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
-
This Canadian house is a precise domestic composition perched on the Nova Scotian coastBishop McDowell completed a new Canadian house overlooking the Atlantic, using minimal details and traditional forms to create a refined family home
-
‘With a small gesture of buying a postcard, we all become copyists’: the Louvre’s celebration of copying speaks to human natureContemporary artists are invited to copy works from the Louvre in a celebration of the copyist’s art, a collaboration with Centre Pompidou-Metz
-
Serious cyclists now have serious options, courtesy of two new models from CanyonWith two new bikes, the Endurace: ONfly e-bike and Endurance: AllRoad, Canyon is innovating with both price and performance
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in CornwallOffline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer traditionThe cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatnessFrom chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
-
NoMad London’s new restaurant fast-tracks you to New York’s jazz ageMartin Brudnizki Design Studio conjures up old-world glamour at Twenty8 NoMad, where the menu features nearly as many martini variations as main courses
-
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 and Wet Studio, 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
