This post is part of my London Neighbourhood Guides series. Fancy visiting another area of London? Check out my other guides here, which all include information regarding the sights, history, charm, food and drinks of the area you’re curious about.
Ah, my beloved Hackney. It’s funny looking back on my first few years in London when I didn’t even know this borough really existed. I lived in Putney (southwest London), I went to Uni in Clerkenwell (in the Borough of Islington, a quite central borough) and Victor worked in Paddington (west London). I was truly unaware of the wonders of the East, but I’m so glad I now call Hackney home. It’s the kind of place that sucks you in and you can never imagine living anywhere else. The word that comes to mind when I think of Hackney is vibrant. Hackney is full of creatives and as a result, the borough is cool, eclectic and incredibly diverse. Back in 2014, Vogue named Hackney one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
The London Borough of Hackney is actually quite massive and includes a lot more than just the area of Hackney. Because of its sheer size, I’ve decided to cover the areas in different parts and also carve out certain neighbourhoods in posts of their own (like Dalston, Haggerston, Stoke Newington, Clapton and Shoreditch). This post is about the centre of Hackney, appropriately named Hackney Central.
The border of the Borough of Hackney is marked with a bold purple outline below, and the specific neighbourhood of Hackney Central is highlighted in pink.
Hackney Central
The central part of the neighbourhood is called, unsurprisingly, Hackney Central. It has two overground stations, Hackney Central and Hackney Downs, which allow Londoners to travel to the area via east/west or north/south. This results in quite a busy but well-located little area. In the heart of it all is Oslo, a restaurant and live music venue. I went here for a friend’s birthday party and I really enjoyed the vibe and music.
Nearby is the Pembury Tavern, a fun, local-feeling pub serving great beer and a great time. I love the kind of people that hang out here. Everyone is so friendly and community-focused- it really brings a smile to my face. The pub also serves New York-style pizza from ACE Pizza, which is always a great treat on a Friday night.
Bohemia Place
East of Hackney Central is Bohemia Place Market. Sure, it’s a street market, but it also has some spots worth checking out. Some rotate fairly often, but a firm placeholder is Hackney Church Brew Co. They have a great selection of craft beers. Even more exciting is that they are home to a very good restaurant, Lagom. Jay Rayner from The Guardian said, “I went in a tourist. I came out ready to be a regular.”
Wilton Way
Just west of Hackney Central is Wilton Way, a lovely street full of cafes, shops and restaurants. According to the boundaries map Wilton Way goes from Hackney Central into Dalston, but we’re going to talk about it here anyway.
A must-stop is The Spurstowe Arms. I remember many years ago when this pub was just sort of, well, average, but it has steadily grown into one of the most popular pubs amongst young people. And, their popularity exploded once Dough Hands moved in. I originally dried Dough Hands at their first residency at the not-too-far and brand-new Three Colts Tavern in Bethnal Green. When I tried the pizza, I knew it would make it big, so it was unsurprising when the Tree Colts Tavern became so popular. And then, Dough Hands moved onto The Spurstowe Arms and so here we are, following them wherever they go. Dough Hands serves what is commonly called London-style pizza. It’s not quite crispy New York pizza, but not Neapolitan either. I heard the phrase “Neo-Neopolitan” thrown around. Regardless, it’s great pizza. My favourite is the Jode, which is with tomato, mozzarella, hot honey, stracciatella, grana padano and basil. It also has nduja but this can be swapped out for veggie nduja too. Delicious! I’m not a dips kinda gal, but they also have these for those of you who love ruining a pizza (lol).
And then just down the road is Violet Cakes. It’s a small bakery/cafe that was started by Claire Ptak in 2010. It was originally a market stall in nearby Broadway Market in 2005, but I’m so happy they have this lovely space. They’re most famous for their cupcakes, I particularly love their mini ones, but as Claire is from San Francisco lots of American-esque treats are on offer too.
Hackney Central’s Mare Street
The area of Hackney really revolves around the main street, Mare Street. It starts at Hackney Central and goes all the way south to Regent’s Canal (before the street turns into Cambridge Heath Road). Mare Street is actually a pedestrianised street between Dalston Lane and Mare Street (when it turns into a major road). Here you’ll find Behind This Wall, a basement cocktail bar. It’s aesthetically pleasing but also packs a punch in terms of its cocktail game.
At the end of the pedestrianised part of Mare Street, you’ll see the tower of St John at Hackney, within the Hackney Churchyard Gardens, the only green space in the immediate area. It was a burial ground for over 500 years and now serves as a place where people walk their dogs and enjoy the law. Nearby is Bad Manners, an outdoor cafe serving Mexican food. They do burritos, breakfast dishes, tacos, and other bigger dishes.
Making your way down Mare Street, if you’re looking for a pub, look no further than The Cock Tavern. As Time Out put it, “[It’s] the sort of place you walk into and think: This is a bloody good pub.” It really is! It was here that I had my first pickled egg, and I loved it. They offer tons of flavours, but okay okay they also have 24 taps of indie beer and cider serving the likes of Howling Hops (from Hackney Wick), Gan Yam (from Finsbury Park) and Brick Brewery (from Peckham). They rotate their beer offerings quite often, so it’s always a surprise.
Further along, you’ll run into the Hackney Empire, the best-known theatre in the East End. It was originally built in 1901 and has since had several famous performers including Charlie Chaplin, W. C. Fields, Stanley Holloway, Stan Laurel, Marie Lloyd, and Julie Andrews.
Across the street is MOTH Club, an institution in itself. This venue was first opened in 1972 and takes its name from the Memorable Order of Tin Hats, an order of ex-military servicemen and women. In 2015 it was taken over by an events agency called LNZRT, who are also the team behind other venues Rich Mix and The Shacklewell Arms. They gave it a refurb and wished to use the space as a venue to showcase rising indie bands. The MOTH Club has hosted countless emerging artists, giving them a platform before they broke onto the mainstream circuit including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, Jarvis Cocker, Lady Gaga, Dry Cleaning, Shame, Caroline Polachek, Rahim Redcar, Gilla Band, Los Bitchos, Biig Piig, Sprints, Wunderhorse, Amyl and the Sniffers, Jalen N’Gonda, Låpsley and more.
For more entertainment, the Hackney Picturehouse is a great, modern cinema guaranteed to show all the big blockbusters.
And there you have it! A whirlwind tour of Hackney Central. It’s a great place to be, and I find there’s so much growth that I often find new places every day, even in such a small area. I think the area is a balance of new and hip vibes mixed with people that lived here for decades upon decades. This results in a more authentic local feel, which I just love.
Have you been to Hackney? Have you spent time in Hackney Central?
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