Peg

Located next to Hackney Central station, Peg is the youngest and smallest venture from the people behind the popular Noble Fine Liquor wine shop, the P. Franco wine bar in Clapton and the acclaimed Hackney restaurant Bright. Unsurprisingly, Peg is another success, with patrons from near and far eagerly crowding into the small space to order plate after plate of izakaya-style food.

Looking at the venue, it’s hard to imagine a more Hackney-ish Hackney restaurant – a cosy, chic space with large windows, light wood furnishings and white tabletops, communal and counter seating. Oh, and the speakers hooked up to a record player with Peg’s own vinyl collection. It’s an airy, clean place, and it’s also very hip in a sincere, straightforward way.

The neighbourhood restaurant offers a four- or five-course set menu, as well as a brief but focused a la carte lunch menu on Saturdays, all adapted according to the produce coming into the kitchen each day. The Japanese dishes are small but full of flavour, combining Asian ingredients and British seasonal produce to great effect. A typical set menu might consist of spring tempura with condiments, monkfish with young onions and peas, lamb saddle with white asparagus and broad beans, aged rice with Alphonso mango and Bengali lime, and a black sesame and thyme financier, with an optional cheese course available for an extra fee. There’s also a selection of intriguing ciders and beers to go with it, as well as a curated wine list, of course.