Kingsland Road, nicknamed Pho Mile, has long been the prime thoroughfare for Vietnamese restaurants in London – but how do you choose the best? Standards can rise and fall quickly with the coming and going of kitchen staff, but you could certainly do worse than try Cu Tu: a lively red-hued restaurant that’s not as well-known as many of its neighbours. The mainstay of the cuisine, pho, arrives spicy, steaming and fast here, but there’s plenty else besides. How about tucking into char-grilled minced prawn on sugar cane; quails with honey and spices; or beef in betel leaves? Or perhaps you’d prefer to plump for favourite snacks such as crispy salt-and-pepper squid, or soft-shell crabs. Prices are reasonable, service is on the ball and you can even bring your own wine.