Stoke Newington: you know the vibe – nice cafes, bars… Whole Foods. But now, thanks to a few new openings, we’re bypassing the rowdier vibes of Dalston and Haggerston for the more fun – read: unpretentious – yet civilised N16. Oh, Stokey, how you’ve grown!
First up, Primeur, the neighbourhood restaurant headed by former Bistrotheque executive chef David Gingell. Although a ‘local’ on the Highbury/Stokey border, Primeur nails it as a laidback antidote to the Shoreditch scene: excellent food, buzzing atmosphere and an airy interior (a former garage, naturally).
High Water is bringing the understated vibe to the Stoke Newington/Kingsland stretch. An alternative to the familiar boozers on the strip, it’s all about expert cocktails in a relaxed yet refined setting.
Further up the road, Original Sin, an offshoot of the acclaimed Happiness Forgets and one of the best new bars in London, retains the DNA of the Hoxton original but with a Stokey twist: killer cocktails (but cheaper), a neighbourly vibe (there’s a free-to-play pool table) and an easy-going atmosphere.
Lastly, Foxlow, Hawkmoor’s hip young sibling, is set to plant its flag come April. Like the Clerkenwell original, the 100-cover double-storey restaurant and bar (taking over Homa café on Church Street) promises to be a clued up restaurant for the leisurely crowd. Same goes for The Good Egg, an all day brunch spot rumoured to open on Church Street, courtesy of Oded Mizrachi (former Ottolenghi chef) and Theo Lewis (of Pizza East).
Stokey, we can’t wait to see what you throw at us next.
