Hackney, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “Great value and unusual tasting menus, nice wines & lovely service” win all-round applause for this yearling in a Hackney Downs warehouse from Anthony Lyon (of Lyon’s in Crouch End). Head chef Giuseppe Pepe (ex-Pidgin and Marksman) is responsible for the seasonal, minimal-waste menu, and his “food is beautifully presented and served”.

“Impeccable…”, “phenomenal…”, “best in ages…” – these are the typical descriptions of the “perfect fish cooking” from an “ever-evolving” menu at Andy Benyon’s Hackney venue (near London Fields). It feels “original”, “the counter dining has an excellent vibe” and “service from the chefs is a highlight” too, all contributing to the “passionate” ethos that underpins this “top gastronomic experience”. But while it’s “high-end cuisine, pricing is down-to-earth”. “Great music too!”

“The food is wonderful, the vibe is lively” – so say fans of Tomos Perry’s long-running wood-fire spinoff in a covered courtyard adjoining the well-known coffee roastery in a London Fields railway arch. On the menu, dishes like roasted chicken rice, whole crab with hay butter, and fresh shellfish. One less enthusiastic reporter found prices “sky-high considering we weren’t drinking” but even so said “the food was certainly delicious”.

This popular and stylish modern hybrid operation in Hackney mixes retail outlets with an all-day café offering breakfast followed by global dishes or pizzas from a menu also available in the Chandelier restaurant. A spinoff market opened in 2023 in the new development at King’s Cross, securing a coup with the launch last year of Island, a surf-and-turf restaurant from top chefs Tom Brown and Mike Carter.

“Inventive cooking using high-quality ingredients” is the hallmark of chef Matthew Scott, who made his name with the ‘Hot 4 U’ lockdown delivery service and has continued the good work at this “hipster” two-year-old in London Fields where “the food delivers”. It’s a “bright and cosy addition to the plethora of wine-and-small-plates places around the greater Hackney area” – and has possibly “the top selection of orange wines”, from Charlie Carr of Wingnut Wines.