The best restaurants in Hackney Downs Hackney London

In April just after partial lockdown relaxation, so glad to see heaters above the outside tables. This is normally a popular pub specialising in pizzas so surprised to see them not on the menu. All of were happy with our meals, which were mostly standard burger type stuff, Don't like the skinny fries, but the burgers were good. Not the normal full range of beers but adequate.

Really charming pub with spacious interior and nice garden. Solid pint of Guinness

I don’t understand the other reviews. The food was unbelievable. The aubergine was silky and succulent. The miso soup was a delight. The sushi was layered and textured and delicious. Would recommend this. Service was great! 10/10

If I could rate it minus 1 star i would! I am utterly shocked and appalled by my experience at this restaurant. I had high hopes after seeing a good review on Instagram, especially since I booked a table for five to celebrate my son's birthday. I confirmed the reservation two days prior and made them aware it was a special occasion, yet upon arrival, it was a complete disaster. After driving nearly two hours in heavy traffic from West London, we arrived on time, only to be met with cold stares from the staff, as if we were an inconvenience. There was no warm greeting; instead, we were left standing awkwardly while other customers watched us. When I finally approached a server Abdul, he told us to wait outside in the cold. Five minutes later, he returned to inform us there was no space. I reminded him that I booked a week in advance for my son's birthday and had travelled almost two hours to get there. He shrugged his shoulders again and said there’s no point in discussing this further . There was no respect for my time or the reason for the booking. His only suggestion was to either wait outside in the cold or leave, despite there being no seating or shelter outside the restaurant. He expected us to stand in the street, watching everyone inside enjoy their meals while we were left out in the cold. If they could not honour the booking, why not let me know in advance? To make matters worse, it’s outrageous to think they prioritised walk-ins over those who had booked ahead. There were two walk-ins in particular occupying large tables, but their guests were not there; they were just calling them to hurry up. I booked in advance, turned up on time with my guests, and yet was not prioritised. In what world does that make sense? This entire experience was humiliating and left me feeling hostile. We don’t live anywhere near North London, and being unfamiliar with the area, we had no clue where to go next. This completely ruined my son’s birthday, and we ended up wasting time and petrol for nothing. We spent another two hours driving back home, and my son was unable to enjoy his day as we had planned. As a mother, I am incredibly disappointed and upset by this experience. The restaurant looked far better online than in person, and it was certainly not worth the two-hour drive or the cost of petrol. I regret ever choosing it for this celebration; it’s definitely not a place to celebrate a special occasion. It’s more of a casual “I’ve got nothing to do and fancy a takeout” kind of place. They are are so disgusting, because I told them that I was gonna write a bad review, they quickly went and cancelled my booking on OpenTable to prevent me from writing a honest review on there. Do they think that that is the only place people write reviews? Perhaps spend the same amount of effort in improving your service then you wouldn’t have to cover up your inadequacies. I will never return and will certainly warn others about this dreadful service. It’s the worst service I’ve ever experienced. I had arranged to return with a large group closer to Christmas if the experience was nice, but that definitely will not be happening. They missed out on significant business due to their disgusting customer service and poor management.

It's the same as the bricklane mexican place. Horrible food gave me food poison. I got coconut curry on my taco. How dose that happen.