Open Kitchen in Hackney

Could not fault the service or the food. Absolutely delicious and served with a smile from friendly staff and students. We were running late and changed our drinks order more than once! but nothing was too much trouble. Will definitely be back again.

I came to OKN1 with my family last night. The service was amazing, everyone was so polite. The food was very delicious. I got to try a new cocktail called the Grasshopper which was fantastic, I was even able to go to the bar and see how it was made. Regarding the food it is an open kitchen which was lovely to see all the talented chefs prepare such delicious meals. I really recommend coming here as it’s very good and to support the new generation of chefs.

Keep away from this restaurant. Awful service with a manager totally incapable of providing customer service. Had booked a week in advance and messed up reservation. Atmosphere was really dull - pretty empty when visited while it was peak time for dinner. The place is run by students - more of a student accommodation food hall environment.

The staff are lovely and we had a lovely lunch experience but the food was a little hit and miss. The starters - a grilled broccoli dish with new potatoes and a piquant sauce - were delicious. The mains weren’t so good. The coq au vin was served with mash and ciabatta which made it quite heavy, and was more like a chicken casserole, and both this and the cod risotto were quite over-seasoned and salty. The cod was good though and all meals are beautifully presented. All in all, a lovely experience but the food was a bit hit and miss.

Visited London for an event, travelled down from Sunderland. What an amazing find. Restaurant ran by the students. I was blown away by the quality of food and drink. The students serving us had outstanding confidence and manners. Huge well done to all but an extra well done to Lexi and Tom who were level 1 students volunteering to do a shift, such professionals. The industry is in safe hands with these student they are the future of catering and hospitality

Have to say the food was absolutely delicious and everyone from waiters to chef, cooks etc made us feel so welcome

I had a fantastic meal at OKN1 and the people who served me were so kind and so polite I would highly recommend this Lunch at OKN1 it is a fantastic place to order lunch if you have any dietary requireme1 restaurant will provide you with the OKN1

Many restaurants had to close during the Covid pandemic, so I was pleased to see that a favourite place has re-opened. Five years ago I reviewed OKN1 or Open Kitchen as it was then called, and I have to report it is even better now. It is part of the New City College's School of Hospitality and Catering Arts, training young would-be chefs, waiters, bar staff, managers and catering assistants. The results are fantastic. One of our recent visits found us enjoying excellent leek and lentil soups, Chicken cordon bleu and Beef rendang, all well cooked and nicely presented. Another visit offered very fine Miso & ginger braised pork belly, without a hint of the usual fattiness of this dish. The Grilled butterflied poussin was also a treat. All dishes come with vegetables or rice and salad. Other options we noted were a Breaded plaice sandwich, Thai poached salmon, Confit duck leg and a Vegan mushroom bourguignon. Desserts might include a rich Chocolate fondant, a vegan Coconut mango rice pudding, Orange tart or an Exotic fruit salad. As well as offering some great and imaginative cooking, the prices for the Tuesday to Friday lunches are ridiculously reasonable with starters and desserts at £3.50 and main meals just £6. Evening meals on Thursday and Friday are a little dearer but still good value. The cooking is excellent and the waiting staff are learning the ropes with enthusiasm, so everybody deserves to be congratulated and encouraged as they will be the catering successes of the future. Highly recommended.

A restaurant run by students sounds like a recipe for disaster but how wrong I was. The service and food was better than a lot of other places I have visited. I would say give it a visit and be amazed by the talent of these students.

Where to start Attentive staff, great food and a lovely experience Starters of Arancini and prawns and burrata were simple and full of flavour. Mains were gnocchi and striploin. Both beautifully presented and tasty. All accompanied with a delicious Italian red, Brunito Rossi Toscana. This is part of Hackney College, bringing through trainee restaurant staff. Come on down for a great food experience

Was really behind the philosophy of OKN1 and supporting student chefs. I thought they may be experimental with flavours or techniques - sometimes you can appreciate creativity over delivery - but this wasn’t interesting or tasty. The cauliflower dish lacked all flavour and the ‘roasted seasonal veg’ consisted of canned peas and courgette - watery and mushy.

this is a college restaurant staffed by trainees and students small menu open kitchen all cooked fresh great open restaurant good service we had mushroom bourguignion with mash , chicken kiev poached egg and skin on chips really good and a couple of carafes of house wine would definitely go back reasonably priced a great find

On what is becoming an annual event four of us who live In London meet a couple who come up to London from Cornwall for a few days. We are all long term friends so it is a catch up and we vary the location. Having read a review in a newspaper we decided to give this establishment a try. It proved to be perfect for us as it was not busy on the night we came. This is probably because it was a really horrible wet cold night and perhaps people are currently getting a little scared of going out. For us however it was great. the room is nicely appointed and attractive and you can see what you are going to get to eat being prepared in the "Open Kitchen". For starters four of us had the beetroot carpaccio and two had the leek and potato soup all of which tasted good. For main courses two had Chicken Kiev, two had grilled fish and two fish stew. All of these dishes also tasted very good and the side orders of hand cut chips were as good as any of us have ever had. It is a minor complaint that the plates could have been warmer. We also all enjoyed quite a lot of wine with our meal. It has to be taken on board that this is a training establishment and people are learning but all of the waiting staff were charming and friendly. It should be noted that payment is by card only. Our food was very reasonably priced. Our wine consumption did push up the bill but that can be managed and all in all it was a very good evening. We intend to visit again on a more clement night.

Utterly amazing. We went here for our work Christmas meal but I would highly recommend this place to any business looking for a good place to take their whole team for a great meal. The staff are learning but the food is expert and the people warm and the menu varied and delicious. Very very impressed. Keep up the good work you legendary trainee cooks and any foodies out there this place is worth a trip!

Another visit, another great meal! Superb quality of food. The Stilton, kale and squash starter I had was delicious- as was the sea bass main. My friends had the beetroot carpaccio and ham hock pate to start and the signature marmite Kiev for mains. All dishes were beautifully presented and tasted amazing. Puddings rounded it off - my poached pear was exceptional. Service was friendly and added to the great evening.

Had a very nice evening tonight - food was tasty (particularly the butternut squash and Stilton starter, and the cauliflower and caper side), good value (£35 for 3 courses and half a bottle of wine). Also the staff were really lovely and seemed genuinely thrilled we enjoyed ourselves - a lovely evening! Also, excellent portion sizes....

I’ve walked passed this restaurant many times on the way to work and wondered what it was like. Decided to visit in an evening as was staying close to it. So glad I did. The welcome was wonderful. There were groups eating and clearly enjoying their evening. The menu had a good choice and when the food came it was superbly cooked, hot and very nicely presented. The team are eager to please and know about service. The open kitchen allows you to see the trainee chefs and experienced ones at work. The team spirit was excellent. Full marks and this definitely goes towards the top of my restaurant list. Will most certainly return.

Visited with a friend for lunch. A very large area and unfortunately we were the only people in the restaurant. However the welcome was very warm. The lunch menu was bit limite but am sure it might be more of an evening venue. The food I had was very nice with a good bottle of Wine I think maybe the Students could do with a little more hands on tuition as our server seem to struggle a bit. However well worth another visit.

Al pasar por Londres, elegí encontrarme con un amigo para almorzar. Hay mucho que recomendar, no hay problema con nuestra visita un poco demorada (trenes) y una cálida bienvenida. La comida era agradable y bien preparada, aunque un menú bastante limitado para la hora del almuerzo. El servicio fue un poco irregular. Nuestro servidor parecía un poco vago, no sabía cuál era la sopa del día, y cuando pedimos un "lado como entrante" todavía lo trajo con los platos principales. Los puntos positivos fueron la luz, el ambiente abierto, la buena relación calidad-precio, la buena selección (y calidad) de vino, el ambiente relajado y la mejor tarta de pistacho que he probado. ¡Síguelo!

Visité con un grupo de amigos y lo pasamos muy bien. La camarera fue amable y eficiente y el personal del bar era muy profesional. Excelente comida, muy bien presentada. El pollo marmita Kiev fue un giro realmente innovador en el clásico, pero el plato más destacado de la noche fue el pastel de venado. Realmente rico y delicioso! El pudín incluía peras escalfadas, pasteles caseros y helados que terminaron con una comida fantástica. Los vinos son muy buenos, el Gavi fue particularmente bueno. A un precio muy razonable también. Definitivamente lo recomiendo.

Visitamos aquí el 8 de noviembre y teníamos una mesa de 10, con vistas a la cocina abierta.El servicio fue realmente bueno con un personal amable y alegre que realmente disfruta servirle.Todos teníamos diferentes artículos del menú y aparecieron juntos, perfectamente cocinados y muy calientes, lo cual es una rareza para restaurantes con personal totalmente calificado / experimentado.El vino, los cócteles y las bebidas se sirvieron bien y sin esperar un servicio que siempre me agrada.Estos estudiantes realmente son el futuro de nuestra industria hotelera y si algunos de nuestros restauradores sacaran una hoja de su libro, no dudo que sus ganancias aumentarían.Sigan con el buen trabajo y no tengo dudas en poco tiempo este lugar tendrá una lista de espera para reservas.

Teníamos tres opciones diferentes (pollo, salmón y risotto) junto con acompañamientos y cócteles. Toda la comida estaba cocinada a la perfección, abundante y bien presentada. No pudimos resistir el postre y nuevamente optamos por tres platos diferentes y no nos decepcionó (¡la tarta del día fue particularmente increíble y una porción lo suficientemente grande como para que los acompañantes puedan probarla!). Una magnífica cena por menos de 25 por cabeza, ¿qué más se puede pedir?

Pedí un sándwich de pescado que era muy sabroso, aún más con ketchup. Tenía un poco de helado de chocolate vegano que también disfruté. El lugar no estaba lleno, así que el personal era muy atento que era agradable. Mi servidor Mirat fue super. Un buen lugar para comer con un ambiente agradable, ¡aunque realmente deberían hacer chocolate caliente si hacen café!

Almorzamos en la cocina abierta, Club Road, Cunoor en 20 octubre, 2017. Es un pequeño eartery, con aproximadamente 20 personas a la vez. Su servicio es bueno y sólo tuvimos chilicheese pizzas vegetarianas y tostadas y estaban deliciosos.

A unique experience, a limited menu but some high quality cooking, excellent presentation and food to delight the palate. The meal was exceptional value for money. The service was delivered with a smile and enthusiasm resulting in an enjoyable evening for all. I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant and many thanks to the skilful students who train at this college.

Como empresa, queremos apoyar este restaurante porque ofrece oportunidades a los jóvenes que se están capacitando en catering y es local. Pero, para ser sinceros, también busca excelente comida y ambiente a precios asequibles. Este lugar no defrauda. Teníamos un grupo fabuloso privado para unos 30 huéspedes durante el verano. Mi jefe me gustó tanto, que ha pedido para convertirse en un evento anual - - Aquí está la esperanza de que puedan acomodar!

Lo maravilloso que es este sitio, comida, servida y parece sabe como restaurantes de primera. Bien hecho a todos los que allí, va fantástico. Lo que es más, los precios! ! ! £7 por principales £4 entrantes y postres, además puedes aparcar 5 minutos después 6. 30:00 h. También tiene un área para comer fuera. No puedo esperar a volver

Reservamos en una oferta, creo que fue una cena, para livingsocial Jueves a finales de junio, en £11 cada uno por dos campos, que incluye una botella de vino para compartir.

I have many, many words to describe our experience here. They all start with G, end with D and have two Os in the middle.

Excellent food and service. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would happily eat there again when we are next in the vicinity.

Llevé a mi esposa a la cocina abierta para su almuerzo de cumpleaños y quedé muy impresionado por el servicio y la calidad de la comida de allí. De hecho, diría que este lugar tiene un servicio mejor que la mayoría de los restaurantes en los que he estado, y aunque en opciones en el menú son limitados (unos 4 - 5 opciones por supuesto), el atún (medio raro) principal que tuve fue cocinado a la perfección y un sabor delicioso.

La cocina abierta está el restaurante de capacitación para estudiantes en Hackney , catering Community College. Está metido en la calle entre la antigua calle de Hoxton y Shoreditch, pero sin duda vale la pena buscar para que sin duda es una delicia profesional que pondría a muchos restaurantes establecidos. Está en una habitación grande con espacio para comer fuera en la terraza durante el buen tiempo. El menú corto tiene algunos excelentes platos como el de Turquía Asiática Picnic entrante ensalada satay, Turquía, Turquía bhaji, y espinacas y menta poppadoms chutney - todo muy sabroso, como son las gambas gratinadas con limón y azafrán, judías verdes y radicchio. Platos principales de picante de cordero y la cadera filete asado de cerdo son especialmente buenas. Adictos al chocolate le encantará la esponja con crema Chantilly, capas cerezas jubilee y chocolate ganache, aunque el Strawberry bavarois también es un ganador. Volveremos para el atún y el asado con helado de vinagre de ciruelas y quebradiza. Que podría culpar cuando una comida de tres platos es de sólo 15 libras. Altamente recomendado y buena suerte a estos estudiantes de gran talento. P. S. también hay un buen vino y a un precio razonable y carta de cócteles.

Nos fuimos para la cena en la cocina abierta Hoxton anoche. Todo era de primera categoría, como por nuestra visita anterior y la comida era incluso mejor. 10 / 10 para todos los cursos. Recomiendo encarecidamente este restaurante para una comida de calidad y un ambiente muy relajado y agradable.

This is definitely a little hidden gem in Hoxton. Whilst I knew it was a training school for catering and hospitality I was very impressed with the standard of food cooked by the students. For starters we had Crispy duck & watercress salad, sesame toast, oriental dressing - the presentation was excellent and the fusion of flavours was superb. For main I had the Roast corn-fed poussin, buttered spring greens, pomme puree, white wine tarragon jus, game chips and my husband had Slowly braised leg of lamb, delmonico potatoes, new season asparagus, rosemary jus. The presentation was excellent and the flavours were delicious. Of course I had to finish with the dessert of Chocolate tart, chocolate & orange mousse drizzled with burnt orange sauce - well what can I say except yummy yummy. I will definitely recommend this place because the food is good and you can see that great effort it being made by the students to attain a good standard of hospitality. The décor is pleasant. I would definitely recommend this place and would certainly go back for another delightful meal.

Wow, what an amazing little find - the food was amazing and worthy of any top named restaurant. The flavours and freshness were divine, prices were amazingly cheap and yes, the decor is a little stark but the friendliness and excellent service make this a place to come back to again and again

Great experience dining at Open Kitchen. Warmly greeted and attended to. Delicious food. Smiles all around

I knew this was a training kitchen for Hackney Community College students doing hospitality courses. But I wasn't expecting the food to be of such high standard. We were very impressed.The scallops were cooked to perfection and the chicken Ballotine was skillfully done.For main courses, we had the duck, which was delicious and every bit as good as in other "normal" restaurants. The beef bourguignon was a drier version than we were used to but had a rich taste and complemented well by the dauphinoise potatoes.The desserts were well put together and had lovely flavours.The waiter student was very helpful and was eager to do a good job. A few rough edges to file down, but overall, perfectly adequate.The price charged for a 3-course meal was an absolute bargain. This place should be full every evening it is open (Wed - Fri). Their menu changes periodically, so it's worth going back every so often to support the students.

So to put in context this is the restaurant attached to a hospitality training college so no linen table cloths but WOW :) the food and the service is so lovely, you can't go wrong. We (friend and I) had croquettes and pasta to start and pork belly and risotto for main, both bloody amazing! The food was better than I've had at much fancier places- the chefs here are definitely on their way to expensive places , and the staff serving - although on their very first shift were very sweet and couldn't do enough for you.If you want a yummy meal for not much money and to meet some lovely people this is the place to be :) can't wait to go back!

Lovely venue, really attentive staff, pleasant and professional. Had a two person voucher and my friend had a last minute emergency. I went alone and felt very comfortable and attended to. The food was really well prepared, and the presentation was 10/10 in all courses. I was impressed and enjoyed each course, it was a perfect Thursday

What an absolute delight this restaurant is.From the service, to the food and to the general super relaxed and unstuffy vibe. Right from the first moment we arrived it was a very warm welcome and they couldn't do enough for us. I have already recommended to my friends and work colleagues. Well done to you all.

Have been several times and have never been let down, amazing food. There is nothing on the menu that is ever less than excellent. The prices are ridiculously low, you would easily pay two to three times as much in other places in nearby Islington or Shoreditch. Don't be put off by the ambience, the food is great, as are the selection of wines and cocktails.The staff, who are all in training, sometimes get it wrong but they are trying really hard and usually succeeding. Give it a try, you shan't be disappointed!

We have visited this smart and modern restaurant on many occasions. We have Food has always been delicious and the students/staff always offer a friendly yet very professional service. It provides a fantastic opportunity for the students to train and hone their catering and front of house skills. The service has not always been the quickest; at times you may have to wait a while but it is a training kitchen and it is quite nice to be able to sit back and relax in a very enjoyable atmosphere. Prices are very reasonable for the standard of cuisine and it's location on the edge of Shoreditch and Hoxton. Well worth a visit.

My friends and I have been to Open Kitchen on numerous occasions, and keep going back for the experience. The set up is, of course, basic, given it part of Hackney Training college, but the staff do their best to give you the Silver Service experience. Given the prices and the fact the chefs are in training, the food has always been excellent and the menu varied. Good value for wine and beer too. We will be back.

Wrote to the head office never got an answer. Expensive with poor atmosphere and a manager running around screaming "runners needed" something I would not even expect from a greasy spoon. We won't be back

Food quality was really excellent, the service was friendly and attentive, the atmosphere was very relaxed, and the pricing is outstanding value. Was great to see youngsters being given a chance to show what they can do, learning the trade....and to be served by people who really cared about what they were doing.Great concept, will be visiting again :)

This training restaurant provides excellent fresh cooked food of gastronomic standards at superb value. Three courses and a good Beaujolais cost £20 a head. Beat that! I don't believe you can.

This was our second visit to this training restaurant( part of Hackney Community College) even though it was some months since our first visit our waitress recognised us which was pleasing.the menu had an interesting mix and we each chose different dish,I had sea bream which was delicious and Chuck had curry goat which he raved over.Starters and deserts were excellent.The service was good an the complete package was an absolute bargain

Saw a Wowcher for this restaurant last week, which I purchased. After several attempts to book using the phone number on the voucher I managed to get through yesterday morning and requested a table for Thursday evening. Was told I had to use their on line booking form. This requested my details and also the voucher number. Got a return email early that evening saying there was a provisional booking, email quoted my voucher no, however, this could not be confirmed until I sent a pdf of the voucher. Tried to call to explain I was not sure how to do this, but also have no idea why this was necessary as they had already quoted the voucher no the provisional booking! Again, no one answered the phone, so I emailed them to this effect. Got an automated reply to say no one was availale to answer the email until Wednesday morning. At this point I decided it was all too much bother, cancelled my voucher and requested a Wowcher credit. Have used restaurant vouchers from various sites many times, but never had an experience like this. I hope others are luckier using their vouchers and have an enjoyable meal.

We liked this place. The restaurant itself is light and airy with modern simple decor, and the staff, as expected in a venue where everyone is in training to be a catering professional, were very polite friendly and helpful. Service was prompt, efficient but not overbearing. It's probably not worth going into detail on the food as I think the menu changes frequently, but we thoroughly enjoyed what we had, and although the selection is quite limited (just 4 starters and 4 mains), I would say there's enough variety to suit most tastes. There is also a good wine list. The prices are extremely reasonable and overall I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a visit here. Be warned though, the keen prices, good food and relatively small number of covers mean you'll probably have to book at least a week in advance.

I found the menu limited and opted for the vegetarian dishes as I do not eat pork or fish. The vegetable soup starter was excellent. The bread was nice too. We both found the main dishes (salmon pasta and veg lasagna) to be bland. The desserts were alright. I had crem brulee. It was good. The staff were friendly enough and are in training as part of hoxton community. If they had better mains, I would go again as March's menu didn't inspire me.

I attended a cookery class for Jamaican food back in February. I got a voucher of groupon an it was an amazing experience for less than £30! The kitchens were highly professional and all ingredients were provided. Had a great time cooking and eating after as a group. Only issue (slight issue) was that the class moved a bit slow for my ability, but there were some beginners to cooking in the class so it is expected. I would have also liked to cut and prepare all ingredients from scratch as this is part of the learning experience (e.g. garlic was already chopped for us) but I get this was probably in the interest of saving time. Overall I would highly recommend and I'm currently booking for a middle eastern class!

Friends and I went for lunch today,3 courses and a drink £19:00 with a voucher. Bright and airy surroundings ,very pleasant and helpful staff.An excellent wine list. We all enjoyed our starters our main courses were full of flavour but could have been hotter. Overall a very good meal and a delicious English wine.We will certainly go back even without a voucher it's it represents exceptional value.

I don't think I would have found this place had it not been for the Groupon deal as the restaurant is the training school for bar, waiting and kitchen staff, so assume it doesn't have the same marketing as more established restaurants. Even without the voucher, prices are a steal at less than £5 for a starter, £10 for a main and £5 for dessert, drink prices are also very reasonable. The options for the three courses were well thought out and delicious and service was very good. The servings were substantial. You need to check the website to see when they're open, as often have training days/evenings, and need to book as does get busy. Recommended.

Went here for dinner - had a groupon deal and we both had scallops to start, I had the pork and my boyfriend had the fish. The scallops were well cooked and very tasty; my pork was delicious and the fish was also really good. The staff were very friendly. The only 2 things that let it down a fraction was that our dessert was not as good as it could have been and we did have to wait a while for our drinks (for which the waiter apologised), however neither of these slight issues would put us off going back and I would recommend this place. It's somewhere different and I think a great way to help students and the community.

Just enjoyed scallops and pork chops @ Open Kitchen total came to £15.15 including a coke. Yummy scallops and tasty pork chops and was I still hungry after that? I came for the concept - they help the local community with cooking classes - what I discovered was a place I'd enjoy visiting again. See first few pics of the food I ate - you can expect the same, good service and a comfortable place to eat.