Log in to My Time Out for your personalised guide to what's on in London. It's fast, easy and FREE!
Follow Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen to receive updates on special offers here.
What is 'following'?Bars & pubs: Global
Latest features
-
The 100 best horror films
Voted for by over 100 experts including Simon Pegg and Roger Corman
-
Abandoman freestyle 2012's biggest comedy shows
The hip-hop impro duo work 2012 comedy highlights into a freestyle rap.
-
World Shakespeare Festival 2012
The Shakespeare Olympics begin April 22 at the Globe
© Rob Greig
Time Out says 15 Users say Rate it
It's heartening to see the old Ocean music venue in Mare Street reopening as something with a bit of soul: the City Screen group, known for its anti-identikit local cinemas, has fitted it out as a four-screen Picturehouse. It's also pleasing to find that the attached bar and restaurant, far from being an afterthought, is a destination in itself - you don't need tickets to 'The Human Centipede 3' to stop by for a bite to eat or a drop to drink.
Looks-wise, it's of the 'new arts institution' café-bar school - quite plain, white, with a long bar, letting the undulating pre- and post-movie crowds provide the atmosphere.
On our visit, many people were taking time out for a contemplative glass of wine after 'We Need To Talk About Kevin', but there's also a range of draught and bottled beer that laudably includes three varieties from the nearby London Fields microbrewery, including Hackney Hopstar and the specially brewed Picturehouse Pale Ale.
Food is several cuts above the usual multiplex fare. There are hotdogs - not the kind whose stale aromas despoil cinema foyers the nation over, but sausages made to a coarser German recipe by the Franconian Sausage Co, which supplies Mark Hix's restaurants among others. There's a list of daily changing specials for those without a screening to rush to - penne with bolognese, or tart of the day with salads, for instance. Sharing plates might come with a perfectly served cheese selection or European cured meats. Breakfast is offered too: it would make a bright and pleasant spot to peruse the papers.
From the compact menu, a pizzette was cracklingly crisp and restrainedly garnished with top ingredients - capers, chillis and tomato. We also enjoyed the kitchen's own-made spring rolls, filled with unusual veg such as kale. And cakes look like a big part of the operation - a blackboard menu listed gingerbread men, popcorn muffins (see above), flapjacks and meringues, all baked in-house.
There's a bar on the second floor, and another further up still (the 'Hackney Attic') that hosts events such as a film quiz and live music. We wish they were open to non-cinemagoers and event-attenders, though, as they offer some great views across the borough.
Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen details
Follow Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen to receive updates on special offers here.
What is 'following'?Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen
Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street E8 1HETransport Hackney Central Overground
0871 9025734 premium
Bar open 8am-11pm Mon-Thur; 8am-12.30am Fri; 9am-12.30am Sat; 10am-11pm Sun
Meals served 8am-10pm Mon-Fri; 9am-10pm Sat; 10am-10pm Sun. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £40
Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen map
Restaurants & cafés near Hackney Picturehouse Bar & Kitchen
See all restaurants near Hackney Picturehouse Bar & KitchenComments & ratings 4/5 (Average of 15 ratings)
I have ordered a pizzetta and got an half naan bread with hardley anything on it!
ABSURD they should be ashamed of serving this it is not food.
A rip off
Hit and miss, this place. I really like the ideas behind it, and behind providing fresh, seasonal food. Had some amazing homemade dips here, and the burgers are good. However, we also once had some banana cake that was utterly uncooked in the middle(!), the pizzettes are tasty but extremely small and thin (although only £3) and we once had mulled wine which seemed to be entirely devoid of alcohol, but there is a good intention at work in the kitchen, and hopefully with practice they'll get it right more often.
We all know that London is very expensive for eating out and where a lot of the time people get low vaule for money, usually we lower our heads and bear this, most of the time we don't even thing about these issues and pay without thinking. However there is a point when expensive means rip off and this is the case with this place. I went with some friends and one ordered the burger, which was fine for £7.95, but to pay £3.50 for a 'pizzette' which was a 7 cm round of extremely thin crispy bread with a smear of tomato and two tiny pieces of mozzarella is frankly taking things too far, this was not a small pizza, it was plain rip off. When I queried this with the manager, he basically told me to get lost. I wonder why as consumers we let people get away with such practices, the burgers might be fantastic -although they take 20 minutes to arrive; but I won't be going there again because I don't like to be treated with contempt, I like paying the right amount for what I am going to get and at this place I was openly ripped off!
food and good for a quick bite, but really with plenty of Lahmacun places nearby I won't be going there again.
Had a pre-movie meal here on the weekend. Burger was good, and I enjoyed the flat bread and dips plate. Of these the red pepper was definitely the highlight. Drinks - the mulled cider was much enjoyed by my friends. Overall an ok well-priced meal, however I wouldn't go here for just the food.
I went there the other day and had the home made burger and fries. It was the best burger I have ever had. Other people were raving about the food too. fantastic that Picturehouse has made a genuine effort to provide great food at reasonable prices. My local, now!
Time Out guides and magazines
Useful links
Things to do in London
- London restaurants
- London events
- London theatre
- London bars and pubs
- London clubs
- Film listings
- London tickets and offers
- Alternative London
- London museums
- London music
- London art
- London shopping
- London Olympics
- Gay and lesbian London
- London cabaret
- London comedy
- London for kids
- Books and poetry
- Dance in London
- Festivals
- London hotels
- Classical music in London
London by area
- Brixton guide
- Borough guide
- Bermondsey guide
- City of London guide
- Dalston guide
- Mayfair guide
- Camden guide
- Clapham guide
- Covent Garden guide
- Greenwich guide
- Stoke Newington guide
- Hammersmith guide
- Hampstead guide
- Highgate guide
- Holborn guide
- King's Cross guide
- Islington guide
- West End guide
- Hackney guide
- Marylebone guide
- London Bridge guide
- Little Venice guide
- Richmond guide
- Shoreditch guide
- Soho guide
- South Bank guide
- Wimbledon guide
- Notting Hill guide
Time Out Worldwide
Get the latest news from Time Out
Share your thoughts