To eat before or after the debauchery? ...that is the question.
Stumbling down Mare Street with a kebab-grease beard and chilli sauce highlights at 4am definitely has it charm - although is it, perhaps, more civilised to dine before you hit the dance floor?
Yes, yes of course it is. And there are some great eateries in the area from which to take your pick for a pre-clubbing bite.
Plus, all that dancing will certainly work up an appetite for a kebab.
#winning
In terms of being on-trend, Crate ticks all the boxes. There’s an on-site brewery producingcraft beer, the restaurant serves pizzas, the furniture is made from upcycled materials (i.e. tables made from old pallets), it’s right by the canal in Hackney Wick, and DJs spin tunes in the evenings. Oh, and the male staff sport beards of course.
This excellent little neighbourhood restaurant offers gourmet British food without sky-high prices. Everything is made freshly on the premises, from the breads to the desserts, and you can feast on things like Toulouse sausages with roast potatoes and braised venison with orange and mint gremolata.
If you want to keep walking between dinner and dancing to a minimum, why not do both under the same roof? The menu at Oslo has crowd-pleasing dishes like battered fish, steaks and burgers inspired by flavours from around the world. They host pop and rock gigs, and in the club there’s house and techno till 3am.
Backed by Jackson Boxer of Brunswick House in Vauxhall, Rita’s first won plaudits as a pop-up for its fried chicken and other American-inspired delights. They now have a permanent home on Hackney’s Mare Street.
“Lardo” isn’t Italian for lard, but it is a type of fatty ham from Tuscany. So naturally it takes pride of place on the menu here, along with meaty pizzas and antipasti. They’ve also got a pretty fine selection of cheeses from Italy and Neal’s Yard Dairy. Ideal for small plates before a big night out.
Sager + Wilde is another successful pop-up turned permanent venue. Primarily a chic wine bar, the menu features Italian charcuterie and small plates of beetroot, feta and walnuts, and pork with pistachios with prune terrine.
Tonkotsu is the name of the Japanese pork bone broth typically used in ramen dishes. It’s the speciality dish here, along with miso ramen, gyoza and pumpkin croquettes. Best of all their noodles are made in-house with a machine they imported especially from Japan.
The focus at Berber & Q is on food from the Middle East and North Africa, particularly smoked, chargrilled meats. So you’ll find chicken wings marinated in hot harissa, home-made merguez sausages, hand-pulled spit-roasted lamb, and a nice selection of mezze.
From the team behind the popular Ducksoup in Soho, Rawduck has a similar menu of dishes like chargrilled lamb leg with tahini yoghurt, and shrimp and sweet potato fritters. And in case you were wondering, they don’t actually serve any raw duck.