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Hackney’s Forno – an Italian-style bakery from the same people that run Cambridge Health pasta restaurant Ombra – have casually opened a second site. This is very, very good news.
Ombra chef Mitshel Ibrahim quietly launched the new Forno earlier this month on Church Lane in Leytonstone, and it’s open daily from 8am until 4pm. Forno is known for its cornetti – aka the Italian croissant – as well as bubbly focaccia, sourdough bread, and all manner of sweet Italian patisserie and cakes, such as torta caprese and maritozzi cream buns.
The OG Forno is also home to a deli which sells filled and stuffed pasta, fresh sauces, cold cuts, Italian cheeses, and wines, as well as focaccia sandwiches and daily changing soups at lunchtime. It also serves Roman pizza in the evening, and rumour reaches us that this is also the plan for the new Leytonstone location.
Forno in Hackney is currently hosting a weekly Friday night listening bar takeover called Brillo, where DJs play vinyl-only sets while punters eat pizza and drink natural wine and negronis. Heaven? Close enough!
This isn’t the only foodie news to come out of Leytonstone this week. The east London neighbourhood is also getting a brand new M&S Food Hall. The store opens Thursday, July 17 at 9am. Spread over 12,000 feet, it takes over the site of an old Matalan, and will boast a bakery, coffee station and flower and wine shops – as well as M&S’ usual food offerings.
Find Forno 2.0 at 47 Church Lane, Leytonstone, E11 1HE.
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