In this vibrant district of London, you’ll be spoilt for choice when finding somewhere to eat in Hackney Wick. From classic Italian to street food and loads of vegan eateries, there are places to satisfy all your cravings. Below is a comprehensive list of some of the best spots to visit:
Seafood
BEHIND Restaurant
A fish-focused 1 Michelin starred restaurant, this 18-seat kitchen-table style restaurant offers diners an immersive experience with a behind-the-scenes view of the kitchen. BEHIND offer just two sittings per day – lunch and dinner – and all diners are served the same 10 course tasting menu.
KYR Kitchen
KYR Kitchen is a take-away service that offers American and Caribbean inspired flavours. It specialises in seafood and chicken wings, with some great shrimp, salmon, and lobster dishes which each come with southern fried wings, mac and cheese, and waffles.
Italian
Unlock 2021
With a modern and experimental take on Italian cuisine, Unlock serves artisanal pizza and cocktails to its Hackney punters. Located next to the canal on Monkwood Way, this dog-friendly establishment is one to try if you enjoy a twist on authentic flavours – we’re talking unusual toppings such as tuna tartare and purple potato cream.
Crate Brewery and Pizzeria
Also serving the perfect combination of beer and pizza, there’s no wonder Crate Brewery and Pizzeria is one of East London’s worst kept secrets. All the pizzas are hand-rolled, stone-baked, and made to order using fresh ingredients. There’s a few classics on the menu plus a selection of bold, unexpected flavours including the Kashmiri Dhal pizza which includes mango chutney and banana slices!
Natura
Natura brings a taste of Italy to Hackney. With their ingredients sourced straight from Italy, they have a massive range of tasty pizzas as well as classic pasta, salad and dessert dishes.
Gotto Trattoria
Gotto Trattoria is an independent restaurant run by three brothers and a friend who wanted to create a genuine local trattoria reminiscent of the neighbourhood establishments from where they grew up in Northern Italy. The restaurant has a daily-changing menu full of rustic Italian food including hand-rolled pasta, pizza, and seasonal Italian ingredients.
Street Food
Hackney Bridge
A one-stop-shop foodie’s dream, Hackney Bridge is home to multiple food traders with cuisines ranging from Filipino BBQ food to South Indian curries. Grab a quite bite to go or head up to the mezzanine floor, grab a pew and tuck in. Hackney Bridge also holds various events including live music nights and record fairs.
Cafés
Thingy Café
Located in Trowbridge Gardens, Thingy Café provides a great social environment with a cosy indoor space leading out to a hidden garden café. The rotating menu consists of dishes like vegan masala, Caribbean mac and cheese, kimchi toasties and they also provide a great variety of non-dairy milk drinks.
The Roasting Shed
Get your coffee fix at The Roasting Shed. Roasting coffee in small batches to guarantee excellence, The Roasting Shed not only offers some of the best coffee in East London but also some irresistible sweet treats and friendly staff.
Burnt Umber Brasserie & Deli
Burnt Umber Brasserie & Deli is a family-run café which offers tasty breakfast, brunch and lunch menus plus tasty pastries, and a hot drink and alcohol selection. There’s also a mini grocery store inside where you can pick up lots of fresh fruit and veg.
Grow
Located by the canalside, Grow calls itself ‘an experiment in ethical and sustainable business.’ As part of their conscious drive towards sustainability, they work with local independent suppliers and ethical businesses. The menu is predominately plant-based, with some ethically sourced meat options, and you can expect middle eastern and southern Mediterranean inspired street food with punchy flavours and warm spices.
Continental Dishes
Scoffs Grill
At Scoffs Grill you’ll find a menu of traditional Turkish plates which you can enjoy in the cosy restaurant or make use of their take-away service and enjoy at home.
Schnitzel Forever
Slightly further afield than Hackney Wick, but worth the trip, is Schnitzel Forever in Stoke Newington, the ultimate destination for authentic schnitzel. Serving schnitzels of international variation to order, you are guaranteed fresh food that gives you a comforting feeling.
Habbot Bar & Lounge
Habbot Bar & Lounge offers a delicious range of African cuisine. Try lots of traditional food such as soups, meat and rice dishes, yam, and plantain.
Sustainable
Silo
Silo is the world’s first zero-waste restaurant that creates everything from its whole form, cutting out food miles and over-processing. They have their own flour mill, churn their own butter, make oat milk, roll their own oats and have an on-site brewery creating natural fermented drinks from live cultures. Even the furniture has been upcycled from material that would have otherwise been wasted! Silo has a daily-changing menu of innovative dishes or you can enjoy a five-course tasting menu.
Vegan
The Hogless Roast
Winner of Britain’s Best Vegan Menu at the British Takeaway Awards, The Hogless Roast offers a range of 100% plant-based burgers and sides. Forget bean burgers and reimagine a hog roast roll, without the meat. Visit their Hackney Wick location at Colour Factory.
The Green Grill
The Green Grill offer plant-based fast food such as burgers, ‘vdawgs’ and chkn bites. Their burgers and ‘vdawgs’ are served in fun, colourful buns infused with charcoal, matcha, and beetroot respectively. The Green Grill can also be found at The Colour Factory food court.
Chickenish
Chickenish is recreating all the chicken shop classics but making them out of plants instead. Everything on the menu is vegan and gluten free, made with soy and fired in a chickpea flour batter. Secret London claimed that it will fool any meat eater as the food looks like chicken, smells like chicken, and even tastes like chicken!
E3 Vegan
Located on the Roman Road in Bow, E3 Vegan is worth the trip if you are looking for a vegan fine dining experience. Visit for a mid-week lunch, attend their Supper Club on a Friday night or, visit for a plant-based brunch or Sunday roast at the weekend. Enjoy inventive vegan cuisine from a daily changing menu which is carefully considered to keep waste to a minimum and always seasonally mindful.
