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 Beynon’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”.

An “extensive list of natural wines, niche grapes and producers, with regular changes to keep it interesting”, draws regulars back to Brett Redman’s bar and restaurant at Borough Market, where it was an earlyish arrival 15 years ago (a spinoff opened in Hackney three years ago). The food, much of it sourced from the market, is smartly cooked, with many plates available in two or three sizes to ease sharing. Top Tip – “get a window table and watch the market hordes go by”.

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.