Bala Baya Restaurant Bankside

You're walking along Union Street in Bankside, past the usual warehouse conversions, when you spot it: a proper restaurant operating out of a Victorian railway arch. That's Bala Baya, and it's exactly the kind of spot that makes this neighbourhood feel properly alive. The open kitchen is the main event here—wood-fired ovens, charcoal grills, the whole lot—and the menu pulls from across the Mediterranean with real confidence. Expect beautifully charred vegetables, excellent grilled fish, and bread that's actually worth the carbs. It's casual enough that you won't feel overdressed in jeans, but the cooking takes itself seriously. The space itself is buzzy without being chaotic, and the sort of place where locals actually book ahead.