Food & Drink
Gin Cup: World’s Best Martini competition comes to OSLO Hackney
You can find it ‘anytime, anyplace, anywhere’, but only the finest cocktails will be on hand for this boozy grand finale
Read MoreRehab, Hackney Central, restaurant review: in sickness and in health
This new vegan bar and kitchen trumpets the health benefits of its offerings – and who are we to argue when it tastes so good anyway?
Read MoreBlack Cat vegan cafe to combat cold winter night with soup kitchen
The cooperatively run Clarence Road spot say reveal the menu for the inaugural evening on 22 December, where ‘nobody will be refused food’
Read MoreBe-Bop-A-Lula, Stoke Newington, restaurant review: Nashville to N16
The old Monarch pub has been transformed into a boozy temple of rock ‘n’ roll, Americana, and high-calorie diner classics. Does the food get our reviewer jiving, or All Shook Up?
Read MorePumpkins are for life, not just for Halloween…
…but, as our resident food historian Gillian Riley spells out in this latest piece, every member of the cucurbit family of fruits is worthy of your attention
Read MoreHackney the perfect Petri dish for new vegan burger experiment Doppleganger
We sent a reviewer to take one of the very first London bites of this Cambridge creation – does it live up to the claim that it ‘could be mistaken for meat’? And perhaps more importantly, is it tasty?
Read More‘We’ve got the homeless of Hackney sick of sourdough!’: Volunteer project dishes up weekly meals for the needy
A spin-off from a project born in the Calais Jungle, Refugee Community Kitchen sets up shop every Thursday outside Hackney Central Library
Read MoreSmoking Goat, Shoreditch, restaurant review: ‘like they’ve entered a cheat-code to my heart and stomach’
New Shoreditch restaurant Smoking Goat takes inspiration from Northern Thailand and its culture of aharn glam lao – drinking food
Read MoreGuy Fawkes, garlic and and the Great Pyramids: notes on November in food history
In hiding from Halloween, our resident historian Gillian Riley turns her imagination to Bonfire Night and the transgressive thrills and benefits of so-called ‘Papist’ garlic
Read MoreGillian Riley on food history: ‘I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it!’
Leafy greens have a crucial role to play in many global cuisines, from Seoul to the Seine. Gillian Riley leafs through her history and recipe books to make the case for the much-maligned likes of spinach and cabbage
Read MoreHackney Downs Vegan Market to go weekly from this weekend
The free Saturday plant-fest, which attracts thousands to Hackney Downs Studios, is run by popular local blogger Fat Gay Vegan
Read MoreA ‘gram don’t come for free: Insta ‘influencers’ feed the camera first
Four of East London’s most followed Instagrammers share where to eat and how to show off the best spots
Read MoreEssence Cuisine, Shoreditch, restaurant review: raw and order
This shiny new Shoreditch hangout is part-takeaway salad joint, part-molecular gastronomy café, and 100 per cent meat, dairy, gluten and refined sugar-free. Rabbit food or raving success?
Read MoreWalking on eggshells: Gillian Riley on eggs, featuring global recipes and some cracking history
Through the eyes of Gillian Riley’s “always hungry” Roman legionary (who this month is picking up some eggs from Stamford Hill for the journey north), take a tour of the world’s unbeatable eggy dishes
Read MoreHomebrewing: Forest Road brewer gives advice on how to make it WORK
The story of Forest Road Brewing Company’s pale ale WORK began in Pete Brown’s Dalston garden – we bring you his tips on creating your own batches of beautiful beer
Read MoreVegan options: what’s driving the animal product-free takeover of Hackney grub?
The popularity of plant-based foodstuffs in the borough is not just a fashion – we look at the other factors playing a part in the success of the borough’s vegan outlets
Read MoreFriday Night Dinner: Monty’s Deli’s new four course Shabbat meal, reviewed
The Hoxton-based Jewish deli has been receiving rave reviews since finally opening a permanent space. Does their new group dinner option – a traditional Friday night dinner of roast chicken and more – live up to expectations?
Read MoreBrain food: charity Headway’s new supper club and homemade grub brings people to the table
Headway EATS and their crack kitchen squad, made up of survivors of brain injury, delivered a Middle Eastern meal and good vibes besides – their next event is coming soon…
Read MoreGillian Riley on food: Why pastrami? The answer is blowing in the wind
Ever heard of Iron Age salt beef? Our resident food historian reveals the obscure history of the quintessential deli meats, from pastrami to Turkish basturma, with an eye on Hackney’s thriving bagel scene
Read MoreTake the spear – Gillian Riley on asparagus and other shoots ‘n’ buds
You may get in trouble pinching someone’s asparagus, but perhaps wild Hackney borage will take your fancy? Our resident food historian focuses in on this genre of edible greenery in her latest piece for us, featuring a recipe for a very non-traditional – but incredible – risotto
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