London Hackney Restaurant Guide

“You just cannot beat” the “brilliantly cooked, juicy/sloppy burgers”, say fans of this indie group – “they’re worth the dirty fingers afterwards”. Founded by Joe Grossman in 2012, it now has seven outlets (plus two concessions) in London and another in Brighton, and after negotiating a tricky patch on home turf opened its first international branch in Dubai last year.

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

“Epic!” – “Andy Beynon and his team are so welcoming” and deliver an “absolutely amazing” tasting menu experience at this funky-looking and “super-stylish” venue in Hackney (near London Fields). “You sit at a long, curvaceous, blonde-wooden counter, and service is by the whole kitchen team who are clearly passionate about what they’re doing”. The menu revolves around “inventive fish dishes” from “quality produce” that are “stuffed with really bold flavours”. Top Menu Tip – “loved the aged trout with smoked beurre-blanc. Raw red prawn with prawn head and Riesling sauce. Loved it all”.

“Truly outstanding all round”; star chef Tomos Parry’s now-permanent wood-fire spin-off in a covered courtyard and adjoining railway arch in London Fields has “staff who care, food that’s different and a great buzz without being so loud you can’t have a conversation”. It’s worth it to “go as a crowd so you can get to taste all the fantastic dishes on offer”: typical are Roasted Chicken Rice or Whole Crab with Hay Butter.

As Pidgin, these well-known Hackney premises sometimes struggled to inspire a level of diner excitement to match the level of hype generated by the fooderati, perhaps explaining the decision to close in summer 2024. It’s a case of ‘plus ça change’, though, with an immediate re-opening by the current head chef Drew Snaith in partnership with former manager Hannah Kowalski. Initial reports on the menu speak of main dishes (so despite being in E8 it won’t just be small plates), and some emphasis on meat and live-fire cooking.

Taking over the former Nest site in Hackney’s Morning Lane, this early 2024 newcomer is an informal venue offering communal dining on skewers of grilled meat and other small plates (as inspired by Japan’s izakaya drinking dens, but using British recipes and ingredients). No reports as yet, but while testing influencer fave-raves, The Evening Standard’s Joanna Taylor gave it a big thumbs-up, saying its shots-fuelled style “certainly manages to live up to its name even on Sunday evening”.

On the former site of wine bar Peg in Hackney’s Morning Lane, this neighbourhood newcomer opened in late 2023 with a focus on relatively traditional Italian cooking from chef Mitchell Damota. Co-founder Gennaro Leone also runs a design gallery nearby, so the tiny interior is classily decked out. Reports please!

“Nobody else is serving food like this in London” (“it’s very different – that’s why I’ve eaten there six times…”), say fans of this hip yearling in London Fields from ‘Hot 4 You’ delivery service chef Matthew Scott, whose forte is “innovative dishes you think won’t work… but they do!”. . Charlie Carr’s natural wine list incorporates arguably “London’s best selection of orange wines”.