London Hackney Wick Restaurant Guide

Hang with the hip crowd at this groovy Hackney Wick haunt – a canal-side warehouse (‘The White Building’) just across the water from the Olympic Park, with a big outside terrace. On the menu: affordable and yummy pizza, washed down with quality brews from the in-house microbrewery. Downside? At busy times it’s a bit of a zoo.

“Tom Brown’s single-minded passion for fish and seafood shines through” at his “mecca of fine dining” – a post-industrial space “tucked away not far from the canal” in “wondrously trendy Hackney Wick”. “We love its informality and the friendliness of the staff” who give “detailed descriptions explaining the provenance of each dish” from “a stunning menu”. “So, get your skinny jeans on, tousle that beard (man bun optional) and go!” Top Menu Tip – “fabulous crab bun with pear hoisin”; “shrimps in a sort of panna cotta, decorated with sprouting herbs and vegetables… inspired”.

2023 Review: Very limited feedback (but all of it upbeat) for Douglas McMaster’s more-eco-than-eco, zero-waste project, above Crate in Hackney Wick’s canalside White Building, which – in its drive for ‘quality through purity’ and ‘a more primitive diet… born from clean farming’ serves a menu of wacky, meat-free small plates and very off-piste wines.

2021 Review: This in-house restaurant of the famous smoked salmon smokery (est. 1905) on the River Lea is a “lovely place to eat the best smoked fish, with a great view” – in fact, two views: from a viewing gallery over the smokery, and across to the Olympic stadium next door. For West Ham fans, it’s ideal for a pre-match lunch; for everybody else, “a bit out of the way, but worth the schlep”.