The Laughing Heart in Hackney

From the street this small restaurant is uninviting but it is a hidden gem. We chose the prix fixe menu, with a choice of 3 dishes in each category. Portions naturally are small, beautifully presented. We enjoyed squid, black ravioli, a delicious concoction of artichoke and cucumber, monkfish, and dessert. A memorable evening.

The food was fine - hors d'oeuvres served, and our vegetarian party-member was forgotten, delicious turbot course, slightly ruined because the fish was full of large bones - the restaurant is dark so removing them isn't easy!! Good, fun atmosphere - loud music. Should be the perfect Saturday night out. The experience was ruined for me because there was literally ONE non-alcoholic option for me, other than the table water. I asked for a soft drink, and the waiter could offer me only the one cocktail or water... a very expensive evening, and I felt unwelcome and unimportant. Nothing for me to drink!!!! Noone should feel they are unimportant, or have not been thought of... £360 for 4 people, which included 2 wine pairings, and one person on water all night!! Gutted. As a recovering alcoholic it was an uncomfortable experience.

Had the fixed price menu with wine pairing, which with service was £100 a head. Small portions and food that was solid but could frankly have been served anywhere - unremarkable. Wine pairing was OK but wines familiar and clearly inexpensive, with an unconvincing slap-dash voiceover. Service completely bizarre and at times bordering on rude and dismissive throughout the meal without any warmth, before being asked to leave for the next table - having only just finished the fixed menu. You can do much better for this price point in central London.

My my my what an incredible little place. On arrival, the very unassuming front fit in with the local area and doesn’t stand out but a hidden gem is truly hidden inside. The Maître D’ was fabulous when we arrived and sat us down even though we were early for our booking. Our waitress was an absolute charmer and extremely knowledgeable. We chose our dishes and also opted for the wine pairing which was divine. Each wine was carefully selected and matched the dish perfectly. We asked several questions while we were sat down and got great answers both times. The menu changes every few weeks so we definitely plan on returning in the future and look forward to it!

Delicious food. Really fun and exciting wine list. I loved the prix fixe simplicity so all our debate centred around the choice of wines from extensive list. We were extremely greedy, but had a terrific time.