Italian food – Hackney Citizen

Passo, Shoreditch, food review: ‘Exceptional service but less-than-exceptional food’

By Gabriel Wilding | Tuesday 13 July 2021 at 10:17

The beautiful setting and friendly staff are sadly let down by ‘so-so’ dishes

Bring on the artichokes! Gillian Riley on Caravaggio, veg and violence

By Hackney Citizen | Thursday 27 April 2017 at 12:40

Detail from Giovanna Garzoni's Artichokes in a Chinese dish with rose and strawberries (c. 1650)

In her latest column, our resident food and art historian imagines the painter and GBH enthusiast storming through Hackney

Martello Hall, Hackney Central, restaurant review

By Hackney Citizen | Wednesday 15 March 2017 at 13:15

'Subtle smokiness': the Smokey Bandit pizza.

The atmosphere may not fit Mare Street like a glove, but the Italian-meets-Mediterranean food on the menu is undeniably superb

Popolo, Shoreditch, restaurant review

By Hackney Citizen | Thursday 17 November 2016 at 14:43

This excellent new Rivington Street hideout serves dishes which capture the spirit of the Italian kitchen, with lashings of Spanish and North African influence

Do me a flavour – Gillian Riley on umami

By Hackney Citizen | Tuesday 30 August 2016 at 16:38

Monosodium glutamate (MSG): umami in its controversial chemical form. Photograph: J.M. Lawton

Known as the fifth taste, Umami is both a trendy concept and chemical substance – but above all a way of getting deliciousness into our food