed with everything from shredded beef to black beans and cheese. There's a genuine energy in here: families, dates, mates grabbing lunch, all united by the fact that they know they're eating something special. The cachapas (corn pancakes, basically) are impossibly fluffy, and if you're ordering properly, you're getting them with cheese melting into the creases.