By Marianne Arake on 25/04/2014
Restaurant Reviews

Hackney Wick is cool. Well, we all know that. I was just reminded recently as I cycled through it, en route to one of the many new gastronomic hot spots in the area. It was one of the warmest Sundays we’ve had so far this year and I kept having that fuzzy, wonderful feeling of […]
By Marianne Arake on 09/03/2014
beer, craft beer hackney, london fields brewery
Food & Drink

Beer is far too broad a name in craft beer-crazy London these days. The more artisanal versions of the beloved brew have become hugely popular in the last couple of years, and East London seems to be the place where this explosion has been most happily welcomed. An integral component of the hipster package, craft […]
By Marianne Arake on 15/02/2014
Restaurant Reviews

Oh dear East London there is no end to your gastronomic surprises. As I headed down to another culinary adventure on Kingsland Road I was somewhat apprehensive about what I was going to experience. As you know, Dalston is rammed full of new restaurants, bars, cafes and pop ups, and while a lot of the […]
By Marianne Arake on 01/02/2014
Entertainment, Food & Drink, Live Music

It’s not everyday that you’re welcomed by a kilted piper at a night out in Hackney Central, so I have to confess, arriving at the grand exterior of the St. John’s of Hackney church and greeted by the sound of the pipes cutting through the night’s silence made me feel a tad regal. Nice start. […]
By Marianne Arake on 16/11/2013
hackney, pop ups, sunday roast
Food & Drink

When the subject is Sunday roasts I can’t help but think about a couple I know, good friends of mine, a young, intelligent and refined duo, who for some inexplicable reason have a very, very traditional approach to Sunday roasts. Ever since they moved to East London some 4 years ago, they have religiously gone […]
By Marianne Arake on 03/11/2013
Food & Drink

So what is the strangest location you have ever dined in? I never stray too far from the traditional restaurant setting. Walk in, check reservation, get seated, order, eat, you know the drill (except when the sun is shining in those 10 days a year in London, then a good food market does the trick). […]
By Marianne Arake on 18/10/2013
Food & Drink

And so it came to pass, on a miserable, wet Sunday, you know, one of those that Londoners relish or despise. The debut of Newington Green Market, the latest addition to the area’s weekly markets was launched. Did I mention the launch fell on a wet, horrible Sunday? I think I did. You see, I […]
By Marianne Arake on 08/10/2013
Miscellaneous, Restaurant Reviews

Feast London! Now, it is not exactly news that East London is the capital’s most exciting place to be at the moment. It has become a cultural and creative hub, a hotspot for all things cool, young and hip. Some might say that there are downsides to it, some might mourn the “loss of character” […]
By Marianne Arake on 03/09/2013
food foodie, jessica tucker, shoreditch, urban food festival
Food & Drink

Not too long ago I remember thinking that London, unlike many other European capitals, somewhat lacked a street food scene. Well, that is certainly not the case anymore. Street food stalls and markets have taken over the city in the last couple of years, with new additions popping up all over the place. And East […]