Esters in Hackney

Menu so limited as to be ridiculous. Toastie was dripping grease and burned, really awful. My friend's heritage carrots seemed nice, but at £15, they should have been.

Great brunch, menu is pretty small but the breakfast sandwich and squash tart were delicious. Just prepare to queue if you go at midday.

Cute, small cafe that packs a punch serving great coffee and really tasty food. We enjoyed the leek tart and cheese toasty plus a piece of the pecan cake. Staff are friendly too.

Nice french toast! Cute vibes and great service, although prepare to queue for a table

Had the most delicious lunch here. All the flavours and dishes were incredible. Highly recommend!!

Lovely brunch spot! It’s clear they prioritise fresh, seasonal produce and everything is super tasty

Nice and special brunch, but the price on menu is not up to date. Cured trout says £15 but was charged £16.

An in demand eatery, there was a significant queue lining up to get into Esters. The wait at midday was about 30 minutes, but we were accommodated promptly. The menu isn’t extensive but has several dishes that were competing to be eaten. We went with breakfast sandwiches as they were the most cost efficient and delicious sounding. They were as expected - delightfully tasty. We finished off with the bread and butter option which looked like a croissant in loaf form. Best thing we ordered. The brownie was nice enough but not noteworthy. Quite pricey but of course it is given the clientele.

Extremely overpriced for an espresso sized coffee cup costing £4.50. Also not one vegan option for breakfast except Toast and preserves (aka jam £5-6) which was a shame. The atmosphere is nice, but can’t get over the overpriced food and drink. Service was also nice and friendly so can’t fault that but not very inclusive menu wise.

Just delicious and that bread pudding thing with chocolate and fruits is sooo good! Lovely staff and I go every weekend x

Small local “lite-bite” pit-stop that goes large on the minimalism.. and then some. A backyard seating area hardly adds sparkle to the lustre here. Selection limited but the quality and flavour effortlessly dismisses any apprehensions. Service here pleasant and efficient. The port of call in this neighbourhood despite the space constraints.

It's really very good but I find the choice of eating limited and not very plentiful: we get to satiety mainly thanks to the bread in the sandwiches

Taste of summer breeze🌻 French toast—Summer berries, fig leaf custard and hazelnut crumble🍓🫐 Came for the French toast it didn’t disappoint me✨ The French toast was stacked with layers of fig leaf custard that giving it a floral notes with summer berries compote and crunchy hazelnut crumble on top💜 Iced filter - @replicaroasters washed Peru ☕️ It was a clean and refreshing filter with a hint of apple flavour 🍎

Cute cafe in London, serving one of the best cookies in the city! I came here for one thing only: to try their miso white chocolate cookie. It was absolutely delicious. The cookie was crispy on the outside and very buttery on the inside, with flakes of sea salt sprinkled on top. The thick gooey chips of white chocolate were slightly melted inside and went beautiful with the miso flavour in the background. For less than 3 pounds too, incredible value. If you’re looking for the best cookie in London, you’ve got to come: this might be it!

What a find! The food was so, so good.

I've discovered this super cute cafe that serves up healthy breakfast options and delicious bakery treats. I recently tried their eggs and toast, which was delicious, but the real star of the show was their mouth-watering thaini cake. And don't even get me started on their coffee - it was good! If you're looking for a cool spot with a variety of breakfast options, you've got to give this place a try. Trust me, it's worth it!

It’s one of the few cafes in London where you can get equally good coffee and food ! Very chilled atmosphere, friendly & polite team. Menu that changes every week, seasonal and using quality ingredients. Highly recommend !

Staffs are so friendly and coffee is amazing (because I like acidic coffee and this tastes a bit acidic!)

I’ve been coming here since it opened and food has always been really good but now it’s elevated to even more unusual and interesting options. The current guys that work there are the nicest staff they’ve had too, really welcoming.

We loved Esters. Service was good and quick, coffee was excellent (quite tangy which is how I like it), and food was delicious. We had the beetroot salad and the breakfast sandwich. The latter was a bit too salty but that's a minor complaint!

Creative breakfast and brunch dishes along with top coffee and pastries. Quite busy but there is a very good reason for that.

Nous avons pris le petit déjeuner et c'est un sans faute. Les cafés sont délicieux et la cuisine incroyable. Nous avons goûté le grilled-cheese, le porridge et un gâteau à la poire. Tout était parfait et les saveurs originales. Une très belle adresse.

Nice local coffee shop in Stoke Newington, has a decent selection of pastries/cakes. Also sells local honey, jam & coffee beans. It's a shame they don't accept cash 😕

Abso delicious! Interesting take on brunch fare. Great service, little shaft garden. An oasis from nearby hectic church street!

Hostile cafe that has no respect for their customers. Sat in the garden only to have a person water the plants on my shoulders, fully soaking my backpack. Of course I still had to pay for my coffee.

Cute place, very good stuff on the menu, had gooseberry bircher muesli and it was such a treat!

Soup was lovely and staff were very nice and helpful. I will definitely visit more often

Excellent fusion breakfast. We tried the Korean pork belly caesar salad, and was wowed by the dish! Excellently executed :)

Small menu but I think that’s the point. They know what good breaky looks like. The rest is noise. Very tasty, very quaint, very worth the visit

Very cute spot but no laptops allowed fyi

Always enjoy having a coffee and some food - the taste is never disappointing. It gets very busy so either go there early or expect to queue!

Outstanding originality in the menu items. French toast was to die for and certainly not your average French Toast! We will definitely make a stop next time we visit our daughter!

Lovely. Enjoyed their garden with an iced latte, flat white, miso cookies, and brownies. Great team too!

Have only ever had coffee here, and I have to say it is some of the best in London, the waiter that serves me most times in here is always happy, friendly and polite! If your in Stokey make sure you grab your coffees from here

Amazing place, one of my fav brunch places. Both breakfast and lunch is always so good. Kind service. Highly recommend.

Can’t recommend this place enough, it’s allergy friendly, dog friendly and the food is amazing!

Nice atmosphere and good quality food but I found it expensive and consequently poor value for money

The food is great. I love at this place but the fact that they make you queue outside, with no acknowledgment of your existence, whilst there are empty tables makes me so mad, every time. It’s just rubbish management. Every other food and drink establishment on the planet manages it better than you. One star is generous

This place has a reputation for good food and atmosphere and yes, I can confirm both are good. There is a hipster vibe that matches well with the unconventional menu which I appreciate, you don't get the typical brunch options. The only downside is the queue, but hey its your choice whether you want to wait or not, nobody forces you to wait. I was tempted to give 5 starts but it might be a biiit on the expensive side, but pretty close to be fair.

Waited in the cold for a dirty seat and wet floor underneath the table. Bizarre.

The best brunch place in London, IMHO. An estate agent would say it’s “cosy” but don’t be fooled by their double speak because, much like everything gooder than good, there may be a line. But it’s worth the short wait and you deserve to eat fantastic food! NB. Today (Saturday 25th February) had no line at 10:15am, clear skies and it was the day after pay day. Is everyone mad? Who do we section? The food here is so incredible it feels like it must be decadent which makes me think I should be perverse. I’ve been twice and I can’t believe how the chefs pull it off, because the breakfast sandwich was mouth-wateringly beautiful in taste a few weeks ago, then I had the rainbow carrots this time, and yeah, they’re on the way to pulling the culinary hat trick off in good fashion when I come in for round trois. The staff are tip top too, friendlier than good fences are to good neighbourly relationships. Number one recommendation for cafe food, up there far away with Brunswick East (in Dalston) and no one else. Do yourself a favour and just go!!

Was lucky to get a table as soon as we arrived. Their coffees are excellent. For sunday brunch i had their spicy meatballs, which were tasty, however i would prefered it warm or hot. Cold meatballs on a winters day, no matter how tasty, it is not heart warming. On the other hand, my husband had the breakfast sandwich minus black pudding, which came piping hot and it was tasty n hit the right spot. My daughters loves their miso cookies.

Initially sceptical but won over by the delicious breakfast

A creative & delicious brunch, much needed in the area. A really cool spot.

Always recommending Esters as the best lunch spot in London. The miso cookie is also mind blowing 👌🏼

Minimalistic design coffee bar, great coffee.

A gem. Delectable baked goods, creative and delicious dishes, excellent coffee, kind and sweet vibes all around

Soups, salads, miso chocolate cookies, coffee and fresh groceries on point 👌🏼

An adorable place with an excellent and unique brunch menu - beautifully plated and thoughtfully composed. Their olive oil cakes are delicious too. Can't wait to come back!

Good imaginative food, nice coffee, nice staff. Overall an enjoyable brunch and thankfully no queue for us on that day!

Weirdly made a big fuss of us having a pram - it was 9.15am and this is in Stoke Newington. Made me feel unwelcome and really upset me as it’s hard to go out with small kids without being made to feel by the staff that you are deeply unwelcome. The food we had was ok but didn’t get what we wanted as felt so unwelcome that we left quickly and I cried outside. Won’t return.

How hard can it be to pop a slice of bread in a toaster and put a tea bag in a cup and add water?? Just went in to get a cup of tea and slice of toast to take away. Was prepared to pay the extortionate price. BUT the waitress had to find out if they had time to make it. Really?? I admit I didn’t fit the white hipster type frequenting the establishment but I thought this was an equal opportunity type place. Ahhh well just part of the gentrification of my old neighbourhood which is almost unrecognisable.

A little cafe kitchen dripping with flavour and love for food. I had pork shoulder in a semolina milk bun, with sorrel & sauerkraut mayo, purslane, grilled onions, and a fried egg. Finished with rose hyssop and plum French toast. Drip drip drip.

Nice little place in the heart of Stoke Newington. Everybody knows that prices and inflation have gone up. But, when the norm in Stoke Newington is 2.60/3.20 for a medium one, £3.60 for a S-M-A-L-L one (Check the Size Please No Joke) is an absolute theft, beyond reason even if you can afford it, know the value of money.

I try to go here to get away from the busier cafes in Central London and I always feel relaxed whenever I come here. Menu is great, selection of coffee is excellent, the setting is peaceful and the people are friendly :) Overall, a superb little cafe!

Absolutely delicious coffee, made by guys who really care about it.

Cool little spot, but I won’t ever understand why cafe that’s sells speciality coffee beans and have filter on the menu could possibly “run out of filter coffee” 2 hours before closing. If being afraid of “wastage “ - why don’t you offer 1cup pour over?

£3.70 for a takeaway Cortado is taking the pistachio a bit given location

Made us wait outside even though tables were free inside - my friend pregnant aswell standing - once asked replied with a rude attitude saying they are waiting for kitchen. Could have easily let us in and explain, make us wait as we were seated! Shame it used to be a nice place

Possibly the rudest staff in East London. Don’t waste your time unless you fancy a side of arrogance with your breakfast.

I LOVE their fried eggs on toast with sprouting broccoli and salsa verde. Very healthy and fulfilling at the same time. If I had to nitpick, I’d say to use less olive oil to fried the broccoli, as the pumpkin seeds salsa verde sauce already contains a lot olive oil in it. Otherwise the toast is dripping oil all over my plate. Another reason I like it here is because of the super friendly staff! Great service + high quality filter coffee. Whooo, they also have a lovely rear garden which would look stunning in sunny days!

Cute little cafe - decent food, not great though. Overpriced imho and not worth the queue. Better food on church street

Nice cosy brunch place. The food tastes amazing but I’m afraid they don’t have a big selection and the portions a bit pricy given the size. For example, the toast on the image was £9.

One of the top cafes in the area. Creative and delicious food and pastries, good coffee and drinks.

Great spot had an incredible breakfast bun with black pudding and egg thank you.

Great coffee and friendly service.

Rarely give 2 stars, but this one was really a let-down... Small menu, overpriced food, crowded as well...

Menu choices was small and some items were not even available, The menu items were very very well priced. Won't be going back anytime soon again.

Good batch filter, other options too. Miso + white chocolate cookie was so good. Nice piece, friendly service.

Delicious coffee, food and fantastic staff. Since I moved to Stoke Newington, I've been going here quite often, and the quality of coffee never changed. They have a cute garden space to sit in the back of the coffee shop too! I wish they had an option to have an extra-large coffee. Highly recommend.

Brunch that's different and delicious. Really good food and service is superb.

Esters is probably the best cafe in London. An ever changing, innovative menu using fantastic ingredients and some of the best made coffee around.

The food is absolutely delectable. The pastas are served in generous portions at reasonable prices. Wine bottle selections at reasonable prices. The staff was extremely pleasant. Great safety procedures are in place right now for COVID-19, and we felt very safe and comfortable. Fantastic Love it!

Lovely neighborhood cafe with great coffee and particularly great french toast. They've got a back garden with plenty of seating + good covid safety protocol.

Had a delicious espresso and almond croissant. Really friendly service. Will be visiting again in future

Best breakfast in London hands down

Nice caffe ,great place to enjoy time and not to work . A little pricey but enjoined my time

Amazing value for spectacular food. Best breakfast in London really

Cute spot and good coffee but overpriced at £3.40 for a takeaway cortado.

No disrespect to my dead great granny but I think your chef just made a better cheese scone than her.

Really lovely pastries, but eye-wateringly expensive!

sweet espresso, nice fresh beans, well dialled-in

I'm a big coffee lover and I must say that is a place to avoid if you are looking for a good, tasty and quality coffee. The coffee is expensive, taste b burnt and the people aren't that nice either.

Delicious pastries but the staff seemed determined to make my experience difficult today One customer at a time I understand at the moment - but there were two staff inside standing looking like customers so I waited outside and was eventually signalled to come in Previously I had purchased a pasrty I could not see today, and when asked about it I was told that the pastry in question had never existed - which wasn't the experience or attitude I was expecting to come into contact with I am all in favour of shopping local and supporting local businesses, but its hard to do that when you are not treated warmly or welcomed into that business Disappointing experience sadly

Food is lovely but a bit pricey. Ventilation can be improved - very strong smell of kitchen inside

The definition of a gem. This is is one of the best breakfasts to be found, full stop. I’ve travelled a lot and am an unapologetic millennial hipster, which means I’ve eaten a lot of brunch and drunk a lot of specialty coffee. Esters, being quite their own thing, as evidenced by the deliberate absence of avocado toast on the menu, might cringe at being included in that sentence; nevertheless, my data pool is sound. The star of the show here is the creative excellence in the cooking. The coffee (Hasbean) is brilliant, but the food is incredible and unique. The weekend specials are a must. A passion for flavour; local, seasonal provenance; and keeping things in-house (eg their housemade baps, not to mention their amazing bakes) shines throughout. Having lived in the neighbourhood, I could never understand why a block away on Church Street, people were queuing and waiting ages for their breakfast choices, when Esters was around the corner with far less of a queue. (This is also why I find the less-than-five-stars reviews here baffling when they’re about the wait or the queue...as that’s par-for-the-course with any good place in Hackney!) But hey, if you’re keeping my queue down, go for your life! If you do have to queue (and it’s worth it), you could try my husband’s method: he gets one of their housemade sausage rolls or ginger rye prune cakes to tide him over while he waits. Even if the wait is short (it usually is), you’ll still find yourself with room for the main affair. However, I will say there’s been loads of times when we haven’t had to queue at all - plus the Click and Collect option is brilliant. Finally, the service: the staff at Esters are absolutely lovely. Many have been there for the years I’ve been coming to Esters, and they’re warm and attentive.

Well over half an hour wait for a sandwich. The place seemed well staffed. It was relaxed, not busy. The staff showed no concern at my polite request chasing up the sandwich. They were dismissive even. Very, very poor service

Fantastic coffee and food. Please support them, they are a local gem

Siempre es un placer pasar por este pequeño y pintoresco establecimiento para tomar una copa y un pedazo de pastel.

Ah man. Really miss this place. It’s just so good. Everything about it. Hope to see you guys soon xo

Best visited during fair weather. Why? Queues out the door and down the block! Fun little place to grab a little sweet and coffee. Do it like the locals - make your treat a curbside one and “loiter” away on a nice, cheery neighbourhood street - you’ll be mingling with cheery caffeinated hipsters in no time.

If this is your local cafe you are really, really lucky, places like this don’t just happen.

I don’t live in the area anymore but I come back especially to visit Esters. Always great service. Beautiful and delicious breakfasts that you won’t find anywhere else or be able to replicate at home (unless you have a formidable amount of imagination, flare and attention to detail). I recommend having a cake too, and the coffee, and the drinking vinegar...

Really delicious coffee and rhubarb French toast. It’s not a big cafe so be prepared to share a table if you’re only one or two people. The menu is unique so maybe have a look before you make the journey to check there’s something you will enjoy - I can recommend the French toast, the orange cookie and chocolate cherry cookie, all were tasty.

Comencemos con una definición tomada de Wikipedia: La hospitalidad es la relación entre un invitado y un anfitrión, en el que el anfitrión recibe al invitado con buena voluntad, incluida la recepción y el entretenimiento de los invitados, visitantes o extraños. Emocionado por mi visita a la calle 1 en uno de los puntos calientes de mi vecindario para el brunch (4,6 puntaje promedio de 239 reseñas), en su lugar me encuentro aquí escribiendo una reseña sobre la (falta de) hospitalidad de Ester en su verdadero significado como no lo hice. Ni siquiera puede probar la comida ni beber uno de sus cafés. Entró a las instalaciones a las 14:57 y fue inmediatamente sentado por uno de los miembros de su personal en una mesa, pero no se dio ningún menú (error número 1). Dije que me sentaría y verificaría el menú mientras esperaba a mi amigo, a solo unos minutos de distancia. A las 15: 03 pedí menús y el camarero dijo: "Oh, lo siento, la cocina cierra a las 15: 00 h... Mis disculpas por no decir eso cuando te di la mesa" (error número 2). Digerí rápidamente la información y me acerqué al mismo camarero, que parecía completamente relajado acerca de toda la situación, asegurando que entré en el local antes de las 15:00 h y que me senté de inmediato sin que me avisaran que la cocina ya estaba cerrada (un muy extraña decisión del camarero, por decir lo menos). También le hice notar cortésmente que eran las 3 y 15: 00 hy que, presumiblemente, en la cocina había un personal formado por humanos hábiles con intereses creados en este exitoso negocio (no máquinas programadas para dejar sus sartenes a los 15: 00 h en punto), insinuando el hecho de que "tal vez" podría hacerse una excepción a las reglas militaristas que a menudo afectan a los restaurantes de Londres si hubiera tratado de consultar con ellos. Lo peor que pudo haber pasado fue que el chef decidiera que era demasiado tarde para él / ella. El camarero ni siquiera lo intentó. No es que mereciera una excepción por ser especial o algo así, sino más bien usar mi sentido común originado en mi infancia al crecer en un negocio familiar de restaurantes en Italia, un cliente tardío (no ridículamente tardío) siempre significa: (1) negocio adicional para el restaurante y (2) sin duda un cliente feliz o muy feliz que se alegra de haber sido atendido. En Esters, parece que el negocio ya es demasiado bueno para hacer excepciones, pero lo que ciertamente no es bueno es (1) invitarme a sentarme y decirme más tarde "lo siento, la cocina está cerrada" mientras el chef está en el bar intercambiando bromas con el personal y (2) no expresando (o incluso pretendiendo) algún tipo de disculpa cuando salí de las instalaciones (error número 3). Resultado de toda la historia: un cliente "podría haber sido" que se fue con las manos vacías, pero ciertamente no estaba interesado en volver a Esters, una oportunidad perdida de agregar 40/50 al ingreso diario (Esters no lo necesita, lo sabemos) y un revisión negativa Solo porque un camarero y un cliente tenían una opinión diferente sobre lo que significa "hora de cierre" o, en realidad, una opinión completamente opuesta sobre lo que realmente significa estar en el negocio de la hospitalidad.

Nice little backstreet cafe, very friendly staff and the food is great

Let's start with a definition taken from Wikipedia: Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers Excited for my 1st visit at one of my neighborhood hot spots for brunch (4.6 avg score out of 239 reviews), I instead find myself here writing a review about Ester's (lack of) hospitality in its true meaning as I didn't even manage to try the food nor drink one of their coffees. Entered the premises at 14:57 and was immediately seated by one of their staff members at a table but no menu was given (error number 1). I said I'd sit down and check the menu while waiting for my friend, only a few mins away. At 15:03 I asked for menus and the waiter said: "Oh sorry, the kitchen closes at 15:00h...my apologies for not saying that when I gave you the table" (error number 2).I rapidly digested the info and approached the same waiter, who seemed completely relaxed about the whole situation, making my point that I actually entered the premises before 15:00h and was seated immediately without being notified about the kitchen being already shut (a very odd decision by the waiter, to say the least). I also made him politely notice that it was 3' past 15:00h and that, presumably, in the kitchen there was a staff made of skillful humans with vested interests in this successful business (not machines programmed to drop their pans at 15:00h sharp), hinting at the fact that "perhaps" an exception to the militaristic rules that often affect London's restaurants, could be made had he tried to check with them. Worst thing that could have happened was the chef's deciding it was too late for him/her. The waiter did not even try.Not that I deserved an exception for being special or anything, but rather using my common sense originated from my childhood growing up in a family-owned restaurant business in Italy, late (not ridiculously late) customer always means: (1) additional business for the restaurant and (2) most certainly a happy or very happy customer leaving grateful for being served. At Esters, it seems business is already too good to make any exceptions but what is certainly not good is (1) inviting me to seat and telling me later "sorry, the kitchen is closed" while the chef is out at the bar exchanging jokes with the staff and (2) not expressing (or even pretending it) some sort of apology when I left the premises (error number 3).Result of the whole story: a "could have been" customer leaving empty handed but certainly not keen in coming back to Esters, a missed opportunity to add 40/50£ to the daily income (Esters does not need that, we know) and a negative review. Only because a waiter and customer had a different view on what "closing time" means or, in reality, a completely opposite view on what being in the Hospitality business really means.

Coffee is average here, and food’s on the pricey side/small portions. The banana date sesame cake was good.

Everything is delicious from menu dishes to cakes to bread, you’d be mad not to go. Amazing value for money given quality of the food

Wow. Simply wow! I didn’t think breakfast could be that beautiful. Both, looking at it and tasting it. The prices are steep, yes. But it’s totally worth it!! I absolutely recommend the wait even though it was chilly outside. Would actually even wait an hour 😂