Pubs are a dime a dozen in Hackney, a historic working class quarter in London that has, in recent years, been experiencing a surge of gentrification marked by the arrival of young creatives, hipster studios and agencies, and under the radar boutiques.
Martello Hall – named after the main road that once connected the St Augustine Tower, Hackney’s oldest building, to London Fields – is a natural heir to this uptick of fortune, with the millennial working generation firmly in its cross-hairs. Housed in a mid-19th-century pile, it is the debut effort for the fledgling F&B group, Albion and East. Its MO is particularly interesting. By day, design studio Red Deer’s weathered interiors of furniture constructed of weathered timber, specially aged plaster, raw unvarnished ceilings, acid-treated copper bar tops and columns wrapped in braided rope are the stage for hot-desking, coffee and wood-fired pizzas.
Come the night, and the space turns into a cocktail bar with young DJs spinning vinyl classics alongside live bands. Lubricating the festivities is an on-site gin distillery, whose small batches are paired with home-made syrups and limoncellos, and locally sourced beers.
Meanwhile, the kitchen turns out zhooshed-up bar food like pizzas topped with Tuscany salami, mozzarella and hot honey, baby bomboloni served with Nutella, and torta fritta, small fried dumplings, that appear at the table amidst house-cured pickles, pardon peppers and rocket pesto.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
137 Mare Street
PHOTOGRAPHY
Mariell Lind Hansen
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never beforeThe Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
This Hackney bar is reviving London’s legacy of lesbian spacesDesigned by Studio Popelo, La Camionera emerges as a vital sanctuary for London’s FLINTA* community, honouring it right down to the details
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers LondonThe South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
Twin Peaks’ Double R Diner is coming to London (for a day)Mubi marks Twin Peaks’ 35th anniversary with pop-up diner and streaming release
-
Ukrainian restaurant Sino adds to London's diverse food culture with warming traditions that feel familiar yet newPronounced see-no, the new Ukrainian restaurant in Notting Hill, by Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, is built on the intimate relationship between people and nature – offering beauty in simplicity
-
Art, pasta and maritozzi: this is Locatelli at the National GalleryChef Giorgio Locatelli is the National Gallery’s new Italian master with the latest chapter of his beloved London restaurant
-
A local’s guide to London – Climax Books founder Isabella Burley’s favourite hauntsCreative consultant Isabella Burley credits growing up in the English capital with shaping who she is today. She takes us on a tour of some significant spots
-
This new London restaurant is a Greek island idyll on a plateMyrtos by Asimakis is a flavoursome ode to Kefalonia, conceptualised by Vernon Viljoen and Block1:Design
