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Local Knowledge
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Stoke Newington, London

1 April 2018

Situated in the north-east London borough of Hackney, Stoke Newington, like other Hackney neighbourhoods such as Dalston, Hoxton and Shoreditch, has undergone a process of gentrification in recent years.

But whereas its neighbours are associated with the much-derided hipster, Stoke Newington has a village feel that appeals to families. It’s still Hackney – urban, diverse, rough around the edges, the sort of place you might run into an eccentric musician, painter or writer – but among middle class Londoners an N16 postcode is highly prized, and for good reason. Stoke Newington is famed for the preponderance of independent cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops, especially those that line Stoke Newington Church Street and the green expanse of Clissold Park, as a result, the sense of community is palpable.

1. The Good Egg

The Good Egg prides itself on its use of local ingredients, and serves shawarma and sandwiches for lunch and a menu of sharing plates for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. But the first meal of the day is what it does best. The menu is firmly rooted in the Middle East, with each morning bringing a fresh batch of bread baked in the clay oven to prepare your stomach for mouth-watering dishes such as hogget merguez, crispy halloumi, shakshuka and brisket hash. For those with a sweet tooth, there are freshly baked cakes and pastries. You can’t reserve a table and it’s first come, first served, so make sure you move quickly on the weekend.

93 Stoke Newington Church Street | +44 (0) 20 7682 2120 | thegoodegg.co

2. Clissold Park

If it’s sunny in London, the residents of Stoke Newington will be in Clissold Park, reclining in the shade of a tree with a newspaper, or sitting cross-legged around a picnic blanket laden with goodies from one of the neighbourhood’s bakeries, cafés or independent shops. Opened in 1889, this vast green space, which boasts a playground, paddling pool, tennis courts, an aviary, a butterfly dome, an animal enclosure (home to deer and goats), an organic market garden and the Grade II listed Clissold House, is at the heart of this urban community.

Green Lanes | +44 (0) 20 8356 8428 | Clissoldpark.com

3. Nook

Browsing the carefully curated items at this popular concept store – boxwood handled kitchen knives from Spanish heritage brand Pallarès Solsana, a stoneware carafe handmade in Scotland, a copper watering can from 132-year-old Birmingham manufacturer Haws, a grid notebook from Copenhagen stationer Kartotek – is like flicking through a copy of one of the independent lifestyle magazines such as Open House, Apartmento, and Cereal, that you also find here and there amidst the homewares. You will struggle to make it out without making a purchase.

153 Stoke Newington Church Street | +44 (0) 20 7249 9436 | Nookshop.co.uk

4. Sutton & Sons

Family-run Sutton & Sons has been in the fish business since opening its fishmongers at 111 Stoke Newington High Street in 1998, and now husband-and-wife team Danny and Hana Sutton have fish and chip restaurants in Hackney Central, Islington and Stoke Newington. The flagship restaurant on Stoke Newington High Street, with its menu featuring Maldon oysters and Prosecco, Cromer crab on toast and lobster roll alongside more traditional chip shop staples such as battered cod, steak and kidney pie and jumbo sausage, is no run-of-the-mill ‘chippy, but Sutton & Sons still feels like a traditional British chip shop.

90 Stoke Newington High Street | +44 (0) 20 7249 6444 | Suttonandsons.co.uk

5. Prep

If you’re passionate about cooking or if your kitchen is designed to be looked at rather than cooked in, you will revel in perusing the selection of stylish kitchen items in this independent cook shop. The focus is on high-quality products from brands with a distinguished heritage: a filleting knife with a blade of German stainless steel from Robert Welch, kettles from Hario and Kinto, cutlery from Canvas Home and Charingworth and pepper mills from German Zassenhaus. One this is for sure, Prep is a far cry from the kitchen section of your everyday department store.

106 Stoke Newington Church Steet | +44 (0) 20 3632 2339 | Prepcookshop.com

6. Wolf

There are a lot of fine places to eat in Stoke Newington, but it would be hard to find one better than Antony Difrancesco’s cosy, stylish Italian: Wolf. Chef Karla Knowles’ seasonal menu is made up of unfussy but refined Italian dishes composed of gorgeous ingredients and beautifully presented. The cocktail and wine lists are equally impressive. Open for dinner seven nights a week, Wolf also serves a brunch, with the option of bottomless cocktails on Saturday and Sunday.

110 Stoke Newington High Street | +44 (0) 20 7254 4141

Words: Charlie Carver
Images: Rebecca Matthews

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