London Hackney Wick Restaurant Guide

Chilled microbrewery haunt across the canal from the Olympic Park (near Hackney Wick Station) whose waterside terrace is a big plus in summer. The pizza and brews are fair value, and it has a lovely, hip vibe… meaning, though, that it gets busy and service can at times be swamped.

“Tom Brown is a genius with fish cooking” and his Scandi-chic venture with open kitchen in the hipster-central environs of Hackney Wick station provides dishes that are “exploding with flavour and full of originality (the sea bream tartare with miso-ponzu dressing and chilli oil was astonishing!)”. The place has “such a chilled vibe as well” – “it’s great to watch the open kitchen during service” and the atmosphere is “not in the least pretentious”, thanks to service that’s particularly “friendly and expert”. “My daughter and I went for her 21st and my 59th – amazing!”.

Douglas McMaster’s zero-waste project in grungily groovy Hackney Wick opened at a tough time and although it’s attracted awards and adulatory reviews (e.g. from Jimi Famurewa in The Evening Standard) in its early days, there’s very little survey feedback (or indeed social buzz on other sites). It’s a place no eco-warrior should miss, though, churning its own butter, milling ancient grains, making crockery and tables from reconstituted materials, etc. His Brighton site used to do well – more reports, please.

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”.

2019 Review: “Very good wings, beers and cocktails” are the payoff to a trip to this unit in Hackney Wick’s Here East development: feedback is limited but upbeat.