The Counter Cafe in Tower Hamlets

我們在電影院之前參觀過。我有一個peri peri包裹。這是一個完整的雞胸肉包裹。太可愛了。我的兒子有一個習慣漢堡，他喜歡它。服務很好。我們對焦炭草案有一個小問題，它嘗起來很奇怪。這被立即糾正，我們得到了瓶子。高效的服務和食物滾燙。價格也合理。我們將回來。

Nice day so sitting outside overlooking a canal was pleasant. Service was very slow. Payment when ordering seemed odd. Agree with those who've said it's expensive for a cafe - particularly for the area.

One of the best bacon baps I've ever had. Good spot by the river for brunch if you're in the area. Been several times since.

Visitamos antes del cine. Tuve una envoltura peri peri. Era una pechuga de pollo llena en la envoltura. Fue encantador. Mi hijo tenía una hamburguesa personalizada, a él le encantaba. El servicio fue bueno. Tuvimos un pequeño problema con el coque de barril, sabía extraño. Esto fue rectificado de inmediato, nos dieron botellas. Servicio eficiente y comida caliente. Precios razonables también Volveremos.

Came on a Sunday for a drink. Firstly they served us a half pint in a non-standard glass. When I highlighted this they apologised and asked if I wanted a plastic pint glass filled to half a pint to which I agreed, very dodgy! Had a lager as well which I had to wait 10 minutes for as the had to change the barrel. Unfortunately it was not with the wait as it was served tepid which is not what you want on a hot summers day! Excellent setting though!

Volvimos para el brunch de los domingos. Era tranquilo alrededor de las once de la mañana, que debería haber sido una señal de aviso.Pedí el pescado ahumado benedict, mi mujer pidió el plato de calabaza y kale.Eran las pintadas de arenques teñidos - izquierda/tipo de retrogusto amargo desprenden. Los huevos eran los 60 TIPO C - que no funciona para un benedict (y yo soy un defensor de huevos vide sous-hecho a la derecha), y una de las yemas ya estaba reventón para mí. La magdalena inglés tenía la dulzura que viene de pan del supermercado. Este coste de 10 libras sobre plato. . . Fue terrible.La cosa era reir pequeña calabaza kale. Básicamente una calabaza con "focaccia", que no era nada de eso. Fue servido con un desastre de kale, y Frito servido en lo alto de una splodge de lodos grises. Miseria. Costó menos de 10 libras.Todo, hubiera preferido comprar un croissant de tescos y comido en la lluvia.Nos hubiera gustado haber enviado reflexionar sobre la comida de vuelta. . Ni idea de por qué no, quizás estábamos un poco usada. Otras personas estaban enviando la comida de vuelta alrededor de nosotros.El personal era amable y café decente, pero eso es todo lo que tiene de positivo.

Delicious dishes, good coffee, great atmosphere and nice view next to the canal. The service could be a bit more friendly but still OK. It's also a bit expensive compared to other places in Hackney wick.

Café sin pretensiones en un entorno encantador junto al canal. El menú es sucinta y considerado, completamente justo para el lugar. La terraza exterior está un poco terceto errante, pero todos los atractivos de la zona. Personal amable y servicial y un encantador lugar para almorzar en un día soleado. Perro muy amable, lo que es una ventaja enorme.

Cute brunch spot with nice seating next to the canal. Great in all weathers. Check out their current exhibitions too

Si lo que quieres es peculiar, entonces esto es para ti. Está situado en una galería de arte, que es apropiado; han tomado los rasgos de un restaurante normal, derribada y tirado atrás en el lienzo sin un orden determinado. Por ejemplo, en un restaurante, café normal pedir su comida, pagar por él y se lo llevan a usted. En este caso, no trae tu comida, pero entonces no lo trae después de una solicitud de 45 minutos y también le dará su dinero de vuelta. Todo el personal parece que vivimos en una comuna hippie, pero se han congelado en el tiempo por más de 50 años y han sido reanimated a servir en un restaurante. Hay una persona muy amablemente pedidos, parece que dos de cocina y un millón. El menú parece ser vegetariano con algunas salchichas y bacon. Todo es perfecto para los fanáticos de volver al futuro y, en general, una experiencia interesante.

En un lugar tan bonito por el canal en Hackney , Wick. Tuve el especial que fue huevos fritos con guisantes puré con nata en masa fermentada con un limón vestidor, realmente lindo. El café era muy bueno también, calificados de arte y gran cata de café con leche. No es especialmente barato, pero los precios que puede esperar de este tipo de lugar y la calidad es muy buena. El personal amable y acogedor, lo recomiendo!

Fuimos allí el sábado por la mañana a tomar el desayuno. El tiempo fue genial, así que muchas personas estaban sentados afuera en la terraza. Teníamos tortitas y huevos escalfados, que eran estupendos. Es un poco caro para ser tan remoto. Pero disfrutamos completamente de venir aquí. Es un ambiente agradable que invita a quedarse y navegar a través de la galería y libros!

Fuimos allí para el desayuno el domingo. Personal muy amable, que obviamente estaban muy apasionado acerca de su comida y donde se cultivan. Todo es casero, y una buena elección ofrecidas. . Todos teníamos cosas diferentes para el sábado y todo estaba delicioso. La ricotta bizcochos calientes con crema de limón y compota de ruibarbo son increíbles. Una pena que no la habitación dejaba para probar los pasteles! Precioso para sentarse afuera en el pontón flotante y ver el mundo pasar.

The breakfast here is great, I have always loved the atmosphere, the food, the people, the positioning a stones throw from the olympic stadium and a not too long a walk from victoria park this place is well worth a visit high recommended

Food is a little greasy here. Busy place, hard to find a table on a weekend morning. Lovely views of the west ham stadium just across the river stream flowing by the restaurant. :)

The food is pretty good here, it does get busy and would advise to avoid the mid morning rush.I find the food a tad pricy but it is good for what it is, and if you can bag a seat on the jetty it's even better.

Si vous évitez le café vraiment mauvais qu'il soit filtre ou espresso, les petits déjeuner variés sont bons et le lieu très agréable surtout quand la terrasse est encore praticable et qu'on se retrouve au bord de l'eau.

It's a very popular weekend brunch cafe. There was a long queue but enough seating. The food took a while to arrive as did drinks and both were cold when they did. It's a unique spot and lovely on a sunny day.

Stopped for brunch and was lucky enough to grab a water side table. Opted for the Counter (veggie) breakfast one regular breakfast. The breakfasts were delicious (not had chilli beans, potatoes and avocado on a breakfast before!), but both breakfasts were delivered about 5 minutes apart and were not particularly hot when they arrived!However, obviously a very popular venue, and the French toast with berries looked gorgeous. Not particularly cheap, but I guess that's the location for you!Friendly staff.

It's not the most clean place you have been but the food is good and the deck on the river gives you a peaceful time.

Came here for breakfast during the week and sat on the lovely jetty. We had pancakes and granola which was delicious. Will definitely return to try more of the menu.

Counter is only open usually for breakfast and lunch. If the sun is out there is no better place on Fish Island to have your morning coffee. Good coffee, simple honest food and mostly friendly staff.

This part of Hackney Wick is a bit of strange area, lots of old warehouses, building sites and derelict land, so not the sort of place you'd usually come and visit - although it's not far from the Olympic Park. But if you do end up here, this place is worth punt. It sits on the canal and has a quirky, floating pontoon outside seating area (as well as the indoor cafe). The people who run the place are enormously friendly and welcoming (including towards dogs), the menu is concise but everything I've ever eaten there has been delicious and the prices are fair. I'm happy to say it has been my local for the last 6 months, but I'm sure I'll be back, even now that I'm moving further away. Great insider tip.

All day breakfast on a floating terrace (or indoor, in an art-gallery like setting) , by the Regent's canal and with view on the Olympic stadium... Food is simple and reasonably priced, well cooked and filling, with choices (not many) for both meat eaters and vegetarians.Not sure you need much more on a sunny day in this beautiful, artistic area in East London..

Definitely recommended for those who enjoy alternative settings. This cafe is based in East London and it is partly on land and partly on an old canal boat/barge. It has an edgy and creative feel, the food is consistently good and the staff are friendly and chilled. Definitely recommended.

Simple but tasty brunch food, great coffee in a perfect location by the canal with the olympic stadium in the background. Good service and reasonable prices.Will certainly go back again when in London.

Came here with a group of friends on a Sunday lunch time. We'd decided to do brunch. You queue up to order and pay for food first then take your seat. That's the rule here. We all ordered breakfast type dishes. The location is very nice and we went and sat out side along the canal. The decor is rustic and almost feels like you're back in school in the 60's with metal wood old type chairs and tables. Pretty views outside. Our food came at different times and a friends food didn't arrive at all. She asked what happened and they couldn't figure it out. It sort of ruined our brunch really. The quality of food is ok, nothing to hype about. I had bagel with salmon and eggs benedict . A bit too expensive for what you get really. The staff are young, trendy looking and have this air of no care for customers. If this cafe wants to keep customers and locals coming back then they need to pull there socks up and train staff well enough to deliver good customer service with a smile. It doesn't take much really. I hope they fix up soon.

With the entrance hidden along the back of the canal in amongst the collection of industrial units that make up Fish Island, you'd be forgiven for completely missing this little gem in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium. Attached to the art gallery and studios 'Stour Space', 'Counter Cafe' is a lovely jumble of tables and chairs extending out onto a floating pontoon on the River Lee Navigation. Head there on a weekend morning and you'll be surrounded by trendy young mums and more beards than you can shake a stick at (mine included...) Their breakfasts are hearty but not stodgy and the coffee is not an afterthought. The last time I paid them a visit, I devoured their 'Turkish Eggs' (read Shakshuka), barely pausing for breath. It can become a bit of a tight squeeze on a busy morning, but staff are helpful and efficient, creating a lovely atmosphere. Worth hunting out.

We visited this cafe with the young branch of our English family.Very cool, hipster.like place. We had good coffee. Nice view of the canal.

Blessed by its location alongside the canal but it feels like they have taken this for granted. We went for breakfast, £10 for a full English is reasonable providing the quality is good however when it finally arrived it looked rushed an unappetising. My poached eggs were so overdone I might as well have ordered hard boiled. I couldn't work out if the bread was supposed to be toasted or not, either way it was soggy. The only positive was the spicy beans. My girlfriend and I both explained our disappointment when our plates were taken (separately, by two different staff members - the classic faux pas) but they each just gave us an awkward glance and didn't really look at all interested in making amends. Sometimes you catch places on an bad day and I can forgive that but if there is no sign of care that they have let you down, then why would I ever return. A classic case of hiring trendy looking staff without a consideration for providing quality service. It was like we were supposed to be grateful for being there.

Counter cafe is an amazing cafe! Perfect location, whether is cold, warm, raining or sunny. The food is pretty good but not exceptional. The brownies and hot chocolate are wonderful and so is the welcoming staff. I'd love to visit again!

We found The Counter Cafe on Google maps when planning our route from Stratford to Victoria Park and decided to take a slight detour to visit for breakfast. It was a wet and miserable morning and we were very wet by the time we arrived to find a really buzzing cafe full of people. We took this to be a good sign so joined the queue and found a table. We probably arrived at peak time, and the cafe was packed with tables in what can can only be described as a 'cosy' set up, but it had a lovely friendly ambience. We ordered the full English breakfast and Eggs Benedict with bacon, and had to wait a while, but that was fine as it was so busy. Both meals were very good and set us up for the day. I wish the weather had been better because then we would have been able to enjoy the cafe's great location on the canal more. We particularly liked that this felt like a local cafe that is well used by people living in the area and that it's in an arts centre where lots of great things seem to be happening, and also enjoyed exploring an area of London we don't know and walking along the Greenway and by the Hertford Union Canal. We would definitely come again.

Great birthday brunch last Sunday for my daughter. A relaxed atmosphere with great breakfast/brunch food which we all enjoyed round a huge table. I had the Vegetarian Deluxe which was very satisfying indeed with a perfect avocado, fresh sourdough toast & very fresh eggs. A fresh strawberry & banana juice to go with was delicious. The French toast looked amazing as did the Eggs Benedict with Salmon. The Counter Deluxe breakfast which some of the more hungry on our table ordered was devoured with gusto. We all had a great chilled Sunday morning here despite sitting inside instead of one of the outside tables right on the canal, due to the inclement weather. Definately the place to come for breakfast on a weekend or during the week to chill by the canal with an easy bite to eat.

Just had the best english breakfast in this part of the city! Very tastefull, good espresso and correct price!Would recommend

By a perfect dry sunny sunday, we have discoverded this place after a short biking trip on the regent canal, to have a brunch. Service was effective and nice , benedict's eggs perfectly controled, bean cooked with a touch of spicy and bread was as good as in french star restaurant ( I live in france). Last but not least a superb terrace served us a splendid view of the canal and the oympic parc with the stadium and the controversial arcelor mittal sculpture tower. I recommand this place.

The bar has a v nice terrace on the canal looking at the Olympic park. It is very quite during the week, but it is hard to find a table in the weekend. Good bar if you want to be at the centre of the hipster scene!

Art gallery downstairs, big queues but worth it. We went for breakfast and it was fancy hipster food but well done and delicious.

Really enjoyed my visit here. Probably helped by sitting outside in the unusually tropical sun! Food was tasty and coffee was delicious. Bit of a wait but it was very busy. Would deff go back, only thing slightly let it down was the pretty cheerless staff.

This Hackney cafe has been going way before the Olympic park came along- but since then it's gone from strength to strength. There's an art space and shared workspaces, as well as a great cafe serving excellent coffee, full breakfast, salads and lunches. Theres a little floating potion on the canal so you can eat afloat- perfect on a sunny day. There's an amazing view across the canal to the Olympic stadium and a new bridge across if you fancy a walk after eating. My dog loves it!

Got a vegetarian breakfast here on a Sunday morning. Managed to be seated on the decking beside the canal too-wobbles as it is floating on the water. Staff spilt on OJ over my breakfast but quickly replaced it. Fancy but tasty brekkie-included cucumber and apple-unusual but very good. Kind of pricey

This gem of a place comes up on FourSquare as one of the top 10 places for coffee. I made my way here after a long and tiring flight from Montreal. Landing at Heathrow T5, which is all the way in Zone 6, West of central London, I had to navigate my way over to Zone 3, East of Central London - Piccadilly Line to the Central Line to the overground and then walk some. It was all worth it. I was greeted by a nice young British girl who seemed politely curious about my accent.I started off with the veggie breakfast and, ofcourse, the latte - for which I was actually here. But hey, anything to get over the stuff they pass off as food in planes!Everything was awesome. The breakfast was a classic English breakfast, with eggs, Halloumi cheese, grilled tomatoes (not tomatoes but tomatoes ;D) baked beans and some homemade breakfast sauce. I ended up getting a latte to go on my way out.

This was my first visit with my daughter, her partner, and a couple of friends who had justdone the ParkRun at Hackney Marshes on a freezing sleety sunday morning.......as I was down for the weekend from north Yorkshire, this was a whole new experience for me! They are obviously regular visitors, and I can see why... lovely coffee, french toast with berries, carrot and ginger juice, they had eggs benedict. Sitting at wooden benches, there is the Olympic stadium right outside!Would certainly want to visit again next time I'm in London.

My boyfriend and I traveled for about hours to get to The Counter Cafe on Thursday the 26th of November. We have been going there for the past 3 years and it has always been excellent, the coffee was perfect, the atmosphere was pleasant and the food was perfect, we always had the Big Breakfast with was a different take on the traditional English Breakfast. I am writing the word 'was' a lot.As we walked in I noticed the Big Breakfast was gone from the menu and was replaced by the 'Deluxe". We though that was fine and asked what was in dish was composed of.The guy serving us was so switched off. I swear he was high on something. At first he said he had no idea and didn't bother asking someone else. Then told me it had chickpeas (witch tuned out to be a slight sprinkle of them). He then walked off and a girl came over. She was a bit more helpful but wasn't sure about the contents of the 'Deluxe'.We ended up ordering two 'Deluxe' Breakfasts, one flat white and a latte.The food arrived within minutes, way before the coffees.It was a bit greasy due to the Chorizo sausages and the mushrooms were stone cold.The food was bellow what I would expect from The Counter Caffe.My boyfriend asked for some salt and the guy gave him a small white bowl.There was salt in there, and a load of other stuff. The side of the bowl was covered in what believe was some sort of tomato sauce. Not the standard expected from a place that serves food. We asked for another salt container as that one was dirty and had other stuff in it and the guy just comes to the table and says: -There is no crap in there!It was a very different experience, we won't be going back there.I hope who ever is in charge of that place takes look at the people that work there.Misha.

I might be a local, but this cafe is definitely is worth taking a trip for. Best coffee in the area, very freshly squeezed orange juice and a posh fry-up or bacon and avocado on sour-dough. In summer you can sit on the jetty over the canal and watch the ducks, with full view of the Olympic stadium. The service is good, but sometimes on the side of too-cool to smile (such is Hackney Wick!).

Immaginate una struttura stile warehouse, completamente riadattata alle nuove esigenze. Piano terra, un secondo piano con finestroni che danno direttamente sul fiume e questa terrazza galleggiante anch'essa sul fiume. Appena entrate troverete il menù sulla vostra destra. Se sarete fortunati sedetevi in terrazza, la tranquillità di una domenica mattina sul fiume senza turisti e con il sole non ha prezzo. Se non vi piacciono le cose troppo zuccherate evitate i pancake fritti.

The Counter Cafe is a hidden gem with great food and a gorgeous view of the Olympic Stadium. The food is fantastic - they use healthy organic raw ingredients and their full English with homemade tomato sauce is just the thing for a hangover. It's very close to Hackney Wick Overground but it does take a bit of finding - it won't be signposted as it is housed within Stour Space.

Great walk along the canal side on a foggy sunday morning and ended up at the counter cafe for brunch. Great eggs benedicts and a glass of prosecco. The cafe accepts cards (not amex), 2 eggs bene, a coffee and a glass of Prosecco, £25. Queues can seem long but dissipate quite fasts.When weather is nice possibility to eat outside. Peaceful atmosphere

We always joke about this place being hipster central - I mean it is in Hackney, on a floating pontoon and everything comes with avocado, but that doesn't mean it's not great. No matter how hung-over you are (and for some reason whenever I go there we always seem to be) there's always something that tempts you into eating, and it probably tastes awesome. The tap water jugs with either lemon, cucumber or mint flavouring them are a nice touch, and discovering that they now sell the relish to take away... Only complaint would be that service is sometimes slow and the queues can be pretty massive. But you just use that as an excuse to eat a croissant whilst you wait for your main food to come.

Relaxing spot to enjoy the canal and a good contrast to QE park nearby. Tasty salad, pie and eggs Benedict. Friendly staff.

Terraza encantadora en un estrecho muelle sobre el canal. Para disfrutar del sol y de buena comida. El bizcocho de plátanos y nueces exquisito y los huevos benedict con salmón para chuparse los dedos. Pero... necesitarás paciencia porque el servicio es lento y desorganizado. Te traen antes la comida que la bebida (5 minutos de espera). Cuando te traen la bebida (da igual fría o infusiones) ya te has terminado el plato. Muy concurrido los fines de semana, no siempre encontrarás mesa en la terraza. Si vas en plan relax, puedes disfrutar de una buena mañana con un brunch delicioso. tendrían que revisar la organización del servicio de mesas. los camareros deambulan como walkers con los platos en la mano. he estado 2 veces y ha ocurrido lo mismo.

Had lunch here with my mum, partner and 6 year old son. The coffee was very good and we decided to stay for lunch. Every plate that went past to another table looked superb. Very simple menu but the food was prepared fresh and tasted sensational. I had one of the pies, mum had Turkish Eggs and my partner, a bacon sandwich. Sounds too simple? Try it - the food is excellent. Total cost? Less than £25 for 4 meals. We'll be back!

Came here for brunch on a Saturday (upon recommendation) and was really happy with the experience; the food was excellent and filling, the atmosphere was very relaxed and the space was quirky yet stylish. Oh, and if you can get a seat outside you'll find yourself on a floating pontoon.

We went for a brunch on a very sunny Saturday morning and the place was really busy. The atmosphere of the place is great, inline with what you can usually see in Hackney Wick.I ordered the full breakfast, which had everything you can imagine and my partner ordered Benedict eggs with salmon which looked great as well. Everything was very tasteful and the good quality indicator was that the color of the omelette was really orange.The staff was friendly but it took them more than 30min to bring our coffees and almost 1h to get the food. We spent over 20 pounds, which may sound too much, but that's apparently the price you have to pay when you go to a hipsterish place to get a kind of organic brunch.Bear in mind that most of the seatings outside are on the floating platform. The feeling of a eating on a boat is not something that I really fancy when I'm eating.

I've been to the Counter a lot. A LOT. It's a relaxed place, and it's scenic (by the canal). But every time it's the same - you queue for 10, possibly 20 minutes, they take your order, they surcharge you 50p for using a card, the serving staff aren't really that friendly, and most of the time your food will arrive before your coffee does. Yesterday I waited 20 minutes. For a coffee that was no better than any other coffee shop I've been to where at most, I've waited 10 minutes. 20 minutes is just too long to expect customers to wait for a coffee. And when you chase they just say 'oh it's on it's way'. If you like a relaxed place, and don't mind queuing or waiting generally, then yes, the brunch menu is great. The eggs Benedict are amazing. Just don't go if you're impatient.

When I am in London for the weekend I usually have Sunday breakfast here. The food is always well cooked and the coffee is excellent. I have always experienced good service. The breakfast menu has changed since my last visit and could do to be revised again as the 'full English' items didn't compliment each other. The setting is rustic but pleasant. It is worth a visit.

... Or is this place really pretentious? We tried to book via the web site, no body bothered to respond, we tried to call repeatedly, no one bothered to answer. So then we arrived and got filthy looks. We were a fairly large group of cyclists which is why we wanted to book in advance. Obviously we weren't cool enough, it was made very clear to us by the unhelpful and rude staff. One person serving was kind and funny, the rest treated us like dirt.

Came to counter cafe for a hungover brunch this Saturday, and I'm glad we got there (relatively) early! Qued for ten mins to order, which I don't mind too much, it was a beautiful day and the place is obviously popular, I don't think I'd have waited longer though. Unlike a lot of people's comments on here I found most of the staff to be smiley and friendly, though the guys that brought our food and coffee could have cracked a smile from time to time. Maybe they were having a bad day! Anyway our coffee showed up and we managed to get a table on the barge deck, really nice place to sit with pot plants and trees all around and boats floating past. Very relaxing! Also the coffee was delicious! I ordered the deluxe breakfast, which was pretty good; a small chorizo sausage and some streaky bacon, some sort of cucumber apple and radish salad, a few mushrooms and grilled tomatoes and a couple of new potatoes, none of which were that special if I'm honest. But it was all hot and seemed fresh. The real star of the show however were the eggs! I ordered poached and they came on two slices of good toast. I've never seen yolks so orange, top marks for the eggs dudes, where are they from?! Delicious. I think the food took about half an hour to arrive, and it was bloody busy there. I would return to counter cafe to try the rest of the menu, I saw some which that looked fantastic, and I'd also love to try the espresso to really see how their home roasted coffee tastes! I'd recommend, but I would also recommend getting there early, no o e wants to que for breakfast!

Great Muesli and veggie breakfast. Their coffee is also great-quality. The service has improved massively for the last few months, probably one of the best local places in the area.

Went there for brunch on bank holiday Monday. There was a big queue (around 12.30pm) but we still decided to give it a go as their breakfast are apparently so good.We sat upstairs. My friend and I ordered the big breakfast and the eggs benedict with 2 coffees.The food arrived about 40min after we ordered. We kept asking for our coffees but were just met with some rude "ok". We had finished our food and were still waiting for our coffees. ONE finally arrived. When we asked the girl were was the second one, she slammed the cup on the table (spilled half of the coffee in the saucer) and rudely replied "ON ITS WAY"Again, 10min later no sign of the other coffee. Grabbed the attention of another waitress who just said "ok" without even looking at us... Another 10min later, HOORAY! My coffee was there.... No sorry, no eye contact... and you know what? The coffee wasnt even nice!The food was nothing to rave about either.. The hollandaise sauce of my eggs benedict had the consistency (and look) of melted mature cheddar....If you want to be part of the fashion then that's your place. If you want nice food and good service, keep walking..

I am a foodie, and I don't take this lightly when I say that this was one of the nicest cooked breakfasts I've had! Homemade baked beans always seem to be a disaster at restaurants, but these were excellent; lovely dauphinois style potato too! Interesting, quirky, great location, nice view and best of all; lovely food.

Seriously if you are ready to wait 45 min for a simple breakfast, go there... Otherwise forget this place. Coffee and cakes were ok..

I love love love this place. I've don't live in London, but every time I'm in the neighbourhood, I try to visit as often as possible. Two times in march and two times in april (so far!). The breakfast is wonderful. I always have the vegetarian one. I don't know how they do it, but it's just not comparable with any other one. If you've never tried this one, you'd love the Wheterspoon one. If you had this one once, you hate all others. The eggs are perfectly done, the bread is crispy, the tomato's are sweet, the mushrooms sweet and tangy. They have this home-made relish I just put on everything. Last time we took a brownie with us. We seriously should not have done this, now we have to buy some everytime, so good! :) When you visit, sit outside, listen to the birds, feed the ducks, see the ships passing, enjoy the sunshine. This is a place to relax, to let the everyday stress go away. I read some complaints about the staff. They're are young, they are hipsters, ... They enjoy their work and are always friendly. We've never waited for our food more than 10 minutes. However, be aware with take-away coffee. I don't know what goes wrong there, but this does take ages. And it's not cheap. With some coffee and orange juice, you pay around £30 for two people. So not an everyday thing to do. You are filled up 'till noon tough, so no need to snack 'till then :) Can't wait to go back!

I have visited this place many times and it's always a pleasurable experience. Lovely spot with a view of the canal and the Olympic park and good food. My only minor criticisms would be the limited choice of meals and the slightly expensive price. It's good for a decent breakfast or brunch but not much choice if you fancy a spot of lunch. Still, overall a great cafe in Hackney Wick.

Visited for the first time today with our daughter who lives nearby. Quirky, amazing food, great music, nice view of canal and Olympic stadium. It was very busy and we had to queue about 20 minutes but the staff dealt with the rush very well and it was well worth the wait. Highly recommended.

I relally like this caffee, food is tasty and fresh, locaion is absolutely great, right in the heart of hackney and just by the river, the ambience is exactly what I like - merged with the spirit of the art gallery. I really like going there for my Sunday breakfast. The only criticism I have is that I can't see any imrpevement in service. Staff is nice but they always somehow lost and mixing up the orders. More organisation or some staff training would be be definitely beneficial.

My wife and I have lived in the area for years. We even travel along the canal past these places but have never gone in until today. Saw it last night and thought we'd give this a blast.This cafe is, like most of the places around here, a hipster-ville special. We're not hipsters - I don't even have a beard. But you know what, who cares, we loved it. We went on the spur of the moment, arrived at lunch time at a busy time and enjoyed it.Queued quickly, ordered quick with a friendly woman (who was jealous of not being able to join us with the cakes) and sat down on one of the sofas. Within minutes our food arrived! Now, I was shocked at this. I was seriously expecting trouble with time. But no, within five minutes I'd say. And very friendly service too. Oh, and the food? Cracking. The wife went simple - bagel with cream cheese and salmon. I went with poached eggs, potato and salmon. Both were excellently presented and perfectly done. Lattes came at same time and were a welcome additive.Sat and watched the world go by for a short while before heading off. One thing's for sure, we'll be coming back here more often - especially if it continues to be this good. Oh, and the cakes? Well, I don't eat or normally like Carrot cake but the wife had one and she gave it 9/10 and helped eat it! That says a lot.Thanks guys. Brilliant introduction to the delights of Hackney Wick Canal. But hey, I'm still never growing a beard!

Been living almost next door for 7 years and seen it expand and move premises. Amazing , spacious venue and good location but useless staff, that appear to have no clue or experience in working in a cafe / restauraunt environment. Ridiculously Slow and too cool for school. Have actually walked out a few times once for for waiting 50 mins for a coffee and a bagel with scrambled egg . Used to go there as it was the only place nearby. Now there are other choices nearby. Food and coffee is usually good but the staff need to up their game big time. Oh and. £2.50 for a cookie ?! Now that is laughable ! Sorry guys but with a few changes you could get it so much better.

I'm a local, so I would love to love this place. However, the truth is that despite serving one of the best breakfasts I've ever had, for every 3 trips I make…I get served breakfast once…Closed for a photoshoot, out of breakfast, closed early, full…I've found a much more reliable breakfast in the Moka East Café on the Greenway…Just as good, much quieter surroundings (which are actually more scenic) and most importantly I know when I go there that I will definitely get served.

Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless. Which is a shame, because this place has such HUGE potential. The service is as lousy as it gets, I'm afraid. Why, in the three years that I have been living nearby, this place has not improved I will never know. Run by hipsters, who seem to have little training. Expect to wait at least 50 mins for a coffee on a weekend, for food - how long have you got? What irks me the most, is that although I come in here often for a morning coffee ( there is little other choice in HWick) they NEVER remember me. NEVER recognise me and say 'Oh, hi', or 'Morning!' Really, this place is most unfriendly. Many of us locals feel the same. I feel bad, giving a bad review as I REALLY want this place to be awesome, I really do. I've just finally lost my patience. Sorry Counter Cafe!!! 2015 - MUST IMPROVE.

Popped in on my way to local train station for a takeaway coffee. This cafe is inside the art gallery Stour Space. Its part of the gentrification of Fish Island in Hackney Wick which pre the Olympics was very run down. Gave my order and paid a reasonable £1.80 (This is Hipster Hackney Wick).While I was standing there a customer with a small child came up to prompt the delivery of a croissant he had obviously ordered earlier. Was asked again what my order was by the Barista who then told me I would have to wait as there were a number of coffees in front of me. She then wandered off to do something more much important than make these coffees. It was only the kindness of the guy on the till who jumped in and made my takeaway , there and then, that prevented my wait being even longer. Hope the other customers eventually got theirs. The coffee was good, the overall impression of the organisation and service wasn't.

First visited this cafe about 3-4 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed my stays. But now it is on the downhill slope. The last few times I went was rather disappointing and I actually stopped going now. Saturday and Sunday lunchtime they are so packed you find it very difficult to find a place to sit. But even when they are not fully busy we had to wait 1+ hour for our breakfast meals. Why does a vegetarian breakfast have to be prepared for 1 hour?? And who wants to wait 1+ hour for a breakfast on a Sunday morning anyways? No, that's not ideal. The staff is everything but friendly. The cafe is expensive considering the ridiculous size of it, yes it is delicious but you have to have a few of it... Suggestions: if you take on too many customers you may need to increase the size of the kitchen and staff because people can't wait for their breakfasts until noon.

So that's a very tight outdoors seating area, part of it rocks a bit (since it floats). Somebody has to clean the mess under the non floating platform. Also their espressos could have been less sour. Cakes were good.

Once again the Counter Cafe comes up hipster trumps with superb coffee - roasted on site - and the best scrambled eggs!I forgive the hipsters however and will grow a beard!Its location on the canal and views of the Olympic park are wonderful.

The first time I went I thought what a fantastic place in a bit of old Hackney next to the River Lee (canal?). A very chic feel and I felt part of the 'in crowd'. It serves a range of nice foods and drinks and cakes and it's fab to sit on the floating patio with views of the river and Olympic Stadium. This time however we were put off by the unpleasant smells possibly coming from the boats discharging in the river? Instead of an 'olde worlde' chic atmosphere the smell made the place seem dirty and it was most off putting. So whilst I'm sure the restaurant staff are hygiene conscious the old appearance of the place doesn't work for it when there are smells around.

What a shame to find that many of the negative comments on here are justified. Had a Monday breakfast so we were two out of maximum six in the place. Man at counter declined to say hello as we arrived and stared, acting as if I was crazy to be making pleasant conversation. Eggs Benedict was ok but the muffin was very stale and it was not hot which is unforgivable. Coffee was returned as it was not what I ordered and he actually argued and then walked away muttering insults about me! Why work in service if you don't want to deal with people? The location is fab but the kitchen is not professional enough and the staff are horrible. Unless you want to be painfully trendy stay well clear.

Don't go here if you're in a hurry. The food is great; the veggie breakfast is my current favourite, featuring egg (scrambled, fried or poached) on toast, mushroom in balsamic, home-made baked beans, spinach and tomatoes. Eggs Benedict is good too. Ask for a large flat white and a fresh orange juice and take your time. Various pies with salad make a good light lunch. Sometimes, if you're in a large group, or the cafe is busy, you'll wait a while and all dishes don't come at once. But the servers are cheerful and polite and you can order a variety of delicious croissants, friandes, brownies or cakes to share while you wait. You have a choice of tables; inside there are two floors - great for the winter; or on the pontoon outside, looking across the river to the Olympic stadium so you can watch the swans and moorhens glide past, and exchange greetings with the crews of passing boats. On a summer's day, it's a great place to be. Plus, to walk off your meal, there's cutting edge street art alongside the nearby canal. A craft shop has opened on the premises with locally made clothes and jewellery, and art supplies.

Unfortunately the reviews below sum up my experience with counter cafe. I arrived and the queue was not too long, so off to a good start. I ordered my drinks and french toast and went to the table to wait for food. The orange juice was delicious but the iced coffee was disappointing - a thimble of filter coffee with some ice thrown in was not great, but it's a hipster cafe so I will let it pass. My friend was served her food after about 20 minutes and she said it was fine. I then attempted to speak to a staff member to query my food and it's whereabouts. I stood by the coffee station where all the staff tend to congregate, however no one would look at me to even acknowledge I was there. Eventually after 5 minutes I spoke to someone. They promptly said it will be out in a second. 15 minutes later and still no food - it was just french toast after all. In the end I chose not to eat as my companion had finished eating and had been waiting too with me. To be fair to them they did refund my breakfast straight away.

Title says it all really been coming here since well before the Olympics it's still a great venue and very relaxed, perhaps too relaxed, first plate of veggie breakfast turned up very fast but most items were stone cold had to ask for the food to be remade it came back 10 mins later during which time I had also had to chase up my cappuccino this was delivered in between breakfasts as a latte ......There is a difference and to me yes it matters, second breakfast served on a stone cold plate eggs still cold and quite obviously had just been reheated from the original plate beans were still Luke warm but the potatoe cake had be retried to the temperature of Vesuvius mushroom which did taste of mushrooms in previous visits despite a nicely balanced cooking in a balsamic sauce were now more reminiscent of having cooked in a gelatinous barbecue sauce spinach and tomatoes still cold more stewed than wilted it amazes me that with good quality ingredients going into this kitchen they fail to turn out a passable v breakfast it's the drop in quality that is most disappointing 1st world issues I know but that's what I'm feeling right now this won't be the first time I don't walk out of here with a smile on my face it may well be the last though shame the food and service has stopped living up to the venue.....

Exellent atmosphere & delicious food! Very good location by the canal; in hot days this cafe is the right place to visit when you are in eastern London. Greetings from Norway!

About a year ago I used to visit this cafe, and wasn't very happy with the wait or the products. I stopped by recently and was very happy with the service, in the end, it has really improved and become well worth a visit.

Omg the turkish eggs is my favourite ever breakfast. Amazing to sit outside by the canal in the sunshine :)

The staff are so vacant and slow that I suspect this cafe is part of a government scheme to employ people.Also the coffee was luke warm and a tiny serving. for £2.70 you'd expect a mugful.

Great food, coffee, vibe and location. I found a hidden treasure! :D Also enjoyed Stour Space Gallery which is in the same building.

The Counter is a cafe inside of Stour Space, a workshop and gallery. It's just opposite the Olympic Stadium and sits alongside the canal so has lovely views and a nice feel to it. I've seem some bad reviews on here, which is a shame as I have been twice and both times was completely satisfied.The food here is great, the best thing on the menu is the french toast which comes with berries, almonds, bananas and syrup - amazing!! The coffee here is also great. You can also get beer and wine here, which is great when you just want to sit on the canal in the sunshine. The staff have always been really friendly to me - I've been with friends and also with my boyfriend. The kitchen closes at 3:30pm. I can imagine that on a busy day, this cafe would struggle to keep up but so far I haven't experienced this.Reasonably priced for London too!

I wouldn't listen to some of the bad reviews. I go to this place a lot and its great. Trendy, chilled, great location (especially in the summer) and good food. Yes there is occasionally a queue to order food, but i have never queued more than 10mins max. The staff are all really friendly too.

After reading reviews was a bit concerned...however did not need to be, maybe a monday brunch is the perfect time to sample the delights of this somewhat quirky cafe overlooking the Olympic stadium on the canal side. We chose Eggs benedict with smoked salmon and poached eggs on fried potato with smoked salmon,both were absolutely delicious !!!

As others have said, the service is too cool for school. It's slow and lacks any desire to bowl you over.The food is very very good, and consistently so. The coffee also great.If you are in a rush. Don't bother. If you enjoy musing, flicking through the papers, taking in the vibe, then I'd recommend it.The guardian recommended in the top 10 breakfast hot spots last year? I'd be inclined to say due to the Olympic relevance.

This place was recommended on the Time out London App, and I shall never forgive them for that! It took a little while to find but the placement on the river opposite the Olympic stadium was very pleasant and picturesque. But that's as far as the pleasantries go I'm afraid. We arrived at 10:10am on a Sunday morning and found it hard to determine the customers from the service staff. The girl at the counter was rude and was not interested in serving us but playing about with the rest of the staff behind the counter. We ordered coffee and eggs Benedict, and asked three time to make sure they hold the Hollandaise sauce. The coffee took them 15 mins even though there was more staff the customers at this point and then when the eggs Benedict arrived it had Hollandaise sauce on. I then proceeded to tell the girl that I had repeatedly requested no Hollandaise sauce and she begrudgingly took it back to return 10 minutes later with a cold plate that was just not edible! By then I had had enough and had to leave!During our visit many young patrons stumbled in to this establishment, though maybe hip, were also on come downs and had hang overs and voiced there evenings so all could hear. I would advise anyone with families or requiring good service and a hearty meal to look elsewhere. I shall also be writing to Time Out London to thank them for such great advise!

This is in a converted old riverside building near the river Lea. Food is freshly cooked and reasonably priced. Recommend the French toast with fruit. Have a walk round the area to get a feel of what this part of London was like pre - Olympics.

Was on our way to Foremans for posh'ish Sunday brunch but they don't open till 12.00 so we went next door to The Counter which is in the Stour Space, a post industrial art gallery....OK, it was the first sunny Sunday for some weeks and the crowds were out so service was a tad stretched...we ordered, after a short but happy queue, 4 bacon bagettes with house sauce and various coffees, we were told it would be 15 minutes, we sat up stairs and admired the view over the canal to the Olympic Stadium...after 10 minutes or so a member of the serving crew taold us there would be another 10 minute delay....we gave them browney points for being up front and honest re timeings....was well worth the wait, superb packed with bacon bagettes, spicy sauce and a good feeling all round...well done all at The Counter

Ok the venue is great and as too is the location. The coffee is great too. This is where it all ends. The queue to order is invariably long, slow and annoying. The person taking the orders is usually slow and when you do finally get there they normally then confirm it's a half hour/45 minute wait. If you dare to ask why they fix you with a hipster stare and say 'because it's the weekend' and you wonder just whom is supposed to be serving who. This has happened pretty much every weekend in the last month and no more. I cannot resist the temptation to put a pinny on, get behind the counter, drum up some energy and enthusiasm and if I am really ambitious some friendliness and just get with the program. Even if somewhere is full, it shouldn't mean a long wait but when it's half empty? That's just embarrassing. Total style over substance and if this is your style then you must enjoy doleful service that you should apparently be grateful for. Truly dreadful and it's a shame, it could be SO excellent. Who wants to wait 45 minutes for some beans? Nobody. Oh, and where is the brown sauce? What's the shame in brown sauce? Get some spring in your step and some enthusiastic staff instead of lifestyle servers.

Don't go if you are hungry! I've been for the brunch at the Counter quite a few times (I live in the neighbourhood), and each time the food has been ages coming. The staff could not possibly care less than they do (except the guy working the kitchen, alone - he is a hero and the food he makes is tasty).The view isn't so great now that the wall around the Olympic Park has gone up, prices are high and you can wait an hour or have them forget your order (this has happened to me twice, although there was an apology brownie offered the second time). Try one of the other places on Roach Road, or you can get the same food at the Pavillion Cafe in Victoria Park where the staff care just that tiny bit more...

The Wick is where it's at. Where else in London can you walk through a graffiti filled industrial site to find a gallery, cafe and bar on the river opposite the Olympic park that serves awesome food? It's almost a crime to review it, as us locals in Hackney Wick like to keep our community charms under wraps and away from the tourists... So here's hoping that readers of this are fellow neighbours only ;)The Counter Cafe is always busy, and on sunny days its always packed with punters wanting to be alongside the bustling Lee Navigation. The food and specifically breakfast is superb, and location is second to none. The only downside is that there are often too many kids here at the weekend. Brats and coffee just don't mix well!

I went only for coffee in the morning. Great atmosphere and friendly service. A feel for a real artist environment.

Three of us had breakfast, all of us left most of our food. Soggy salad, poached eggs that were a cross between fried and poached and supposed crispy potato cakes that were anything but crispy. French toast had not been soaked in egg enough and was poor. Service was lacklustre Won't be returning

Great breakfasts and incredible coffee - sitting outside is a treat on a sunny day, and admire the artwork in the gallery too.

Hidden within all the artist studios in Hackney Wick, this cafe serves great food at a reasonable price, including the best English Breakfast I have ever had in London. A great place to relax by the canal and enjoy an amazing view of the Olympic stadium.

Even if like me you're not that bothered about the Olympics, you can't fail to be impressed with the view from this nice waterside cafe - straight across the canal to the mail Olympic stadium. The food's good too - a fine range of pies, and other deli staples like eggs benedict and scrambled egg with salmon. We went on a very busy day, and the service was a little slow, because the kitchen can only cope with so much, but the staff were smiley and helpful and we needed the rest anyway!