In an area as diverse and creative as Hackney Wick, it’s no surprise that it’s also home to some of the best drinking spots in east London. Whether you want an all-nighter to the sound of live DJs spinning the freshest tracks or looking for a spot to enjoy a quiet glass of wine, there's plenty of choice in this quirky quarter. From hip Hackney hangouts and buzzy bars to live music-filled courtyards, here's our guide to the best bars in Hackney Wick.

Guide to the best bars in Hackney Wick
In this guide
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The best bars in Hackney Wick
- Number 90 – Canalside drinking
- HWK – Coffee, cocktails and DJs
- Grow – Waterside dining
- Crate Brewery & Pizzeria – Stone-baked pizzas washed down with home-brewed beer
- Four Quarters – A retro arcade in the heart of Hackney Wick
- Hackney Bridge – Street food from some of London's favourite traders
- Barge East – Dinner and drinks on a 118-year-old Dutch barge
- The Milk Float – Eat, drink, canoe
- Lord Napier Star – In an iconic Hackney Wick building
- Howling Hops – Al fresco in Queens Yard
- Beer Merchants Tap – Fermentation at its finest
- The Lock Inn – Live Irish music and a weekly pub quiz
- Two More Years – Canalside cocktails
- Alfred Le Roy – Cocktails and CRATE pizza
- White Post Bar and Cafe – Live music and chess
- Rule Zero – Games galore
The best bars in Hackney Wick
Canalside drinking
Number 90 Bar and Kitchen is more than just your average bar; they play host to emerging and established DJs and film nights, and there's a tasty menu serving everything from burgers and salads to dirty fries and wings. It's the perfect spot for waterside drinking along the canal.
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90 Wallis Rd
- Website • 020-898 600 90
- Read more on Thatsup
Coffee, cocktails and DJs
HWK is an events space, bar and restaurant located a stone's throw from Hackney Wick station. They serve a menu of Mediterranean sharing plates, as well as beer, wine and cocktails. You can also grab a cup of coffee throughout the day, and there are live DJ events on Fridays and Saturdays, usually taking place in the outside (weather-proofed) terrace.
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29 White Post Ln
- Website
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Waterside dining
This café is an independently-run spot located along the canal in Hackney Wick and is a creative space dedicated to putting people and the planet over profit. The menu features Middle-Eastern-inspired fare, like shakshuka and spiced lamb kebabs, and there's a variety of drinks to choose from.
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98c Wallis Rd
- Website • 020-851 017 57
- Read more on Thatsup
Stone-baked pizzas washed down with home-brewed beer
Crate Brewery is known for its regularly changing menu of home-brewed beer, from lagers, IPAs, pale ales, stouts and more. The pizzas are also pretty unique; they're all hand-rolled and stone-baked and come in various creative flavours, like sage and truffle, Kashmiri dhal and sweet potato, walnut and stilton. Chef's kiss.
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Unit 7 Queen's Yard
- Website • 075-476 958 41
- Read more on Thatsup
A retro arcade in the heart of Hackney Wick
This retro arcade bar is the place to go for your favourite childhood games, like Pac-Man, Tekken, Street Fighter and more. There's also live music and comedy nights, and you can pick up a light bite to eat here and a selection of drinks from the bar.
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187 Rye Lane, Peckham
- Website • 0794-336 60 02
- Read more on Thatsup
Street food from some of London's favourite traders
Hackney Bridge Kitchens, located right by Here East on the canal in Hackney Wick, offers a space to grab a pint and some street food along the canal. Enjoy Filipino fare, Neapolitan pizzas and vegan Vietnamese bowls and a range of drinks and cocktails.
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Units 1-28, Echo Building, E Bay Ln
- Website
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Dinner and drinks on a 118-year-old Dutch barge
Barge East came about after three brothers sailed a 118-year-old Dutch barge from Holland to Hackney Wick, where it became the thriving bar and restaurant it is today. The barge part of the restaurant makes for an intimate dining experience but there's also a garden for more chilled drinks and lighter bites.
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River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, 98 White Post Lane, Tower Hamlets
- Website • 020-302 628 07
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Eat, drink, canoe
Devouring ice cream, sipping on local beer and canoeing down the canal in Hackney Wick are just a few of the things you can do at The Milk Float, the boat bar perched next door to Barge East. The top deck offers views of the surrounding waterways, and inside there's a bar where you can grab local brews and soft drinks.
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Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Ln
- Website
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In an iconic Hackney Wick building
This newly opened pub in a previously abandoned building in Hackney Wick boasts a roof terrace overlooking the Wick and an inside area with booths for wining and dining. There's a range of events taking place throughout the week, like live DJs, pub quizzes and themed cocktail nights.
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25 White Post Ln
- Website • 020-816 143 38
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Al fresco in Queens Yard
These guys brew their beer in-house and pour straight from the barrels, which you can see lined up behind the bar. The beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and vegan-friendly, and all of it is generously hopped. Grab a bite to eat and a pint and enjoy al fresco in a buzzy part of Hackney Wick in Queens Yard.
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9 Queen's Yard, White Post Ln
- Website • 020-358 382 62
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Fermentation at its finest
The Beer Merchants Tap is a taproom and bottleshop stocking beer inspired by fermentation worldwide, focusing heavily on Belgian and British craft beer. Overall, they stock around 600 different bottles and cans from all around the world. The venue also hosts various events, and there's a menu of snack-based foods, like cheese, charcuterie, and more.
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99 Wallis Rd
- Website • 020-322 255 92
- Read more on Thatsup
Live Irish music and a weekly pub quiz
This independent Hackney Wick pub is located in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is an excellent spot for tasty food and refreshing beer and cocktails. They often show the football, throw a weekly Monday night quiz, and sometimes have a live trad Irish band playing.
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26 E Bay Ln
- Website • 020-451 362 71
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Canalside cocktails
Sip on canalside cocktails and enjoy fragrant Caribbean food at Two More Years, an atmospheric bar located along the canal in Hackney Wick. This community spot has been designed with creatives in mind and for those who share a sustainable approach to life.
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7 Roach Rd, Tower Hamlets
- Website • 020-718 300 89
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Cocktails and CRATE pizza
Alfred Le Roy is perched along the canal behind Hackney Wick on a little blue narrow boat. They're mostly known for their cocktails (the Bloody Mary is a winner), and people tend to grab a pizza from CRATE to enjoy alongside them.
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Unit 7 Queen's Yard
- Website • 075-476 958 41
- Read more on Thatsup
Live music and chess
White Post Bar and Cafe is a coffee shop and place to grab a little something to eat throughout the day, like pastries and light bites. You can also enjoy a late-night drink to the sound of live soul and jazz music or keep it chill and pop along to one of the evening chess matches.
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Building 4, 92 Schwartz Wharf, Tower Hamlets
- Website
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Games galore
You'll like this bar on the canal in Hackney Wick if you're a bit of a board game nerd. You can learn how to play classic and lesser-known board games alongside the professionals or save the games for another night and enjoy drinks by Hackney Wick's narrow-boat-filled canal.
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3 Succession Walk, Fish Island, Tower Hamlets
- Website • 020-805 760 07
- Read more on Thatsup