Hackney, one of North London’s greatest boroughs, is the pulsating heart of London’s creative community. Between the wetlands of Hackney Marsh, the main high street running through the central district and the canals of Hackney Wick, Hackney is fast-paced, lively, and constantly reinventing itself. The borough is teeming with brilliant restaurants that have sprung up as the area has gentrified over the years.
Thanks to its diverse community of chefs and copious space for development, the dining scene in Hackney has become so prominent that Michelin has recognised many of the establishments that have emerged across the borough. From sustainable dining to chef’s table experiences, the following restaurants are the best that Hackney has to offer.
Pophams
Originating in Islington as a bakery, Pophams of London Fields has expanded the concept of its precursor establishment by transferring its dough expertise into another hallowed art form – pasta. The restaurant is one of the best in Hackney when it comes to delicious, freshly made pasta dishes, serving from lunch well into the evening. The menu frequently changes thanks to the supply of ingredients, but key staples include the delicious lemon butter and ricotta agnolotti and smoked almond pesto tagliatelle.
Pophams also holds on to its heritage by keeping its excellent bakery running at its Hackney location, kneading out maple and bacon croissants, and rosemary-infused pan-Suisse throughout the day. It’s an ideal location next to one of Hackney’s most prominent green spaces for a more low-key meal by day but is far more energised and enterprising by night.
Whyte’s
The beautiful Hoxton Square is thought to be one of London’s oldest. Its bright green serves as a hub for the area during summer, with many locals stretching out on the grass when the weather is bright and warm, wandering between the plethora of fine eateries forming the square’s boundary. One such fine establishment is Whyte’s, a chic, continental-style brasserie that remains one of the square’s favourite spots.
With a mix of industrial furnishings, factory-style lighting, and bespoke furniture for tables, it is an undeniably stylish yet, comfortable venue. Such comforts extend towards the menu, serving hearty dishes from chicken supreme with truffle mash, to pan-seared seabass with fennel salad. Traditional British dishes are elevated through the efforts of the restaurant team sourcing as much as possible locally, providing a bistro-esque experience to one of the most popular areas in the borough.
Behind
The name shouldn’t fool any prospective diners before they walk in: Behind is neither outdated, slow, or lacking imagination when it comes to its food. Opened in 2020 by chef Andy Benyon, Behind witnessed meteoric success, winning a coveted Michelin Star before the year ended, and has only gone from strength to strength. A chef’s table experience focusing on seafood, Behinds is as unique and intimate as a restaurant gets for North London, focusing on the fruits of the ocean.
Its U-shaped interior will keep guests' attention focused solely on what matters – the food, of which, they will have plenty of. The tasting menu is naturally, subject to constant change and seasonal demand, but perennially popular plates include scallop tartare, monkfish, and more, for eight excellent courses. The restricted layout means there will be plenty of time to ask the chef questions and allow guests to expand their knowledge and palates, one bite at a time.
Silo
The industrial area around Hackney Wick has become legendary over the last decade thanks to the growth in pop-up restaurants that sparked a food revolution for the disused warehouses and docks. Now, many of these pop-up venues have transformed into permanent establishments, whilst more established chefs and restaurateurs have also tried to capitalise on the attention the area receives by opening new sites here. Silo relocated from the sunny shores of Brighton in 2019 to bring its eco-friendly practices of producing zero waste, to the warehouses of Hackney Wick.
Recycling is one of the core themes driving this restaurant. Much of the restaurant’s furnishings and fixtures are all either pre-owned or restored, making it feel incredibly minimalist upon entry. As the name may already imply, Silo’s menu is definitely green, focussing on plant-based dishes that are all locally sourced from nearby allotments. Jerusalem artichokes accompanied by fermented grains, and wild mushrooms served with a house-made koji – the bread and butter of this restaurant is feeding its diners enough to satisfy with delicate natural flavours, as sustainably as possible.
Miga
One of the newest restaurants in the area, Miga is a family-run Korean restaurant whose roots started in Seoul during the 1970s. Chef Hyuang San Ko’s mother won recognition for her signature oxtail broth, inspiring her son to begin a culinary journey that would take him all over the world, before opening a restaurant in New Malden. Now with an entirely new establishment in East London, Miga has taken the local area by storm and is one of Hackney’s most popular new additions.
Miga offers an alternative to those who feel they’ve experienced the majority of Korean cuisine, trading classic dishes like bibimbap and bulgogi, for more refined and creative plates. Yukhwe (steak tartare served with refreshing and zesty Asian pear), Maeun Saeu (King prawns served with fiery gochujang sauce) and tender, perfectly caramelised short ribs, are just a few of the innovative dishes that have captured the appetites of Hackney diner and taken the borough by storm.
Casa Fofò
This Michelin-starred restaurant may seem inconspicuous from the outside, but behind the cute facade on the Dalston High Road rests one of London’s most highly regarded, low-key dining establishments. Boasting an eight-course menu from the mind of ex-Pidgen head chef, Adolfo de Cecco, that changes daily, Casa Fofò packs in a lot for such a small place.
Highlights from the revolving menu include Cornish game hen and mackerel, and almond anolini. The restaurant has a penchant for utilising as many off-cuts, bones, broth, and other leftovers to reduce wastage and supercharge kitchen creativity as much as possible. Ingredients are pickled, fermented, sourced locally, and butchered in-house, at a fine-dining establishment that is led by a chef dedicated to perfecting every single element on each dish, from start to finish.
