If you’re hunting for cool places to visit in London, you’ll love my Hackney Wick East London Guide. This E9 area is sandwiched between the amazing Victoria Park, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Hackney Marsh. It’s also quite close to the shopping mall at Westfield Stratford and benefits from the River Lee Navigation and Lea flowing through. Hackney Wick has plenty of street art, riverside bars and eateries, plus affordable warehouse space for artists. Hackney Wick, Fish Island and the additional tourist attractions make for an exciting day. (I wrote this post in July 2015 and updated it in July 2022, so I have republished it).
Hackney Wick’s Creative Communities
Arrive at the Hackney Wick Overground station, and you’ll notice an abundance of street art as soon as you reach street level. It’s a great place to take photographs for Instagram.
The area is very urban, which I love, it’s not to everyone’s taste, but there are plenty of green spaces nearby. The buildings are a mix of Victorian and Edwardian warehouse spaces along with modern industrial units. Many of the warehouses have been turned over to artists for community use, giving this area a sense of sharing and a creative spirit. Join a creative community such as Grow Hackney Studios, Hackney Wick Underground, Trowbridge Gardens, Cell Studios, Mainyard Studios or Arbeit.
Hackney Wick Restaurants, Bars and Breweries
Hackney Wick has a few restaurants and an abundance of bars and breweries serving food.
Pearl Hackney Wick is excellent for brunch. They serve cooked breakfasts (meat, veggie and vegan versions) along with Huevos Rancheros and Burgers. Across the road is Cornerstone by chef Tom Brown with a British fish menu.
For sustainable eating, pop into the Grow Cafe for brunch, where you can enjoy a vegan frittata or Lebanese-style food for lunch and dinner. Silo is a zero-waste restaurant above the Crate Brewery which serves beer and stone-baked pizza on the banks of the River Lea.
Other breweries are Howling Hops, Old Street Brewery and the Beer Merchants Tap. The White Post Bar and Café is a canalside venue with live music, drinks and Pieminister menu.
The No. 90 Bar and Kitchen features a selection of burgers and Sunday roasts with vegan and veggie options. The Yard Theatre has a bar and Kitchen. HWK Coffee, bar and lot is a modular restaurant, café and events space next to Hackney Wick Station.
Just across the River is Barge East (floating restaurant), Hackney Bridge Kitchens and other food options at Here East.
Hackney Wicks Sustainable and Vintage Shopping
During the summer, you can seek out Grow’s Future Fair with vegan candles, homemade ceramics and organic t-shirts.
Purchase unpackaged goods from the zero-waste Refill Therapy Store.
Buy designer furniture from post-war France, Italy, Netherlands and Scandinavia at the Béton Brut showroom.
Rummage around for retro fashion at Vintage Threads, East End Vintage Clothing or the Vintage Clothing at The White Post on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re lucky, there may be a pop-up vintage clothing market in the area. Across the River Lea in Stratford, you can check out Getup Yesterday at the Echo Building.
Watch My Hackney Wick Videos
Above is a video of my favourite things to do in Hackney Wick, and below is a video showcasing some of the street art in the area.
More Interesting Attractions Close to Hackney Wick
You can make a full day of your exploration in this vicinity by visiting the nearby attractions. If you want an extension of what you’ve seen in Hackney Wick, check out Fish Island. The area is called Fish Island because the roads are named after freshwater fish (Dace, Roach and Bream).
Westfield Stratford City is the largest urban shopping and leisure destination in Europe. You’ll find a good mix of high street fashion and designer stores and plenty of restaurants. There is also a multi-screen cinema, a bowling alley and a casino open 24 hours. You can reach this shopping centre via Stratford or Stratford International stations.
I was quite impressed by The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. There were thousands of people milling around, enjoying picnics, eating ice creams and exploring the area. There are plenty of benches and green spaces to sit down and soak up the atmosphere. You’ll find play areas for the kids and places to eat. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is the UK’s tallest sculpture, and you can travel straight to the top by lift and enjoy a panorama view of London. Some of the buildings for sporting activities and events include The Stadium (the main Olympic stadium which will become home of West Ham United FC in 2016), The Copper Box Arena (gym and activities like badminton), London Aquatics Centre (swimming pool) and the Lee Valley VeloPark (cycling track).
If you want to go for a walk, there’s Wetlands Walk, Wick Woodland, Hackney Marshes and Mabley Green. There are plenty of river and canal paths nearby so you can enjoy looking at the houseboats.
Please read my relevant posts for more information:
Ten Things To Do In Hackney Wick
Ten Things To Do On Fish Island
Ten Things To Do In Stratford East London
Ten Things To Do In Victoria Park Village
Visit Victoria Park East London
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Please check that the places I referenced in this article are still in business before you visit to avoid disappointment.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
